In China, where licensing problems prevent the iPhone 6 from getting sold, these devices fetch thousands of dollars on the grey market.
But where do these sellers get their phones? Apparently, from the hordes of stand-ins who sat in line for days outside Apple stores. These folks – the old woman who doesn’t speak a word of English, a mother huddled with her child in a blanket, a screaming lady who got arrested by the police after an unspecified altercation – were vividly captured in a mini-documentary shot in New York (below) by film producer Casey Neistat.
The video gives a quick glimpse of how the massive Apple grey market works. Scalpers pay foot soldiers to stand in line, and they often crowd out the Apple fans at the front of the queue. It’s a trend noticed not just in New York, but stores in San Francisco, Seattle, Louisville, and Kentucky too. The shadowy middlemen then round up the phones and ship them to wherever they’re sold. It’s probably a nice bit of side income for those who stood in line, but bigger profits for the brains behind the operation.
The documentary ends with the quote: “I don’t think this kind of business is good for anyone.” But even if Apple agrees and steps in, there’s not going to be a foolproof way to stop resellers from getting to the phones.
Check out the video below:
Editing by Steven Millward
(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)
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