As loyal readers already know, Apple doesn’t accept cash for the iPhone — a policy they say is designed to discourage resellers from getting their grubby little hands on the precious cellphone. This policy does have a tendency to backfire every now and then when a legitimate customer wants to purchase an iPhone with cash. Meet Alex Palen– he was refused an iPhone because he doesn’t have a credit or debit card and was escorted from the store when he asked another customer to accept cash in exchange for charging the phone to their card.

From The Buffalo News:

“She looked at my money and said, ‘We don’t accept cash as a form of payment for the iPhone.’ When I asked why, she would only say it was the store’s policy that I use a credit card,” Palen said.

Since he doesn’t have one, Palen asked another customer if he could give him the $499 plus tax to charge it for him. Store staffers said that was against the rules, and then escorted him — and his pocket full of bills — from the store.

“I was so outraged. I was so humiliated. I just sat in the mall and couldn’t even talk for half an hour. I was so surprised this could happen in America,” Palen said. “I’ve never been told that U. S. currency isn’t enough to buy a product.”

Legally, neither Apple nor any other private company in New York State is required to accept cash.

Apple responded to the news story with the following: ““We require a credit, debit or gift card as payment to discourage unauthorized resellers,” said Teresa Brewer, Apple spokeswoman.” We wonder if they couldn’t have asked him to buy a gift card rather than resorting to tossing him out of the store? Oddly, Alex says the experience hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for Apple… “I still want to buy the iPhone,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s the best phone on the market. Nothing else compares.”

What can cash buy? Not an iPhone [Buffalo News](Thanks, Craig!)
(Photo: hanapbuhay )

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