How best to identify bogus iphone sales

Originally Posted by BillPinga

So this has been happening in COR stores everywhere and as we get closer to xmas it will prob only get worse. The person who comes in and wants to buy iphones and ends up buying 2, then 2 at another store, maybe more from a rep who is clueless, etc etc and then sell them on ebay or do whatever with them that ends up in us not getting an opp.

Usually a customer comes in, asks if we have iphones, and wants to buy as many as they can. I give him the interrogation in trying to figure out if its a legitimate sale (about half of the ones we sell usually don't post) and often determine its probably not. If I do sell him 2 but feel it might be bogus I inform him he cannot buy any more and then have to call every other COR store around and give them the description and say to watch out and not to sell him any more iphones. I haven't figured out the best way to keep my inventory from these people except to qualify them as best I can and make a conscious decision. Any additional feedback on how to avoid this would be great. Here's what I ask them now:

1. How many do you want? (if the response is "as many as I can have" then its probably bogus

2. Is this for a new line or upgrade? (if the response is a "gift" then it could be a red flag but hard to tell)

3. What kind of case do you want? (if they buy zero accessories then it might be a red flag)

4. Have you checked out the iphone plans? (if they are completely disinterested in that then I might scratch my head)

It kind of feels like an interrogation but short of photographing them and posting them up like a sex offender I am trying to figure out better ways to ensure legitimacy. We sell about 7-8 legitimate ones per day so its very important to keep our stock up.

As a side note I've been offered money multiple times to sell someone a bunch of them and told them to leave and never come back, and then of course make a thousand phone calls to tell the other stores.

Originally Posted by cellguy030

we have been referring "gift" customers to the local apple store. we tell them we need to run credit or attach them to an existing acct. seems to be helping.

Originally Posted by smg1976

The other things bogus iPhone customers will ask is "what version of the firmware is on the iPhone"? This means they are going to unlock it before sending it overseas, which is happening alot, since they can get double what they pay for them in our or Apple stores on Ebay. And what we say is, "Since you just told me that your basically going to buy the phone to unlock it, we can't sell it to you."

Also, even though it's not officially the rule to accept only "plastic" forms of payment, a red flag can be, not in all, but most cases, paying cash, especially for 2, which they know is the limit in the Apple stores. If it's a legitimate customer paying with cash, they usually aren't carrying $1000 in their pocket, and will pay some cash, the rest goes on a credit/debit card (I know, because it happened to me, and I checked the IMEI number later, and it got activated).

We've also had 2 people come into the store at the same time, split up, go to 2 registers, and buy 2 iPhones each. They said "they were buying them as gifts". Right.

Originally Posted by cingman66

I know of a store in the NE market that has sold 20 iphones at a time to a customer...TWICE...both times for cash. And not to be a devil's advocate...but what law says a customer can't just buy as many phones as they want...iphone or something else? It's their money. Too bad if Apple and AT&T have some sort of agreement...that seems to be the illegal element in this scenario.

Originally Posted by cingman66

Too bad if Apple and AT&T have some sort of agreement...that seems to be the illegal element in this scenario.

Originally Posted by ATnt-RSC

I had a guy come in to my store with the biggest cojones I've ever seen. He said straight up "I want to buy and iPhone. I'm going to unlock and take it to Europe. Will you sell some to me?"

I stood there shocked for just a second. I said back "Just for being honest with me, I'll let you have one. Just one. If you want anymore, you'll have to go to the Apple Store down the road to get more, I don't care how many they sell you".

We have a mountain of iPhones, and we're always getting even more. I like rewarding the few honest people in an industry filled with lies.

Originally Posted by classylady78

I don't know, taking it to Europe and selling it in Europe are two different things to me. I wouldn't have sold it, although for being honest I would have wanted to. But even with big cajones, he is not worth my job.

Originally Posted by socosurf4

Customer: Hello, I would like to purchase an iPhone. Do you have any in stock?
Me: Yes we sure do!
Customer: Great! Does it work in Trinidad?
Me: Ooooh, Ouch. Sorry Sir, we just ran out.
Customer: (confusion)

Originally Posted by BillPinga

Kind of similar situation has come up a few times for me. Customer says they want to upgrade their phone to the xxx and buy an iphone to activate on that same line right after. I asked around a lot and my DOS said if they tell are telling you their intentions are that to not sell it. Of course that is basically telling the customer to do the upgrade one place and buy the iphone at another, most likely neither store being mine. So I said, what about nobody walks? And he said, that is correct, nobody walks.