Amazon Is Kicking All Unauthorized Apple Refurbishers Off Amazon Marketplace
motherboard.vice.com
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I still mostly stick with Apple products when it comes to notebook power, especially for the 15” MBP.
In fact, our team time after time received a huge shipments of Anker cables (think 1000-2000 cables in their retail boxes)
If Anker got a cent for each time a cable of theirs got plugged into an iPhone prototype that never left the HQ, they'd still be a huge company.
If Apple Engineers are not using its own Apple products than there is something very wrong.
Not sure if it’s even possible to commingle with AmazonBasics inventory
It keeps referring to refurbished machines, which is a fairly big distinction, at least on the Amazon platform.
Refurbished machines are sold as primary items; they have an ASIN and are assumed to be basically fungible goods as long as the specs are the same.
Used machines are the ones you find through the "Available from these sellers" subpage on an item (which will often be out of stock, once the machine isn't being sold as new). There you have to list the condition, and many are shipped directly from seller to buyer without going through Amazon at all.
I am wondering if what Amazon is doing is saying that, unless you are Apple, you cannot call a machine "refurbished", only "used". That seems... aggressive, but not completely out of line. It seems like it's letting Apple take ownership of the term "refurbished", when they should really differentiate themselves by saying "Factory Refurbished" or "Apple Refurbished" or something, but it wouldn't necessarily block resale of the units completely.
If Amazon is actually prohibiting all resale, even as "used", they are going to be making a huge giveaway to eBay and Swappa, since that is where the secondary market will likely go. The demand for used Macs isn't going to disappear, and Apple's recent trend towards higher prices is going to increase it.
During production of iPhone 4, they started production with plain optical binding gel, but switched to very hard, solvent resistant epoxy mid way. Again, to frustrate refurbishers.
Then, they literally paid off Alibaba to push refurbishers out from their platforms. There is a strong evidence for that: there was a press release once of "Apple entering strategic partnership with Alibaba" without any specifics, and the sane week, the kicked out all refurbishers.
I bet, they did the same with Amazon
What is there to believe? That you heard something? I believe that you heard it. The fact you think that makes it true is worrying.
Sounds pretty clear to me.
Assuming that Apple products would be used for a long time - it's hard for them to sell more new devices when supply of old ones that are 100% functional is increasing and increasing. For regular internet browsing use CPU from 2012+ isn't that much different from new one
Amazon needs to pull their head out.
This contributes to a wow experience and better supply chain optimization.
Also, Amazon is where the customers are at.
Possibly some. There are people who head for the refurbished gear first.
In years past, Apple hid the refurbished sections of its web site. You had to navigate a pretty dark pattern to get there, and it wasn't available at all on the app.
Today there's a link right in the apple.com footer, and refurbs right in the Apple Store app.
I've purchased refurbished Apple gear in the past (mostly Airports) because it's cheaper than new, but comes with the same warranty as new gear.
Plus, there's a certain amount of confidence that comes from buying it from Apple that I don't get from some RandomBigGood_real_Apple_dealzez on Amazon.
So customers could potentially buy this product, think they are buying an "Apple Refurbished" product and when it doesn't work, turn up at an Apple store expecting them to service it (which they will do, but for a cost). Doesn't make for a great customer experience.
On a personal note, I've looked on Amazon a few times for a refurbished iPhone and have walked away a bunch of times since it all seems so sketchy.
1. https://www.amazon.ca/Apple-MacBook-MJVE2LL-13-3-Inch-Refurb...
Cheap knockoffs available make Apple's high prices look astronomically large.
If private refurbishers can no longer sell through Amazon, they can throw up a Shopify or WooCommerce in a few hours and keep going. Amazon, like any other business, is entitled to choose whose products are to be sold through then.
This is a free market society and we all may choose where to purchase products. Many Amazon customers want to see only official products that are trustworthy and carry manufacturer support. Just like Walmart or Target or Joe’s corner store, Amazon is making a business decision to better serve they customers. No one is losing any sort of right.
AT&T had 100% of phone service. Google has 90% of the search market. Windows 95 had something like 95% market share. Those are monopolies. Amazon may have a monopoly on some market segments like books, but they’re far from having a monopoly in online retail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K669-vhKshU
[0] louis rossmann repair group in nyc is a small business that specializes in repairing apple products
I don't see how this can possibly be legal. Yes Amazon is having problems with counterfeit products, and yes Apple has its own definition of what refurbished means. But it should not be legal to only allow sales of used products from a certain vendor. <- self explanatory, that's what antitrust laws are all about.
This sounds like a lawsuit is on the way. Unfortunately in these times, with the amount of money that these large corporations have, it's going to be an expensive case that drags on potentially for years. And with the stacked courts that favor corporations now, monopolies are more likely to win out.
I've personally repaired most of my Apple gear. And hope to continue.
I also understand the arms race Apple is facing with fraud, counterfeiters.
Tough problem.
Probably a legitimate way to get replacement parts from Apple?
Licensed apple service centers are still a thing, but as far as I know they’re the only way to get legit apple parts. My only experience is for Mac parts though, I’m not sure if they extend into the iOS realm. They didn’t when I left that industry (shortly after the first iPhone was released, the third party licensed repair shops had to ship back to apple for repairs)
Note: I am not affiliated with this company, sharing as a reference. I had two happy transactions with them related to my 2008 Mac Pro, a new logic board and a new power supply for a different Mac Pro.
My first impression/hope is that this is part of an attempt to repair that.
But it sure seems like the wrong target, as these guys are just selling repaired old goods, not fake new goods, which is the problem.
If they have a big problem with high defect/return rates, they certainly should be sanctioned out also. but my suspicion is that this is just a deal between BigCo a and BigCo B to enhance extractive profits. Sad to see it going like this...
Keep feeding the beast, folks.