Apple won't accept your cold, hard cash for an iPhone

Looking to act like a high roller, dropping four hundos (plus a few other bills to cover tax) on an iPhone? You’ll have no such luck. Apple enacted a policy on Thursday — though there are reports that it was enforced prior to that — prohibiting a cash-for-iPhone exchange. The policy also limited iPhone purchases to two per person, down from five previously. And now that there is a credit-only policy, they can enforce the per-person limit. The reason they’re giving: limiting unauthorized resellers. As you know if you’re a regular reader of this site, that’s nothing new. Apple suits are giving us the same old song and dance. From spokeswoman Natalie Kerris:

“Customer response to the iPhone has been off the charts, and limiting iPhone sales to two per customer helps us ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift,” Ms. Kerris said. “We’re requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers.”
The first line strikes us as peculiar. Surely Apple will be ready for the holiday season rush, so you’d think they’d be certain of their iPhone stock. However, there have been rumblings that the $200 price cut was made in order to get the remaining first generation iPhones out the door. Why would you limit purchases to two if you’re trying to get rid of your stock? Ah, thinking a little deeper about it, Apple could be wary of its limited stock of iPhones. Since they are planning a second generation release in 2008 (you know, one that doesn’t plod along on EDGE), they’re likely not manufacturing any more iPhones than they currently have. So setting the two-per-person limit ensures that they satisfy the greatest number of customers during the holiday season. After which time they’ll gear up for the G2 release. Now, that’s complete speculation on our part. If you don’t think we make sense, let us know and we’ll discuss it in the comments. The reason for the credit/debit-only purchase is simple. The phone’s IMEI is then connected to the card. So if it is activated on another network, Apple can trace it. If it notices a lot of unlocked phones coming from one purchaser, it can take action. Really, though, the point is to nip that kind of issue in the bud. [New York Times] via [Consumerist]]]>

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