I do not think that it is a bad issue at all, the more places that you sell something/have it on display, the more sales you are going to get. It is a smart business move by Apple. But you are correct in that Best Buy is horrible in some ways, particularly with "Geek Squad."
The local news investigative team here in Boston went to 3 local computer repair stores all with the same exact issue (they disabled the hard drive). Best Buy's "Geek Squad" was of the three stores that they took it to and the guy was certain that it was a hard-drive failure and that the user would have to buy a new hard drive and that they lost all their information. That is the conclusion that he came to when all that they had to do was launch the computer, hit one of the function keys at launch, and they enable the hard drive, the guy was horrible.
And so what if Best Buy isn't cheaper, it is still another location for somebody to purchase it at, and for people who do not have an Apple or AT&T store near them, this will make getting an iPhone much more convenient and easier. And if you don't want to get your Apple products at Best Buy, then don't, nobody is forcing you. Apple is just giving you more options, you get to pick where you actually want to buy it. And of course they would tell you to call Apple with any concerns, because they are not authorized to service the iPhone, AT&T would say the same thing, Apple is the only place that can service your iPhone.
So in the end it comes down to your choice, nobody is forcing you to buy from them, so there isn't all that much to complain about.
The local news investigative team here in Boston went to 3 local computer repair stores all with the same exact issue (they disabled the hard drive). Best Buy's "Geek Squad" was of the three stores that they took it to and the guy was certain that it was a hard-drive failure and that the user would have to buy a new hard drive and that they lost all their information. That is the conclusion that he came to when all that they had to do was launch the computer, hit one of the function keys at launch, and they enable the hard drive, the guy was horrible.
And so what if Best Buy isn't cheaper, it is still another location for somebody to purchase it at, and for people who do not have an Apple or AT&T store near them, this will make getting an iPhone much more convenient and easier. And if you don't want to get your Apple products at Best Buy, then don't, nobody is forcing you. Apple is just giving you more options, you get to pick where you actually want to buy it. And of course they would tell you to call Apple with any concerns, because they are not authorized to service the iPhone, AT&T would say the same thing, Apple is the only place that can service your iPhone.
So in the end it comes down to your choice, nobody is forcing you to buy from them, so there isn't all that much to complain about.