College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
1. According to Joseph Weiss, one of the fundamental responsibilities companies have toward their consumers is “the duty not to misrepresent or withhold information about a product or service that would hinder consumers’ free choice.” Is this libertarian concept a realistic expectation in today’s capitalist society?
2. Where should the line be drawn between the consumer’s right to know, and the consumer’s responsibility to protect and care for their belongings?
3. The free-market theory holds that a company is driven solely by the desire to make a profit but that there is an equal balance of knowledge between company and consumer. Are these not adversarial assumptions?
4. Given the articles you have read and what you may have heard in the news, do you believe that Apple knowingly misrepresented its iPod Nano?
5. At the invitation-only introduction of the iPod Nano, Steve Jobs removes the Nano from his pocket in order to show how small and versatile the product is. In the class action suit, consumers claim that having the iPod in a pocket, even with just the accompanying earphones, causes the screen to become significantly scratched. Is this false advertising from the very beginning on the part of Apple and Jobs?
6. One of the aspects of the free-market model is the belief that consumers are insatiable. Considering the fact that consumers continue to buy Apple products despite all the negative press, this seems to be a fair assumption. Do you agree? Does this make Apple less responsible in this case as it could be argued that they are offering a highly desired product and simply trying to keep up with demand?
7. Do you believe that Apple is creating a monopolistic market, and thus going against the free-market theory, by creating a product like iTunes which cannot be universally used in the mp3 market?
8. Apple has faced many other consumer issues with their iPod series of products, including class action lawsuits concerning battery life and the outcry of consumers upset over the fact that any iPod they purchase often becomes almost immediately obsolete. With all of these problems, do you see potential problems for Apple in the future or do you believe that they will remain on top despite any complaints, concerns, and lawsuits?
9. Even when Apple offers refunds, replacements, or other resolution for consumer complaints, many say that the process to receive anything from the company is more of a problem than it is worth. Is Apple deliberately making the process difficult to avoid the expense of replacing defective products?
10. Who do you think really “wins” in a class action lawsuit? Is it worth going through? What would you have done if you had purchased a Nano that scratched easily and were able to participate in the lawsuit?
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