Apple apologises and offers $100 refund to early iPhone customers

Open letter from Steve Jobs posted on Apple website

6 September 2007 21:32 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Following the furore over the $200 price cut for the iPhone that has left early adopters angry, Apple has made the decision to refund early iPhone purchasers with $100.

This news is in contrast from Steve Jobs' recent comments to USA Today, who yesterday asked Jobs if refunds will be forthcoming for people that paid the full price for the iPhone, to which Steve Jobs replied:

"That's technology. If they bought it this morning, they should go back to where they bought it and talk to them. If they bought it a month ago, well, that's what happens in technology."

The refund has been announced via an open letter from Steve Jobs on the Apple website, in which he explains the reasons for the surprise price cut for the phone and states:

"We need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these."

The $100 refund will come in the form of store credit, which will prove a massive admin operation considering Jobs announced they are about to ship their millionth iPhone this month.

Only time - and fan reaction - will tell if this move is enough to restore customer's faith in Apple after the consumers electronics giant, unusually, fumbled things quite so dramatically.

Jobs ends his missive: "We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple".

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Phones, Mobile phones, iPhone, Apple