Organization asks Apple to make iPhone more consumer friendly
July 31, 2007
As if an Illinois class action suit about the iPhone’s battery wasn’t enough, New York State’s Consumer Protection Board has jumped into the fray with similar complaints. Yesterday, the organization sent a letter to Steve Jobs taking issue with some of the additional costs of the device.
Among their issues: that the battery costs $80 to replace, which includes a trip to Apple; that you have to pay $29 for a loaner phone; that a 10% restocking fee is charged if the phone is returned; and that there’s a fourteen day trial period. “A high-end cell phone shouldn’t have to have low-end customer service,” said CPB Chairperson Mindy Bockstein.
I’m not precisely sure what their problem with the last is—that it’s not long enough? It would certainly be nice if Apple would consider dropping some of the fees, but I wonder whether or not they’re really onerous enough to merit this kind of attention. No product, after all, is perfect, but the iPhone happens to just be more prominent than many. Charging a fee for the loaner on top of the battery replacement is a bit annoying; it’d be nice if that was bundled into the cost of the battery replacement service. And as far as restocking fees go, I’d be in favor of the industry getting rid of them as a whole.
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