http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fake-ipad-2s-made-clay-sold-canadian-stores-220733489.html
QuoteAs many as 10 fake iPad 2s, all made of slabs of modeling clay, were recently sold at electronic stores in Vancouver, British Columbia. Best Buy and Future Shop have launched investigations into how the scam was pulled off.
The tablet computers, like most Apple products, are known for their sleek and simple designs. But there's no mistaking the iPad for one of the world's oldest "tablet devices." Still, most electronic products cannot be returned to stores. For the the stores and customers to be fooled by the clay replacements, the thieves must have successfully weighed out the clay portions and resealed the original Apple packaging.
Future Shop spokesman Elliott Chun told CTV that individuals bought the iPads with cash, replaced them with the model clay, then returned the packages to the stores. The returned fakes were restocked on the shelve and sold to new, unwitting customers.
"Customers don't expect to receive this kind of product from Future Shop, so it's a very serious matter and something we are addressing right away for anyone who has been impacted," Chun told CTV British Columbia. "It really saddens Future Shop that people stoop to be this opportunistic and make money in this kind of organized way."
The scam was first brought to CTV's attention by a victim of the crime, Mark Sandhu. Sandhu says after purchasing what he thought was an iPad 2 for his wife for Christmas, he tried to return the clay, only to be rebuffed. "Maybe the way I was dressed, I don't know," he said. "She made me feel like I'm trying to scam them out of $700. I was the one getting scammed."
Sandhu contacted Future Shop's head office, Apple and local police, but no one believed his story. Future Shop has since apologized and given Sandhu a full refund along with a free tablet--a real one.
Damn, I bet Moses is going to be pissed.
I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs
Quote from: Tyr on January 17, 2012, 06:49:15 PM
I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs
:huh:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 17, 2012, 06:58:55 PM
Quote from: Tyr on January 17, 2012, 06:49:15 PM
I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs
:huh:
My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. :bowler:
or if you're a cheapsake:
http://www.geordie.org.uk/ (http://www.geordie.org.uk/)
Quote from: mongers on January 17, 2012, 07:00:59 PM
My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. :bowler:
Have you folks not yet discovered the technology: refe und?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 17, 2012, 07:02:07 PM
Quote from: mongers on January 17, 2012, 07:00:59 PM
My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. :bowler:
Have you folks not yet discovered the technology: refe und?
See above post.
edit:or
http://www.whoohoo.co.uk/main.asp (http://www.whoohoo.co.uk/main.asp)
What's wrong with what I said, no dialect or slang there. :unsure:
Quote from: Tyr on January 17, 2012, 07:05:05 PM
What's wrong with what I said, no dialect or slang there. :unsure:
Ask Draftwarmongers; I thought it was completely comprehensible.
Article says:
Quote
Future Shop spokesman Elliott Chun told CTV that individuals bought the iPads with cash, replaced them with the model clay, then returned the packages to the stores. The returned fakes were restocked on the shelve and sold to new, unwitting customers.
Which alone would suggest they got refunds and profited.
But...elsewhere it says electronics products can't be returned and the guy trying to get a refund for the clay failed.
Quote from: Tyr on January 17, 2012, 07:16:06 PM
But...elsewhere it says electronics products can't be returned and the guy trying to get a refund for the clay failed.
It doesn't say that electronics can't be returned. They didn't refund the clay because they don't sell iPads made out of clay.
Dear Tyr, it went like this:
Scammer buys the iPad. He replaces the iPad with clay. He shrink wraps the box, so it looks like it's never been opened. Then, he returns the box with the clay in it, receives the refund and keeps a brand new iPad (which he most likely cells onwards for cash).
Next, someone enters the store intending to buy an iPad. They quite reasonably assume that the shrink wrapped iPad-box they obtain from the store contains the gadget in question, but once they get home they find a clay tablet instead.
Quote from: Jacob on January 17, 2012, 07:54:01 PM
Dear Tyr, it went like this:
Scammer buys the iPad. He replaces the iPad with clay. He shrink wraps the box, so it looks like it's never been opened. Then, he returns the box with the clay in it, receives the refund and keeps a brand new iPad (which he most likely cells onwards for cash).
Next, someone enters the store intending to buy an iPad. They quite reasonably assume that the shrink wrapped iPad-box they obtain from the store contains the gadget in question, but once they get home they find a clay tablet instead.
Now here's the tricky part Squeeze :contract:
The second guy, instead of cleverly shrink wrapping the clay like the first guy, just heads back to the store with a clay tablet in one hand and an empty IPad box in the other and says "hey, you guys sold me a clay tablet, how about a refund?"
So the second guy gets tazed and tossed out of the store.
In my day, they used bricks. These kids these days have gone soft.
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
Quote from: Monoriu on January 17, 2012, 09:14:45 PM
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
Seems bad for consumers. A device could still not work even though visually inspected.
Quote from: Tyr on January 17, 2012, 07:16:06 PM
But...elsewhere it says electronics products can't be returned and the guy trying to get a refund for the clay failed.
:huh:
QuoteStill, most electronic products cannot be returned to stores. For the the stores and customers to be fooled by the clay replacements, the thieves must have successfully weighed out the clay portions and resealed the original Apple packaging.
Scamming electronics returns is pretty common in Edmonton. And retailers who are taught "the customer is always right" fall for the stupidest scams.
A personal favourite (though this was from Whitehorse) - woman's Samsung tv stops working. She tries to buy an identical tv from the store, but can't find one, so buys a Sanyo (I'm probably switching the bdand names - but they all started with S). The next day she puts her broken Samsung in the Sanyo box and goes to return it, saying it doesn't work.
Staff notice the switch, question her on it, but then give her the refund anyways. :frusty:
Quote from: garbon on January 17, 2012, 10:24:15 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on January 17, 2012, 09:14:45 PM
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
Seems bad for consumers. A device could still not work even though visually inspected.
No kidding.
"YES THIS MICROCHIP IS CLEARLY FUNCTIONAL"
Quote from: Barrister on January 17, 2012, 10:37:44 PM
Scamming electronics returns is pretty common in Edmonton. And retailers who are taught "the customer is always right" fall for the stupidest scams.
A personal favourite (though this was from Whitehorse) - woman's Samsung tv stops working. She tries to buy an identical tv from the store, but can't find one, so buys a Sanyo (I'm probably switching the bdand names - but they all started with S). The next day she puts her broken Samsung in the Sanyo box and goes to return it, saying it doesn't work.
Staff notice the switch, question her on it, but then give her the refund anyways. :frusty:
I bought a transfer cable once, used it for eight hours, then returned it. I'm don't think I even claimed it didn't work*. Take that, capitalism!
*As point of fact, it didn't, at least not well, as I discovered over the next few months, in attempting to find folders that should have transferred but did not, including some rather cumbersome ones, like the CD collection I'd spent some time transferring to the old HDD, and a few comics archives. "Miracleman, where arrrrre you?"
Quote from: Ideologue on January 17, 2012, 10:48:20 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 17, 2012, 10:24:15 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on January 17, 2012, 09:14:45 PM
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
Seems bad for consumers. A device could still not work even though visually inspected.
No kidding.
"YES THIS MICROCHIP IS CLEARLY FUNCTIONAL"
Maybe that is one of Mono's powers.
Quote from: garbon on January 17, 2012, 10:24:15 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on January 17, 2012, 09:14:45 PM
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
Seems bad for consumers. A device could still not work even though visually inspected.
Customers may demand a test run of the device on the spot. Places that sell lightbulbs used to have ready equipment that allows customers to test each lightbulb before purchase.
They do allow exchanges if it doesn't work. Well, the large chains anyway. But no refunds.
Quote from: Barrister on January 17, 2012, 10:37:44 PM
Scamming electronics returns is pretty common in Edmonton. And retailers who are taught "the customer is always right" fall for the stupidest scams.
A personal favourite (though this was from Whitehorse) - woman's Samsung tv stops working. She tries to buy an identical tv from the store, but can't find one, so buys a Sanyo (I'm probably switching the bdand names - but they all started with S). The next day she puts her broken Samsung in the Sanyo box and goes to return it, saying it doesn't work.
Staff notice the switch, question her on it, but then give her the refund anyways. :frusty:
I imagine part of the staff's reasoning was, "hey, let's just give this crazy lady the TV (at no personal cost to us), so that she will just go away and we can get back to daydreaming..."
Quote from: Monoriu on January 17, 2012, 09:14:45 PM
In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed. No refund under any circumstances.
I bought a cheap DVD player at Carrefour here in Shanghai. I brought it home and oops, it doesn't work. I didn't have a receipt, but just smiling, playing dumb and being stubborn got me a working replacement.
Carrefour sounds like a Western company.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 18, 2012, 04:27:29 AM
Carrefour sounds like a Western company.
Yeah, looks like it's French.
But the store I went to is in Shanghai.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 18, 2012, 04:27:29 AM
Carrefour sounds like a Western company.
Yeah it is French Walmart. I went to one in Nice and there were like five aisles of cheese.