Should Apple Be Sued Over False Advertising?

[Guest]

Opinion - Sure, we all know that Apple can get away with many others can't.

Should Apple Be Sued Over False Advertising? : Read more

 

[the last resort]

please, there are better things to write about then speculate about Apple getting sued.

 

[Christopher1]

Some good questions are raised by this article. This is blatant false advertising, and anyone except Apple who did it would find themselves in court almost the day they released an ad like this.

 

[baseballmaven]

I'll join the class action suit! In addition to the issue of bundling hardware and service, the article forgets to add that if you're a current AT&T customer of LESS THAN 18 months, you will NOT qualify for the $199 price, but rather will be forced to pay full price....BAAAAD.

 

[FormFactor]

No, actually any article that opens closed minds like you (the last resort) is good to know. I hate Apple, I don't own one single thing of them, funny how I like this article, hey! The guy sees right, Apple gets away with way to much... time to bring them down as much as possible before we have another over empowered microsoft type of company, that play around with small heads that buy any jokes said to them.

 

[FormFactor]

No, actually any article that opens closed minds like you (the last resort) is good to know. I hate Apple, I don't own one single thing of them, funny how I like this article, hey! The guy sees right, Apple gets away with way to much... time to bring them down as much as possible before we have another over empowered microsoft type of company, that plays around with small heads that buy any jokes said to them.

 

[fulle]

I don't know if you can call this "blatant false advertising" or not, or whether or not Apple deserves to be sued for this add... but Apple is definitely doing things with its new 3G iPhone that will hurt their reputation. This is just another example of Apple misleading customers regarding this phone, and unfortunately for Apple, people aren't as stupid as they believe. You can't bend people over and subject them to a nice long screw without the majority of em' thinking "this is crap customer service! I didn't even get a reach around!"

 

[akkon]

I hate the iphone plans myself but I think the author of this article is an idiot. Apple sells the iphone it is the carrier who determines the plan. If you think the att plan is bad(and it is) just look at the canadian one its insane.

 

[the last resort]

The iPhone is a wonderful piece of technology. Do i want one? Heck yes. Can I afford one? Heck no. Is Apple a great company? Apple really uses the brains they have.
Is the new iPhone half-price? Well, with the subsidy that At&t got, yes the iPhone is technically half-price. Is the contract half-price? No. Is the contract the iPhone? I didn't think so. I the price too high? Well of course it is, all cell companies are price gouging, but only for the service. Is the iPhone really worth 5 or 600 dollars? In technical terms, yes. Is the contract really supposed to be over $100/month? Well yes, since they are pricing it according to the current market.
Is Apple advertising falsely? No. Are the claims seeming to be too good to be true? Well yeah. The claims that Apple has are true, but bent, to sell the iPhone. It's called advertising, everyone does it everywhere.

 

[mdillenbeck]

I really appreciate this article and the comments.

The facts are clear in the US - with new contract pricing you can easily get double the speed on a new iPhone at half the cost of the old iPhone.

However, the "facts" are a bit deceptive once their conditions are examinded. Apple is only talking of their product, the iPhone, and not AT&T's product, the service. The speeds are also based on theoretical speeds and not actual speeds in your area. After all, in some areas there is no 3G service available and others there are no service - and thus you will not see "double the speed".

One thing I have to say about Apple is that they know marketing. They understand that the average consumer doesn't care to think about the product they are buying and its total cost over a lifetime (cars are a great example of this as are any energy consuming device) - they care about who they become by using the product.

Take the entire Mac vs PC campaign. A PC and thus their users are overweight businessmen in suits - a geek with glasses who is most likely anally retentive and socially inept. Meanwhile, Mac and thus their users are youthful, athletic, hip, and casual - the popular guy who has a modern haircut, a scruffy look, and "cool" attitude. Buy a PC and you are going to be doomed to being a geek and buy a Mac and you'll be 'in'.

Same with the iPod - the flashy bright colors and youthful shadows dance with white cords trailing from their heads. Think how cool, youthful, and energetic you'll be by buying an iPod instead of any other device.

Same with the iPhone - the device is minimalistic, sleek, and trendy. I will admit, it has tons of potential. However, most of the people I hear that want one list "its so sexy" - and that the device's sexiness and popularity will mystically be transformed into them and they will become sleek and desirable.

As said though, is this any different than any other ad? No. Listen to the late night hawkers, page through any magazine, or watch any commercial on tv and they all use the same techniques. The use selective facts that spins their product in an unrealistically positive light ("I made $5000 yesterday alone" -unusual results in fine print on the screen "Head on, apply apply directly to your forehead and your headache is gone" -well, they can't say it any more after they were sued and couldn't provide a study that their product works better than any other placebo "0% financing or a very attractive lease price for well qualified customers." -so I can't qualify for 0% financing, I have to meet the highly defined criteria of "well" qualified).

Again, I am glad to see that there are many at Tom's that are savvy when it comes advertising - and recognize that Tom's "Caveat Emptor" articles may serve some public good.

 

[JonnyDough]

When it comes down to it, companies can almost say (and do) whatever they want. It is the responsibility of the consumer to be wary. Right? Wrong. For good contracts to happen between a buyer and a seller it requires honesty and trust. These are lost upon both sectors. Consumers will return things after using them, steal, etc...and corporations will sell you crap, lie, and market deceitfully. Any agreement of sale should be upheld with integrity, something that the western world (not just America) is lost on. The truth is that people today have no honor. If they did, soldiers would not run off to war without deeply questioning WHY 911 happened. Emotional responses are everywhere, and while emotions make us beautifully human, they also make us human. "If a corporation can screw me over, then I am justified in stealing from them." Thus is the state of the world. Damn us all to Hell.

 

[Nuke_Dukem]

Its the same here in New Zealand. Vodaphone has introduced the 3g iPhone for about $199 NZD, but you must enter a 24 month plan which costs around $250 NZD per month (for just a nominal service, 1GB upload/download capacity). After the 24 months you would have spent $6199... not including any other services you use e.g. music downloads/purchases, going over total contract calling hours, txting limits.

Pretty harsh eh?

 

[waikano]

Anybody want some cheese with their wine?

 

[Guest]

You are an idiot. Apple sells a PHONE called the iphone 3G which is half the price of the previous version PHONE called the iphone. APPLE DOES NOT SELL CONTRACTS. You argument is garbage and would never hold in any court against Apple lawyers.

 

[Guest]

To those that are saying that the 3G iPhone is half the price, you can't buy the phone WITHOUT a contract for that price, therefore you must consider both the phone and the plan as one package.

 

[Guest]

I reckon the main point is that, as the author of this piece says, the iphone is not sold directly by Apple; rather it is sold through AT&T and bundled with their plan. Apple, thus, has no right to be talking about the end price since the only price they control is the price they sell the units to AT&T for. Now the ad does not specify what price it refers to so if Apple could prove that the price they sell the units to AT&T for is half what they used to then they would have a valid argument, however, as that is likely to be untrue, Apple is indeed opening themselves up to potential litigation.

Seriously though, will anybody actually sue them? The whole purpose of ads like this is that Apple has always and will always target ignorant fools who like to horde and covet shiny little objects and do not care much whether they get any tangible return on their money.

 

[antilycus]

Silly people. Obviously you've forgotten that in the past 8 years, big business has become more important then liberty, law(justice), and the court system. And guess who's fault it is...YOURS for doing NOTHING but crying about it.

 

[salesplaza1]

Brand new, never used.
- Sent straight from from Iphone USA
- Come with a pouch, data cable, stereo headset, home charger
- Manufacturer warranty

This is a brand new never used Iphone 3GS . Still has the sticker on it with pictures to prove it. Comes with a full year warranty along with an extra in box never used pouch.

Brand New and unlocked to all networks..
Comes with full 12 months international warranty.
Sealed with complete accessories.
SAMSUNG Omnia 2
SAMSUNG Omnia I8910 HD
For more information, send us an email: : mobileshoponlinelimited@gmail.com


Original Apple Iphone 3GS 32GB In Black & White