Apple's retail locations in Japan have begun sales of the "Fukubukuro", also known as a "lucky bag", which offer an assortment of products at a steep discount. Japanese blog Mac Otakara (Google Translate) was present at the Apple Store in Nagoya to discover the exact content of the various bags among customers, with some shoppers receiving big-ticket items like iPads and MacBooks.
This year's lucky bags sell for 36,000 yen ($300) and come in four different configurations, with common items including an Apple TV, a 4000 mAh Mophie Powerstation external battery pack, an Incase Icon backpack, an iTunes gift card, and Beats by Dre Powerbeats2 wireless earbuds. For the most valuable Fukubukuro bag, Apple included an 11-inch MacBook Air with a Power Support Air Jacket and a Twelve South PlugBug dual charger along with the common items.
Other variants of the bag offer a fifth-generation 16GB iPod touch, a 16GB iPad mini 3 or a 16GB iPad Air 2 alongside the common items. The iPad lucky bags also feature Logitech's UE Boom portable speaker.
Apple's grab bags are sold as is, and returns are not allowed unless a product is defective. The promotion is limited to Apple Stores in Japan, although they are usually met with long lines of shoppers hoping to purchase their own lucky bag.
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It has been said in other threads on this topic that this is not gambling, there is more in the bag than what you pay for, you don't lose any money on it.
Dutch, tell me more about it, I am dutch, never heard of this
The problem is, in the USA, if one guy figures out he got less than another guy, then the first guy will sue.
Years ago Apple used hard drives in some Macs that had roughly the same capacity but not identical. Like buying an MBA with 250GB hard drive, and some have 250GB, some have 255, some have 260. Apple was forced to format all the drives to report identical capacity to avoid legal trouble.
I currently live in Japan for business and the U.S. Sees this type of thing as investing to gain, looking for a good deal. The Japanese do not necessarily see it that way, but do this to enjoy the experience of winning something more so then just paying less to receive more as the U.S. Mentality generally operates.
I see this in Japanese malls. They receive tickets after shopping to possibly win something. They wait in long lines to spin a wheel. They win just toliet paper or a box of tissues. They are content with it and enjoy the thrill of just winning something.
This is why it will not work in the U.S. Apple is tired of lawsuits and people complaining that if they did not gain more than what they paid, complain or sue. Sorry this is the truth and will not work in the U.S.
Because it's part of the Japanese culture. It's like someone outside of the states asking why they don't have turkey on the last Thursday of each November.
