Resellers sue Apple over sales tactics

Well i agree with parts and disagree with parts of that article. Yes Apple stores have newer stuff and maybe some more deals but that's because they ARE the company. However if Apple is telling customers not to go to other stores, and not reimbursing those stores for warenty fixes, than that is wrong. Apple Stores have and edge since they are part of the company, but they shouldn't have bad business ethics.

Twister
 
honestly apple has a right to do that
now if they stoped giving resellers demos altogether that would be wrong but apple still is so i don't think they have a claim there
 
Seem's that there have been a lot of complaints over the years about their customer service.
But this is where they should shine.
We shouldn't have to send letters that threaten Apple to give us a computer. They should help us when we call the first time.
According to the article the apple representative wasn't in tune with apple's guidelines regarding educational clients.
Nevertheless, it is ridiculous to blame Apple for all resellers woes. People recommend resellers when they are either well known or they have a good experience there. But if the resellers have a bad attitude it's no wonder people are saying they would rather go to the Apple Store.
 
It seems like the resellers have a bad attituede because Apple is trying to take away their business by directly telling the customer not to go there.

Also it seems like the resellers have a bad attitude because Apple isn't paying all the bills for work done under warrenty.

I love apple and the apple store but i don't want other re-sellers to go outta business. We need to keep everyone happy to get the product out there.

Twister
 
Uhm, have any of you ever worked for an Apple reseller? Apple cororate are the biggest bunch of ****** I've ever had to deal with. They royaly screw their resellers routinely. They are not as wonderful as their product.

Originally posted by Jet
now if they stoped giving resellers demos altogether that would be wrong but apple still is so i don't think they have a claim there
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Demos? Are you high? Those machines on the floor are stock.

Apple stores are just a plain crummy way to treat the resellers who have been doing a good job (not all I know) - notice how Apple has only put their stores in the most lucrative areas? They haven't been making new sales, just syphoning off existing resellers.

What happens if we lose the resellers? The smaller/ignored markets are screwed (try going to an Apple store if you live in Seattle - the drive to Portland is nice). And is that a danger with Apple giving their outlets preferential treatment? Yup. Not too lucrative if you can't get product to sell and the customer can get it online or at an Apple branded store, especially when it costs the same.
 
So has Apple just been finding good spots for their stores or have the been determining which of their retailers sell the best and then locating a new store near them and cutting their legs out from beneath them?
 
Originally posted by KrinkleCut
notice how Apple has only put their stores in the most lucrative areas?
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Shame on them, putting their stores in lucrative areas. What are they thinking. What are they trying to make money or something ;)

Actually, I do realize that Apple has to walk a fine line here. It's interesting that Apple pursued this route given their experiences with the clones. Just that quote sounded funny.
 
Originally posted by binaryDigit
Shame on them, putting their stores in lucrative areas. What are they thinking. What are they trying to make money or something ;)
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Yeah, I guess that was worded a little badly, but you get my point - they are going into strong markets, made strong by reseller presence and/or population density, rather than taking risks in areas they haven't traditionally sold a lot of machines into. THAT would be a good thing and a real test of the viability of the Apple Stores.

So, the question is, is the money they are making at the Apple Stores money they would have made through resellers anyway?
 
Originally posted by KrinkleCut
Yeah, I guess that was worded a little badly, but you get my point - they are going into strong markets, made strong by reseller presence and/or population density, rather than taking risks in areas they haven't traditionally sold a lot of machines into. THAT would be a good thing and a real test of the viability of the Apple Stores.
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Well yes and no. Keep in mind that one of the battles that Apple is fighting is that of hearts and minds. It behoves Apple to ensure (as much as possible) that the Apple Stores are successful. How bad of a public relations disaster would that be if Apple announced that 40% of their stores are underperforming and have to shut down? Apple Stores have no excuse. You can't blame unknowledgeable salespeople or bad customer service by PC oriented folks there. They HAVE TO succeed, so placing them in "risky" areas is just not a good idea, at least not right now.

Also, when was the last time you heard CompUSA trumpet their Mac sales? Or Fry's? Or any other retailer of Macs? Another marketing weapon is that the success of the stores are more easily translatable as success of the platform itself, and Apple is willing to make public, and given more coverage, when the stores do do well.

Like I said earlier, Apple walks a fine line here. This is similar to their situation with ISV's, I'd hate to be the company that was banking on my inexpensive photo editing software for OSX, or the company that was coming out with a low end Premiere type package. But sometimes the mommy has to eat her kids to ensure that mommy thrives to continue the species. Now if they are being underhanded about things (e.g. some of the things claimed in the article) then that is not fair (and probably not legal). But if Apple comes in and sets up shop, and the smaller guy gets hurt, but it ends up pushing more Macs and getting Apple more into the public mind, then that might have to be what happens.


So, the question is, is the money they are making at the Apple Stores money they would have made through resellers anyway?
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This is a bit hard to quantify because you'd have to be able to track sales for a very specific region to see if the numbers are steady or if they increase. And if they increased, did it increase more than what is typical for that region and for all sales in general.
 
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