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Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
- Thread starter Dybbuk
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Too much of a grey area. T+Cs are not explicit enough. e.g. Qualified purchases when? Was it when the Card is bought or when it comes to being redeemed. If it's the Latter, then who would bother buying a card.
Overall, it has been interesting watching the public perception of Apple change since the introduction of the iPhone. There really seems to be a backlash brewing, and this policy will do nothing to help. I'm just waiting for someone to put a spin on the 1984 commercial with Apple playing the part of Big Brother.
True, but what if someone got a birthday present before this was announced and expected to use it to buy an iPhone? Like I said, it's a grandfather-clause, and those aren't legally "kosher." For such few individuals, a refund of the cards' value is in order. Future buyers now have the ability to look up this information, but someone two weeks ago certainly didn't.
As for the Visa and Amex gift credit cards, I'm just waiting for Apple to say that they won't take those either.
No it doesn't. Apple hasn't specified what is a 'qualified' purchase. If we were to use only the T&C as our legal basis, Apple could essentially deem any item in the store 'unqualified' and make pure profit on the giftcards. It must be stated ahead of time.
I think those who bought their giftcards before this announcement deserve to have their money refunded to them if they wanted to buy an iPhone.
True, but what if someone got a birthday present before this was announced and expected to use it to buy an iPhone? Like I said, it's a grandfather-clause, and those aren't legally "kosher." For such few individuals, a refund of the cards' value is in order. Future buyers now have the ability to look up this information, but someone two weeks ago certainly didn't.
As for the Visa and Amex gift credit cards, I'm just waiting for Apple to say that they won't take those either.
No it doesn't. Apple hasn't specified what is a 'qualified' purchase. If we were to use only the T&C as our legal basis, Apple could essentially deem any item in the store 'unqualified' and make pure profit on the giftcards. It must be stated ahead of time.
I think those who bought their giftcards before this announcement deserve to have their money refunded to them if they wanted to buy an iPhone.
Apple has specifically stated that they can change the terms of the agreement at any time.
When you buy a gift card, you agree to that.
You certainly do not have to agree to it, in which case you can choose to do something else with your hard earned money or purchase an apple product by another method such as a credit card.
This is the same argument over and over again but regarding a different topic.
Apple does get to define the agreement on the fly.
The customer, however, does not.
And the customer can accordingly choose to not do business with Apple if that is bothersome.
As poster above stated Apple does not have carte blanche by virtue of a grandfather clause.
Most modern consumer protection laws contradict this notion of "Apple can change terms on the fly." In fact, many states have gone to far lengths in order to protect consumers who purchase giftcards (remember when they used to have expiration dates?).
Like I posted above, Apple is undoubtedly above-board from a legal perspective, but from a business ethics/ consumer rights point of view, they're very much in the wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if California takes action against this behavior and institutes a mandatory refund policy or a something similar for giftcards.
The purpose of those laws, to me, is not to stop a company from singling out one item of many.
Now if Apple said "you only use gift cards for Mac Book Pros over $2,500" that might be an issue.
If Apple sold only 2 products and one of them were iPhones, effectively cutting out half of their product line to gift cards, that might be an issue.
If the cards expired and you lost your money in a year, that might be an issue.
If the cards decayed in value or were charged monthly maintenance fees, that might be an issue.
None of that is going on here.
It's simply an effort to create a paper trail for products used in ways they consider incompatible with the company's goals.
Now if Apple said "you only use gift cards for Mac Book Pros over $2,500" that might be an issue.
If Apple sold only 2 products and one of them were iPhones, effectively cutting out half of their product line to gift cards, that might be an issue.
If the cards expired and you lost your money in a year, that might be an issue.
If the cards decayed in value or were charged monthly maintenance fees, that might be an issue.
None of that is going on here.
It's simply an effort to create a paper trail for products used in ways they consider incompatible with the company's goals.
Green Dot Mastercard/Visa available at Walgreens and a bunch of other stores, and can also likely refill them at the Coinstar machines everywhere.
The reasons why Apple is doing this are moot. The effects it produces on the consumer are what's relevant.
To me, it signals too much control on Apple's part to be able to say, "we only want credit cards, debit cards, or checks." It reduces consumers' options when buying an iPhone, and let's face it, the iPhone will be popular this Christmas. In trying to stop less than one fifth of iPhone buyers from unlocking the phone, Apple is going to punish a large chunk of buyers who may have been saving up their giftcards just to buy an iPhone.
It's some rotten business practicing if you ask me. Even if I like Apple's products, I can't condone this type of anti-consumer behavior. I hope iPhone sales suffer because of this, because as you pointed out, this is the only market force that can change Apple's mind (although I wouldn't mind a state law forcing companies to accept giftcards for all items in a store either).
We were discussing this issue in my Information Systems Management class a few weeks ago. Apple is limiting there iphone to 2 purchases per customer. If we did a cash order there really is no way of tracking the purchase order very easily. Now as Apple is limiting the order to credit cards purchases they can track the customer through a paper trail if they try to purchase iPhones at another store whether Apple store or AT&T.
I don't, nor would I imagine many other people, buy products in order to promote goal congruence for a company.
Very nicely put.
From a consumer stand point, this is all terrible. I hope Apple gets stung enough over the holiday season so that it trashes this policy.
As answered in 3 other threads about this, NO it is NOT ILLEGAL to not accept cash*
* it is only illegal if STATE law say it is, there is no federal laws saying a merchant must accept cash.
If apple is worried about this so much why cant they just accept cash or giftcards but you are required to present a state or federal id that will be tracked in the system with your receipt. there fore they can keep track of possible frauders but also give consumers with only cash or giftcards the option to get the iphone.
What Apple should have done
is stipulated a maximum of $300 of gift cards can be put to use towards a new iPhone(maybe $200 or $250 toward refurb?). That way, 90+% of the people who have legitimate uses of the giftcards can still use them and you still have to use a credit card to cover part of the purchase.
This was a VERY dumb move on Apple's part....
is stipulated a maximum of $300 of gift cards can be put to use towards a new iPhone(maybe $200 or $250 toward refurb?). That way, 90+% of the people who have legitimate uses of the giftcards can still use them and you still have to use a credit card to cover part of the purchase.
This was a VERY dumb move on Apple's part....
Most states actually have a law which states that a license or ID cannot be swiped into a computer as a purchase requirement without the consumer's permission. Thus, iPhone resellers would be easily able to refuse to have their IDs swiped.
This still feels like we have to give Apple something. We don't. If I have $400 worth of giftcards that I saved up to buy an iPhone, I want to be able to buy an iPhone. I don't want fractions of it put towards the purchase.
However, I agree with your second point; this was a bad move on Apple's part.
No good. The Visa/Debit card has to be imprinted with your name on it. So that means no re chargeable visa cards.
What about those American Express Giftcards? They usually function like credit cards but are pre-loaded by the buyer.
No credit or debit cars unless they have your name imprinted on it. Did you really think apple was going to leave a loop hole that big?
Ya that ideas shot. But two other thoughts:
1) I wonder if they will allow combo purchases. Like what if you had a $200 gift card and put the balance on a credit card. They could still track that right?
2) I have heard that for a little fee you could get those rechargeable visa/mastercard & amex giftcards personilized with your name on it. That might work.
Maybe.
Well, if anyone who knows me is reading: I want CASH for Christmas; NO Apple Giftcards
Ordered 3 This Weekend via Apple Store
Bought my first iPhone last week from apple and fell in love with it. After seeing the Apple release last week on restrictions I got panicked. We were planning to buy 3 more iPhones for the kids from Christmas.
So I went to Apple online store this weekend and placed an order for 3 more iPhones (4 total). Order went through just fine. Today (Monday) got an email saying all 3 had shipped with 3 separate Fedex tracking numbers.
Of course I paid with all via credit card. But the 2 per customer limit must be cash or gift cards.
Bought my first iPhone last week from apple and fell in love with it. After seeing the Apple release last week on restrictions I got panicked. We were planning to buy 3 more iPhones for the kids from Christmas.
So I went to Apple online store this weekend and placed an order for 3 more iPhones (4 total). Order went through just fine. Today (Monday) got an email saying all 3 had shipped with 3 separate Fedex tracking numbers.
Of course I paid with all via credit card. But the 2 per customer limit must be cash or gift cards.