590k buyers paid $59M for Trump's gold phone, but not one has shipped

msie

It's amazing what Trump can continue to get away with and still have many followers.

paulpauper

This is always common. Do a huge preorder and then delay. Given how high interest rates are, this is profitable.

sameers

It feels analogous to giving alms to a religious institution at the end of a prayer service - you don't get anything material for it in return, but maybe for the faithful, that's not the point?

Cheyana

“ The device would work with Trump Mobile's service plan. For $47.45 per month, Trump Mobile's "47 Plan" (2), which operates on the T-Mobile network, claims to be "better than the rest," offering 100% U.S.-based support; extensive 5G coverage; unlimited talk, text and data; telehealth services; roadside assistance, and international calling to over 230 countries and territories.” If you fell for that you deserve to lose your money.

micromacrofoot

what are they going to do, sue him?

SimianSci

It used to be that the thought process of receiving a portion of sale money before delivering any product allowed the company to pay suppliers and keep afloat as they drove towards the finish line of delivery. Now it seems the grifting-meta is to make promises around a product with no plans on delivering it, take in pre-order money, and then just park it in an investment account to grow during a bull market. By the time the grift comes due, your "investment" will have grown to a magnitude where even if you are forced to pay it back, you will have made a tidy profit.

ortusdux

Was it crowdsourced? WA state has a crowdfunding law on the books, and the state AG has gone after people that are very late to deliver.

yapyap

grifter presidents grifts fans out of money

actionfromafar

Wow. That's a lot buyers. You likely know some of them.

ck2

More concerned about the BILLION dollars he stole from nuclear missile maintenance for QatarForceOne, which he fully intends to keep And the $10 BILLION he is stealing from the IRS by ordering DOJ to settle his lawsuit Oh and a million dollars PER DAY he steals for each golf weekend However with his dramatic health decline he is golfing less and less now, so savings? https://DidTrumpGolfToday.com

xnx

Recent and related comment: "I can’t prove it, but it feels like the world recently decided that spamming/scamming is acceptable..." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48094961

shagie

The terms of what that $100 went to were updated last month... https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/news/trump-mobile-t1-sma... The terms, updated April 6, state that the deposit is not a binding sales contract. It provides only a "conditional opportunity" to purchase the phone if Trump Mobile eventually chooses to sell it, with all discretion resting with the company. The company "does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase," The Verge and IBTimes UK reported. The IBTimes UK article is https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trump-mobile-preorder-terms-179546... So yea... a $100 voucher for a conditional opportunity to purchase one if Trump Mobile ever decides to sell one.

ecliptik

The Verge has an on-going series Where's the Trump Phone? [1] with updates every week. They even managed to get an interview with one of the execs a few months back. 1. https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/843498/trump-phone

sanid

Assuming this was not a scam from the beginning. I just think they got more orders than they expected. This seems to be a reskinned HTC U24 Pro (I think earlier Images and specs were advertising another phone). Also seems to have changed from "produced in the USA" to "Designed with American values in mind" & "With American teams helping guide design and quality" according to their website. At best this is bait and switch (assuming they deliver anything) but I can understand people calling this a scam.

rationalist

> Don Hendrickson and Eric Thomas — two of the three executives that run Trump Mobile Does anyone know who the third person is? Surely it's not Trump himself? I'm guessing Trump just sold the ability to use his likeness and name?

bathtub365

According to the terms it looks like you can cancel your deposit and get a full refund anytime, even after you’re offered to buy the phone.

Havoc

Chief shyster strikes again

pacomerh

Master scammer, yet his people still trust him...maybe they aspire to be scammers as well.