Reader Nick doesn’t want you to pay too much for Apple iPod headphones, so he’s asked us to let you know that Best Buy is charging $49.99 for basic white iPod earbuds and they’re only $29.99 at the Apple Store. Let it be known that Best Buy is not the best place to buy accessories.
I was at my local Best Buy the other day and started to take a look around the Apple section. Well, it turns out that Best Buy is trying to take advantage of their uninformed customers by marking up Apple’s iPod headphones by $20! I’ve included two attachments, the first is the picture I took at the Best Buy store and the second is of the same exact headphones on Apple’s website. I hope that you can shed some light on this and hopefully save some shoppers from paying too much.
Thanks, Nick. We recommend that you always check the internet before you buy accessories for your electronics — this includes things like cables, headsets, universal remotes, whatever!
Where do you like to buy your accessories? Tell us in the comments.
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@Imaginary_Friend: But if you buy them at best buy, you can get a service protection plan for them… Sorry for the sarchasm..
@dequeued: … which is why you spend a bit more for a pair of headphones that sound better and last longer than either the pack-ins or the cheapo sets.
The obvious reason for the price difference is that they are different part numbers! The Apple store part# is MA662G/B and BB part# is MA662G/A. So duh…these headphones are NOT the same. They are even priced differently on Amazon.com.
Those headphones cost $30?!?!
I’ve gone through 3 of them in a year because they’re made so poorly. Two of them started fuzzing out and the 3rd one cracked on me, so the headpiece doesn’t stay on. (I got the extra 2 for free from friends who aren’t as cheap as I am)
Spend a few extra $30 or so and get a pair that will last in my opinion.
I went to Best Buy this week and was unable to find a single HDMI cable that was priced cheaper than MY ENTIRE DVD PLAYER. What a bunch of tools.
I’ve gotten to the point that I only shop BB online for Black Friday, and hit the store when I get gift cards for X-mas. Last time, I went in with gift cards, coupons, and a $5 certificate from my Rewards Zone. And still had a hard time choosing what to buy, since I kept seeing things I wanted that I could get cheaper elsewhere. Except for a case for the DLO case for my Samsung P2 – BB was the only place that carried it, and the few other merchants online were no better in price.
The next time I get gift cards, maybe I’ll just save them for the next Black Friday.
I think what is going on in this case is that Best Buy is trying NOT to sell you the iPod earphones. My guess is that it’s an attempt to drive sales away from a low margin product (ANYTHING Apple) to other products that they can actually turn a profit selling. Seeing as the Best Buy earphones are a revision older than the ones online, it looks like their plan might be working.
A few weeks ago I bought a new DS game at BB (I know, I know, but I had a gift card so I only had one option), and the clerk asked me if I wanted to purchase scratch protection. ON A CARTRIDGE.
The people who work there are a step below trained monkies
You know I have to agree with astrochimp. This happens because different places charge different amounts. SHOCK! I mean it’s good information but the submitter is wondering why it happens, it happens because people pay $49.99 at Best Buy, if they weren’t willing to pay that much it wouldn’t cost that much.
There’s something about having a connector that makes things extra expensive at places like Best Buy. I was buying Firewire cables at an electronics store for $5 a piece. A similar cable with slightly heavier plastic sheathing that made less flexible (and sticky) was $50.
This is something I call the convenience charge,. You pay extra for the convenience of not looking elsewhere. They charge $50 for iPod headphones for the convenience of just getting what you had before. You’re paying for the convenience of being able to buy it along with your Hi-Def DVD player, or external hard drive.
jeez… for $50 you could get… oh I don’t know… a great set of sennheisers, or a pair of shures, or Koss, or even Sonys (if sony’s your thing…). The apple earbuds are crap, no matter what you paid for them.
@muffinpan:
Though this may be a “consumer issue” per se, what underlies my complaint is that it is entirely trivial and ubiquitously well known. And hence a non-issue in the real world.
Moreover, what would the solution be — that all stores sell identical items at the same price? I’m as socialist as the next medicare-loving Canadian, but I’m also as pragmatic as to think this “issue” a non-starter.
And, anyway, what lesson is this “issue” supposed to be pointing out, in the first place? I’m sure a few five-year-olds reading this blog might be unnerved by this news and take issue with it, but I hope no one else does.
They are decent pack-in headphones, thought last time I checked, you can exchange your broken ones for a free new pair at any apple store.
Not that shabby.
@astrochimp: I would like to challenge your idea that this post is “entirely trivial and ubiquitously well known.” (FYI, to say that something is ubiquitously well known is redundant)
First, there’s the large number of commenters here seemed to be surprised or appalled by this information. And considering that most of the regular commenters on this site are also regular readers on the site… that might cast a bit of doubt over the ubiquity of the aforementioned knowledge.
Second, barring sales, most Apple-branded products are the same from store to store. The Mac laptop you see at Best Buy (unless it’s on sale) is generally the same retail price as you see on the mac site. So you rarely see an Apple-branded product going for almost double the manufacturer’s own retail cost.
Third, you’re not an editor of Consumerist, nor do you pay to access its content, so if you happen to find this one story trivial or unnecessary, oh well.
Next should be an article on why Best buy charges 22 dollars for a usb cable that costs a dollar at the dollar store…
Oh wait…
>_>
In defense of the Apple earbuds… these pack-ins that I’ve had for a few years and carried across the country have outlasted every single set of headphones I have ever owned. Sure, the sound isn’t all that great – but at least the sound is still intact. My last set of expensive headphones had frayed wires in mere months.
Not surprising. The first thing anyone should do when they buy electronics or most anything is shop around. My bluetooth headset cost 26 dollars at Wal-Mart, but 60 dollars if I bought it anywhere else.
Though it is weird that Best Buy is selling an apple product for 20 dollars more than apple does
@dequeued: headphones lasting 3 years is nothing to brag about. I have a pair of techniqs cans that have lasted me for 15 years.
Man, I detest those earphones with a passion. They sound like arse, they’re uncomfortable, and fugly.
I have one pair i never use that came WITH my iPod, and another pair i had to buy because my wired remote broke and they don’t sell it without *another* set of stupid, uncomfortable earphones.
I’d sell em for $20 each to whatever strange person actually likes them!
I imagine it’s for the same reason the 3-pack of Palm Treo 650 stylus’ costs $8 from Palm but is $30 at Best Buy. I found this out last month. Needless to say, I bought them from Palm.
$29.99 is too much even. The stock ear phones are garbage. You can get a really good pair of ear phones for basically the same price.
I used to work at best buy, and one of the things that Management always said was that Apple sets the price for apple products and accessories, not Best Buy. However, this looks like they tacked on some extra…
I had to buy a TiVo Wireless adapter for my TiVo.
At Best Buy = $70 (plus tax)
At Amazon = $40 (free shipping)
I hate these headphones. They hurt my ears, and they fall out. I bought a pair of cheap ones that hook over my ears at WalMart (yeah, I know, I know!) and they work better and stay on.
The Best Buy here is so noisy you can’t even hear yourself think. I mean, the din is incredible. They must have every TV and stereo turned up all the way, all playing different shows/music.
I love Circuit City. My laptop, LCD TV, surround sound, and 2 iPods came from there. They were extremely nice when the TV blew up as they were installing it, and brought me another one. I’ve always gotten great service at CC.
@snoop-blog: I dont have small earholes but I agree with your feelings.
@asten77: I’ll give you 5 for a set.
Are you guys nuts to spend even $29.99 on a pair of mediocre (in comparison to a lower-priced alternatives) headphones?
@James Sumners: Ugh I’ve had my nano three weeks, maybe, and as of yesterday only one earbud works. WTF. It’s pissing me off, and it shouldn’t be, but it is. I just upgraded from the meh shuffle to the nano, and now this? I think I can get some real cheap earbuds elsewhere, though. It’s just aggravating.
umm, i don’t know if anyone else noticed this or not…but that screen shot is not from apple’s website. it is from bestbuy.com. yes, apple’s website is priced at $29.99 and best buy’s is 49.99 for the same headphones, but seriously…if you’re trying to make a point, include the correct screenshots…
I’d look for replacement plastic rings around the earbuds. I think I ruined three pairs already…
Full disclosure: I work at Best Buy.
Also, I own an iPod and the OEM earbuds are not very ear-friendly. I would suggest the reasonably priced Skull Candy ones for good quality. Then again, you can always ask for a price match! I think most readers of the Consumerist realize that accessories are huge margin drivers at ANY retailer, so the savvy consumer would be wise to visit the intertubes before any purchase. That said, our prices on any Apple-branded product very rarely fluctuate and are price-locked unless they’re marked for clearance. $50 is kind of nutty…
I work at RadioShack
We sell those same headphones for $29.99
Aren’t ipod/apple buyers pretty accustomed to overpaying for their preferred brand? Best Buy is just capitalizing on that. I bet they have sold a bunch of them at that price.
BestBuy went from one of my favorite electronics retailers to a place I try to avoid at all costs. I worked there 7 years ago and at that time MOST things were not ridiculously priced. Normally, with shipping added onto the price of a product bought online, they were actually not far off from the norm. Now it’s completely opposite. Back then the only products marked up crazy was the car stereo department. Now you can’t even buy an HDMI cable there under $60. I only buy DVD’s there now.
Those scoundrely folks at best buy! You’d almost think they were in business to make a profit or something. The last time I checked, this whole capitalism thing was based on voluntary exchanges. The only people buying these things are those who would rather have iPod earbuds than a portrait of Mr. Grant. If Best Buy feels they have customers that value iPod earbuds even more than Apple’s customers, more power to them. Seems like you guys are getting a little desperate for things to run about Best Buy.
http://www.pricewatch.com
@jiminyxmas: “[Y]ou’re not an editor of Consumerist, nor do you pay to access its content, so if you happen to find this one story trivial or unnecessary, oh well.”
And yet they’ve provided me with an account so that I can comment. And that’s just what I did. I expressed my opinion, intending to convey the point that price differences among identical items exist wherever a market economy exists, and that market economies are surprisingly common. You didn’t like my point. “Oh well”, indeed.
(Also, “ubiquitously well known” is not necessarily redundant. It may be hyperbolic, but the phrase “well known” need not connote that something is absolutely known by everyone. Hence my addition of an adverb that connotes far more than that).
@jiminyxmas: Also (for what it’s worth), I concede your other points. I was wrong in thinking that it is well known that different stores may have significantly different prices.
Even at $5, the Apple earbuds are overpriced. Go snag a pair of Sennheiser, Etymotic, or Shure earbuds/in-ear ‘phones.
Snoop-blog: Take a look at the Etymotic in-ear ‘phones. They’re basically ear plugs with ear-buds built into them. Comes with various sizes of foam plugs to try…and if you end up wearing them quite a bit, you can get an audiologist to make custom ear moulds for them. Beats the daylights out of any of the “noise cancelling” headphones. Better to keep sound out of the ear rather than trying to blast it away with an out-of-phase matching noise.
Those Apple earphones aren’t the best, but they’re good. I agree with FLConsumer, Shure or Sennheisers are really good. The bass is excellent, and I’ve never used anything else since.
1) Apple ear buds suck at any price
2) Best Buy is the worst
3) But I enjoy reading about Best Buy’s antics and it’s always good to be reminded that best buy continues to exploit.
I used to work for Best Buy. Best Buy’s dirty little secret exposed! They price big-ticket items competitively to keep up with the discounters but overcharge on accessories. For example, you can buy a PC for the same or less than one from Dell but the sales rep will push overpriced USB cables and other accessories (like extended warranties) on you so that Best Buy can make a profit. You best bet is to buy your cables and accessories somewhere else like eBay. After all, a cable is cable but that super cheap laptop is a scam! And remember, retail SUCKS!
Subject answered its own question. Didn’t even need to read the article.
Always, ALWAYS shop around online before going to Best Buy or Circuit City.
At least one person already mentioned this, but it bears repeating. Best Buy is an excellent place to shop for a few big ticket items, like TV’s, which they have excellent prices on. Or items that have fixed prices, like game consoles, where you’re getting the same price everywhere, but save on shipping by purchasing local.
However, if you go there for accessories, you deserve to get gouged.
29.99 is STILL too much for those earphones.
@davebg5:
Yeah that’s what I meant to say. btw in ear monitors for the WIN.
@davebg5: Oh man, the standard ipod headphones are terrible! They hurt and they sound like crap. For $10-$20 you can do so much better!
i went to best buy and circuit city and staples to check the prices of a HP 21 black inject cartridge…
lo and behold, BB and CC charged a extra $1 for the same cartridge…
although that was just a $1, it still proves they like to price gouge.