Exchanging WiFi for 3G

[CalMin]

We've had the Wifi iPad since the first day so we're past the 14 day return policy. Last night we were at the Apple Store and were told by an employee that early adopters are going to be allowed to exchange their wifi iPads for the 3G version and pay the difference.

I find it hard to believe since we'll be past the return period. Calls to different stores were mixed, between it's not true and they'll do it with 10% restocking fee.

I really doubt that they will do this. There is no advantage to Apple to take back a used iPad in exchange for a 3G. Plus anyone who returned it already and ate the 10% would be none too happy...

The only way that this could work is if they somehow got a kickback from AT&T. But since there is no contract (and therefore no guarantee that AT&T would subsidize the iPad) I'm not sure how this would work.

 

[techiegirl]

I don't think so either. I brought it up just so see if anybody has heard of this floating around, since it was brought up by the employee.

I really doubt that they will do this. There is no advantage to Apple to take back a used iPad in exchange for a 3G. Plus anyone who returned it already and ate the 10% would be none too happy...

The only way that this could work is if they somehow got a kickback from AT&T. But since there is no contract (and therefore no guarantee that AT&T would subsidize the iPad) I'm not sure how this would work.

 

[Aduntu]

I think you missed the point of Nausicaa's post.....

Nobody's questioning how other folks spend their money. The question becomes is it fair that some individuals essentially "rent" an ipad at no cost for 2-3 weeks, and then return that unit to purchase a 3g. In those instances where a restocking fee is not being charged, those individuals essentially get to rent a unit for free until the 3g units come out. So what does that do, it puts a bunch of "pre-owned" units back into inventory that will essentially be re-packaged as brand new.

Additionally, these former Wi-fi owners now jump in line to purchase 3g units thereby potentially taking away potential purchase opportunities for those individuals who patiently waited for a 3g all along.

Personally I'm torn about what I think about this...is there anything ethically wrong with purchasing a wi-fi unit knowing full well you have no intention of keeping it? Apple doesn't aggressively persuade folks not to engage in this practice. While there is a potential 10-15% restocking fee, we have all probably read stories about Apple stores and Best Buy not enforcing that fee. So to me, Apple doesn't view this as a serious issue. If Apple really wanted to curb this practice, they would increase the re-stocking fee and aggressively enforce the fee.

Like I said, I just don't think Apple views this as a major issue. At the end of the day, they want more of their customers to purchase the more expensive 3g units. This will lead to greater revenues and overall profitability. Besides, I would be willing to bet the higher pricing on the 3g models subsidizes the lower pricing offered on the wi-fi models.

Are you a shareholder? If not, there's absolutely zero reason you should be so concerned about people exchanging products. You talk as if Apple is looking out for your best interest and you're trying to return the favor--which couldn't be further from the truth.

Ethics have no place in this conversation. A return policy can be utilized by anyone and everyone, without prejudice. Motive should never be a factor.

 

[CarboysDesire]

I think if the quantity of people trying to return a Wifi in order to purchase a 3G unit becomes large enough then Apple would regret not charging a re-stocking fee. I guess I'd have to assume the number of people that want to do this is small enough that it's good business for them to waive the fee in exchange for $130 in additional revenue AND a used Wifi unit that they can use as a Refurb.

It may rub those waiting for the 3G the wrong way but it's Apple's decision...one that I am sure their bottom line can absorb.

I am one of the people patiently waiting for a 3G. Morally, if someone planned an exchange from the start then I suppose it's "shady" but if they honestly have come to love the product enough to want the additional convenience of 3G then it is what it is. It's not as if Apple can distinguish between the two. I guess if it were my business I would charge the restocking fee, but if I were one of the people trying to exchange it I would probably feel differently. It's tricky.

 

[techiegirl]

I'm not sure how anybody could have "planned" this in the beginning when Apple store has a 14 day return policy (restocking fee or not). When the wifi version was first sold, the 3G release date wasn't even available.

Pretty risky of anybody who would buy it to assume that the 3G would be available in 14 days or that Apple would take the exchange after the 14 day return policy.

 

[Miguel0173]

I actually am wondering if someone has tried to do a return to apple after the 14 days. I would return my Ipad 64GB and pay the restocking fee plus take it as store credit since I want the 3G 64 GB.

 

[swy05]

And you're the clown who continues to have no clue what he's talking about.

Fixed my wi-fi issues. Keep up the good detective work though.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9641647&#post9641647

15% restocking fee.

You can try telling them you have wi-fi issues since they waive the fee on defective products, but that's a YMMV thing.

Keep up with the low-life advice. Just shows what a low-life you are. And once again, thanks for proving my point about prima-donna's.

 

[ballen420]

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9641647&#post9641647

Keep up with the low-life advice. Just shows what a low-life you are. And once again, thanks for proving my point about prima-donna's.

Just cause you embarassed yourself doesn't mean you have to call other people names.

 

[Consultant]

On my 3GS I've got MyWi, and I've been happy so far with my WiFi iPad + MyWi. But you bring up a great point. Tethering and jailbreaking will eventually happen on the 4th gen iPhones and OS 4.0, but will it be as easy as the solutions we've had so far (blackrain)?

I hope it is. I was considering getting a 3G iPad recently, but to tack on another $15 or most likely $30 a month on top of my $100 AT&T iPhone bill... well, that's just silly. What to do!!

How long is your batter life with MyWi? I heard it's only 1.5 hours straight.

 

[swy05]

Just cause you embarassed yourself doesn't mean you have to call other people names.

The only person embarrassed here is you.

Nice try trying to deflect the embarrassment off of you and on to me.

So, why don't you sit down and tell us how great you think your "get out of restocking fee by lying and saying the wifi is broken" method is.

Why don't you tell us how great you think restocking fees are because well, because of your mentality/ethics, there's a reason why companies are charging restocking fees.

So tell us how proud you are of your no-restocking fee scheme.

Go on now junior, don't be embarrassed to tell us how proud you are of it.

Be proud.

 

[aperry]

Oh yeah I forgot. You're the guy who's having wifi "issues" and is also trying to weasel your way out of the restocking fee.

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Are you kidding? "Weasel your way out of the restocking fees"? Here's news for you: Apple is a $250 billion company who could give a rat's *ss about you. Yet you're acting like your family is being wronged every time someone returns an iPad without paying a restocking fee.

 

[swy05]

Are you kidding? "Weasel your way out of the restocking fees"? Here's news for you: Apple is a $250 billion company who could give a rat's *ss about you. Yet you're acting like your family is being wronged every time someone returns an iPad without paying a restocking fee.

See post #35.

 

[ballen420]

The only person embarrassed here is you.

Nice try trying to deflect the embarrassment off of you and on to me.

So, why don't you sit down and tell us how great you think your "get out of restocking fee by lying and saying the wifi is broken" method is.

Why don't you tell us how great you think restocking fees are because well, because of your mentality/ethics, there's a reason why companies are charging restocking fees.

So tell us how proud you are of your no-restocking fee scheme.

Go on now junior, don't be embarrassed to tell us how proud you are of it.

Be proud.

And my embarassment point is proven yet again with your lengthy nonsense. Keep on trucking crusader.

 

[aperry]

See post #35.

Restocking fees were invented to compensate for stock that devalues quickly (like computers). And I have no sympathy for Apple if people get out of a restocking fee and use wireless issues as an excuse. Frankly it's a fair excuse.

Apple won't even knowledge the (very real) wireless issues exist. Their solution? From the website:
# Move closer to the Wi-Fi router or hotspot.
# If you are using a personal Wi-Fi network, verify the Wi-Fi router is connected to power and turned on.

That's ridiculous.

 

[swy05]

And my embarassment point is proven yet again with your lengthy nonsense. Keep on trucking crusader.

Keep avoiding the subject.

People typically do that when they're against the wall and they know what they did/say was wrong.

Why can't you answer the question?

Tell us how great your "don't pay restocking fee by lying and saying wifi is broken" mentality is.

Go on, just tell us how great you think this method is.

Stop avoiding the subject and just say it.

 

[fishmd]

....Not to mention people conveniently returning their Wifi ipad for a 3G because it conveniently has Wifi issues...

Believe me, there is nothing "convenient" about the wifi issues. It is a royal pain in the you know what...

 

[swy05]

Restocking fees were invented to compensate for stock that devalues quickly (like computers). And I have no sympathy for Apple if people get out of a restocking fee and use wireless issues as an excuse. Frankly it's a fair excuse.

Apple won't even knowledge the (very real) wireless issues exist. Their solution? From the website:
# Move closer to the Wi-Fi router or hotspot.
# If you are using a personal Wi-Fi network, verify the Wi-Fi router is connected to power and turned on.

That's ridiculous.

Umm no.

Restocking fees were put into place to cover returns that were not indeed defective.

Here's a brief description:

http://www.pcguide.com/buy/ven/eval/guarFees-c.html


People exchanging their defective wifi model for another wifi model is legitimate. How many times they need to exchange their model to get a working wifi model is perfectly legit.

The problem arises when people are lying about their wifi being broken so they can conveniently trade it up for a 3G model.

Hence the restocking fee's, domestic shortage, international delay.

 

[swy05]

Believe me, there is nothing "convenient" about the wifi issues. It is a royal pain in the you know what...

Of course. I don't disagree with you about legit wifi issues. Yes, there definitely are legit wifi issues. But if that's the case, people should be going into the store to exchange them for a new wifi replacement.

But people lying that their wifi is broken so they can conveniently upgrade it for a 3G model.

 

[aperry]

Umm no.

Restocking fees were put into place to cover returns that were not indeed defective.

Here's a brief description:

http://www.pcguide.com/buy/ven/eval/guarFees-c.html


People exchanging their defective wifi model for another wifi model is legitimate. How many times they need to exchange their model to get a working wifi model is perfectly legit.

The problem arises when people are lying about their wifi being broken so they can conveniently trade it up for a 3G model.

Hence the restocking fee's, domestic shortage, international delay.

Actually it's to cover the *costs* associated with returning items that are not defective. One of the largest costs is the devaluation of the device, which is why you see some stores have restocking fees only on certain types of merchandise. Regardless, this point is moot because technically the iPad is defective due to it's widely known wireless issues. It's my choice to accept this defect or return it.

By the way, restocking fees have been around forever and they're here to stay whether or not someone uses the widely-known defective wireless problem to avoid a restocking fee. So it's ridiculous to make it seem like someone returning an iPad tomorrow has any bearing whatsoever on restocking fees for the rest of us.

If Apple wants to avoid this situation then by all means they should issue a patch and fix the defect. Of course, they're in no hurry because they characteristically won't even acknowledge that a problem exists.

 

[vw195]

Umm no.

Restocking fees were put into place to cover returns that were not indeed defective.

Here's a brief description:

http://www.pcguide.com/buy/ven/eval/guarFees-c.html


People exchanging their defective wifi model for another wifi model is legitimate. How many times they need to exchange their model to get a working wifi model is perfectly legit.

The problem arises when people are lying about their wifi being broken so they can conveniently trade it up for a 3G model.

Hence the restocking fee's, domestic shortage, international delay.

Apple makes $250+ off every ipad sold. Im going to cry a river for them if they only make $200 off refurbed ones. How Apple gets away with a 14 day policy boggles my imagination. Its further amazing that they are going to charge 10% just to return an item. Frankly if youhave buyers remorse within 30 days, you should be allowed to return it for free. The reason there is domestic shortage and international delay is that a) Apple didnt make enough and b) Apple didnt make enough. What percentage do you think even brought back their ipads? I would submit its a very low number, and doesnt affect you at all.

 

[IbisDoc]

Personally I'm torn about what I think about this...is there anything ethically wrong with purchasing a wi-fi unit knowing full well you have no intention of keeping it? Apple doesn't aggressively persuade folks not to engage in this practice. While there is a potential 10-15% restocking fee, we have all probably read stories about Apple stores and Best Buy not enforcing that fee. So to me, Apple doesn't view this as a serious issue. If Apple really wanted to curb this practice, they would increase the re-stocking fee and aggressively enforce the fee.

Like I said, I just don't think Apple views this as a major issue. At the end of the day, they want more of their customers to purchase the more expensive 3g units. This will lead to greater revenues and overall profitability. Besides, I would be willing to bet the higher pricing on the 3g models subsidizes the lower pricing offered on the wi-fi models.

The folks at Apple enabled these returns by stupidly staggering the release dates. I'm sure they anticipated this, and don't really care.

 

[dmweinst]

Sold my WiFi iPad on Craigslist at a profit

First - The notion that Apple repackages products that have been returned and resells them as new is ridiculous. If you look at their online store, you will find that they have a wide variety of refurburshed products for sale, from ipods to desktop computers. These products have been completely wiped clean of data and restored to factory condition, repackaged in factory packaging and come with the same warranty as new products. In the case of iPhones, I'm sure that if your iPhone is swapped out at the genius bar, you will be getting a refurbished phone that is like new. I have done this several times myself.

Second - The whole point of a return policy with a restocking fee is to let people try out a product for 2 weeks and let them return it for whatever reason as long as they pay the restocking fee. The restocking fee covers Apple's cost of refurbishing the unit and preparing it for resale as refurbished product. This is no different than if you by a shirt or a dress at Macy's and bring it back, except that Macy's will put it back on the shelf and Apple goes through a meticulous refurbishing process and does not resell the item as new.

Finally, given the high demand for iPads, their current unavailability in stores and the waiting time for delivery when ordering online, I'm sure you will have no trouble selling a WiFi iPad online. I was able to sell my 64GB model, opened and used but still in pristine condition, at a $100 profit.

Give it a shot.

 

[ballen420]

Keep avoiding the subject.

People typically do that when they're against the wall and they know what they did/say was wrong.

Why can't you answer the question?

Tell us how great your "don't pay restocking fee by lying and saying wifi is broken" mentality is.

Go on, just tell us how great you think this method is.

Stop avoiding the subject and just say it.

No way man. This is way more fun.

 

[mysticbluebmw]

Umm no.

Restocking fees were put into place to cover returns that were not indeed defective.

I don't normally chime in on the ridiculous posts, but this is too funny.

You really have no idea what you're typing, do you...cover returns that were not indeed defective..., lol, my wife's reading over my shoulder, and she's even laughing.

Anyway, restocking fees exist for quite a few reasons. There's not just one reason, but many companies use them to make up for items that devalue in a short period of time. Other companies use restocking fees to cover costs associated with accepting returns. There are a number variables in this category. Many times these items are shipped back to the manufacturer for refurbishment and resold as such at a lesser price. Even some other companies use restocking fees as deterrent against consumers to return items.

Everybody has a reason for restocking fees, and many have reasons for NO restocking fees, such as good will toward customers and to maintain lasting relationships. I will never buy from a store with restocking fees, unless I can't purchase the item anywhere else. I number of retail establishments lose business over restocking fees, but feel the it's financially worth the practice.

Next time, you may find it valuable to form a cogent argument to support your reasoning before typing what must have been a series of embarrassing posts.

 

[jdavy]

The selling for a profit on craigslist sounds great. I will give it a try. As for the idea that i just bought it as a rental is just plain BS. I originally thought that a mobile hot spot would be fine and would just play games on it when I did not have wifi. Well that turned out to be silly. The iPad is great for news and weather and connected games. Also, AT&T is better than we all give them credit for. I intend to either sell them or trade them.

Thanks!