eCost Price Gouging Based on Zune Colour from eCost

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/search/search.asp?NavID_Search=false&CurDSN=simple&calledfrom=1&incimage=on&Search=zune&submit1.x=0&submit1.y=0&submit1=Go!#' target='_blank'>http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/search/search.asp?NavID_Search=false&CurDSN=simple&calledfrom=1&incimage=on&Search=zune&submit1.x=0&submit1.y=0&submit1=Go!#</a><br /><br /></div>In my eventually-ending quest to find a way to get a Zune as soon as possible after the November 14th date, I've been looking for places that will both carry the Zune, and ship to Canada. There aren't many, but <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecost.com">eCost</a> is one of them. Here's something strange I noticed though: the prices are different by $29.17 USD based on the colour of Zune you order! Take a look:<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/zt/2006/zune-ecost-nov1.jpg" /><br /><br />Now I'm all for letting the market decide what works and what doesn't, but I can't fathom the reason why eCost would take this approach when <a target="_blank" href="http://astore.amazon.com/thoughtsmedia-20/">Amazon.com</a> is selling all three Zunes for the same amount ($249 USD). What's worse is that eCost isn't even receiving their shipment of Zunes until the 25th of November. Scratch that solution for me!

[fem.]

Want to share any of the other sites you found that ship to canada?

So far I've found...0

[Jason Dunn]

Want to share any of the other sites you found that ship to canada?

So I guess when I said "few" I really meant "one". ;) eCost ships to Canada via the Borderfree service. It works really well, I've used it before, but in this instance eCost isn't getting their Zunes in until later than most other stores...

[Darius Wey]

Wuh...? eCost isn't charging a premium for the black Zune? I just heard a pencil drop in the Apple HQ.

[fem.]

So I guess when I said "few" I really meant "one". ;) eCost ships to Canada via the Borderfree service. It works really well, I've used it before, but in this instance eCost isn't getting their Zunes in until later than most other stores...
aha..too good to be true

I might just end up going through amazon with usabox.com or something

MS is reallllly screwing up with that imo. Either they're actually intending on having different release dates, or they're just not marketing it, either way makes no sense. And I go to a really 'trendy' college here with lots of americans too, if even a few kids here had zunes to show around it would make a huge difference xmas season.

[Jason Dunn]

MS is reallllly screwing up with that imo. Either they're actually intending on having different release dates, or they're just not marketing it, either way makes no sense.


It's different release dates because it's about the music licensing. So their music provider partner in the USA for instance (maybe it's MTV/URGE) only licenses music for use in the USA. Microsoft needs a new partner in Canada to make this happen. I just hope it happens faster than MSN Music coming to Canada...which still hasn't happened.

[Jon Westfall]

requiring users to pay more for a different color is just about as low as you can go in my opinion. Great to see that Zune is no exception to the rule of retailers: Squeeze as much out as possible. Makes me wonder if Verizon is somehow behind Zune retail pricing...