A new level of control freakishness from Apple, methinks.
A US gamer has been banned from ever buying another iPad. Why? He reached his “lifetime limit”.
Who knew that such a limit existed?
Using the handle Protocol Snow, the now-banned iPad buyer tells his story of intrigue in a personal blog post.
[...]
It seems Snow wanted to pass a few iPads to fellow NeoGAF gaming forum members outside the US who were craving their own “magical and revolutionary” devices, but whose hopes had been dashed by Apple’s decision to delay international iPad sales by a month.And so, being a Good iSamaritan, he took it upon himself to buy multiple iPads and ship them to his fellow gamers, charging them only enough extra to cover tax, shipping, insurance, and Paypal credit card fees.
But it was not to be. After buying just a few iPads and shipping them off to his friends, Snow was thwarted in his attempt to continue his mission of multitouch mercy.
[...]
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: Uhh… is it okay if I have a family member or friend come to buy it for me? My reservation doesn’t expire until 6:00pm.
* Guy #1: All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.
* 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.
* Me: I’m banned from buying iPads? I know there’s a shortage right now, but I can’t buy any more once there’s plenty of stock?
* Guy #1: All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.
* Me: Okay buddy, I’m not going to make a scene so I’m leaving. How many iPads is the limit by the way?
* Guy #1: That information is not available.
* Me (looking at Guy #2, who has been silent this whole time): He tells me that the limit is two.
* Guy #1: I wish I could say but I do not have that information.
* Me: I’ve already purchased more than two iPads. Why didn’t anybody else stop me in the past?
* Guy #1: I wish I could say but I do not have that information.
* Me: Alright, I’ve had enough. Have a good day.
They did him a favour.
The lifetime limit is supposed to be 10. With a limit of 2 a day. And really, who need more than 10 of these things?
I’d guess it’s to prevent people from buying and reselling them to places where they’re currently not available and much sought after. Good profit in that game.
Android is looking better and better everyday.
I find it bizarre for people in any, way, shape or form to support Apple’s decision on this.
I would guarantee that if Dell had an order for 20 units, they would sell 20 units. Same with HP, Lenovo or ANY computer company.
I know a local medium sized business in my area bought 42 HTC Eris phones without a hitch. They simply replaced all their old Blackberrys. And they had no lifetime limit.
This is insane on the part of Apple. Selling product is what they SHOULD always do. Never limit them. That is money in the bank. It is just plain bad business.
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It’s not a lifetime ban. Apple is limiting it to 2 iPads per person while supplies are tight. This is different then the 2 per customer limit, since every time I come into the store I’m a new customer. Apple is also not selling iPads to corporation at the moment.
This is not news. Apple has been up front about this since it started taking per orders last month. It was designed to stop exactly what this guy is doing. This is actually smart on Apples part. Our local Apple store still had iPads in stock after launch day. Sold out of the cheap on but had stock on the other 2. This keeps guys like this from buying 20 at a time to sell on Ebay and leaving none in the store.
This will change when supply goes up.
@25
“It’s not a lifetime ban.”
It can’t be. Because in 6 years, this device will be forgotten.
6 years = lifetime? Maybe for some octogenarians but not many others.
Apple has always been a good “starter” (market segment pioneer) but never a good “finisher” (legacy style market dominator) and in a few years a less control-freak oriented device will take the iPad’s mantle, author unknown.
I believe they are limiting them due to the overwhelming demand from europe and asia. I read that iPads are selling for $2500US in China and japan both have thriving gray markets.
I do graphics & music on a WinPC, and am often asked, “Why don’t you get a Mac?”. Then I have to make a tired spiel about the reasons (some pretty good ones, I think). Lately, though, I’ve begun to say, “Well, I’d just rather have Bill Gates to kick around instead of Steve Jobs.”
They go: “Sheesh, what are you, nuts?”"
I then say, “But Jobs is a charlatan with a great retinue of worshiping sycophants, and I’m wary of such characters. And they’re wary of me, too…perhaps because they know I’m suspicious of them.”
Sheep + People = Sheeple. Long live the sheeple.
If you went to the Apple store to buy an IPad, and they were sold out because some greedy asshole had bought their entire stock to send to his overseas friends, maybe you might not find rationing such an outrageous policy. That is if you were being reasonable.
Apple haters, however, are not reasonable. They are emotional and will always find a way to hate. It doesn’t matter what Apple does. If Apple didn’t ration their sales, the same haters would be bashing Apple for having no inventory on hand. Never mind that the haters wouldn’t be interested in buying one anyway. They just want to piss on Apple.
Conversely, if there were plenty of iPads in stock, haters would bash Apple for “channel stuffing” and having a product no one wanted to buy.
Haters are fiendishly adaptable. When Apple was losing market share in the ’90s, the haters called them “beleaguered” and discouraged people from seriously considering them as they’d be “going out of business any day now”. Today when Apple is an undisputed success, they are called an “evil monopoly” deserving of boycott. See how it works?
Why is this blog playing dumb (stupid) on this issue? The guy was exporting the stuff without agreements or any other paper work, as far as I know. I don’t think this is a regular consumer issue and he might have more problems than just Apple. The article teases but won’t say specifically how many units were involved but it wasn’t one or 2 and a favor for friends, it was exporting outside of proper channels.
Yeah right ‘friends overseas’. So this guy’s making money reselling iPads, and it’s surprising they want to stop that? Gee I have no idea why, maybe because their official distributors over here in Europe are losing sales while they wait for the official overseas release. This is a post of a post from some anonymous crank and probably BS.
Protocol Snow, ha!… why are we even talking about this?
PS – If you don’t like Apple don’t buy their stuff. Likewise if you don’t like Windows. Why do you feel compelled to shout that your choice is the only right choice?
I am probably not the only person who is sick and tired of the constant nattering between Apple and Windows Fanboys. – Please shut the fuck up. – This argument is decades old, is going nowhere, and has nothing to do with reason or computers, and I am tired of hearing about it.
Stuff you unreasonable prejudice where the sun don’t shine. We don’t give a damn about your opinion and don’t want to hear it!
I have had my Kindle 2 for over a year. Yesterday, it froze up. Never saw that before. I was out walking the dogs, and thought it died, out of warranty. I actually considered an iPad for a replacement, despite the fact that I mostly read in direct sunlight. Wasn’t too sure how that would work. Fortunately, when I got home, I looked up “reset Kindle”, did so, and I am back in business. Thank god, and what the fuck was I thinking? Apple is such a suck ass company. FUCK YOU, Jobs.
#30 If by greedy asshole you meant steve jobs, you’re correct!
I call BS!
Do any of you lot know what a Grey Market is? This is about Apple supporting Resellers in other countries that don’t have the iPad yet. getaclue…
Don’t believe anything. This news story was Photoshop’d.
Jobs is a Sith Lord
Man I am so glad to be free of Apple products. I used to love Apple. Apple is growing more draconian with each passing day. Why do people put up with their shit?