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China not only knocks off products, they steal your stores!
Are you listening, Steve Jobs? « BirdAbroad
Are you listening, Steve Jobs? « BirdAbroad
Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China
- Thread starter Armand2REP
- Start date
ganesh177
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Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China
At first glance the fake Apple stores look very like the real thing
Continue reading the main story
An American blogger has discovered three fake Apple stores operating in Kunming city, China.
Pictures of the stores, their staff and a description of a stroll around them was posted on the BirdAbroad blog.
In the article, she writes about conversations with staff, many of whom were convinced that they were employed by the US electronics firm.
Apple has said it has no comment to make on the discovery of the counterfeit shops.
On her blog, BirdAbroad described the stores as a "beautiful ripoff - a brilliant one - the best ripoff store we had ever seen".
She describes how convincing the shop was at first glance because so much trouble had been taken to copy key elements of a real Apple store.
For instance, it has a winding staircase, upstairs seating area and employees wearing blue T-shirts and chunky ID lanyards.
Staff believe they are working in a real Apple store
Shoddy construction On closer inspection, wrote BirdAbroad, the store did not seem to be constructed to a particularly high standard.
The stairs appeared to be poorly put together, the walls were not painted properly and, most damning, it had the words "Apple store" written on the shop front.
"Apple never writes 'Apple Store' on its signs - it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit," wrote BirdAbroad.
Research by the blogger revealed that the only official Apple stores in China are in Beijing and Shanghai.
The words "Apple store" do not appear on the signs of real Apple stores
A further check revealed that none of the three stores she found are mentioned on Apple's list of official resellers known to be trading in Kunming.
What was also unclear was where the fake store had got the Apple products on sale - whether they had come from an Apple distributor or a grey market source.
The blog entry mentioning the visit to the fake store has proved hugely popular and has gathered more than 500,000 visits in less than 48 hours.
BBC News - Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China
This is what happens when you lack innovation to create your own brands. Another feather in the accomplishments of china.
At first glance the fake Apple stores look very like the real thing
Continue reading the main story
An American blogger has discovered three fake Apple stores operating in Kunming city, China.
Pictures of the stores, their staff and a description of a stroll around them was posted on the BirdAbroad blog.
In the article, she writes about conversations with staff, many of whom were convinced that they were employed by the US electronics firm.
Apple has said it has no comment to make on the discovery of the counterfeit shops.
On her blog, BirdAbroad described the stores as a "beautiful ripoff - a brilliant one - the best ripoff store we had ever seen".
She describes how convincing the shop was at first glance because so much trouble had been taken to copy key elements of a real Apple store.
For instance, it has a winding staircase, upstairs seating area and employees wearing blue T-shirts and chunky ID lanyards.
Shoddy construction On closer inspection, wrote BirdAbroad, the store did not seem to be constructed to a particularly high standard.
The stairs appeared to be poorly put together, the walls were not painted properly and, most damning, it had the words "Apple store" written on the shop front.
"Apple never writes 'Apple Store' on its signs - it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit," wrote BirdAbroad.
Research by the blogger revealed that the only official Apple stores in China are in Beijing and Shanghai.
The words "Apple store" do not appear on the signs of real Apple stores
A further check revealed that none of the three stores she found are mentioned on Apple's list of official resellers known to be trading in Kunming.
What was also unclear was where the fake store had got the Apple products on sale - whether they had come from an Apple distributor or a grey market source.
The blog entry mentioning the visit to the fake store has proved hugely popular and has gathered more than 500,000 visits in less than 48 hours.
BBC News - Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China
This is what happens when you lack innovation to create your own brands. Another feather in the accomplishments of china.
pmaitra
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Too bad Yusuf bhai, you got caught in the quagmire. I am firmly in the Android camp and am willing to wage a war against anything that looks like the apple, except the fruit that I like to eat.
Here is some fun stuff. Look that Steve Jobs making a fool of himself (Blame it on the Bell Boy):
And listen to his tall claims:
Ok, I had a Motorola with a glass face in 2001. And that antenna in the new iPhone was a brilliant idea, one of the 100 'stunning' new features.
One of the comments:
And his rant:
Now don't get me started on Objective C.
Oh, three more points:
- Great graphics in Apple computers? Well, yeah, used to be when they used PowerPC. Not any more.
- No virus? Well, who uses them anyway, other than those who want to show off? Just that people usually don't make viruses targetting MAC. Just because no one shot me does not mean my skin is like the armour of a tank!
- Great looks? .... meh!
More comments:
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Anyone who has an apple product lacks technical knowledge or just wants to show off to his friends. Apple users are sheep with steve jobs as the shepherd.
It is a rip-off. Only one thing of apple is superior and that is marketing.
It is a rip-off. Only one thing of apple is superior and that is marketing.
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I bet steve jobs must be laughing all the way to the bank by fooling ignorant sheep 
lets have another look at "innovative" apple
lets have another look at "innovative" apple
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Try an htc phone or samsung galaxy.
My two year old htc hd2 can give the new iphone a run for its money and may even edge it.
pmaitra
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Golden words buddy!
pmaitra
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How many of you guys saw Steve Jobs' presentation of the iPhone 4?
It went like a well choreographed comedy by a fake marketing expert and a bunch of Pavlovian dogs conditioned to clap at anything. It went like this:
Steve Jobs: Hi, I am Steve Jo...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: This is the new iPho...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: It's got 100 new fea...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: WTF is wrong with you guys? Let me spea...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
It went like a well choreographed comedy by a fake marketing expert and a bunch of Pavlovian dogs conditioned to clap at anything. It went like this:
Steve Jobs: Hi, I am Steve Jo...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: This is the new iPho...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: It's got 100 new fea...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
Steve Jobs: WTF is wrong with you guys? Let me spea...
Audience: Woooo, Clap, Clap, Clap.
nrj
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I am using Samsung galaxy but bored now so looking to get htc. Thought about iphone but hey, then I will have to appoint someone to teach me how to hold my phone!
Apple boasts on innovation but the key components have always been there with many companies. Too bad they are looking to replace samsung chips with new vendor. Gawd knows how will they perform.
However, what I admire about Apple is its product design. They bring the difference, whatever it is, it makes people crave them. So is gigantic revenue these says.
Apple boasts on innovation but the key components have always been there with many companies. Too bad they are looking to replace samsung chips with new vendor. Gawd knows how will they perform.
However, what I admire about Apple is its product design. They bring the difference, whatever it is, it makes people crave them. So is gigantic revenue these says.
nrj
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Customers angry, staff defiant at China's fake Apple Store
Customers at an Apple Store in the Chinese city of Kunming berated staff and demanded refunds on Friday after the shop was revealed to be an elaborate fake, sparking a media and Internet frenzy. Long a target of counterfeiters and unauthorized resellers, Apple Inc was alerted to the near flawless fake shop by an American blogger living in the southwestern city, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest genuine Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai.
"When I heard the news I rushed here immediately to get the receipt, I am so upset," a customer surnamed Wang told Reuters, near tears. "With a store this big, it looks so believable who would have thought it was fake?"
Wang, a petite, 23-year-old office worker who would not give her first name, spent 14,000 yuan ($2,170) last month buying a Macbook Pro 13-inch and a 3G iPhone from the Kunming store. She wasn't issued a receipt at the time, with staff telling her to come back later.
"Where's my receipt, you promised me my receipt last month!" Wang shouted at employees, before being whisked away to an upstairs room.
Staff were also angry at the unwanted attention after more than 1,000 media outlets picked up the story and pictures of the store from the BirdAbroad blog.
"The media is painting us to be a fake store but we don't sell fakes, all our products are real, you can check it yourself," said one employee, who didn't want to give his name.
"There is no Chinese law that says I can't decorate my shop the way I want to decorate it."
UNWANTED ATTENTION
While upset at the coverage and unwilling to be fully identified, staff were cooperative when Reuters visited the store, answering questions and allowing the shop to be filmed.
Another employee, surnamed Yang, said business had been affected, with customers demanding they prove the authenticity of their products.
Apple has declined to comment on the fake store or others like it dotted around China. The Cupertino, California-based firm has just four genuine Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai and none in Kunming.
With about 3.2 million inhabitants, Kunming, the capital of the mountainous southwestern province of Yunnan, is small by Chinese standards and not well known in the West.
Located not far the borders of Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar, the city's fast-growing industrial and manufacturing base is emblematic of China's ascent on the world stage.
The fake Apple Store is situated along a crowded pedestrian-only shopping street, its black Apple logo gleaming. Inside, with its Apple posters on the walls and iPads and Macbook computers displayed on wooden tables, the store looks every bit like Apple Stores found all over the world but for some slightly shoddy workmanship and one or two errant details.
Not all customers were bothered by the revelations that the store was not the genuine article.
"As long as their products are real it's okay -- after all, you enter a store not to look at anything except their products," said Hu Junkai, 18. "If the products you buy are real why do you care whether the store is a copy?"
Wang was not convinced.
"The biggest thing I'm upset about is that I spent so much money at this store and I don't even know whether it is real or not," she said.
"What can I do? They aren't going to give me a refund."
Customers angry, staff defiant at China's fake Apple Store - Hindustan Times
Customers at an Apple Store in the Chinese city of Kunming berated staff and demanded refunds on Friday after the shop was revealed to be an elaborate fake, sparking a media and Internet frenzy. Long a target of counterfeiters and unauthorized resellers, Apple Inc was alerted to the near flawless fake shop by an American blogger living in the southwestern city, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest genuine Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai.
"When I heard the news I rushed here immediately to get the receipt, I am so upset," a customer surnamed Wang told Reuters, near tears. "With a store this big, it looks so believable who would have thought it was fake?"
Wang, a petite, 23-year-old office worker who would not give her first name, spent 14,000 yuan ($2,170) last month buying a Macbook Pro 13-inch and a 3G iPhone from the Kunming store. She wasn't issued a receipt at the time, with staff telling her to come back later.
"Where's my receipt, you promised me my receipt last month!" Wang shouted at employees, before being whisked away to an upstairs room.
Staff were also angry at the unwanted attention after more than 1,000 media outlets picked up the story and pictures of the store from the BirdAbroad blog.
"The media is painting us to be a fake store but we don't sell fakes, all our products are real, you can check it yourself," said one employee, who didn't want to give his name.
"There is no Chinese law that says I can't decorate my shop the way I want to decorate it."
UNWANTED ATTENTION
While upset at the coverage and unwilling to be fully identified, staff were cooperative when Reuters visited the store, answering questions and allowing the shop to be filmed.
Another employee, surnamed Yang, said business had been affected, with customers demanding they prove the authenticity of their products.
Apple has declined to comment on the fake store or others like it dotted around China. The Cupertino, California-based firm has just four genuine Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai and none in Kunming.
With about 3.2 million inhabitants, Kunming, the capital of the mountainous southwestern province of Yunnan, is small by Chinese standards and not well known in the West.
Located not far the borders of Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar, the city's fast-growing industrial and manufacturing base is emblematic of China's ascent on the world stage.
The fake Apple Store is situated along a crowded pedestrian-only shopping street, its black Apple logo gleaming. Inside, with its Apple posters on the walls and iPads and Macbook computers displayed on wooden tables, the store looks every bit like Apple Stores found all over the world but for some slightly shoddy workmanship and one or two errant details.
Not all customers were bothered by the revelations that the store was not the genuine article.
"As long as their products are real it's okay -- after all, you enter a store not to look at anything except their products," said Hu Junkai, 18. "If the products you buy are real why do you care whether the store is a copy?"
Wang was not convinced.
"The biggest thing I'm upset about is that I spent so much money at this store and I don't even know whether it is real or not," she said.
"What can I do? They aren't going to give me a refund."
Customers angry, staff defiant at China's fake Apple Store - Hindustan Times
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There is no phone better than Iphone. Mac laptop and Ipad may be crap i don't care but Iphone! best em best. Pmaitra you are jealous..
I went to immigration NZ to apply a visitor visa, last day before long weekend and then Christmas vacations. I could have become illegal if not submit completed application that day. She asked me to show air tickets form Auckland to India. She was going to close window in 20 mins. Guess what i booked my ticket with Iphone. Connected to Immigration printer via their wifi connection, printed and presented tickets in 10 mins. Thanks to iphone.
GPS navigation! another facility i am using everyday. Internet speed! no match. MMS and sms! handy like never before. Downloaded yahoo messenger 4 months back since then never missed my dad's call, he has not spent a single penny on phone. He has seen most of my city, my house while me doing video calling which couldn't have done on a laptop or desktop. Ipod music! wah wah! etc etc.
.I went to immigration NZ to apply a visitor visa, last day before long weekend and then Christmas vacations. I could have become illegal if not submit completed application that day. She asked me to show air tickets form Auckland to India. She was going to close window in 20 mins. Guess what i booked my ticket with Iphone. Connected to Immigration printer via their wifi connection, printed and presented tickets in 10 mins. Thanks to iphone.
GPS navigation! another facility i am using everyday. Internet speed! no match. MMS and sms! handy like never before. Downloaded yahoo messenger 4 months back since then never missed my dad's call, he has not spent a single penny on phone. He has seen most of my city, my house while me doing video calling which couldn't have done on a laptop or desktop. Ipod music! wah wah! etc etc.
pmaitra
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Hope this doesn't make you jealous.There is no phone better than Iphone. Mac laptop and Ipad may be crap i don't care but Iphone! best em best. Pmaitra you are jealous.
I went to immigration NZ to apply a visitor visa, last day before long weekend and then Christmas vacations. I could have become illegal if not submit completed application that day. She asked me to show air tickets form Auckland to India. She was going to close window in 20 mins. Guess what i booked my ticket with Iphone. Connected to Immigration printer via their wifi connection, printed and presented tickets in 10 mins. Thanks to iphone.
GPS navigation! another facility i am using everyday. Internet speed! no match. MMS and sms! handy like never before. Downloaded yahoo messenger 4 months back since then never missed my dad's call, he has not spent a single penny on phone. He has seen most of my city, my house while me doing video calling which couldn't have done on a laptop or desktop. Ipod music! wah wah! etc etc.
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You see this is what im talking about! ie the ignorance of apple users.There is no phone better than Iphone. Mac laptop and Ipad may be crap i don't care but Iphone! best em best. Pmaitra you are jealous.
I went to immigration NZ to apply a visitor visa, last day before long weekend and then Christmas vacations. I could have become illegal if not submit completed application that day. She asked me to show air tickets form Auckland to India. She was going to close window in 20 mins. Guess what i booked my ticket with Iphone. Connected to Immigration printer via their wifi connection, printed and presented tickets in 10 mins. Thanks to iphone.
GPS navigation! another facility i am using everyday. Internet speed! no match. MMS and sms! handy like never before. Downloaded yahoo messenger 4 months back since then never missed my dad's call, he has not spent a single penny on phone. He has seen most of my city, my house while me doing video calling which couldn't have done on a laptop or desktop. Ipod music! wah wah! etc etc.
I can all the things your iphone can.
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Here's the story dude - all the things you say, any Android phone can do. Hell, my HTC Aria can do most of these tasks faster than iPhone 4 and it is older than any of them. Here's what we realized when we compared my 1 year old HTC Aria with my Brother's brand new shiny iPhone4 - the HTC is lighter, faster, cheaper, has more apps and is hardier than the iPhone 4. Now you may say anything else, but since that day I firmly belive that iPhone is iPhoney ....There is no phone better than Iphone. Mac laptop and Ipad may be crap i don't care but Iphone! best em best. Pmaitra you are jealous.
I went to immigration NZ to apply a visitor visa, last day before long weekend and then Christmas vacations. I could have become illegal if not submit completed application that day. She asked me to show air tickets form Auckland to India. She was going to close window in 20 mins. Guess what i booked my ticket with Iphone. Connected to Immigration printer via their wifi connection, printed and presented tickets in 10 mins. Thanks to iphone.
GPS navigation! another facility i am using everyday. Internet speed! no match. MMS and sms! handy like never before. Downloaded yahoo messenger 4 months back since then never missed my dad's call, he has not spent a single penny on phone. He has seen most of my city, my house while me doing video calling which couldn't have done on a laptop or desktop. Ipod music! wah wah! etc etc.
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Aria is a damn fine phone. Should have released in India but its cdma. They did release its gsm version in europe (gratia) but not in India.
