3 ms·

Apple stuff has always cost what Apple stuff cost. At one point you could shop around at places such as Best Buy and get an Apple device with a "free" printer

by smm11 4y ago

Apple stuff has always cost what Apple stuff cost. At one point you could shop around at places such as Best Buy and get an Apple device with a "free" printer or something, but you were still paying what Apple charged for the Apple device. I guess I don't follow what's going on here.

jjtheblunt 4y ago
is what's going on here class action attorneys targeting companies with big savings accounts, hoping anything might stick? I mean, Apple and Amazon don't make competing products wrt the lawsuit, so they can't collude to price fix their separate products and defeat the market? I keep trying to see what i'm overlooking...presuming somehow it makes sense.
danaris 4y ago
I mean...that is what's going on here. That's not supposed to be possible. (And I say this as an unapologetic Apple fan.) When Apple's products are never available (barring certain rare sales) for significantly less than Apple themselves retails them, that's an indication that some kind of price fixing is going on. Yes, it's price fixing for the products of a single supplier, which means that there's a lot less to do, and a lot less benefit to be gained (ie, the least you're going to be able to sell it for without taking a loss is Apple's wholesale price), but it's still illegal.
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  > That's not supposed to be possible. It happens to me all the time with non-Apple products. Always the same price, down to the penny. Pricing agreements between the manufacturer and their resellers seem to be pretty common. If we're suddenly going to decide that's illegal, it will have a huge impact on the market.
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  > That's not supposed to be possible. Why not? Apple isn't under any obligation to sell to anyone at a wholesale price, and can apply conditions via a contract when they do so. Arizona iced tea even prints the price on the cans to prevent people from fucking with it.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - milderworkacc 4y ago
    In perfectly competitive markets, producers are price takers. That includes at a wholesale distribution level. Being able to pick and choose your customers (and apply conditions to any sale that favour Apple and disadvantage the customer) is a perfect indication of the level of market power that apple possesses. Most businesses in competitive industries don’t get to do that.
    - MichaelZuo 4y ago
      Tesla?
  - pessimizer 4y ago
    > Arizona iced tea even prints the price on the cans to prevent people from fucking with it. Any number of products print the MSRP on the packaging. You'll notice it if you peel off the label showing the price you bought the thing for.
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  It is definitely price-fixing. But vertical price-fixing (which is what occurs when a manufacturer tries to control the price of its product at retail) is not a per se violation of US anti-trust law. ref. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/522/3.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/522/3.html
lupire 4y ago
Amazon always sold Apple stuff for $50-$100 less than Apple did. $250 iPad for years.

by smm11 4y ago

jjtheblunt 4y ago

is what's going on here class action attorneys targeting companies with big savings accounts, hoping anything might stick? I mean, Apple and Amazon don't make competing products wrt the lawsuit, so they can't collude to price fix their separate products and defeat the market? I keep trying to see what i'm overlooking...presuming somehow it makes sense.

danaris 4y ago

I mean...that is what's going on here. That's not supposed to be possible. (And I say this as an unapologetic Apple fan.) When Apple's products are never available (barring certain rare sales) for significantly less than Apple themselves retails them, that's an indication that some kind of price fixing is going on. Yes, it's price fixing for the products of a single supplier, which means that there's a lot less to do, and a lot less benefit to be gained (ie, the least you're going to be able to sell it for without taking a loss is Apple's wholesale price), but it's still illegal.

rootusrootus 4y ago
> That's not supposed to be possible. It happens to me all the time with non-Apple products. Always the same price, down to the penny. Pricing agreements between the manufacturer and their resellers seem to be pretty common. If we're suddenly going to decide that's illegal, it will have a huge impact on the market.
ceejayoz 4y ago
> That's not supposed to be possible. Why not? Apple isn't under any obligation to sell to anyone at a wholesale price, and can apply conditions via a contract when they do so. Arizona iced tea even prints the price on the cans to prevent people from fucking with it.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- milderworkacc 4y ago
  In perfectly competitive markets, producers are price takers. That includes at a wholesale distribution level. Being able to pick and choose your customers (and apply conditions to any sale that favour Apple and disadvantage the customer) is a perfect indication of the level of market power that apple possesses. Most businesses in competitive industries don’t get to do that.
  - MichaelZuo 4y ago
    Tesla?
- pessimizer 4y ago
  > Arizona iced tea even prints the price on the cans to prevent people from fucking with it. Any number of products print the MSRP on the packaging. You'll notice it if you peel off the label showing the price you bought the thing for.
NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
It is definitely price-fixing. But vertical price-fixing (which is what occurs when a manufacturer tries to control the price of its product at retail) is not a per se violation of US anti-trust law. ref. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/522/3.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/522/3.html

lupire 4y ago

Amazon always sold Apple stuff for $50-$100 less than Apple did. $250 iPad for years.