iPod touch Rip Off - iPod Touch just purchased but Apple asking for Upgrade Fee

[pubwvj]

I just bought a MacBook Pro and an iPod Touch directly from Apple.
They arrived today.
First the the MacBook Pro only gets two bars on the Airport connection.
On top of this the MacBook Pro has a bad Internal Airport Card according to Apple Tech Support (another long time on hold to find that out) and I must take it to the Apple Store (long drive each way - more waste of time).

Next the iPod Touch won't connect to my computers (USB connection).
Multiple ports tried. Restarts, reset of iPod Touch, etc.
After much on-hold time with Apple Support, deleting iTunes and reinstalling it connects to the computer and iTunes. Good although much wasted time. I had the most up-to-date iTunes (just downloaded) so it is rather odd it was so difficult.

Additionally, the iPod Touch does find my Airport LAN and say that it is connected to my Airport Base Station however it won't connect to the Internet, Safari won't work, Weather won't work, etc. So, I'm on hold again waiting for Apple Tech Support (21 minutes of bad music so far).

I check updates in iTunes on my Mac for the iPod Touch and I get the message there is updated software for my JUST PURCHASED iPod Touch and they want me to PAY $9.95 more to get this product to work.

Freakin' Rip-off! Yes, that isn't a lot of money but this is a brand new, just purchased product. I shouldn't have to be paying any more to get it to work. I just paid for the product. It is brand new, current version, just delivered from Apple today. It should come with all the up-to-date drivers and software or at the very least the downloads of the up-to-date software should be free. I should not be required to pay additional money to get a working product or the current product. The 2.0 software has been out for quite a while, long before I bought.

Update: The Apple Tech came on the phone. He can't get the iPod Touch to work either and suggested sending it in for service. He tried the same things I had tried. This is ridiculous. Two brand new Apple failed products in the same day. Commonality is the Airport. Both the Airport and Internet connection works fine with the other four computers in our household so I don't think the Airport Base Station or the Internet connection are the problem.

What a hassle. Apple needs to be doing better quality control.

 

[mrat93]

The 2.0 software costs $9.95. I don't get what you're complaining about there.

 

[pubwvj]

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics. Nowhere did they mention that the 2.0 software was an additional cost. The sales representative at Apple who took my order should have mentioned it when I placed the order. The 2.0 software has been out for a while now. I ordered long after the 2.0 software came out. If you buy a new Mac you expect it to come with the latest version of the MacOS. Same goes for the iPod Touch. It should come with the latest 2.0 OS software.

 

[NT1440]

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics. Nowhere did they mention that the 2.0 software was an additional cost. The sales representative at Apple who took my order should have mentioned it when I placed the order. The 2.0 software has been out for a while now. I ordered long after the 2.0 software came out. If you buy a new Mac you expect it to come with the latest version of the MacOS. Same goes for the iPod Touch. It should come with the latest 2.0 OS software.

if im not mistaken the ipod should come with whatever software they want, it is a well known fact around these parts that you have to pay for the appstore functionality, or u can go the other route

 

[swiftaw]

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics. Nowhere did they mention that the 2.0 software was an additional cost. The sales representative at Apple who took my order should have mentioned it when I placed the order. The 2.0 software has been out for a while now. I ordered long after the 2.0 software came out. If you buy a new Mac you expect it to come with the latest version of the MacOS. Same goes for the iPod Touch. It should come with the latest 2.0 OS software.

2.0 is deemed to be an optional upgrade. Therefore no iPod Touch will ship with it. It was announced as an optional upgrade, so it's not like they are trying to hide it from anyone.

 

[aethelbert]

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics. Nowhere did they mention that the 2.0 software was an additional cost. The sales representative at Apple who took my order should have mentioned it when I placed the order. The 2.0 software has been out for a while now. I ordered long after the 2.0 software came out. If you buy a new Mac you expect it to come with the latest version of the MacOS. Same goes for the iPod Touch. It should come with the latest 2.0 OS software.

The $9,95 fee is advertised in fine print on pretty much every B&M store advert and it's online as well. If you read the details, it clearly states that 2,0 is sold separately.

 

[4DThinker]

I get what he's complaining about. It's like buying a new car, and after forking over $20,000 the dealer says "Oh yea, to gain full advantage of your car's abilities we'll need another $665 for the new operating system to make the last 2 cylinders work.

He's also complaining about a bad macBook Pro. For his added trouble (easily costing more than $10 worth of his time) there is no excuse for this from Apple. Who do they think they are, HP?

JMHO

 

[archesdevil]

OP just spent at least $2,300 and he is complaining about $10?

BTW, it says very clearly on the front iPod touch page that 2.0 is $9.95.

 

[LeahM]

Yea, the App store is optional. Its like complaining that you didn't get iWork. Return it if your not happy, or sell it, then move on.

 

[mavis]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G (16GB, 2.0.2 JB'd): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5C1 Safari/525.20)

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics. Nowhere did they mention that the 2.0 software was an additional cost. The sales representative at Apple who took my order should have mentioned it when I placed the order. The 2.0 software has been out for a while now. I ordered long after the 2.0 software came out. If you buy a new Mac you expect it to come with the latest version of the MacOS. Same goes for the iPod Touch. It should come with the latest 2.0 OS software.

I agree completely. While I was willing to pay for the upgrade for my 8 month old Touch (but didn't actually get the chance to, due to one of Apple's numerous ****-ups on launch day) I think that new iPods should come with it pre-installed. They have, after all, set a precedent with not only the January app pack (free with newer iPods) but also the iPhone 3G (2.0 pre-loaded, free of charge) ...



But I'm sure the Apple apologists will disagree. There seems to be no shortage of them on the boards lately ...

 

[J&JPolangin]

...that would be like saying that those of us who paid for the January update for $19.95 should get the 2.0 update for free as the January update was included "for free" in the 2.0 update... and it only sold for half that cost...

 

[Phatpat]

I'm going to side with the OP here...to me it just seems reasonable that Apple would be installing the latest software on new iPods.

 

[mavis]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G (16GB, 2.0.2 JB'd): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5C1 Safari/525.20)

I'm going to side with the OP here...to me it just seems reasonable that Apple would be installing the latest software on new iPods.

Exactly. Just like how new Macs don't come with Tiger installed anymore.

 

[sandman42]

I'm going to side with the OP here...to me it just seems reasonable that Apple would be installing the latest software on new iPods.

Although I know that 2.0 is an additional cost, and I paid it, I agree too. I think Apple should start shipping the Touch with 2.0. They will eventually, I'm sure, but they kind of created their own monster: whenever they start giving it away there'll be the people who just paid for it who will cry foul.

 

[Night Spring]

I'm predicting that the new Touch, which presumably will be announced in the upcoming Sept 9 event, will come preloaded with 2.0 firmware. Since the present Touch will be discontinued then, there will be no more complaints about "new" Touches not having the latest firmware.

 

[James L]

I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics.

While I sympathize with your hardware problems, there was no bait and switch with your iPod Touch.

 

[mavis]

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I'm complaining about the bait-and-switch tactics.

While I sympathize with your hardware problems, there was no bait and switch with your iPod Touch.

Sure there was. Historically, Apple has always pre-loaded the most current version of its software on devices (OS X, iLife, iPod touch January App Pack, etc) at no additional cost. They'll even give people who have purchased a new Mac up to thirty days prior to a new OS X release that new version for free (we only pay shipping) ... This iPod 2.0 software marks the first departure from this long standing tradition. No wonder then that people might feel cheated. After all, Apple is touting the amazing 2.0 software on their website - sounds an awful lot like a bait and switch to me, given Apple's history.

 

[dukebound85]

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Sure there was. Historically, Apple has always pre-loaded the most current version of its software on devices (OS X, iLife, iPod touch January App Pack, etc) at no additional cost. They'll even give people who have purchased a new Mac up to thirty days prior to a new OS X release that new version for free (we only pay shipping) ... This iPod 2.0 software marks the first departure from this long standing tradition. No wonder then that people might feel cheated. After all, Apple is touting the amazing 2.0 software on their website - sounds an awful lot like a bait and switch to me, given Apple's history.

but it clearly said they didnt include it....what more do you want them to do?

 

[Night Spring]

but it clearly said they didnt include it....what more do you want them to do?

Print it in huge bold print at the top of every Touch-related page!

 

[dukebound85]

Print it in huge bold print at the top of every Touch-related page!

lol i thought this was pretty obvious....esp when im buying the gadget. i see 2 references on the screen saying to buy it

 

[kkat69]

Print it in huge bold print at the top of every Touch-related page!

AHHH you mean like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeXAcwriid0

This is a classic case of "Damn Ford, I spent all that damn money and now they're saying I gotta put gas in the car? Why didn't they tell me I had to buy gas?"

 

[Beric]

I agree with the OP. It is a rip-off.

2.0 has been out almost 2 months (2.0 was released July 11th, to be exact). And yet it's still not standard. Apple is still trying to crank every buck it can out of its customers, by selling the Touch, touting the features of 2.0 and what they do for the Touch on the same page, and then, at the bottom of the page, saying in small print that it's an additional $9.95 beyond to get these features.

What Apple is doing may be perfectly legal, but it's not the typical Apple way, nor is it how Apple should be treating its customers.

 

[Night Spring]

lol i thought this was pretty obvious....esp when im buying the gadget. i see 2 references on the screen saying to buy it

I'm on the fence about this, actually. On the one hand, as you say, they did say on their webpage that it's something that you need to buy separately. On the other hand, as mavis points out, it's a departure from tradition -- I know from reading posts in this forum prior to July 11th, that pretty much everyone was convinced that Touches sold after July 11th would have the 2.0 software pre-installed or be discounted $10 to offset the upgrade fee. The only question in people's mind was whether or not people who bought the Touch before but close to July 11th would be given the upgrade for free, and if so how long the "grace" period would be. So considering how persistent and widespread the notion was that the 2.0 software would be included with Touches sold after July 11, I think Apple could have made a *tad* more effort to let people know that wasn't the case.

 

[Sun Baked]

>Night Spring

Yep, the Up-to-date programs that Apple has in place for the Macs all these years makes people tend to think that any software or OS pre-loaded on a machine will be upgraded for free or a nominal cost -- after an update announcement.

Sort of sucks that Apple didn't do this with the iPod, since it completely blows away their need to "require" a charge for added/increased functionality after somebody has made a purchase. This is basically at point of purchase, so there is no accounting problem with offering a free upgrade.

 

[mavis]

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Yeah, you can't even blame this one on 'accounting practices' because, again, Apple has a long history of handling this kind of thing differently.

Actually, I'm forced to wonder how valid the whole accounting thing was, in the first place. I can't help but suspect it was simply a smokescreen that Apple apologists used to disguise what most people refer to simply as "greed."