Disappointed Hong Kong shoppers denied iPhone 6, despite night spent queuing

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Disappointed Hong Kong shoppers denied iPhone 6, despite night spent queuing

Consumers complain they were misled by Apple Store staff over iPhone 6 sales but touts do a brisk trade in the iconic mobile models outside the showroom

PUBLISHED : Friday, 19 September, 2014, 11:07am
UPDATED : Friday, 19 September, 2014, 12:16pm

Jennifer Ngo [email protected]

Customers seek advice from Apple store staff (in blue) before purchasing the new iPhone 6 outside an Apple store. Photo: AFP

Angry consumers gathered outside the Apple Store in Festival Walk on Friday morning after spending a sleepless night queuing, despite being told that the store would no longer accept walk-in buyers for the new iPhone 6.

Technology giant Apple had said it would only serve people on Friday who had preregistered for the new phone, but the store’s management had allowed hopefuls queue up at its doors since Thursday afternoon, failing to inform them of the condition until early the next day.

The first buyer of an iPhone 6 (left) displays his purchase during its launch at an Apple store. Photo: AFP

Between 20 and 30 people who had queued up rushed into the store after it opened, demanding to be sold the phone. The police were called, and were talking to the group.

“They could’ve told us last night when the mall closed,” said 31-year-old cleaner Tony Ku, who had been at the Kowloon Tong mall since 2pm on Thursday. “Apple is a liar – and this is a disgusting trick to get free publicity.”

Apple Store starts offering iPhone 6 at Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong on September 19 morning. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Ku said that on Thursday night, the police, Apple Store staff and mall security had told those waiting they had “come to a consensus” that those in line could queue up outside until the mall reopened the following morning.

But when the group filed in to the showroom at 6.30am, Apple Store staff announced their wait had been in vain, Ku said.

A woman touches an iPhone 6 Plus as it sits next to an iPhone 6 after they went on sale at the Apple Store. Photo: Reuters

“Actually, we had no idea there were people queuing up outside,” said Apple Store manager Patrick Wong, who was trying to remove the group when the South China Morning Post reporter arrived. Wong refused to answer further questions after making that statement.

Amidst the clapping and cheering by Apple Store staff welcoming the first iPhone 6 buyers in Hong Kong, the new phone owners touting the store’s signature white drawstring bags were keen to get the phones off their hands.

Activists protest outside the Apple store in Central against the malpractices and labour exploitation of both Pegatron and Apple. Photo: Felix Wong

Many of the new models were resold immediately, right outside the store. Sellers waited around, while buyers – many from the mainland – flocked to them offering high prices.

The iPhone6 Plus with its bigger 5.5-inch screen had a better resell value, fetching HK$13,000 to HK$17,000 – double Apple’s retail price. The iPhone 6, with its smaller screen, was fetching around HK$8,000, said buyer Daniel Fong.

Activists hang a banner outside the Apple Store in Central protesting against the malpractices and labour exploitation of both Pegatron and Apple. Photo: Felix Wong

“But the prices can fluctuate,” he said and people were calling for figures too far out of his budget. He had only managed to procure a few models – of which all were 6 Plus.

Fong said he would be reselling the phones to bigger stores, earning just tens of dollars profit for each.

Trader sells iPhone 6 plus outside the Apple Store in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

Tens of hundreds of people wait to buy iPhone 6 outside Studio A in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sam Tsang

Shoppers argue with police as they queue to buy the iPhone 6 outside Studio A in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sam Tsang