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Apple Seeks to Appease "iRate" Customers with $100 Rebate

REVENGE

By REVENGE

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After announcing the new iPhoneless iPod touch together with a $200 price cut on the 8GB model, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has decided to apologize to early iPhone customers who had to shell out the original $599/$399 for an 8GB/4GB iPhone, respectively, and offers them a rebate of $100 iCredit to Apple Retail/Online stores if their iPhones have already been opened or have exceeded the 14-day price match policy.

 

This move comes as a surprise for some since immediately after the price cuts, Jobs' take on the matter was:

"If they bought it a month ago, well, that's what happens in technology."

Now, in an "openiphoneletter", Jobs has seemingly reversed his attitude on the matter and offers these words of conciliation:

"We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple."

Conspiracy theorists say they've been calling Steve's hand all along, however, and some believe that the $100 rebate was planned "from day one" as a marketing strategy to win extra profits at launch and alleviate any fallout thereafter. But as for whether or not this move is really just "all marketing, people. Marketing.", diehard fanbois and collectors will tell you they don't really care. As one iFan put it:

"If they told me at the outset the iPhone would be $200 cheaper the next day, I would have thought about it for a second — and still bought it," said Andrew Brin, a 47-year-old addiction therapist in Los Angeles. "It was $600 and that was the price I was willing to pay for it."

[Makes me wonder who really needs the addiction therapy...]

 

Source: MSNBC

 

Also thanks to InsanelyMac member Lkr for catching this early in Reader News!

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Rick Turoczy

Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after me.

 

I knew that post would sound a little "conspiracy therorist-y." Guilty as charged. But you cannot tell me that one of the most astute and insightful marketing teams in the world didn't see this one coming and plan for it.

 

Well, you could, but I wouldn't believe you.

 

All I'm saying is that no one sat in that price-dropping meeting prior to the announcement and said, "I'm sure everyone will LOVE it when we drop the price $200."

 

In any case, thanks for the link love. Happy to have found you guys.

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pyrates

It was definitely marketing. But I think how they planned it all out was that they would do the $200 price drop and then if enough people complained, they would give the $100 back as a gift certificate.

 

As for that guy who said he wouldn't even wait a day for the $200 price drop, I have a bridge in brooklyn for you to buy. How impatient can someone be? I try to buy things I want for the lowest price possible, not to have it first. My money is more important to me then having something first. Nothing electronic in nature is needed for you to live, but you do need water and food to live. After all I did wait for a bit before I upgraded my computer here since I know the quad core cpu's were being dropped in price. Therefore saving me money.

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REVENGE
Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after me.

 

I knew that post would sound a little "conspiracy therorist-y." Guilty as charged. But you cannot tell me that one of the most astute and insightful marketing teams in the world didn't see this one coming and plan for it.

 

Well, you could, but I wouldn't believe you.

 

All I'm saying is that no one sat in that price-dropping meeting prior to the announcement and said, "I'm sure everyone will LOVE it when we drop the price $200."

 

In any case, thanks for the link love. Happy to have found you guys.

 

Ah, trackback system eh? :)

 

J/k on the conspiracy theorist accusations though. :)

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Achilleus
Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after me.

 

I knew that post would sound a little "conspiracy therorist-y." Guilty as charged. But you cannot tell me that one of the most astute and insightful marketing teams in the world didn't see this one coming and plan for it.

 

Well, you could, but I wouldn't believe you.

 

All I'm saying is that no one sat in that price-dropping meeting prior to the announcement and said, "I'm sure everyone will LOVE it when we drop the price $200."

 

In any case, thanks for the link love. Happy to have found you guys.

 

 

Agreed! This is exactly what I tell my TV when the news comes on! haha

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