When an iPhone gets returned, it costs someone money. If there's no restocking fee, it's not costing the person returning it money, it's costing the people who keep their iPhones money. So do you want to pay for other people to try out and then return an iPhone?

While I can understand that people don't like restocking fees, I can also understand the necessity, as a nuisance fee. Because let's face it, while most people are reasonably honest, there are enough dishonest people who would use the lack of a restocking fee for bad behavior, and that drives up prices for the rest of us.

An example: a woman I used to work with bragged that whenever she went on vacation, she would go to the nearest Costco, and buy their biggest boombox or smallest compact stereo. Then she'd return it on her last day in town. She got to use a good music system, without having to pack or pay for it.

Of course, the returned system cannot be sold at full price, so it costs Costco money, which in turn costs their customers money, in the form of higher prices.

Now, apply that strategy to the number of people who would love to check out an iPhone. You "rent" one for two weeks, and then return it. No better way to play with one than that, and while having one in your hands is certainly a great sales opportunity, let's face it, there's enough people who would just be checking the iPhone out, or using it to brag to their friends, etc., with no intention of spending $500 for a phone. Do you want to pay for that?

Absurd! Most all products of this sort have a 10% restocking fee. If the iPhone did have a user-replaceable battery, how many people would take the time to dispose/recycle the battery properly?

Here's an idea--keep your old cell phone, and when you need to send in the phone after two or three years for a new battery, just pop in the SIM card from your iPhone and wait until your iPhone comes back. No need for a loaner.

We have turned into a society of whiners.

When you buy an iPhone, and ask specifically if you can return it if not satisfied, and two employees say "Sure, no problem" what would you think?

When every phone in the store has no restocking fee, and there is no sign in the store about returning the iPhone, and no sticker on the box saying "Subject to 10% restocking fee" what do you think?

When you sign the credit card receipt, they put the phone and receipt in a bag, and send you on your way. Did you look on the BOTTOM of the box, or on the BACK of the receipt for fine print? No. Why not, because you figure it's like any other phone in the store, no charge to return it within a few days if you don't like it. Furthermore, you asked specifically about returning it and were assured "No problem"

This is sleazy marketing at best. The ONLY phone with this policy. Also, the iPhone doesn't work very well as a phone (my Nokia has better coverage). Perhaps an antenna inside the iPhone is being blocked by the metal casing on the back side. That's how RF works.

Turned into a society of whiners? Or have we simply gotten tired of snake oil, fraud by concealment, or overhyped Apple products that don't really deliver on the general notion of capable web browsing. It's not capable.

iPhone can't handle Windows streaming format, or Real Audio format, it's slow, the system doesn't work as well as less expensive phones.

iPhone is an IPOD with a phone involved. If you want a reliable phone, that doesn't cost another $20/month for slow internet access, get a reasonable phone, and a Sandisk media player.

I took my iPhone back after about 3 hours. It was clearly not capable of handing streaming content, the use of WiFi is nice, but still terribly slow. And for removing the thin plastic wrap on the box, it cost me $39. But it was a $39 education about why I don't own, or now ever want another Apple products.

Even the store employees were not familiar with the web browsing limitations, and one told me that from his perspective, the iPhone is really more of an entertainment device than much else. A glorified iPod with monthly fees.

Save your money, get a better phone, and next year when the Open system phones are available, using Google's software (and all of the major players in the phone biz are members of the group promoting this) web browsing should not be restricted to what Apple thinks it wants to provide.

I realize that the religion surrounding Apple users is like muslim extremism to some extent -- if you are a non-believer, or worse, have left the religion (an apostate) you deserve to be removed, have your ideas removed, or be ridiculed.

Frankly, I don't think Apple users can handle the truth.