Chaos Ensues After Apple Store Lifts iPhone 4 Purchase Limit

Chaos ensued after an Apple Store in Beijing removed the limit on how many iPhone 4s could be purchased by one customer, causing police and security to temporarily close the store, according to a MICGadget report.

This is crazy. The store opened at 7am today. After 3 hours, people are stopped for queuing up and a piece of notice was being put up on the front doors, saying "Temporarily closed". No one could enter and there's only a few customers walking out with 20-30 boxes of iPhone 4. These "customers" then lurked outside the store ready to pounce on any passers-by who is checking out for iPhone 4. "Want to buy an iPhone 4?" they say. "We have a lot. Come with us."

According to sources, the real customers and the iPhone 4 scalpers had a fight in the Apple store. A gang of scalpers were cutting the queue and some customers were fed up with the scalpers for buying large quantities of iPhone 4 and resell them outside the store. The police and Apple's own security staff appeared to clean up the mess and due to the chaotic crowd, the store needs to be closed temporarily…

The contract-free iPhone 4 is priced at 4,999 yuan ($747), the scalpers are selling it for 5,500 yuan ($822).