I ordered an iPod Nano Monday night. Of course, Apple introduced a new model Tuesday. But the company clearly took pity on me. Let me explain.

When I order an iPod — three in the past year — I always buy  refurbished models directly from the Apple Store. They’re certified to be good as new — and, in fact, look no different than a new store-bought model. They also are significantly cheaper, with free shipping. For example, the third-generation 8GB iPod Nano refurb (pictured) that I ordered Monday night was $149, $50 off the retail price, with free FedEx shipping.

I got an e-mail saying that the item had been shipped and that my credit card had been charged early Tuesday afternoon, about the same time that Apple was announcing its new iPod lineup, which includes a fourth-generation makeover for the Nano and pricing of — you guessed it — $149 for the 8GB model. Oh, well, I thought, the iPod is a birthday gift for my soon-to-be 13-year-old daughter, and she’ll be happy with her first iPod whether it’s a 3G or 4G.

But then late last night, just before midnight — again, after the item was shipped and my card charged — I got another email from Apple:

“Apple has announced a price drop for the refurbished iPod Nano that you recently ordered. We have automatically adjusted  your order to reflect the new lower price. … Thank you for shopping at the Apple Store.”

Wow. Just wow. I am no Apple disciple, but that is surely impressive customer service. And the new price? $129. Not the steepest discount, considering the new Nano price, but entirely unexpected — and appreciated.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Gadgets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.