Update: Boy Genius Report has independently confirmed that at least two retail employees at at least two Best Buy stores were told not to sell iPad 2s by managers on Thursday. Additionally, a store spokesperson told BRG that “Our stores have been asked to temporarily hold non-reserved iPad 2 inventory for an upcoming promotion.”
File under “Interesting if true”: A reader tipped us to say that Apple has ordered a freeze on sales of the iPad 2 through Best Buy.
He claims that until further notice, the mammoth electronics retailer has had all stock except demo units pulled. We didn’t put much credence in this rumor until CrunchGear reported the same thing after being tipped by a supposed Best Buy employee; Apple has supposedly banned Best Buy from selling the iPad 2 for the time being.
According to CrunchGear, this doesn’t have anything to do with Best Buy thumbing its nose at the iPad via a recent ad. Instead, CrunchGear says its tipster claimed Best Buy set an artificial daily quota of sales for the iPad 2 and told customers it was out of stock when it did, in fact, still have stock remaining. It’s rumored that Apple’s Tim Cook got wind of this chicanery, and Apple isn’t happy about it at all.
We haven’t received confirmation of any of this yet, so it’s all just a big rumory rumor for now. But if anyone happens to go into a Best Buy tomorrow and finds no iPad 2s available anywhere, it may be that the worldwide shortage of Apple’s newest gadget isn’t to blame, for once.
Rumor: Apple no longer allows Best Buy to sell the iPad 2 [Updated] originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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