Stop quoting eBay for iPhones prices
Michael Gay July 2nd, 2007
<rant>
Every station has done this before: some big product comes out, a producer goes to eBay and searches for it, and they quote the highest price they can find to make it sound like a bigger story. Stop it. An extreme is not a story, and it adds hype to a story that doesn’t need your help to be bigger. Checking the prices right now on eBay, prices are not far off from retail. That’s probably because, as Don posted earlier, there are still iPhones available at the stores. So, producer at a network morning show, what does it add to the story when you report on national TV that the cost on eBay is $2,799? I just found one for $20,999,999 (at least shipping is included). That doesn’t mean that’s how much the phone costs. You can still buy the 4GB model for $499 and the 8GB model for $599, plus tax.
</rant>
7 Comments Add your own
1. Anonymous | July 2nd, 2007 at 5:51 am
yes, but you don’t get the “experience” of hanging out for 3 days on the street with a bunch of like-minded folks (most of whom wear baseball caps).
i still say they is/was part of the allure.
btw- second your ‘rant’.
2. Steve Safran | July 2nd, 2007 at 5:57 am
And perhaps they could start putting stories into context and maybe they would consider giving reasonable voices to issues and not just hearing from the extreme points of views.
And while they’re at it, maybe they’ll stop pretending every drop of moisture requires “Evan Almighty” to save us.
As long as there are lazy ways to report things, and there are lazy reporters, we will get lazy reports.
(Said the guy who just posted a framegrab of Opus the Penguin above…)
3. Angela | July 2nd, 2007 at 6:47 am
A truer “rant” has never been spoken, or written!
4. Jason | July 2nd, 2007 at 7:22 am
It would be nice if people knew how to read eBay. A posted price of $20k is not the same as a bid for $20k. I’m OK with someone reporting that the iPhone is on eBay for $2799 if you follow that by saying that it’s also on sale at the Apple Store for $499.
“So eBay drones: Walk away from your computer, step into the oxygen, and make a purchase at a real store.”
That’d be cool with me.
5. Corey Spring | July 2nd, 2007 at 10:25 am
Half of the ones on eBay aren’t even selling (more on URL in name)
6. Lohness | September 28th, 2007 at 10:53 am
aebn myfreepaysite
7. Bobi | November 21st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
trqmadol
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