It needed negative word-of-mouth from a disabled woman and a TV station to embarrass Apple, for Apple Inc. to change its policy for purchase of an iPad!
To ensure that the immensely popular iPads did not make way into the hands of black marketers, the company wanted to ensure that no one purchased more than two iPads and therefore, as a policy, required payment for these gadgets to be paid via credit card only.
"About a month ago, we said we'd like you to use a credit card when you buy your iPad, and that was the best way we could think of to make sure that people only bought two per individual," said Apple Sr. Vice President Ron Johnson in response to the resulting ruckus.
The incident that changed it all
All this changed when Diane Campbell walked into an Apple store. The lady was disabled, lived on fixed monthly income and therefore could not easily get a credit card. However, she had saved enough, $600, to buy her favorite iPad.
Launched last month, the iPad is a tablet computer used for Internet browsing, media consumption, gaming, and light content creation. As per estimates, Apple is selling a whopping 200,000 iPads per week in the United States.
Not to be! She could not barter the iPad due to the cash rule that Apple had instituted.
"Sorry, we don't take cash,” said the employee at the register. Campbell persisted, Apple refused to budge.
She then contacted KGO, an ABC television affiliate in California, which aired a story on her ordeal.
"It's sort of astounding to think that, here is this US dollar, this money put out by the Treasury Department, and it's being turned away," said Alan Fisher, a spokesperson for the California Reinvestment Coalition.
"Mr. Jobs, give this sister a break," pleaded Campbell. The plea worked and Apple caved in.
Free iPad for Campbell
The changed policy requires the customer’s email address, and other relevant information to set up an "Apple account." This data will essentially ensure that nobody skirts the ‘two per head’ rule even though there is no ‘cash only’ rule.
"And then it came to our attention that Diane (Campbell), was very interested in buying an iPad with cash, and we made a decision today to change that."
"We want to make sure it's as fair as possible for people to get iPads," Ron Johnson, a senior vice president at Apple.
Not only that, Apple ensured that a free iPad was delivered to Campbell's house.
Launched last month, the iPad is a tablet computer used for Internet browsing, media consumption, gaming, and light content creation. As per estimates, Apple is selling a whopping 200,000 iPads per week in the United States.
