MacScrewed by iPhoney initial pricing.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Sep 6 2007, 05:38 PM) [snapback]508137[/snapback]</div>

Seems pretty amazing to me. You agree to pay top dollar for a hot new gadget that anyone with two brain cells knows will drop in price. It drops in price, and the company gives you back half the difference?

Has any other tech company ever done that for thier customers?

 

Well said. Early adopters of new technology will always pay a premium for it. It happens with everything. DVD players started at over $1000, now one can be had for less than $20. People should know, but most people have short memories.

 

I bought a new motorbike in March 2006, in May2006 the price was dropped from $9990 to $8990 instantly wiping several hundred dollars from the value of my bike. Did the manufacturer offer me a part refund on the $1000? No way. Am I bitter about that? Should I be? No way!
If I didn't think it was good value when I paid 10k for it I wouldn't have bought it.

 

I'm impressed he gave any iMoney back.....those people paid to have it first, a luxury. I bought mine today - I was waiting for v2 or a drop in price because I have patience. How could I wait for my Nov. 1 delivery of my new Prius without it?

 

Did any of the Toyota dealers that charged full (or over!) MSRP for Prii refund any money later? <_<

I'm very happy with a $100 credit. After a few years even $599 is a small part of the price for owning a cell phone. Monthly service fees are the real cost.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Sep 6 2007, 06:03 PM) [snapback]508165[/snapback]</div>

Yep. That was me. I was one of those people.

I also said "and it's unlocked or there is more choice".

But....I can get an 8 GB refurbished iPhone for $349.00 now. It's a lot more tempting.

 

I agree with all the posters above who point out that Apple is just about the first company ever to give back money after it reduces the price on a gadget.

But as far as actually buying one: I looked at the description and said, "Why in the world would I ever want a monstrosity like that???"

You pay a premium to have a new gadget a month before anyone else. Or you do the sensible thing and wait until other folks have de-bugged it, and they've fleeced the folks willing to pay extra, and the price comes down. I'll buy a new gadget if I really want it, knowing I'm paying extra to have it sooner. But the iPhone is in my view pretty pointless. It's like a paint sprayer that makes toast.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2007, 10:35 PM) [snapback]508299[/snapback]</div>

Aren't they $100 'vouchers' for Apple merchandise? I don't know what kind of Apple merchandise one can get (or want) for $100.

Still, it's better than nothing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Sep 6 2007, 11:16 PM) [snapback]508325[/snapback]</div>

Yes, it's going to be a voucher. Fine print is coming next week.

$100 gets you 100 songs on iTunes.
$79 gets you an ipod shuffle
$99 gets an Airport express base staton with USB print sever and iTunes remote playback
$69 gets you a bluetooth mighty mouse ($70 for a mouse!!! ... yeah, it's that nice.)
$99 gets you one year of .mac service
$29 gets you quictime pro for mac or windows
$79 for the latest version of iLife or iWork
$99 for any of the Garage band Jam Packs
$69 gets applecare for that shiny new iPhone

I could go on, but you get the idea. If you were enough of an iFanboy to get the phone when it first came out i'm sure you can find a way to spen $100 iDollars. If not, I will be glad to help

;-)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Sep 6 2007, 10:16 PM) [snapback]508325[/snapback]</div>

Off the top of my head......100 songs from the iTunes store to download to your iPhone.

But there's apparently more than just the credit. Under Apple's refund policy, customers who bought an iPhone within 14 days of the price cut can get a refund of the price difference if they have the original receipt. Those who haven't opened the phones can return them for a full refund.

 

A paint sprayer that makes toast, Mmmmm I like toast!!
Where can I get me one of them?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Sep 6 2007, 07:03 PM) [snapback]508165[/snapback]</div>

I have no sympathy for people who bought an iPhone at the list price the day they were introduced, and have even LESS sympathy for people who paid even more than that, paying a premium above list, to avoid waiting for their iPhone.

I bought a new computer on July 1 this year. Surprisingly, I haven't found a better price for the model I purchased, and it's almost 70 days old - I figured it would be at least 10% lower in price by now.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2007, 10:35 PM) [snapback]508299[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 7 2007, 01:28 AM) [snapback]508412[/snapback]</div>

I'm waiting for v2 that will allow you to load multiple flavors of jelly to it (Rumor has it that there may be a Peanut Butter adapter in the works, as well).

 

I'll agree with you guys that you do expect a price drop on any electronic item. however, for something as hyped as the iPhone, coming from a steady company like Apple, such a price drop isn't expected for at least 6 months. There's a reason apple stock dropped 10 bucks yesterday - this price drop wasn't expected by ANYONE.

IMO, Apple really needed to do something like this. There's all this talk that early adopters should expect to pay a premium, and as i said, a vast majority of people did expect the price to come down 6 months after the release. Not too long ago, Apple too a PR beating over their wireless n cards and the $1.99 they were "forced" to charge for the firmware update that upgraded them from g to n. All the iPhone early adopters (which included a large majority of the best known tech bloggers and journalists) were screaming about this online yesterday. Without this move on Apple's part, it wouldn't have been long before their reputation was completely in the gutter.

Currently, they have a reputation of giving you exactly what you want at a decent price - it might be a little more expensive than the other guys, but you tend to get something a lot better. There are only really a few companies out there - like Apple or Google - that exist in this sort of PR "do no wrong" bubble. Other companies, like Microsoft, are seen as money-grubbing corporations out to steal your soul. The last thing Apple wants is for people to start thinking of them the same way they think of Microsoft.

For my final point, what happens when Apple releases the next big tech gadget? Instead of seeing the quarter million sales on the first weekend like they saw this time, they'd be lucky to make 50,000. everyone will sit back and say "it'll be cheaper in 2 months, just wait".

Giving the early adopters $100 back, even if it is just in store credit, is worth a lot more than it costs. It makes apple look like the good guys. It'll help drive sales, and stir the press in a positive way. Apple doesn't do much advertising - instead, they rely on the strength of their products and their customer base to do it for them, and this will only help those goals.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2007, 09:35 PM) [snapback]508299[/snapback]</div>

I've seen many a men sitting in the mall with shopping wives who would disagree with you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Sep 7 2007, 10:03 AM) [snapback]508515[/snapback]</div>

Maybe Jobs was thinking about all those expensive Apple III, Lisa, and NeXT Cube computers that went unsold and panicked.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Sep 7 2007, 09:40 PM) [snapback]508859[/snapback]</div>

I think he's looking at cashing in on the Christmas season. Shopping starts earlier and earlier every year. If they drop the price now, iPhones are more likely to be added to Santa's Wishlist.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 7 2007, 08:09 PM) [snapback]508868[/snapback]</div>

Come on. Can't you read between the lines?

The iPhone sales went flat after all the "must have it today at whatever it may cost" die hards got theirs. Apple had to do something to resuscitate the sales of the most overpriced and under performing cellular not so smart phone ever produced. Hence the drastic 33% price cut barely two months after its debut.