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shifuimam · May 11, 2007, 10:33 AM

I was just looking at stuff on eBay, and there are several pre-sale auctions for the iPhone. Most are at $1200 or more.

Does this seem crazy to anyone else besides me? This is going to be like the PS3. Once the initial surge of buyers subsides, there will be plenty of these things available, and the people who spent more than twice Apple's MSRP are going to feel like utter idiots.

So: would YOU pre-buy an iPhone for $1200, especially when you consider that a release date is not confirmed?

mduell · May 11, 2007, 10:52 AM

What if it turns out like the Wii, where manufacturing capacity is grossly miscalculated and months later you still can't find one in most stores?

I'd pay $200 for the iPhone; $50 more than my Blackberry to compensate for the extra 8GB flash.

ebrunn · May 11, 2007, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

What if it turns out like the Wii, where manufacturing capacity is grossly miscalculated and months later you still can't find one in most stores?

I'd pay $200 for the iPhone; $50 more than my Blackberry to compensate for the extra 8GB flash.

Yeah, what is up with not being able to find a Wii? Not that I want one, but when I walk into Target, they still dont have any.

Brien · May 11, 2007, 04:39 PM

Because they ship like 10 a week to the stores.

icruise · May 11, 2007, 06:13 PM

If the iPhone cost $250, it might be different. But instead it costs the same as the PS3, AND it requires a 2-year contract. I think it'll be popular, but not Wii popular. The cost just makes that impossible.

msuper69 · May 11, 2007, 09:03 PM

What a load of BS. The answers to the questions people have asking are all flat-out wrong. Those listings should be reported to eBay as fraudulent.

If people are stupid enough to bid on vaporware, they deserve what they get ----ripped off!

shifuimam · May 12, 2007, 09:22 AM

Technically, it's legal as a pre-sale. As long as the people listing the auctions know for a fact that the iPhone is going to be released within 30 days of auction close, it's not a fraudulent listing.

Of course, whether or not the iPhone is *ever* going to be released is still up for debate...

icruise · May 12, 2007, 10:10 AM

Since the iPhone requires a contract to be used and is supposedly only sold by Apple stores and Cingular stores, I wonder how a preseller could get his hands on one.

msuper69 · May 12, 2007, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Technically, it's legal as a pre-sale. As long as the people listing the auctions know for a fact that the iPhone is going to be released within 30 days of auction close, it's not a fraudulent listing.

Of course, whether or not the iPhone is *ever* going to be released is still up for debate...

When they make claims like the iPhone is able to be unlocked - I call that perpetrating a fraud.

Mrjinglesusa · May 13, 2007, 09:49 AM

These should be reported as fraudulent auctions. The sellers CANNOT guarantee that they will be able to acquire an iPhone. They could get shut out if availability is as limited as many people think it will be.

buymeaniphone · May 13, 2007, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Technically, it's legal as a pre-sale. As long as the people listing the auctions know for a fact that the iPhone is going to be released within 30 days of auction close, it's not a fraudulent listing.

Of course, whether or not the iPhone is *ever* going to be released is still up for debate...

Actually this is the disclaimer on the iphone page on apple.com
"This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

leamanc · May 14, 2007, 12:00 AM

Unless these auction providers are Cingular/AT&T dealers, there's no way they could even acquire an iPhone to ship to the consumer.

And I highly doubt that Cingular/AT&T encourages its dealers to pre-sell phones at insane markups on eBay.

Zwilnik · May 14, 2007, 12:42 AM

Remember, the iPhone requires special modifications to AT&T/Cingular's network that are unique to the iPhone. So an unlocked iPhone is pretty much useless as you'd still have to get an AT&T/Cingular contract for it anyway. Ergo, sales of 'unlocked' iPhones are 99% likely to be fake.

imitchellg5 · May 14, 2007, 04:39 PM

I see one right now for $450. That's not unreasonable I think.
Edit: That's because it's in Hong Kong. Silly me. And I am seeing a lot of accessories like silicon cases for iPhone for sale. Interesting.

-Q- · May 14, 2007, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Zwilnik

Remember, the iPhone requires special modifications to AT&T/Cingular's network that are unique to the iPhone. So an unlocked iPhone is pretty much useless as you'd still have to get an AT&T/Cingular contract for it anyway. Ergo, sales of 'unlocked' iPhones are 99% likely to be fake.

From everything I've read, the only real modification was for the 'visual voicemail' so you'd lose access to that feature, but it would still function as a phone, ipod, pda, etc. You might not be able to hack the iPhone's data settings to easily use another carrier's internet connection but it could be likely.

But at the moment, unlocked iPhones have to be a fake.