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Comment by hospitalJail | Hacker News Reader

>eliminate all but the highest-price Apple products in Amazon's online store

This is illegal? What law is it then? Anti-Trust usually refers to monopolies rather than working with retail companies for the display case... Anyway, if it isnt, its just another way Apple shows its dominance as the best in Marketing.

Even if someone can't find the product they want, they have felt the effect of Veblen goods. "Wow Apple is so expensive, this surely will let people know I have a good job."

If you are a consumer buying a Veblen good, don't you want this? Don't you want other people to perceive Apple only has expensive products? If you go off-site and get a used phone, you still are part of the Apple in-group, and people think you/your parents have a great job.

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It’s called price fixing: https://www.ftc.gov/advice-guidance/competition-guidance/gui...

> If you are a consumer buying a Veblen good, don't you want this? Don't you want other people to perceive Apple only has expensive products?

Oustanding use of sarcasm.

You use emotional manipulation to justify market manipulation.

Unless you were serious?

There are some truly terrifying hypercapitalists on hn

IANAL, but it seems relevant that Apple is also a retailer for refurbished Apple products.

Basically, this is one seller of X reaching out to another seller of X to fix prices for X. Definitely seems like a worthwhile case.

Purchasing a device is easily done through monthly instalments so I personally don't perceive expensive smartphones as a status signifier anymore. Mostly I wonder what people are doing that they need high-end powerful hardware like that.

It's not always a positive judgement on my part. Maybe I'm too judgemental.

Most parts of smartphone hardware have stopped meaningfully improving, but the cameras are still improving pretty rapidly year-over-year. If you value taking nice pictures with your smartphone it makes sense to upgrade regularly.

Just to be clear, Veblen goods don't actually create a status signal. They make the customer feel like they increased in status.

You mentioned the financing, and yes, its why every teen and low income person has an iphone. It doesnt matter who buys it to Apple, its money to them all the same.

The important part is to keep the marketing consistent. "If you buy expensive products, your status will go up". Showing that it is affordable to get an iPhone is bad for business.

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