 VindictiVPebkac ErrorPremium,VIP
join:2001-11-27
Burlington, ON | Modem costs I noticed the date on this was last year; but I wanted to bring up something not being addressed here.
Depending on when AT&T bought that modem, it may well have cost that much. It was not that long ago when cable modems were very expensive, and if it happens to be a modem they bought even 2 years ago that cost could be close to valid.
(not the replacement cost, but the capital cost they'd have to right off on what they spent on that modem when they bought it).
Prices NOW are dirt cheap; but they were not cheap not too long ago.
$650 is still a bit much regardless; but like buddy was mentioning above it is an incentive for you to return the equipment.
--
There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people. - Dogbert |
|
 titaniumTitanium
join:2000-05-25
West Richland, WA | it wouldnt have cost them 650$ EVER.. i bought my cable modem from AT&T 2 years ago (was mediaone then) like a dumbass.. anyways, it cost me 250$... so, it deff. didnt cost them 650$ a year ago. |
|
| reply to VindictiV
said by VindictiV:
Depending on when AT&T bought that modem, it may well have cost that much. It was not that long ago when cable modems were very expensive, and if it happens to be a modem they bought even 2 years ago that cost could be close to valid.
The price drop happened in 1997. I have a Motorola Surfboard model 1000 gathering dust in my basement, delivered to me in November 1997 by a company called CAI Wireless. (When they got out of the business, they sent a letter to customers reassigning ownership of the cable modems to the subscriber.) That model was worth somewhere in the $250-$300 range five years ago.
I saw my first cable modem two and a half years before that, at Boston's Museum of Science by Continental Cable (did I run into any of you other DSLR readers at that event--it was well-attended). At that point, a cable modem consisted of a PC-sized case plus a second box, and cost over $2000. The presenters conceded even then that the price had to go below $500 before the service could be deployed widely.
It's been quite a while, though. $650 is out of the ballpark. If they're going to charge penalties on top of the replacement cost of the cable modem, then they need to spell that out in their rental agreement. In any event--you should be able to pick up a shark-fin modem on eBay and return that (after informing them of the new serial number).
[text was edited by author 2002-03-07 14:37:05] |
|
