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Finding Holiday Discounts on iPods?

Posted by Cliff on from the getting-a-hold-of-a-real-bargain dept.

jeffy124 asks: "I was hoping to get an Apple iPod for Christmas. Alas, it's too expensive and out of the budget. So I'm forced into purchasing it for myself. Hoping to cash in on a holiday season bargain, I've been keeping my eye on the sales circulars that come in the newspaper. I've seen plenty of discounts for MP3 players of all kinds (Rio's, Dell's new HD-based player, etc), and the iPod has also shown up. Christmas does not yet seem very merry to me. They're always at the regular $299/399/499 price, never at a discount of any sort. You read that right, it's 'for sale' at the *regular* price. Stores guilty of this include Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and CompUSA. Why do stores do this? How often? And does anyone know why Apple has been singled out while their competition has gotten their products discounted? Anyone know who *is* granting discounts on iPods this holiday season?"

"The other day came in the mail a 10% off coupon for various items at Best Buy, including 'MP3 Players' as indicated on the front of slip. Hoping this was how I was gonna get that discount, I set aside time this weekend to drive to Delaware in order to skip out on my local state sales tax too. I turned the coupon over, and in the legal disclaimer was the phrase 'Excludes Apple iPod Players.' Needless to say, a Merry Christmas is still aways off."

7 of 849 comments (clear)

  1. Just wait... by Cyno01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Until they day after you buy one, Apple will annouce price breaks of $50-$100 and new larger capacity models.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  2. They don't need to discount...? by frenetic3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wild conjecture, but maybe it's just because they have such a strong brand name (kid wants an *iPod* for xmas, not an mp3 player) that they feel that their product is unique and that sales wouldn't drastically increase if they cut their prices (or conversely sales wouldn't drop that much if they kept prices high, because their customers don't see the cheapo competing mp3 players as valid substitutes for an iPod.)

    Kinda like toy fads -- what kid would want to accept a cheap knockoff "Fondle Me Herbert" doll when all their little pals have "Tickle Me Elmos"? :P

    -fren

    --
    "Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?"
  3. Free iPod... by supertbone · · Score: 5, Funny

    if you buy a VW bug

  4. Re:Forget it, go for the Rio Karma by BasilBrush · · Score: 5, Funny

    To be the iPod killer, people would actually have top have heard of it...

  5. Re:Has no one said the more likely? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I bought the new Blink182 CD at best buy for 10 bucks, but rememberd I wanted the Christmas Story DVD, too. It was also on sale for $20, but I don't know how much they were losing on that.

    Blink 182 and Christmas Story. Dude - You are the loser here.

  6. Re: Finding Holiday Discounts on iPods? by tdemark · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's got replaceable batteries, and unlike the iPod, you don't have to remortgage your house to buy a replacement battery.

    If you have to get a loan for $49, you probably shouldn't buy an iPod.

    Or any MP3 player for that matter.

    - Tony

  7. You missed the point... by Dascen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then buy it via Apple or the Apple store. They offer a 14-day price protection policy for just this very reason.

    I think you missed the point. If you got the 14 day price protection, the price would drop on the 15th. Thats how it works.
    --
    -blar