I am saying that they are doing this despite the involved risks because of the potential gains. They apparently spend quite a bit of money to meet their recycling obligations. If these refurbished goods they sell count towards their recycling targets, they will be making money instead of losing while also dumping their waste over here. They will of course be losing customers for the brand new products and they would know it quite well. But then they are already seeing that the market is quite limited. In fact, as I said in another post, iPhone's have already been becoming quite commonplace and recently, I have been seeing them mainly in the hands of cab drivers than anybody else. I have personally seen instances of people counting out iPhone as an option solely because of the reason. These days, the larger plus series models are a differentiating factor, but
If they can offset losses then that is sound thinking. Would they be losing customers for new products ? take the long term view. Some one that got a second hand apple and liked it is going to aspire to a new one later on. So i don't see any loss rather potential recruitment. market isn't limited, if the price is right, if more options are available then there is a very healthy, in fact cut throat market for these devices right now.
The posing is very prevalent in US itself. $200 is quite a bit of money for a contract phone. Most cheaper phones cost nothing or at most $50 - 100 under contract. So a $200 phone is somebody only the "rich" can afford and that's how a lot of posers lined up for it in US. What was the first thing that Apple fanboi's used to retort with when somebody criticizes the iPhone? "You are too poor to afford it". iPhone's very business model is based on it. You are looked down upon for not owning an iPhone or even if you are not upgrading it year after year. An iPhone 6s poser would treat a iPhone 4s/5/4s user with disdain and to be beneath themselves.
Further, there are many over there who are under the delusion that iPhone is 100% american phone. my sister has a few dumb colleagues who refuse to even believe that many of the iPhone parts are sourced from other companies and that the phone itself is manufactured in Chinese factories. To them, its a 100% american phone and its a display of patriotism to have it.
These are outliers. A $200 phone on contract when everything else is $100 means only $100 more. Remember its the upfront all at once cost they cannot handle. if these people were as rich why don't they buy outright. That would impress me more. Oh, but they won't do that. There is an interesting stat here, only 4% of luxury cars are actually owned, the rest are all leased. So when somebody shows me their flashy car i ask them that question and they forget their pride quick. Good reasons to lease, if you drive the car out the showroom it lost half its value.
So there is no pretension here, contract phones make flagships more affordable. Whether its sound economy is an entirely different question. If you want and desire any product then there are ways to have them.
Because it is garbage as a matter of fact. There are people on the streets who would rummage though the daily garbage that is thrown away from homes and eateries to find bits and pieces that they can eat or stuff that they can sell. But it does not stop you from calling the stuff that you throw out as garbage, is it not? Its the same thing. From Apple's perspective, this is stuff that they cannot sell in most other countries and hence to them its garbage. Its a different matter that in our country, we have people who would still want to pick from this garbage if they are getting it cheap. Its not a matter of refurbished goods either. Even the iPhone 4/4s stocks were dumped by Apple in India after the newer models came out everywhere else because nobody would would want them or at least pay a premium for them. In India they charged fairly premium prices for the outdated models.
Microsoft too has done the same thing. After XBOX 360 newer revisions that were less prone to RROD hit the market, nobody wanted the older revisions in other markets. So they dumped them all in the Indian market and made sure that newer revisions are not going to be available in India for any of the variants.
I find this a biased argument amplified when you use a hot word like garbage. People sell used goods on various fora including this one. Are they selling garbage. Are the people that buy something second hand beggars. C'mon.
If something you don't want can find a good home then isn't the life of the good being extended instead of either doing nothing or being thrown out because you don't want or need it anymore.
Rather what i'm sensing here is a stigma for anything that isn't brand new. Second hand is not good.
And to turn that into a business ie for a corporate to do it is something immoral.
Is this a cultural thing because in other countries, second hand means you can get what you want for less. makes good sense if you are satisfied and in your words earlier, VFM. Pro consumer.
is there any govt report on this decision which details thier arguments, all i got was some statement from a minister which is little too short. Hypocrisy. We did not have problems buying used aircraft carriers from other countries since independence. Companies introduce 'new in india' technology just because others have moved on and its cheaper therefore affordable and ultimately profitable for whomever undertakes to bring that technology to India.
