Posted on 06/20/2012 7:17:27 AM PDT by posterchild
19-year-old Sahar Sabet says an Apple Store in Georgia refused to sell her an iPad after a store representative overheard her speaking in Farsi.
"Very hurtful, very embarrassing. I actually walked out in tears," Sabet told WSBTV about her experience.
When a reporter from the station returned to the same Apple Store with Sabet, the employee once again reiterated that it is Apple company policy to not sell products to anyone from Iran. The WSBTV reporter recorded video of the exchange on her phone.
Sabet is a U.S. citizen and a student at the University of Georgia but the iPad was to be a gift for a cousin living in Iran.
"When we said 'Farsi, I'm from Iran,' he said, 'I just can't sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations,'" Sabet said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
This story sounds almost as believable as a book by the Obamadork.
I call bull-Obama on her story.
it is Apple company policy to not sell products to anyone from Iran>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have no problem with that fact.
Let them buy it black market for 5 times the price.
Iran and its Muslim people have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Westerners, some by video taped execution.
OMG! someone, somewhere had their feelings hurt!!
That kind of blanket policy is just idiotic. There are Iranian expat U.S. Citizens who haven’t lived in Iran for 30 years, work for national security agencies, and probably speak Farsi to each other among family members.
Interesting. Following US law against export to these countries, lots of software sold has these exact restrictions but I’ve never seen them to be enforced by somebody making a purchase within the US.
The only somewhat surprising thing about this story is that she publicly volunteered the fact that she was going to export the ipad yet, as far as the article mentions, nobody bothers to investigate further.
Why do I think she probably asked if she could send the Ipad to Iran.
Apple cannot change its policy. It is so ordered by the government as part of our embargo policy.
Well, she said she was buying the iPad for a cousin in Iran.
That appears to be an intended violation of the sanctions to me.
Exactly - prior to her claim of intent it is odd that a retailer would think twice about her language choice.
A Persian wants to buy an Ipad, send it to her cousin in Persia, and Apple won’t allow it? That’s racist! In 3...2...1... obama will issue a special exemption.
Many Jews are Iranian and came here to escape Islamic persecution.
“Well, she said she was buying the iPad for a cousin in Iran.”
She has the right to buy for herself but if she wants to send a gift, that’s a job for US Customs, not the Apple Store.
BS
I recall a Barney Miller episode where a Russian was caught smuggling EEPROMS that he said were for “Video Games”.
Export limitations in play.
Can’t sell a computer like iPad with the knowledge that the item will end up in Iran.
It is a restricted item subject to export regulations, prohibitions and sanctions (can’t send computers to Iran. . something to do with, what, nukes, I think. . .).
Perhaps the employee didn’t explain it correctly, or even didn’t know export law, but fact is, the employee acted lawfully.
If the person bought the iPad and never mentioned sending it to Iran then the sale would have gone through easily. . .I am quite sure of that.
Let’s say she bought the iPad, she could not send the item to her friend/family in Iran, as she would have to list the contents of her package on the Customs form and that would have stopped the shipment right there.
“They’re going to get busted on this one.”
Unless, of curse, the store employee heard her say she was going to send the item to Iran.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.