Let The Buyer Beware?

[tangomonster]

Let the Buyer Beware?
We already had a thread on iPhones, but today's newspaper had an article about how upset the initial buyers of the iPhone are about paying $599 when the price is now $399. To appease them, Apple is refunding (some articles I read said the full $200, some said $100). Now I admit to using some stores' price guarantee and requesting a refund within the allotted seven or fourteen days. But they bought the phone on June 29th, so it's been over two months. And they were more than happy to shell out $500; in fact, many stood in line for hours to do so. To me, it's just the premium they had to pay for being "early adopters." They had to have these things the second they came out and now they're whining because the price has dropped.

In high school civics class, we learned about Caveat Emptor/Let the Buyer Beware. Probably it's worth it to Apple to appease them, but I wonder if it's really necessary. They made the choice to buy it at $599 at that time. There was a chance the price could have gone up quickly thereafter if there was a big demand, or it could have dropped as demand slowed.
You takes your chances, as the saying goes. Or am I being too hard-nosed?

 

[megacorp-firee]

You takes your chances, as the saying goes. Or am I being too hard-nosed?

Nope ... I totally agree with you on the 'early adaptor tax'.
They have to pay to 'laud it over' the rest of us. I have no problem with that either ... I just keep to my LBYM ways .

 

[travelover]

I'll buy my iPhone on Craigslist next year for $25

 

[brewer12345]

Nah, I think the whining wankers should have been ignored by Jobs.

 

[Sandy]

Don't you think tThis could be a dangerous precedent for Apple or other tech firms when bringing out new items?

 

[brewer12345]

Don't you think tThis could be a dangerous precedent for Apple or other tech firms when bringing out new items?

Yup, but stupid is as stupid does, Forrest.

 

[Gumby]

Nah, I think the whining wankers should have been ignored by Jobs.

When using the English term "wankers" (one of my favorites by the way), I believe that one must also employ the English term "whinging", or "whingeing" as it is sometimes spelt.

 

[REWahoo]

When using the English term "wankers"...

Wouldn't that be "Whilst using the English term "wankers..."?

 

[TromboneAl]

I bought my first IBM PC with a ten megabyte hard drive and a 5.25 inch floppy drive for $2,200, and boy, am I pissed. IBM better give me some money back!

 

[MikeD]

I bought a 32K memory board for my first Z80 computer in '78 for $990.00. I threw it away while cleaning out my computer room a few years ago.

Mike D.

 

[ERD50]

Well, Apple rarely reduces prices. They normally add features, capacity, or something. So I don't think the precedent is too dangerous.

But yeah, the early adopters paid to be early adopters. Now they want their money back. Forget it.

If they want to do something, they should graduate the credits. Like divide the $200 diff across the 68 days for about $3 credit per day. $3 if you bought June 30, $6 if you bought July 1st, etc.

And, these are store credits, not refunds. Some will spend less, some will add to the sale once they are in the store (oh, I'll apply the $100 to this new $200 iPod). Apple might make a profit from this

-ERD50

 

[Texas Proud]

I bought my first IBM PC with a ten megabyte hard drive and a 5.25 inch floppy drive for $2,200, and boy, am I pissed. IBM better give me some money back!

Heck, yours is brand new... I bought one without a hard drive and only 64K of memory for $2,000.... and I think the monitor was $500 or so...

OH>>.. and my BIL has us all beat.. he bought a PC BEFORE IBM was even in the market... paid $10,000 for the thing... to use with his construction company... still has it in his storage unit.. (I was just talking to him tonight about him not being able to throw anything away)...

 

[chinaco]

My 2 cents. Apples is moving into a new product market; They would rather have people singing their praises than talking about all of the problems (just because they are mad about the price reduction).

Time will tell... but I think it was a good Public Relations and Marketing move. Let's face it... the thing was a bit pricey.

The only remaining problem is that wireless service providers each will have to sell their own versions of iPhone. I believe the FCC should change the rules and allow people buy the device from any vendor rather than have to buy the phone from the service provider. It is a tactic to make the service sticky.

 

[ERD50]

Let's face it... the thing was a bit pricey.

Except that it wasn't really. If you look at the TOTAL cost over the two year contract, the monthly cost of the full-data plan was a bit less than for other phones. Ended up being the same, maybe cheaper over two years, at the $599 price.

That price did cause 'sticker shock' but that is just because of the artificial price/bundling schemes used in the call phone market. Other browser equipped phones really cost as much or more.

The only remaining problem is that wireless service providers each will have to sell their own versions of iPhone.

Agree. Apple got 'stuck' into an AT&T exclusive, because they wanted control over more things than any other mfg has managed to date. They also wanted changes to the system to support virtual voice-mail. AT&T agreed (only if given an exclusive), the others declined.

But there should be generic phones and carriers competing for service. Imagine if every ISP you signed up required a specific computer model! What a mess.

People have allowed themselves to be drawn into these stupid plans like sheep, and the FCC has not done enough to create a competitive environment. Google is trying to change that with the next sale of airwaves. I wish them luck.

-KCMW

 

[TromboneAl]

But yeah, the early adopters paid to be early adopters.

Remember the woman that paid the guy who was first in line )on the day the iPhone went on sale) $800 for his place in line? She was going to buy something like 10 iPhones and sell them, but then found out that she couldn't buy more than one.

The guy just got on the end of the line, and got his iPhone an hour later.

 

[Nords]

I bought my first IBM PC with a ten megabyte hard drive and a 5.25 inch floppy drive for $2,200, and boy, am I pissed.

I bought a 32K memory board for my first Z80 computer in '78 for $990.00. I threw it away while cleaning out my computer room a few years ago.

Heck, yours is brand new... I bought one without a hard drive and only 64K of memory for $2,000.... and I think the monitor was $500 or so...
he bought a PC BEFORE IBM was even in the market... paid $10,000 for the thing... to use with his construction company... still has it in his storage unit...

As more Boomers retire and get tired of collecting Corvettes & Beanie Babies, I wonder how much this hardware will be worth.

The guy just got on the end of the line, and got his iPhone an hour later.

Guess he got her rebate/store credit too!

I wonder if George Hotz is sorry that he traded his iPhone for a car, but I bet he got the better end of that deal...

 

[riskadverse]

I've never quite understood the apple thing. I think it may be more about the sense of community rather than the hardware. They may have to refund money to keep the early adopters in the community in the future.

 

[ERD50]

I've never quite understood the apple thing. I think it may be more about the sense of community rather than the hardware. They may have to refund money to keep the early adopters in the community in the future.

What's to understand? They make some products that some people prefer.

Computer-wise, there may be some of that 'community' thing, as they did end up being the 'underdog', and sometimes that brings people together.

That is certainly not the case for the iPod - they have been the top dog just about forever. People just seem to like them.

For me (on the computer side), it is not the hardware, I really don't care for the iMac HW design (laptops are nice, IMO). It's the software and iLife apps and Unix under-the-hood has advantages.

Look at all the posts on viruses(i?) and the resulting security issues lately. Any of those key-logging virus get on a Mac? I don't think so.

-ERD50

 

[Nords]

I've never quite understood the apple thing.

Last side-by-side comparison I did of Mac & PC was in the mid 1990s. They've come a long way since then, and I don't have to spend all my time tweaking menus & answering tech-service calls...