Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ub!oswego!news
From: ostroff@Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Predatory Pricing Practices
Message-ID: <1990Sep13.214746.8584@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
Date: 13 Sep 90 21:47:46 GMT
References: <6441@adobe.UUCP>
Reply-To: ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Instructional Computing Center, SUNY at Oswego, Oswego, NY
Lines: 28

This doesn't have anything to do with repair prices, but would certainly
fit into the "predatory" category.

A (computer-naive) faculty member went to a nearby, large Apple dealer to
buy a modem for her Mac 512.  She explained that her main concern was
getting it quickly.  The dealer took her order and deposit for an
Apple 1200 baud personal modem and cable for the "discount" price of
about $280!  About a month later, she is still waiting for it to arrive.

I'm sure that the Apple modem is a quality product, but $280 for a 1200
baud modem is obscene.  I think the dealer did her a disservice in not
at least making her aware of lower cost alternatives.  She is less upset
about the cost than the fact that it did not arrive when promised.  My
personal suggestion to her (which she took) was that she eat the $50 deposit 
if needed and phone order a 2400 baud modem for $150.  This way she gets a
modem in 2 days, it's twice as fast and should be perfectly adequate for
her modest needs.

Perhaps the salesperson was just unaware of the going rate for modems,
but whatever short-term gain in sales and commissions they realized
will ultimately be offset by the ill-will this type of practice generates.
I understand that some people prefer "genuine Hayes" or "genuine Apple"
modems, but this wasn't the case here; she just wanted a fast, inexpensive
modem and this was what they recommended to her.

||| Boyd Ostroff - Tech Director - Dept of Theatre - SUNY Oswego 
||| Sys Admin - "The CallBoard" - (315) 947-6414 - 1200/2400 baud 
||| ostroff@oswego.oswego.edu - cboard!ostroff@oswego.oswego.edu