http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/ Engadget Comments for Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 12:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 12:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
The spokesperson also announced they would continue advertising in order to maintain the feel of unattainability. ]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
This will further complicate the iPhone's widespread availability and hinder the company's projected 2008 sales. Way to go Apple!

]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Nov 5th 2007 2:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Oh and Dbrim it's iDiocy.]]>Oct 29th 2007 2:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 2:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
I guess that's true, you can pay cash at best buy or wherever, or buy a gift card at those places. Unless Apple forces them to follow suit. Of course, then you can deposit money in your checking account, and pay for an ebay purchase with paypal and your checking account.

This just in, Apple no longer accepts PayPal. All owners must be preapproved, and submit a copy of their DL, SS Card, and Birth Certificate.]]>Oct 29th 2007 2:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.apple.com/go/giftcards/) says the following:

What products can I purchase using an Apple Gift Card?
You can purchase just about anything sold by Apple (except another Apple Gift Card, an iTunes Gift Certificate or purchases at the iTunes Music Store), including products from both Apple and third-party makers.

So they have clearly spelled out which products are not purchasable with a Gift Card, and the iPhone is not included. If you have a gift card, a copy of that website, and proof that you bought the card before you accessed that statement, Apple had better damned well let you apply your card toward an iPhone.]]>Oct 29th 2007 4:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Kids will not be using Gift Cards to buy iPhones, because they need a plan beyond buying the hardware to own and use the product. Not using Apple Gift Cards to buy iPhones is not a large issue. ]]>Oct 29th 2007 2:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 12:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 2:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
They would be sued in a micro-second. Just because Apple is limiting this policy to one product, that does not excuse them from the responsibility to accept their own gift cards.]]>Oct 29th 2007 3:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/

Why not just go to an AT&T store. Im not sure if they are also not accepting cash.]]>Oct 29th 2007 10:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 7:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 9:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/>Apple loses about $420 from monthly subscriptions.

Stop saying this. They don't lose $420. They actually gain $400 for the sale of an iphone to a customer who otherwise would not have bought it. ]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Everybody I know that has one doesn't use AT&T and has cracked it. Also, I do not know anybody that bought it at the opriginal price. Ironically, I am the only one in my group of friends that is on AT&T but I do not have an iPhone. Go Figure.

Imagine how many they would have sold if it wasn't locked.
M]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
...That being said, I'm still probably going to buy iPhones for my wife and I this Christmas. They're cool, and I have no problems with signing an AT&T contract.]]>Oct 29th 2007 2:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Maybe by then they will have smartened up...]]>Oct 29th 2007 3:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/"Stop saying this. They don't lose $420. They actually gain $400 for the sale of an iphone to a customer who otherwise would not have bought it."

That's a complete oversimplification. I wish business was that simple, but really, profit and loss is a lot more complicated.

Given that their actions indicate they would rather lose a sale than have an iPhone unlocked, it's entirely likely that Apple's share in the service revenue is the difference between profit and loss for the iPhone product line.

Before anyone argues that the manufacturing cost for the iPhone is less than the retail cost, I will point out that manufacturing costs are only one line on an income statement.]]>Oct 29th 2007 12:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
The more I hear from Apple, the more they disappoint me. "Think Different" my *ss.

]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
would simplify things a lot - now if you walk into a store and got iphone and ipod touch there side by side and you're wondering which product is the right one for you and what they cost... you're pretty unlikely to be able to make an informed decision, because you'd just see the service options after you had bought the iphone and taken it home and was wondering how to use it for playing mp3's..


but then the customer would be shown and he would need to understand what he is buying.. that you're not buying an iphone - you're paying the down payment on a service that you will have to sign up. and yes, apple has calculated that just seling the device doesn't make them enough profit.




(that you can unlock doesn't change the facts that this is how it's supposed to go)]]>Nov 4th 2007 10:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 5:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 2:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 8:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
People may find this hard to believe but not everyone has a credit card. Some religions(Christianity included depeneding on the church)do not allow the use of credit or loans. Other people are huge privacy advocates who pay only in cash and money order. Requiring a credit card for a basic service like electricity would be illegal anywhere and a discriminatory practice as well as classist. Asking for a credit and recommending as the first and easiest method is not illegal though.

At some point there will be a law suit about this. As I said the practice is discriminatory against certain religions and privacy advocates would also be jumping on this.

I am of course referring to the cash segment as far as the gift cards are concerned they can exclude any product they wish as long as it is not the whole store.Though there are plenty of cases startign to sort this one out.

Some food thought.
The no 20s rule is one that is based on the safety of employees in order to reduce the number of robberies and also in place to reduce the number of counterfit bills and has been upheld in court of thsoe reasons.
The Exact Change rule is for services to be rendered after payment without a contract at the time of payment or sale. In these cases no debt has been accumulated until after payment. Catching a bus will fall under this situation.
Debt is acquired during any sale at the store the minute you are at the register and you see those numbers starting to go up on the screen. The debt is immediately satisified.
Some stores can refuse cash all together but it is across the board(Fed Ex does this at certain locations and again it is also based on safety there is no cash in these stores whatsever). S and H or Legal Stamps used to be stores that operated entirely no cash at the consumer level they used their own stamsp)Some items can be purchased without using cash in stores that usually except cash they are not marked in dollars though they are marked in tokens stamps or what not though this is less and and less common and more and more found in catalogs(coke).

The Iphone doesn't fall under any of these catergories as far as I know. there isn't a safety issue as presented by the fact you can buy an Imac with cash at a higher value. It isn't a service to be rendered after payment you buy the phone not the phone service(you may not even get the phone service it could be a gift) and the phone is yours the moment it is paid for. It's price is not marked in stamps. The whole store deals in cash so that is not an exclusion. Pennies can be limited in use but once again that is to because it is uneasonable for a retail store to take 600 dollars in pennies.

Stores do not have to take cash as payment in the US they can also take widget dollars however if they did that they would soon go out of business since no other business would take them.

I have seen cases that dealt with the penny issue, the no 20's,Stores that deal entirely without cash, Stamps and exact change issues. I haven't seen any that deal with the exclusion of one product in a store that operates in cash on a regular basis.]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Taken from the US Treasury Department Website:

"There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise."

http://www.treas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtml
]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Will someone challenge it? Sure, this is America. I could sue someone for $1m for looking at me cross tomorrow morning. Doesn't mean it'll stand legally. It seems to me this law has been challenged before, especially with the US Treasury dept. holding a FAQ for it.

What you should be looking at is state statutes -- are there any states which Apple operates retail stores in that prohibits this practice? THEN we'd have something to talk about.]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 1:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 2:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 9:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 8:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 30th 2007 1:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/someone at apple better give a GOOD explanation as to why they're denying people giving them money in any form.]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Peace.]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Oct 29th 2007 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,16130,00.asp

It's a prepaid credit card valid anywhere Amex (in this case) is accepted. Other credit card companies offer these cards, too. The only problem is the seeming $500 cap. Can you use two prepaid credit cards to buy an iPhone? Have fun kids.]]>Oct 29th 2007 1:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
Anyway, thankfully I got mine before this went into affect. But even so, my dad used his credit card and I paid him cash. ]]>Oct 29th 2007 6:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/Current policy is Credit or Debit Card with purchaser's name on it. No Gift cards of *any* kind. You need ID that matches the card. No if ands or buts.
Yep. ]]>Oct 29th 2007 8:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/
I believe those credit card gift cards do come with the recipients name, so that shouldn't be a problem.

-Todd]]>Oct 29th 2007 8:47AM