Jawbone, This Is Just Stupid
Posted by: dgoldring on Jul 16 2008
Apparently, Aliph, the makers of the Jawbone Bluetooth headsets, has come up with a ridiculous new promotion. In light of the recent changes to the law in California and other states, they are willing to give you a $20 discount if you get a ticket for not talking on the phone without a hands free device while driving. Twenty dollars off?
Now, I live nowhere near California, so I don’t know the actual fine imposed if you get such a ticket, but I have to think it would be more than $20. So, you do the math. To make it easy, we’ll say that the fine is $100. For your $100, you get $20 off of a $130 headset. That means, you are stuck paying the fine and $110 for the headset, or $210 total for a $130 headset. If that sounds like a bargain to anyone, then yap away behind the wheel without a headset. When you get your eventual ticket, head over to the Jawbone site and enter your state and ticket number. Now collect your $20 (which will be automatically deducted from your purchase when you check out). Or, you could just buy yourself a Jawbone, use it in the car to be safe, and save yourself what is probably a significant fine and points on your license.
Someone once said, you have to spend money to make money. In this case, it looks like you will have to spend money to spend more money. Nice job, Aliph!
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Only in america!
You can always go get another handsfree device for $50 but then, using your logic, why pay $150 for a $50 device? Now who is the one being ridiculous — Aliph or you?
Well, Igoncang, you are not really using my logic there at all, are you?
Using your logic, you have given yourself a choice between paying a higher price for a better headset or a lower price for a lower quality (presumably) headset.
Using my logic, you are getting the exact same headset, but without the extra fine. So, if you factor the cost of the fine/ticket into the it, then despite the $20 discount you still end up paying considerably more for the exact same headset.
If that makes sense to you, then by all means go out right away and get your $20 discount. Please just let us know when and where you plan to receive your ticket so I can warn the JAMM team and readers to stay off the roads and away from the area. And enjoy your, “$20 discount.” I hope it is worth it.
Doug
Fair enough: I agree that it won’t be a high-quality headset if it’s not a Jawbone. So Aliph should give you a Jawbone for free or next to nothing just because you got a ticket? Remind me to warn readers that you’re in “stupid” mode when you feel like being ridiculous from time to time!
Not quite, Igoncang. I’m not saying Aliph should be giving anyone anything. I’m saying it would make more sense for drivers to skip the illegal and dangerous activity and just buy themselves a headset. The $20 savings isn’t worth the risk to yourself and other drivers.
I mean, I look at this as no different than saying we’ll give you a $20 discount if you get a ticket for drunk driving or speeding, or any other dangerous activity in a motor vehicle. You are putting yourself and others at risk, facing a potentially significant fine and points on your license (or worse) for what? $20 off a BT headset? That is an awfully high price to pay for $20.
Doug
Okay, it’s kind of tasteless. But I think the idea was for the ticket to come BEFORE you found out how the Jawbone is the greatest thing since sliced bread. As Doug pointed out it’s stupid as an incentive before the fact, but Aliph is going after the people who weren’t even looking for a handset until the ticket gave them a kick in the pants.
And hey, it’s better than that site that ran a contest for a Jawbone for people who got a ticket on the law’s first day.
Not to completely defend them, but the fine for the first offense is $20. The concept is obviously that you’ve paid $20 already to the state for not having a headset, so the headset will cost you the same as it would have if you had bought it BEFORE your ticket.
Kinda clever IMO.
The fine is $20 for the first offence, but then court costs and processing fees are added on and brings it to $97.