Three weeks after its launch, the iPad 2 is still incredibly hard to obtain for some – while Chinese campers in New York City continue to sleep outside Apple Stores in order to make a quick buck reselling the device in their home country. A New York Times report reveals that some are making up to $400 a day.
Nick Bilton writes:
On Wednesday morning I stopped by the SoHo Apple store in New York City to purchase an iPad for a family member. As I had anticipated, a store clerk said they were out of stock and recommended that I check back the following morning. When I asked what time I should arrive, the clerk hesitated, looked around as if about to tell me a secret and said: “Well, do you see that group of people outside? They’re already here waiting for tomorrow’s shipment of iPads.”
I looked, and saw that outside the store sat a small group of Chinese men and women ready with camping chairs and apparently all the time in the world, preparing for a chilly night on New York’s streets as they waited to buy the iPad 2.
Bilton attempted to interview some of the campers outside the SoHo store, but most refused to answer his questions.
This kind of scheme has recently proven to be a popular money maker with Apple’s latest gadgets – with resellers exporting the iPhone all over the world after its launch and earning a tidy profit with each sale. However, due to the high demand of the iPad 2 and the struggle many are experiencing in trying to obtain the device, resellers are now becoming a huge frustration to genuine customers.
[via 9to5 Mac]
