Jobsian drones shackle gamer with 'lifetime' iPad ban (Apple stores)

The Register ^ | 2010-04-25 | Rik Myslewski

[dayglored]

A US gamer has been banned from ever buying another iPad. Why? He reached his "lifetime limit." Who knew that such a limit existed? ...

After two Apple Employees - identified in the tale as Guy #1 and Guy #2 - check his identity via credit card, Guy #2 informs him: "There is a limit to the number of iPads that customers can buy." Our protagonist ask what that limit might be, and Guy #2 answers: "Only 2 per customer."

At that point, Guy #1 returns, and the conversation takes on a Kafkaesque quality:

* Guy #1: I'm sorry sir, but you have reached your lifetime limit of iPad purchases and will not be allowed to buy any more.
* Me: Is the iPad limit per person? Per credit card? Per household?
* Guy #1: All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.
* Me: What does that mean? Can I use a different credit card to buy it? I'm buying this for a friend.
* Guy #1: You are not allowed to buy this iPad.
* Me: Wait, what? Lifetime? What does that mean?
* Guy #1: All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit of iPads and will not be allowed to buy any more.
...

An Apple Store employee, noted: "The employee got it wrong. The *daily* limit is two iPads per day. The 'lifetime limit' is ten."

[itsahoot]

I'd like to have the option of having Flash on my iPod.

And I would like to have a free iPad, flash or not.

[dayglored]

> And I would like to have a free iPad, flash or not.

Man, I hear that. Gonna be a while before I can afford one. The good news is, it'll be a second-gen device, so it'll be better.

[ReignOfError]

You are kidding right? Every thing I have ever bought at Costco, is in their computer, you can bet on it.

Costco requires a membership. Everything you buy is tied to your membership card. Apple retail stores, let alone Best Buy, do not have memberships. They can track purchases from a credit card, which is why in the original post they apparently required one for identification; but there is no paper trail for cash purchases.

[itsahoot]

but there is no paper trail for cash purchases.

I didn't suggest there was, the issue was whether they could track the sales. In the case of the iPad and or iPhone they usually have to be registered with iTunes to work easily, and guess what that means?

[SunkenCiv]

I think I’m going to start a direct-to-customer internet-only marketing company for computers, call it Nuts, Inc. I’d clean up. :’)