The worst deals in tech: Are you being fleeced by these 7 overpriced products?

[Pedrito]

The coolest running shoes at the Nike store this year are the Nike Air Max+ 2013. They retail for $180, but when you break down the costs for the materials and the manufacturing and labor at the Chinese factory where the shoes are made, you’re looking at a product that costs less than $10 a pop. The remaining $170 covers marketing (to make you believe the shoes are worth the premium price) and a handsome profit for Nike. The company reports revenues of about $25 billion a year.

It works the same way for many products in the tech world. As gadget enthusiasts, we accept the idea that products are worth what we’re willing to pay for them, and not what they cost in terms of product development, manufacturing, and materials. Nonetheless, it’s time to name names. Here are some of most egregiously high profit margins in the world of consumer tech.

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[locoJoe]

Monster Cables are very high priced and NOT worth it. Same with Nike shoes.

HDMI cables are a joke too, way overpriced. Best Buy didnt have a single HDMI cable (any brand) for less than $75 when I was there to purchase my last TV. I later found one for $13 at the Family Dollar store where I live. It works great. Dont get me started about printer ink...its crazy expensive. I found this site however that has OK deals on printer ink. http://www.professorink.com/default.aspx

Edited August 19, 2013 by locoJoe

[Beamslider]

That is the New business model. Buy cheap junk and sell high. The Corporate model that started a decade or so ago. No more quality stuff.ca

HDMI cables can be bought on line for 3 - 5 dollars.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Beamslider

[Maxhedroom]

Most after market cables are a total rip off. Imo, the only cables worth the extra $$ are quality speaker cables. Most factory 'speaker wires' are cheap thin-guaged junk (usually 18-22Ga). I remember years ago when I was at a hifi stereo shop and they had a system with factory wires running to the right channel and $1/Ft. Monster cable connecting the left side and the difference when the balance was adjusted back and forth was unbelievable...especially with the low end bass; they're a subwoofer's best friend. :D

Edited August 19, 2013 by Maxhedroom

[DKT27]

I'll rate smartphones in top as the overpriced products.

It still surprises me how so many big time smartphone manufacturers are reporting not so profits or losses, as they have huge profits on phones they sell.

From iPhone to Galaxy S4, from Optimus G Pro to a simple and cheap entry level smartphone, the profit margin is huge.

[CODYQX4]

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Edited April 28, 2019 by CODYQX4

[MidnightDistortions]

lol those phones are a ripoff. I'm surprised that many actually buy into this sort of thing. I bought an Android phone for $50 with Virgin Mobile i am only paying $35 a month. Of course the phone is horrible, it doesn't respond half of the time but whatever i got a cellphone service for $35. No contract service either. I wish i could do the same with my internet service, but the only decent one around here is Comcast. It's a ripoff. Companies are just making money off of poor people to get richer, that's all it is these days.

[insanedown58]

I agree with DKT. Smartphones are the biggest rip-offs in tech. I mean one could imagine how a local manufacturer or heck even international manufacturers could afford to sell a phone with the same internal parts of a Galaxy S3 for a price of a Galaxy Y. They say its all in build quality but I think its simply profit because I've used phones that sell cheaper than the S3 but has the same parts and feels as tough as a brick.

[ande]

Greed and lust, two very useful human virtuous in marketing.

[PurplebeanZ]

The cost of tech products is not just the price it costs to make things. R&D, testing, design, certification, marketing all cost a lot of money.

[mara-]

When we speak about smarphones :) , can somebody recommend some page in USA, where I can by unlocked phone cheaply.

Cheers ;)

[wkt37211]

I found Amazon HDMI cables to be reasonably price as are some of there other cables and they seem to be of decent quality.

@Mara, I have an unlocked Verizon AT&T Blackberry 9800. If interested pm me.

Edited August 21, 2013 by wkt37211

[CODYQX4]

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Edited April 28, 2019 by CODYQX4

[realraydon]

well i try to rational when purchasing, but failed every time~