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Engadget - Comments for Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
Engadget Comments for Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones

• Comments on Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
  As many people have pointed out already, Apple is allowed to do whatever they want in terms of what form of payment they'll accept. Come on Engadget, you should be better than this.
  
  Also,the teenager with the gift cards sounds like a good "legitimate" scenario, but think about it. It's a fucking cellphone, which, if you want to use it's features, you have to activate it through a 2 year contract with AT&T. You're talking at least $50/mo for 2 years. How's the teenager going to pay for that, without a credit OR a debit card (i.e., a bank account)?? And if the hypothetical teenager (or, more likely his/her parents) has a credit/debit card, I'm sure Apple would be OK selling him/her the phone provided they can swipe the card. And if the hypothetical teenager doesn't have a credit/debit card and neither do his/her parents, then that teenager really shouldn't be buying an iPhone. Get the iPod touch instead.
• Comments on Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
  What about the prepaid route?
  
  Totally with you on the fact that most people that would buy one would have some type of plastic card. Looks like the Visa Buxx and the like will benefit from this mess.
  
  My only wonder is how will this affect negotiations with other merchants, which will be crucial to reach the 10 million mark in '08.
• Comments on Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
  Well, I've never bought prepaid CCs before so I don't know how it works. But, I have used (interestingly) AT&T "rebate" credit cards online and as far as I can see, I was able to use it like any ol' credit card. I've a feeling that if you are mandated to provide personal info (name, address, phone number, the usual) to purchase and fill up a prepaid CC, and that info is verifiable by Apple, then I'm sure they'd accept it.
  
  
  Hey, Engadget. If you consider yourself any kind of a true "journalist", why don't you go out and check these possibilities out? Getting all your stories from online sources only, I understand, is nice and easy, but sometimes, good ol' fashion journalism might do your readers a mountain of good, by providing us with *quality* information.
• Comments on Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
  It's not THAT big of a deal, since yes most people have some sort of access to a credit card for activitation.
  
  But not accepting gift cards is cheesy. If I got a bunch of gift cards for XMas, I'd be pissed if I couldn't buy an iPhone with them. It would be nice if they would exchange the gift cards for cash (up to $400 worth), then let me buy the phone on a credit card- then everyone seems to win.
  
  
• Comments on Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones
  I absolutely agree that anybody at an Apple Store should work with the customer to see how gift cards, bought or presented for the purpose of the customer purchasing an iPhone with is, could be utilized to that end.
  
  Again, since I already have an iPhone (and do not possess any gift cards) I can't check this for my self, but I feel quite confident that if you're willing to show some plastic, they would accept the gift card(s). Heck, I bet they'd probably also accept cash for that matter.
  
  And here is where Engadget could come in, as "journalists", to really look into this matter, instead of just picking up unsubstantiated junk on the 'net and spreading it around as fuel for this never ending contention between "fanboys" and "haterz". Sure it'll generate the hits. Good journalism it's not. I know because I used to work for a (good ol' fashioned paper) magazine, and if I were the editor in chief of Engadget (or wherever), I would have sent one of my reporters to the nearest Apple Store with cash, gift cards, credit and debit cards to look into the matter 2 days ago.