While I do agree that HP is a very scummy + awful company, their pricing system is not worse than that of many other companies. Many many companies use an inflated listed price system in combination with very large discounts, often fixed discounts per customer.
There’s several benefits to this. One of the biggest is that it allows their vendors to give nice “discounts” to entice ignorant customers. Ignorant people are more likely to buy a $2000 computer with 50% discount than a $1000 with 0% discount. And occasionally someone will come along and be scammed out of paying full listed price.
Inflating the list price is just very common and 50% is not even one of the worst offenders, just look at American health insurance prices for a much more egregious example. Construction building suppliers also systematically use it and “discounts” of 40 to 70% are common.
Jesus fuckin Christ I was today years old when I learned about HP Instant Ink. Good gracious what a scam
The whole company is a scam. I’ve seen a couple of big companies get nice bulk discount contracts.
$1600 off of laptop workstations. Who the fuck can afford a bulk discount of 50%?
I don’t think they even used HP printers.
HP laptops also come with spyware installed. Hp touchpoint analytics, that you can’t remove.
While I do agree that HP is a very scummy + awful company, their pricing system is not worse than that of many other companies. Many many companies use an inflated listed price system in combination with very large discounts, often fixed discounts per customer.
There’s several benefits to this. One of the biggest is that it allows their vendors to give nice “discounts” to entice ignorant customers. Ignorant people are more likely to buy a $2000 computer with 50% discount than a $1000 with 0% discount. And occasionally someone will come along and be scammed out of paying full listed price.
Inflating the list price is just very common and 50% is not even one of the worst offenders, just look at American health insurance prices for a much more egregious example. Construction building suppliers also systematically use it and “discounts” of 40 to 70% are common.
I used instant ink when I was living temporarily in Vancouver. It was actually worth the price back then. Now? Forget it.