Chaser’s Checkout targets Apple
The Chaser boys are taking on one of the world’s most successful brands, Apple, ahead of the launch of their new satirical consumer watchdog TV show next week.
In a preview video, released on World Consumer Rights day, the team takes aim at Apple and the fragile nature of the iPhone and the high cost of getting the product repaired.
It concludes with the tagline: “iWay robbery”.
The checkout premieres Thursday 21 March at 8pm on ABC1.
You can watch the full preview clip here:
You mean if I drop something and it breaks, it costs money to fix? Why thank you for that insightful observation Chaser! And an iPun? That’s groundbreaking comedy genius!
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About time someone took them on. Back in the day, if a product was as fragile as anything made by Apple, consumers complaints would have led to a recall.
These days, unfortunately, fashion comes before functionality and Apple knows it!
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$179 doesn’t seem too unreasonable. It’s pretty fancy touch screen glass isn’t it?
Is it any different from breaking my glasses? This isn’t satire it’s just information followed by dubious opinion. Try ordering a an OEM part for a Volvo, BMW or Mercedes if you want unreasonable.
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@Nathan I think the point is the hight cost of repair. Apple are clearly turning a tidy profit on those screen repairs considering you can purchase a replacement screen for around $12.
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They don’t just fix the screen for $179, they replace the whole phone.
My iphone got ran over by a car and was completely destroyed, $179 later and I have a new one
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Should be a good laugh
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I’m clumsy. I drop my phone all the time. It has never broken.
And I’m curious to know where the line between accusing a company of a dodgy product and caveat emptor kicks in.
I mean, the complaints about iphone screens isn’t new….and yet they are up to version 5 and doing quite nicely. Do android screens break? And do we hear less about that because there are less androids out there?
Hope Chaser covers all the issues or it will come across as opinion more than ‘consumer advocacy’.
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I am a really bad stand-up-paddle boarder. But I remain supremely optimistic that this time i will not fall off.
But every time I do… (thanks watson’s bay ferry) I drown my iphone. Next day the apple store guys smiles and says for $100and something bucks, they’ll give me a new one.
It’s the BEST repair policy in the world. I break my phone – they give me a new one for about 85% off. Let me try that with my Canon SLR… My Sony TV, my Samsung laptop. They would all laugh me out of the store.
Chaser has really chosen the wrong target.
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Good point Rob. Message to all those with a cracked iPhone screen … run over it with your car and get your money’s worth.
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Just something to keep in mind: the replacements are most often reburbished models ( not brand new, and can sometimes have continuing internal issues) and it costs up to almost $300 to replace the newer models. $179 is for an old iPhone 4.
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I think the point the chaser guys are trying to make is that if you treat your ipod like the do in the ad (throwing it around, bouncing etc) it will break. Apple are showing the product in a misleading way
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@Andrew Maloney – not having a go, but you know you can get waterproof cases for your phone right? It would save you having to go to the store each time 🙂
And now for an important issue: Is it ok to use an emoticon instead of a full stop?
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And I think that if you are able to take your Sony TV paddle boarding, Sony should give you a new one just for the effort!
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The power of apple’s marketing clout is astounding. Rather than demand reasonable treatment in return for their loyalty. The apple fans instead vehemently defend these ethically ambiguous practices.
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Forget marketing, forget fandom. My real world experience was Apple delivering ahead of their competition and well beyond any ethical obligations.
(and thanks schloog – i have reduced my optimism and bought a case. And havent touched the water since).
BTW – while they impressively exceed their ethical obligations, i dont believe that’s what actually motivating them.
My guess is that Apple found smashing an expensive iphone was common trigger point for consumers to say “i’ll replace it with a cheap non-apple phone until my next contract cycle”. So its just smart business to forgo some of biggest phone margin in the industry and keep me in their ecosystem.
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@Andrew Maloney, your ‘guess’ makes a lot of sense. It’s not like they can’t afford it.
BTW Here’s how I got a ‘near-free’ iPhone 4S: Bought it on a Vodafone contract, tried to pay second month’s bill in cash in store. Had no paper bill as I had elected for electronic bills only. They refused to take the payment as “the system changed this morning” to them needing to scan a bill manually to receive payments. I argued that they hadn’t told the customers that, and that they should be able to key in my data anyway (showed them bill on iPad). They said they HAD to scan it. I even tried to get them to scan the bill on my iPad – wouldn’t work. 18 yr old ‘manager’ was useless, plus she refused to contact anyone in the company about the problem. Sent them emails, they didn’t reply in given timeframe. Argued breach of contract, threw away Vodafone SIM, bought $30 Optus prepaid SIM. Better package than the Vfone contract, costs less per month, not paying off phone at all! Still to hear from someone in Vodafone with half a brain… a fair go for all, my arse!
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