Apple Offers Refund To Stiffed Breaking Bad Season Pass Customers

An anonymous reader writes "Two weeks ago, a man sued Apple after finding out that the $22.99 he paid for a season pass of Breaking Bad was only good for the final season's first 8 episodes. ... In light the mix-up, Apple late on Monday began informing folks who purchased a season pass for the 5th season of Breaking Bad that they are entitled to a refund in full in the form of a $22.99 iTunes credit." "Mix-up" seems an entirely charitable description.

Comments

Netflix

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Whoever pays $22.99 for half a season, or any other TV show, when it is available on Netflix is beyond me. Don't get me started on bluray box sets.

Re:Netflix

[kthreadd]

Some of us are not allowed to have Netflix, or some of the content on it.

Re:Netflix

[Anonymous Coward]

The last season isn't available on Netflix.

[insert something witty for mod points]

Re:Netflix

[Forbo]

The content in question won't be available on Netflix for several months after the release. The reason people buy it is because they want that content available as it is released.

Re:Netflix

[Anonymous Coward]

People who assume certain content will always be available on Netflix or that everyone has access to it, are idiots. Don't get me started on those people.

Re:Netflix

[Serneum]

I buy shows that I want to own because I may not always have Netflix and/or Netflix may eventually shut down.

Re:Netflix

[petermgreen]

What's beyond me is why AMC, HBO, etc, insist on not taking my money.

AIUI when a TV show is made it is typically made for and owned by a TV network in it's home country (or sometimes for expensive shows several TV networks in different countries). That TV network (or networks) then sells the rights to it to other TV networks arround the world. The first TV network in a given region to buy it pays a premium because it's "new and exclutive". If they sell copies directly to customers in your country then they can no longer sell it to a TV network in your country as "new and exclusive". So while there is clearly a benefit from selling to you directly there is also potentially a cost.

Not saying I support regionisation, just that I understand why it happens.

Re:Netflix

[khellendros1984]

What I provided is a work-around while other people try to permanently solve the issue through other venues. Is it the optimal solution? No, but it's legal (for now), and it's a work-around for something that shouldn't be broken in the first place.

I can't say that pirating media is "honorable", per se, but in a situation where there isn't a realistic way to legally get your hands on something, I don't have serious qualms with it.

That's not a refund.

[Forbo]

That's not a refund. A chargeback is a refund. With this they just keep your money and give you the illusion of getting the full value back, when in actuality it costs them cents on the dollar to do this.

Re:That's not a refund.

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Meanwhile Apple can profit from the interest. It may be pennies on this single credit note, but increase that to tens or hundreds of thousand people and Apple are sure to profit handsomely.

Re:That's not a refund.

[Anonymous Coward]

You guys realize Apple doesn't set prices or chose how seasons are offered for sale. They can't refund money they have already given to AMC. This is a good faith measure. Why are you complaining to apple when AMC is the reason this happened?

Re:That's not a refund.

[msauve]

But (assuming the second half costs the same as the first), the net effect is that people get more than they bargained for - they have the choice between using the credit to pay for the second half season - getting exactly what they paid for, or they can chose to use it for something else.

Re:That's not a refund.

[wchin]

Bashing Apple has become a favorite past time for some people. Yes, AMC is at fault here. Apple did the right thing - I'm curious if AMC is going to reimburse Apple for the loss.

Re:That's not a refund.

[tlhIngan]

Bashing Apple has become a favorite past time for some people. Yes, AMC is at fault here. Apple did the right thing - I'm curious if AMC is going to reimburse Apple for the loss.

Probably not. But Apple did it because you don't save much - it's what, $3 per episode? And the full "season" (as defined by AMC) is $24? So you're saving a whopping... $1?

I think in light of that, Apple decided it was stupid and let them have the full season for $23 (saving $25) versus charging it twice for a full whopping savings of $1 each.

AMC gets 70% of those values given general Apple standard contracts... and I think Apple can eat the "loss" of that money from AMC.

It's iTunes credit, after all. $23 means Apple pays out 70% of that to someone.

Re:That's not a refund.

[tlhIngan]

It is their walled garden, is it not? They exercise editorial control over what is or is not offered, do they not? AMC may have been the ones who tried to screw customers, but they did it through the Apple App store, which apple polices and staffs.

Only on the App Store, not to be confused with the iBookstore, Music Store, and Movie & TV store.

Apple exercises less control on the latter stores as the publishers are the ones who do it and it makes very little sense for Apple to go about reviewing every new music track, movie, and TV show for content purposes as you expect it to be the same as what Amazon and everyone else has.

From time to time Apple may ban a whole category, but that's generally the whole category and not individual shows. For the iBookstore, Apple does also exercise some control for self-published works, less so from content from other publishers.

It's a horrendous mishmash, but in general, only App Store apps are subject to editorial control because only those are walled gardens. Music, TV shows, books, movies, they're all "sideloadable" and generally users expect them to be the same as what you get in the store.

I don't think Apple even does a Wal-Mart and actually force artists to remaster explicit tracks to not be explicit.

Re:That's not a refund.

[Col. Klink (retired)]

It was only TFA that called it a refund. What Apple actually said was "we're giving you the 'The Final Season' for free. Here is a credit to buy that season with, or if you'd like, buy anything else for that amount."

Re:Logical

[Thanshin]

Do you think Apple signs contracts for "one season" without specifying exactly how many chapters of how many minutes?

Working in IT, I always assume every other corporation does things at least not worse than us. Not the opposite.

Season 5 versus Series 5.

[goombah99]

That's not a refund. A chargeback is a refund. With this they just keep your money and give you the illusion of getting the full value back, when in actuality it costs them cents on the dollar to do this.

Well, on the other hand, the viewer already watched half the season. It's not like the season was a stale donut to be sent back. What the viewer got was good. Just half of what he expected.

I find the whole proposition dubious, and therefore apple is being quite generous. Not only that they aren't putting up much of a fight which is what makes it even more sincere. The customer is always right is an ideal that, when you can pull it off, makes for a good premium bussiness model. Discounters can't pull that off. So it distinguishes apple.

Personally, if it were my decision I'd fight with this customer. A season is a 1/4 trip around the sun. He got all the episodes available in that season. What he thought he was buying was Series 5 not season 5. Like how the british TV is named. If AMC had simply named them properly, Season 5 and seasons 6 or series 5 and series 6, rather than calling both season 5 there would be no ambiguity at all.

Apple is caving here not because they have to but because thats how they roll. Apples knows it's customers are loyal and they know that Apple limits their risks (which is a good reason to buy apple if your time has any value). So they look for ways to set themselves apart in that niche

If they are lucky this will turn up the heat on Amazon. Amazon probably has a lot more financial exposure to this. Will people make the demand to amazon now?

Re:Season 5 versus Series 5.

[Missing.Matter]

A season is a 1/4 trip around the sun. He got all the episodes available in that season. What he thought he was buying was Series 5 not season 5. Like how the british TV is named. If AMC had simply named them properly, Season 5 and seasons 6 or series 5 and series 6, rather than calling both season 5 there would be no ambiguity at all.

And if I were your customer and you said this to me, I wouldn't be your customer any longer. AMC has broken seasons in half before. With the Walking Dead seasons 2 and 3, they broke the season in two, with the first half airing Oct - Nov, and the second half airing Feb - March. If you bought the "season" pass in Oct, you got the episodes airing in March without having to pay again. Thus, anyone buying a season pass to Breaking Bad season 5 had every expectation that they would get the first half and second half, since the are all part of the same season. From the start, it was announced that Season 5 would be the last. Now all of a sudden they want to charge for a Season "6" or "5.5" to capitalize on the popularity of the show? Sorry, but customers see this bullshit money grab for what it is from a mile away. I for one bought season passes to Walking Dead and Breaking Bad for 8 total seasons. I won't be buying any more.

Apple needs to go after Sony and AMC for the costs

[Ellis D. Tripp]

Apple wasn't responsible for this clusterfuck. It was Sony Pictures TV and AMC.

AMC decided to split Season 5 into 2 halves, to extend Emmy eligibility for another year. But Sony insisted on referring to the 2 years as Season 5A and Season 5B, because that would allow them to get around having to give the actors and production staff the contractually mandated pay increase for each new season.

So we have 2 separate definitions for what constitutes a "season", depending on what provides the corporate interests the maximum benefit. They figured that they will make more money separating the DVD sets into 2 releases, so that's what they did.

Somebody really needs to go all Heisenberg on their asses....

Because it's worth it so have it now

[goombah99]

Whoever pays $22.99 for half a season, or any other TV show, when it is available on Netflix is beyond me. Don't get me started on bluray box sets.

With most movies I have no problem waiting for them to come out on DVD. But somethings are just so good you want to see them now. One of the things about a series is that it's immersive and lasts a long time. You enjoy talking to your friends about it while the thoughts are fresh and the possibilities in the next show have your mind alive. You want to talk about it now not in hindsight. that's the thrill. Look at all the discussion sites for breaking bad.

Since it's currently the best and most engaging drama on TV, this of all examples is a case where you should understand why anyone would want to pay $22.

Also Dumbledor dies at the end of harry potter. The cake is a lie. Walter poisons Todd's Tea with ricin.

Re:Apple needs to go after Sony and AMC for the co

[Hatta]

Somebody really needs to go all Heisenberg on their asses....

I'm uncertain what you mean by that.

Lesson learned

[mybecq]

Don't be surprised if, over the next year, Apple makes them start including the number of episodes or the length of the season for these passes. They don't get burned twice.

Re:Apple needs to go after Sony and AMC for the co

[Ellis D. Tripp]

They are adding one additional episode to split the season into 2 runs of 7 episodes each. But unlike Breaking Bad, all the episodes will be filmed in one run, with AMC sitting on the last 7 for a year before airing them.

Breaking Bad originally was slated for 13 episodes in the final season, but was granted 3 additional episodes at the time the split was decided on. They were filmed over 2 years, though.

Re:Apple needs to go after Sony and AMC for the co

[MatthiasF]

Somebody really needs to go all Heisenberg on their asses....

What does that mean? Do I kick their asses or don't I? Have I kicked their ass already? I have no idea.

Oh, screw it. I'm going Oppenheimer on their asses instead.