November 30th, 2007
Psst... Can you buy me an iPhone?
A colleague told me an interesting story about a recent trip to the Apple store:
So, wandered over to the Apple Store to pick up a repaired Mac, nothing out of the ordinary. Upon walking up, I found a well-dressed guy in a black leather jacket (khakis, clean shirt, nice shoes, looked like he had it together) approaching me and asking if I’d go in and buy him two iPhones. I began to wonder why when he pulled out several hundred dollar bills and mentioned I’d make $20 per phone provided I used my credit card.
I didn’t see any harm in this, pulled out my iPhone and calculated the state tax. He said he’d round it off and I could also keep the change, then handed $900 over and waited outside.
When I went in, I asked for two iPhones and put my credit card down. The person behind the counter said ok, but another Apple Store employee looked at me, then asked if I was buying for the guy in the leather jacket. I mentioned I was and he said he couldn’t let this happen, as they needed a name attached to each iPhone sold. He then asked the guy in the leather jacket, who’d come in the store, to leave despite his claims that this should be ok and he just didn’t have a credit card with him.
After giving the guy his money back, I asked an Apple Store employee if this was a common thing and he said it was, as the guy, who had something of a foreign accent, might be unlocking the iPhone, taking it out of the country or doing something that Apple wasn’t approving of with the units.
Kind of strange, but Apple’s sticking to their guns on this “must be purchased with a credit card” thing.
Anyone else been approached by someone to buy them an iPhone?
(Painting “Back Alley” by Jenova)
Jason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.
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| 11/30/07
