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No iPhone Without Credit Card
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:57:02 -0400
You begrudge Steve his $500 additional profit on ATT. djf Begin forwarded message: From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com> Date: October 29, 2007 11:42:14 AM EDT To: dave () farber net Cc: lauren () vortex com Subject: No iPhone Without Credit Card Dave, In what I think may be an unprecedented move for such a device, Apple is now reportedly refusing to sell iPhones for cash. If for whatever reason you're a person who doesn't have a credit card (or debit card -- and I assume they mean a debit card tied to a bank account, not an over-the-counter money card) -- they don't want you as a customer. ( http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3785374&page=1 ). Apples claims that this is to control "unauthorized" resales, but of course they won't be successful at that goal this way. Perhaps of more interest, I'm not entirely sure that such a policy is actually legal from a purchase nondiscrimination standpoint in this case. The entire area of requiring credit cards for goods or services seems rather nebulous.U.S. currency still supposedly is good for "all debts public and private."
I'm sure Apple lawyers know their stuff, but perhaps some IP readersspecializing in this area of economics could chime in with some thoughts.
Thanks. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com ------------------------------------------- Archives: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
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- No iPhone Without Credit Card David Farber (Oct 29)