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Costco Dropping iPod After Being Left Out of iPad Surge?

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OMG, you guys a making me laugh. I was going to cancel my membership to Costco since no longer able to buy iPods in bulk. I was totally joking. I've never even purchased an apple product there. But I guess I'll have to keep my membership and go get one at SAMs.
 
This is no big deal and really no biz loss for Costco!

johnnyjibbs said:
This makes no business sense whatsoever. Ridiculous. Never heard of them before (being British) but they deserve to go bust. Cry babies!
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I will start of by saying , I've been in retail for 20 years and have been a buyer for 6, It amazes me that some consumers really think that this is any type of "Big" loss for Costco,I will be you that Costco is making about 15.00 per unit after factored in overhead, not including LP standards for Shrink (Shrink is retail for theft internal/external)

People don't come to Costco to pick up an iPod........

This will most likely be a cost effective move for Costco.......

Do consumers really think there is some kind of magical profit/margin in selling electronics? just FYI , the manufacture makes the money, not the retailer, most stores only carry products like this for the customer draw, they count on making money else were in the store....

Costco is not worried about the Draw.......lol
 
HLdan said:
Wow, that's really odd that Costco would act like a big baby over this? They would rather drop a very good revenue generating product just because they can't get the iPad from Apple? Wow, just wow.
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I'm sure its not even a spec on there bottom line to drop Apple products.
 
TOYSTER17 said:
What is this a fanboy meeting? I don't see how this really affects Costco, I'm sure they're not making much from selling an iPod. Same would hold true for iPads. In fact, however small this may be, it'll hurt Apple more than Costco. I wanted to get an iPod Touch for my little sister and with Costco's great return policy, we'd have about three months to see if she liked it and used it after the first month. Don't forget the added year of warranty. Heck, if Costco sold Macs I would jump on that, but since they don't, I go HP. I guess it's both their loses, but Costco still gets my business in the end.
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Then Apple doesn't need you as a customer. If it's going to take 3 months to figure out if you like the iPod Touch you bought (regardless who you bought it for) then if you don't like it still, you end up returning it then Apple doesn't need you as a customer.
 
I'm with Costco on this one. It's Apple that's being the jerk here, not Costco.
Sam's Club and Walmart can carry the iPad but not Costco? How is that fair?
I would tell Apple to screw off also
 
HLdan said:
Then Apple doesn't need you as a customer. If it's going to take 3 months to figure out if you like the iPod Touch you bought (regardless who you bought it for) then if you don't like it still, you end up returning it then Apple doesn't need you as a customer.
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Listen, I'm sure there are quite a few people here that have bought gadgets and after a few weeks stopped using them entirely. It happens. Costco has a great return policy and I take advantage of it.
 
LanPhantom said:
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OMG, you guys a making me laugh. I was going to cancel my membership to Costco since no longer able to buy iPods in bulk. I was totally joking. I've never even purchased an apple product there. But I guess I'll have to keep my membership and go get one at SAMs.
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Nice backpedalling.
 
Why would Apple not sell the iPad at Costco? It should be readily available everywhere (it's at Sam's Club, so why the hell not at Costco?) I don't shop there but I find it strange that they wouldn't sell it there? If they're losing money by selling their products, then that's one thing, but if they're not, then they're losing out and I can see why Costco is pissed. I would stop selling their iPods too if they go give the green light to their competitor for no reason. Screw Apple in this case.
 
canadan said:
Why would Apple not sell the iPad at Costco? It should be readily available everywhere (it's at Sam's Club, so why the hell not at Costco?) I don't shop there but I find it strange that they wouldn't sell it there? If they're losing money by selling their products, then that's one thing, but if they're not, then they're losing out and I can see why Costco is pissed. I would stop selling their iPods too if they go give the green light to their competitor for no reason. Screw Apple in this case.
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Well, a previous poster had a good point. We all know about Costco's legendary return policies. I think their deal, however, is that if a product is returned, they send it back to the manufacturer. So you buy your iPod, use the heck out of it, change your mind after 89 days, and return it for a straight-up refund. Apple gets sent back a used, scratched up iPod, and they have to swallow the cost of refurbishing it.

I wonder if Costco will continue to sell all those iPod speakers and docks, or if they're going to drop those accessories too.
 
As much as they'd like to think...

that not selling the iPods don't bring profit, just think of all the times you went to costco to get one item but left with about 30!

Costco was dumb by making this move, as it won't help them get apple product down the road, either. Like Apple cares if someone buys from Costco or Best Buy, so long as they buy.
 
Lol big deal, Costco is the last place I would think of to buy an iPod, and a lot of other electronics for that matter. I mean, who says to themselves "Hey, I want to buy an iPod, let's go to Costco.".....Not a knock on Costco, I still do most of my shopping there, great bargains, and bulk!
 
notjustjay said:
Well, a previous poster had a good point. We all know about Costco's legendary return policies. I think their deal, however, is that if a product is returned, they send it back to the manufacturer. So you buy your iPod, use the heck out of it, change your mind after 89 days, and return it for a straight-up refund. Apple gets sent back a used, scratched up iPod, and they have to swallow the cost of refurbishing it.

I wonder if Costco will continue to sell all those iPod speakers and docks, or if they're going to drop those accessories too.
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Actually that is not true, Costco does not get reimbursed fully for sending items back to the manufacturer. It all depends on the manufacturer. My best friend and his parents are managers at two local Costco's, I believe someone like Sony gives them 40 cents on the dollar. I don't exactly remember. And besides, Sams Club has the exact same return policy, and they're going to sell the iPad there.
 
saving107 said:
I remember last year when Costco couldn't come to an agreement with Coke Company to reduce the price (or to offer Costco members a lower price), they decided discontinue Coke products from the store, the food court fountain drinks and employee lounge vending machines.

Costco has been known to hold grudges, so I'm not surprise to hear this news.
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And a few months later they came running back. And sell a case of 32 for 8.99-9.89 depending on where in ca you are.

TOYSTER17 said:
Actually that is not true, Costco does not get reimbursed fully for sending items back to the manufacturer. It all depends on the manufacturer. My best friend and his parents are managers at two local Costco's, I believe someone like Sony gives them 40 cents on the dollar. I don't exactly remember.
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You're right depends on the items. I have a side business selling returns from costco. Most of the stuff doesn't get returned to the manufacturer, they get liquidated.
 
Just yesterday I looked at Costco.com to see what their price would be for an iPad. Nothing for iPad, and nothing for iPod except accessories such as headphones and chargers.

Target and Walmart had no stock in the 32GB iPad when I visited my local stores.

Next week older iPods can be traded in for newer models at $100 off. Maybe it was a specific store, and maybe it was UP TO $100 off. I don't remember those details.
 
iWonderwhy said:
who says to themselves "Hey, I want to buy an iPod, let's go to Costco.".....Not a knock on Costco, I still do most of my shopping there, great bargains, and bulk!
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You might be surprised.

Again, the legendary return policy. 90 days of no-questions-asked returns for electronics. (It used to be unlimited, except people were abusing it and returning their years-old tube TVs to buy the latest LCD flat screens). And a 2-year in-store warranty. And the price is a few bucks lower than at the Apple store.

I buy my electronics from Costco whenever I can (e.g. when they stock the specific model that I want) for exactly those reasons.
 
notjustjay said:
Well, a previous poster had a good point. We all know about Costco's legendary return policies. I think their deal, however, is that if a product is returned, they send it back to the manufacturer. So you buy your iPod, use the heck out of it, change your mind after 89 days, and return it for a straight-up refund. Apple gets sent back a used, scratched up iPod, and they have to swallow the cost of refurbishing it.

I wonder if Costco will continue to sell all those iPod speakers and docks, or if they're going to drop those accessories too.
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Target's returns work that way. The system decides what to send back the manufacturer but you can bet that almost all electronics go back (appliances as well). I'm guessing most electronic retailers have a system that works this way as well.
 
BertyBoy said:
Sort of poor-man's Makro. They sell the s**t made in China that no-one else wants, not even the shopping channels, as well as large packs of baked beans, etc. Cash only.

Your comment brought back memories of the Simpson's "Pulp Fiction" parody - "... I went to the MacDonalds in Shelbyville on Friday night ....I never heard of it either ...".

I was a member for a year, used Liverpool and Edinburgh. Let's just say, you don't go to Costco unless you really have to.
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What kind of upside down stores do Liverpool and Edinburgh have? I shop at the Trafford and Oldham branches, both excellent (except how thick their bacon is). I buy drinks from there weekly, much cheaper and have a better selection than Sainsbury/Tesco etc. Bought my last bunch of gizmos from there too. Love that returns warranty (dead pixel on camera LCD=replaced instantly).
 
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