I was reading some mixed emotions from the comments over at this GigaOM post. There’s a lot of people that are saying people are simply whining about a price drop when normally people cheer about price drops.
However, it’s not so much that people are upset that the iPhone’s price was dropped. Obviously that’s a good thing in the long run, for the most part (unless we get into the stock price outcome).
### Hmmmm… ###
The real deal here is how did this happen?
Is it conceivable that the bottomline on the iPhone has changed that considerably in just a couple months to warrant a 33% drop? Was a new deal struck with manufacturing? Was a new patent obtained or licensing rearranged?
Probably not.
The question then becomes, was Apple deliberately taking advantage of their core support system of enthusiasts and early adopters? To me, if feels like this is what the iPhone’s bottom line is and has always been. This pricing structure makes sense for them and at some point a decision was made to charge a premium to that core audience since they will grab it no matter what.
Charging a premium to be a passionate Apple user doesn’t sit well with me. Now there is a dilemma when it comes to the next big hypefest — which is largely due to the independent Apple fans out there.
The next iPhone-esque product to be hyped will have blog titles resembling “Next big thing from Apple, but don’t buy it right away.”
### Refunds ###
At any rate, the good news is you can get a refund if your timing was right as per Apple’s return policy.
> Should Apple reduce its price on any Apple-branded product within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of purchase, you may request a refund of the difference between the price paid and the current selling price. An original purchase receipt is required, and you must request your refund within fourteen (14) calendar days of the price reduction.
At least there’s hope for your 200 bucks, if you’re bored enough. Additionally, it’s worth considering that the restocking fee for 30-day refund periods is still far less than $200.
2 Responses to “iPhone Refunds and The Real Deal”rss
Mason, on September 27th, 2007, said:
They’re saying one contributing factor to the price drop is a change in screen manufacturers. Instead of using the single-pane screen that shipped on the first months’ versions, they’ve switched to a cheaper, two-pane solution, which has apparently been the source of recent iPod Touch issues.
But that’s just the rumor mill.
Steve, on March 28th, 2008, said:
Sorry to bump an old thread but I saw this under “most popular”.
The cost of the iPhone is not such an issue for me. The problem is the cost of the operators package. We are locked into O2 here in the UK and their minimum contract is ?35 ($70) a month. A lovely phone but a bit steep unfortunately.
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