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Buyer Beware!
By Daphne | October 2, 2007
Let the buyer beware!
According to the AP… “A New York woman is so angry at Apple Inc. for lopping $200 off the price of the iPhone that she’s filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages.
Dongmei Li of Queens, N.Y., claimed the company violated price discrimination laws when it slashed the price of the 8-gigabyte iPhone by a third, from $599 to $399, within two months of the gadget’s June debut. “
Technology is not an investment. If you want to buy something for personal use and you want to be an early adopter then you must realize that sometimes others will not be able to communicate with you or if you adopt the technology too early you will have to pay more for it.
When I bought my digital camera I was waiting until it was widely available. I was able to get it about $65 cheaper than at a brick and mortar electronics store by purchasing it online. I bought the camera within two weeks of its release. The price I paid is more than some online stores now offer it for but less than the big box electronic stores. That was only about 3 months ago. Even two months ago when my mother wanted the same camera it was easy to find the camera for less than what I paid.
I understand that you may be upset that you paid more for something because you wanted it right now. If you read the fine print on sales papers and coupons you also see that exchanges and returns to get a lower price is not allowed if an item goes on sale within a certain period.
When I saw this lawsuit it made me laugh because yes the price decreased by more than a third in a short time but if you bought the iPhone early you had bragging rights that you were among the first to have it. Just like my camera, I got it early and paid more. I use it, enjoy the features and have not looked back. Technology is a fluid commodity that changes in valuation. If you really wanted the item and bought it without regard to price then you got what you wanted. For those who waited or wanted to wait to get one until the price went down because most reasonable people knew that the price would go down then the rebate that Apple offered was a generous compensation for the impatient.
 This story is amusing and another example of the litigious nature of our country. If you don’t like something - sue. If you make a mistake, don’t take responsibility for your own actions - sue.
Topics: October 2007 |