If there wasn't a coupon program, I'd say this thing would retail for $15 and they'd make money. Charge $49.00 and the consumer is out 10 bucks, thinks it's a bargain. Meanwhile the stores get every penny of that coupon for something that cost them $10.
Considering they have DVD players right next to these things for just $29, it pretty much shows they are making immense profits off those boxes at government expense.
Oh, worry not, they'll put some non-replaceable part in the support circuitry that fails within 2 years. Or constantly bring out new models. There'll be a way to get that market back.
Forgot one other fun aspect of this; if you were a new customer, you just might get the old phone number's dialup account transferred to your new phone's bill, because the dialup had to be canceled separately from the phone line.
It was a lot like these Bill Crammers, only with the telco's own logo and 'approval'.
I worked for awhile at a dialup internet subsidiary of SBC (now AT-AT) and we had the power of issuing credits. I would listen to customer's complaints, do some checking, and issue proper refunds. Until I was taken aside and warned not to do so, that customers would have to arbitrate it further in order to get their credits (of course, never refunds)
One of the phenomenons that kept us busy were non-computer customers; many times, if you called up the main customer service line, they would add dial-up internet to the account. Didn't ask, or they'd ask and then add it anyway.
It ranged from $10-$20 per monthly bill..(prices varied, depending on where you signed up for the same service, but that's a different story)
Even if the customer didn't have a computer. Or aware they had dialup internet.
I heard all sorts of weird stories, usually related to this dialup scam, but the sad one was the lady who called up to close accounts because she was selling her apartment building; about a year back, she had messed up and disconnected the elevator telephone. When they re-activated it, the CSR added dialup internet to the elevator. It's just a handset and a switch that auto-dials some elevator emergency line..
There was about $240 in charges that she was eligible for reimbursement. She was indifferent and just wanted the thing closed and done for.
Ideal customer, methinks, as far as the telcos are concerned.
That does sound ideal.. but humans are humans, so there's bound to be a bit of fudging here and there. But this opinion is from down South, where even the City council can have members voting in sweet deals for their own companies. Whatever did happen to all that reform we were promised?
But, Congress says collectively, "We're used to this. Our opinions are shaped by representives of corporate interest, who help our citizens by employing them.. um, sometimes. I think there's a benefit to our constituents, somewhere"
They feel they could not get used to such a new way of practicing legislature.
Some of them probably felt the same way when race-segregated drinking fountains went away. Oh noes new thinking!
They want a reduction of the percentage paid out. 8 cents versus 13 cents. This is from the dollar already made.
Will Apple drop the price 5 cents to.94 a song? Will the music companies drop the wholesale cost to Apple by 5 cents?
(per $, for those thinking it's bad math.. but my point is..)
Reduce costs, maintain prices, profit. Good for the industry, bad for the creative process. But those songs are already written,
so things like the Writer's strike would be ineffective in bringing about equity.
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If there wasn't a coupon program, I'd say this thing would retail for $15 and they'd make money. Charge $49.00 and the consumer is out 10 bucks, thinks it's a bargain. Meanwhile the stores get every penny of that coupon for something that cost them $10. Considering they have DVD players right next to these things for just $29, it pretty much shows they are making immense profits off those boxes at government expense.
Oh, worry not, they'll put some non-replaceable part in the support circuitry that fails within 2 years. Or constantly bring out new models. There'll be a way to get that market back.
Forgot one other fun aspect of this; if you were a new customer, you just might get the old phone number's dialup account transferred to your new phone's bill, because the dialup had to be canceled separately from the phone line.
It was a lot like these Bill Crammers, only with the telco's own logo and 'approval'.
I worked for awhile at a dialup internet subsidiary of SBC (now AT-AT) and we had the power of issuing credits. I would listen to customer's complaints, do some checking, and issue proper refunds. Until I was taken aside and warned not to do so, that customers would have to arbitrate it further in order to get their credits (of course, never refunds)
One of the phenomenons that kept us busy were non-computer customers; many times, if you called up the main customer service line, they would add dial-up internet to the account. Didn't ask, or they'd ask and then add it anyway.
It ranged from $10-$20 per monthly bill..(prices varied, depending on where you signed up for the same service, but that's a different story)
Even if the customer didn't have a computer. Or aware they had dialup internet.
I heard all sorts of weird stories, usually related to this dialup scam, but the sad one was the lady who called up to close accounts because she was selling her apartment building; about a year back, she had messed up and disconnected the elevator telephone. When they re-activated it, the CSR added dialup internet to the elevator. It's just a handset and a switch that auto-dials some elevator emergency line.. There was about $240 in charges that she was eligible for reimbursement. She was indifferent and just wanted the thing closed and done for.
Ideal customer, methinks, as far as the telcos are concerned.
That does sound ideal.. but humans are humans, so there's bound to be a bit of fudging here and there. But this opinion is from down South, where even the City council can have members voting in sweet deals for their own companies. Whatever did happen to all that reform we were promised? But, Congress says collectively, "We're used to this. Our opinions are shaped by representives of corporate interest, who help our citizens by employing them.. um, sometimes. I think there's a benefit to our constituents, somewhere" They feel they could not get used to such a new way of practicing legislature. Some of them probably felt the same way when race-segregated drinking fountains went away. Oh noes new thinking!
Reducing costs is good for the Industry.
.94 a song?
They want a reduction of the percentage paid out. 8 cents versus 13 cents. This is from the dollar already made.
Will Apple drop the price 5 cents to
Will the music companies drop the wholesale cost to Apple by 5 cents?
(per $, for those thinking it's bad math.. but my point is..)
Reduce costs, maintain prices, profit. Good for the industry, bad for the creative process.
But those songs are already written, so things like the Writer's strike would be ineffective in bringing about equity.