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Ben Patternson = ipad thief?

madoka

madoka

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 17, 2002
527
154
Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News and wrote the following:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/ytech_gadg_tc1448#mwpphu-container

"Stay tuned for my full iPad review, including my decision on whether to return it or not, early next week."

What?!?!!? You buy a tech item, use it, review it, and then return it? That's no better than being a thief IMHO.

Apple now has to waste more time processing his return, refurb the item, and now can't sell it as new. He's a tech writer and should know whether he wants to buy something or not. If he's unsure whether he really wants it, that's what demo products at the store are for. Returning it for NO GOOD REASON (e.g. it's broken), is no better than those knuckleheads that abuse the return policies at Costco and Bestbuy.
 
Apple allows you to return it within 14 days, it's not like he's lying about something in order to return it.
 
He's not a thief unless he didn't pay for it...

He's fully within his rights to return it if he doesn't think it's worth keeping.
 
madoka said:
What?!?!!? You buy a tech item, use it, review it, and then return it? That's no better than being a thief IMHO.
Click to expand...

Uh, no. A thief is somebody who steals something and keeps it. If he's not happy with the iPad, it's in his right to send it back. I've done it before.
 
1. Apple eats the cost of his "rental" and passes the cost on to the rest of us.

2. Apple can't resell it as new any more

3. Apple wasn't able to sell it to someone who actually wanted it

4. While what he is doing isn't technically illegal, it's sleezy. He's not some poor kid; he's a professional tech writer. If more people act this way, how long before there's a restocking fee? Fry's and Bestbuy instituted that policy because too many people were buying camera/camcorders for special occassions and then returning them. Similarly Costco had to change their return policy due to unethical behavior. Again, all the honest people who actually buy with the intent of keeping a product get to "pay" in the end for these dirtbags who only want to try something out.
 
If he bought it with the intention of most likely returning it, then what he is doing is wrong.

If he bought it and found out he didn't like it and returned it fine... but if he is just doing it to write a review for his work and knowingly returning it after he is done... that is not right.

If they don't want to accept demos or can't acquire demos for review purposes, then his publication needs to front the cost for such devices. Not just steal them for two weeks and give them back.
 
madoka said:
Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News and wrote the following:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/ytech_gadg_tc1448#mwpphu-container

"Stay tuned for my full iPad review, including my decision on whether to return it or not, early next week."

What?!?!!? You buy a tech item, use it, review it, and then return it? That's no better than being a thief IMHO.

Apple now has to waste more time processing his return, refurb the item, and now can't sell it as new. He's a tech writer and should know whether he wants to buy something or not. If he's unsure whether he really wants it, that's what demo products at the store are for. Returning it for NO GOOD REASON (e.g. it's broken), is no better than those knuckleheads that abuse the return policies at Costco and Bestbuy.
Click to expand...

You need to lighten up...
 
madoka said:
1. Apple eats the cost of his "rental" and passes the cost on to the rest of us.

2. Apple can't resell it as new any more

3. Apple wasn't able to sell it to someone who actually wanted it

4. While what he is doing isn't technically illegal, it's sleezy. He's not some poor kid; he's a professional tech writer. If more people act this way, how long before there's a restocking fee? Fry's and Bestbuy instituted that policy because too many people were buying camera/camcorders for special occassions and then returning them. Similarly Costco had to change their return policy due to unethical behavior. Again, all the honest people who actually buy with the intent of keeping a product get to "pay" in the end for these dirtbags who only want to try something out.
Click to expand...

Wow relax will u. Its not sleazy, illegal or anything. Are you saying that if person buys something he must keep it? you want to tell me that you never bought and returned something? BS
You buy an item, you use it and if u don't like it you return it because its not for you. Pretty simple. Apple charges 10% rental fee for you to do that.
 
Where do you think refurbs come from? Apple just uses fully-functional returns as a replacement for dead Pads.

But I read that statement an entirely different way...that Apple sent him a review device, and he was joking that he may not be able to make himself return it.
 
madoka said:
1. Apple eats the cost of his "rental" and passes the cost on to the rest of us.

2. Apple can't resell it as new any more

3. Apple wasn't able to sell it to someone who actually wanted it

4. While what he is doing isn't technically illegal, it's sleezy. He's not some poor kid; he's a professional tech writer. If more people act this way, how long before there's a restocking fee? Fry's and Bestbuy instituted that policy because too many people were buying camera/camcorders for special occassions and then returning them. Similarly Costco had to change their return policy due to unethical behavior. Again, all the honest people who actually buy with the intent of keeping a product get to "pay" in the end for these dirtbags who only want to try something out.
Click to expand...
1. No Apple does not eat the cost. Apple will charge him $50.
if you don't want something and are in the return policy, then why should he keep it. To appease those Apple gods that you are paying homage to right now?
 
I hope you feel better now OP. :rolleyes:

I long for the good old days when people thought things through before posting them. If anything needs to be resurrected today, it's common sense.
 
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