Jeff Fox from ConsumerReports.org demonstrates how his initial plan to hook up with a $499 iPad actually cost him a hefty $1,200 – even without the carrier fees!

Admittedly, the Apple iPad already is pricey. When it was first announced back in late January, a lot of people staggered to find out that the cheapest flavor of the iPad would run at $499 (that would give you 16GB of space on the device, without any 3G support). With the various memory sizes and features thrown in, you could easily jack up your iPad to run you about $829. That’s a whole lot to think about, especially considering that the Apple iPad costs so much less to make than what Apple is selling it for.

So how exactly did Jeff Fox ring up a $1,200 bill even before AT&T started billing him? Read his story here.

All things considered, Jeff Fox’s experience is quite a special case, but one that can be pretty common with most of the Apple iPad’s consumers. Think you won’t fall for the stuff that Jeff fell for? Without due care and precaution, you might find yourself in the same situation.

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