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From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (Gordon E. Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Predatory Pricing Practices
Message-ID: <1990Sep14.134901.15526@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu>
Date: 14 Sep 90 13:49:01 GMT
References: <6441@adobe.UUCP> <1990Sep13.214746.8584@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
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In article <1990Sep13.214746.8584@oswego.Oswego.EDU> ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff) writes:
>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.
>
Why eat the deposit?  If he couldn't provide the modem in good time
as promised, she is entitled to the deposit back.  Clearly she should
never deal with said dealer again, and should spread word-of-mouth
about such service, especially if she doesn't get her deposit back.