Sony Apologizes for Whitney Houston iTunes Price Hike

Sony says it’s sorry it raised prices on two Whitney Houston albums at Apple’s U.K. iTunes store the day after the singer’s death.

On Sunday, Sony pushed through wholesale price changes that moved the retail price of Houston’s “The Ultimate Collection” from 4.99 pounds to 7.99, and “Whitney: The Greatest Hits” from 7.99 pounds to 9.99. The label moved the prices back to their original level later that day.

The story flared up throughout the Web yesterday, and Sony wouldn’t comment on the matter until this afternoon.

Here’s the apology statement: “Whitney Houston product was mistakenly mispriced on the UK iTunes store on Sunday. When discovered, the mistake was immediately corrected. We apologize for any offense caused.”