Steve Jobs Gets Snippy About iPad Pricing

[Michael Essany]

This Mother's Day weekend, Apple chief Steve Jobs is being far from motherly or nurturing to ticked off Apple fans inquiring by email as to why the iPad costs so much in the UK. As the writer in the above email states, the UK's most basic iPad option starts at a price $150 higher than the comparable US version. What were sales departments thinking, the chap asked, when they priced the iPads? "It's like leeching blood out of our body..."

Steve Jobs, however, in quite snippy fashion, simply wasn't feeling much empathy for the disgruntled Brit. And he responded with an answer that provided every bit as much admonishment as it did information. "Please educate yourself," Jobs began in reply - according to the email displayed by our friends at 9to5mac. "UK prices must by law include VAT, which is around 18%. US prices do not include tax."

At least he said "please," right?

Apple has been adamant about getting the word out that the high prices in the UK are not the result of Apple simply marking up the goods. Instead, the higher costs come as a consequence of notably higher taxes and shipping costs, including VAT. All told, the price of an iPad in the UK does not represent a simplistic conversion of the iPad's price in US dollars to its cost in euros.

On Friday, Apple announced that the iPad will officially be available in international markets beginning May 28th. The first countries to get the tablet include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and Britain. Pre-orders for iPad's international release begin tomorrow, May 10th.

Image via 9to5Mac

[matthew1111]

This is Apple's "friendly and number one" customer service?

Btw, FIRST!

[RelentlessDan]

aha what a genuine bloke steve is...

maybe ill make his day and send him the iphone 5gs i found lying on the floor of a bar

[rhekt]

well thats uncanny

[RelentlessDan]

all us cats seem to do is lap..

i could fake an email right here right now, doesnt mean its real!

[whereswaldo]

I still doubt these are coming from Steve jobs, how r random people getting his email?

[RelentlessDan]

I still doubt these are coming from Steve jobs, how r random people getting his email?

its not that, its just, i mean come on, he wouldnt be this snappy to somebody would he!

and, hes got better things to do with his time than sit on his email answering 32322323233223 fans emails (per minute)!

[Windmeel]

I used to work for security at Apple in Elk Grove. I sent Steve an e-mail once and he did in fact reply.

[MikePA]

Apparently, Steve doesn't suffer fools gladly and the person who sent him the email is clearly an uninformed idiot.

[chansed]

Yup VAT tax will soon be coming to the U.S. and everyone can expect to pay $150 more for their iPad, or about $5000 more on a $25,000 car.

[mmg]

All told, the price of an iPad in the UK does not represent a simplistic conversion of the iPad's price in US dollars to its cost in euros.

Just as well then. Since we dont use Euros in the uk....

[Chase817]

I still doubt these are coming from Steve jobs, how r random people getting his email?

[email protected] or [email protected] (I think that's it, don't really remember & too lazy to google it )

Supposedly, if you keep it short, simple, and polite, he will truly answer. Technical problems are handled by his staff though.

[rickuk]

Even after sales tax/VAT the price of the 3G 64GB in the UK is still $70 higher, and the UK has some of the cheapest delivery prices in Europe

Must be the cost of the different power socket

[iLaw-One]

Better to resist the temptation and hang on a little while longer and the price would surely come crashing down as they usually do here in the UK. Especially if the sales are not as crazy as they expect...besides summer is round the corner, and with it the sales...

I'll wait and see if I can resist...

[redcard]

Would help if you learned English before wasting Steve's time with a crappy email

[extremzocker]

its still cheaper to import one from the US, even if you pay £70 for shipping

[Johnnee]

Better to resist the temptation and hang on a little while longer and the price would surely come crashing down as they usually do here in the UK. Especially if the sales are not as crazy as they expect...besides summer is round the corner, and with it the sales...

I'll wait and see if I can resist...

Christmas sales See if you can wait that long?!

[adrian1480]

maybe it's time to stop letting the CEO reply to customers.

[MetallicaFan1991]

Like every other Apple product except the iPhone and iPod, the iPad will not sell well at all or sales will be slow until Apple drop the price. Here in UK that is.

[ikesmasher]

wait, steve jobs responds to emails you send him?