Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/02/17/uk_mac_dealer_charges/

UK Mac dealer charges £30 for chance to get free mouse

Rodent would cost $19.99 otherwise

By Tony Smith

Posted in On-Prem, 17th February 2000 16:45 GMT

When is a free mouse not a free mouse? When it costs £30, and it's provided by online reseller MacWarehouse's UK operation. MacWarehouse's list of top selling portable products today included two items: a blue iBook at £969 (exc. VAT) and a blue iBook with a free USB mouse for... er... £999 (exc. VAT), so the mouse effectively costs £30 (exc. VAT). The specifications of the two notebooks are identical, but oddly the price isn't. A USB mouse would ordinarily cost £19.99 (exc.VAT). Of course, MacWarehouse is canny enough to get around accusations of trickery by claiming the £969 model is discounted from £999. In other words, if you want your USB mouse you're going to have to pay extra for the privilege of not having to pay for it. ®