AT&T now limiting iPhone sales to one, requiring credit card

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
AT&T in an internal memo to its retail department on Wednesday instated a couple of new policies regarding sales of Apple Inc.'s increasingly hard-to-find iPhone, primarily that customers are allowed to purchase only one of the handsets until further notice.



"Effective May 14, 2008, customers can only purchase one iPhone at AT&T stores," reads a copy of the memo obtained by AppleInsider. "The prior limit of three iPhones is no longer in effect."



The exclusive US iPhone carrier said all requests to purchase more than one of the touch-screen handsets must be approved by a director or general manager, adding that cash and checks will no longer be accepted.



"Customers may only use credit or debit cards to purchase their iPhone," the memo says.



The move comes amongst a growing shortage of the handset worldwide, as Apple is believed to have ramped down or ceased production of the current 8 and 16GB models ahead of a new version that will run on so-called 3G networks.



Over the weekend, both of Apple's online stores in the US and UK stopped accepting new iPhone orders. Availability of the device overseas has faired littler better, with UK wireless partner O2 having run dry of its supply last week only to return bearing just the high end model.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    scollandscolland Posts: 6member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    and added that cash and credit cards will no longer be accepted.





    I think that's a typo, should be cash and checks.
  • Reply 2 of 51
    cubertcubert Posts: 728member
    Simply amazing that they won't accept cash. I understand checks, but cash?!?!? U.S. currency is no longer an acceptable payment method?



    Absolute crap!!!
  • Reply 3 of 51
    eduardoeduardo Posts: 181member
    As an aside-I can still make out the lettering that was suppossed to be blurred.
  • Reply 4 of 51
    eduardoeduardo Posts: 181member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubert View Post


    Simply amazing that they won't accept cash. I understand checks, but cash?!?!? U.S. currency is no longer an acceptable payment method?



    Absolute crap!!!



    Another sign of our weakened economy and weak U.S. Dollar!
  • Reply 5 of 51
    ktappektappe Posts: 823member
    Translation:

    "Uh oh, we ran out of iPhones earlier than we thought we would. Can't move the release of the new one up--Steve's got his WWDC keynote all worked out already. The dog & pony show must go on. What can we do? Oh! We can limit customers to one phone apiece. After all, we've got all those people rushing in to buy 17 at a time...."

  • Reply 6 of 51
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Jeez, no wonder the stock just got hammered. Bad move, boys.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    dogcowdogcow Posts: 713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubert View Post


    Simply amazing that they won't accept cash. I understand checks, but cash?!?!? U.S. currency is no longer an acceptable payment method?



    Absolute crap!!!



    http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/27/a...em-to-two-per/



    Apple was not accepting cash for a while, now AT&T is not. Apple also limited people to two iPhones. Nothing really new.
  • Reply 8 of 51
    wilcowilco Posts: 985member
    What does this have to do with homosexuals?
  • Reply 9 of 51
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wilco View Post


    What does this have to do with homosexuals?



    Yes, even gay customers are upset about this.
  • Reply 10 of 51
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubert View Post


    Simply amazing that they won't accept cash. I understand checks, but cash?!?!? U.S. currency is no longer an acceptable payment method?



    Absolute crap!!!



    As noted, Apple was doing this, but they had a limit of two and not one.



    How many people in the US carry $400+ in cash around?



    In this case, I think AT&T is trying to restrict sales so they don't all just go overseas. Their interest in the iPhone is to sell subscriptions, not just phones.
  • Reply 11 of 51
    hey guys, you need to help these people blur their photos a bit better. I could clearly read the "to:" category. Give that a whirl before someone who cares sees it.
  • Reply 12 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sausage&Onion View Post


    hey guys, you need to help these people blur their photos a bit better. I could clearly read the "to:" category. Give that a whirl before someone who cares sees it.



    Some region just got fired.
  • Reply 13 of 51
    jawportajawporta Posts: 140member
    It is strange, it may have to do with the combination of TRUST, people tend to steel cash, INFORMATION, when you use a CC they have your info which is great for their marketing department and finally the CC make more money, so maybe they give back to big companies now instead of charging them. Who knows, I'm sure it has to do with making more money.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Eduardo View Post


    Another sign of our weakened economy and weak U.S. Dollar!



  • Reply 14 of 51
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sausage&Onion View Post


    hey guys, you need to help these people blur their photos a bit better. I could clearly read the "to:" category. Give that a whirl before someone who cares sees it.



    Wow. Back when it was blurred, I couldn't make out crap.
  • Reply 15 of 51
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    How many people in the US carry $400+ around?



    I remember a figure of $300 as being the average amount a person carries around with them.
  • Reply 16 of 51
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    I remember a figure of $300 as being the average amount a person carries around with them.



    The only number I could find is $75, in 1995.



    http://www.walletpop.com/2008/05/12/...han-you-think/



    I did find a lot of economics discussions elsewhere on how much someone should carry, some of it there, but the discussion takes some big assumptions. It seems like a moot discussion, the time spent doing a cash transaction vs. just using a debit card for same seems nearly negligible to me. The time to count currency seems to be about equal to or more than the time it takes look at a piece of ID, swipe the card, and handle a single piece of paper and sign it. I think I've gone to an ATM about four times in my life.
  • Reply 17 of 51
    flounderflounder Posts: 2,674member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Jeez, no wonder the stock just got hammered. Bad move, boys.



    The NASDAQ was flat (up .1%) and apple wound up down 1.95%. Not a good day, certainly, but I'm not sure "hammered" is the best adjective.



    The drop did occur at the end of the day, so it seems probable this policy did at least contribute to the drop.
  • Reply 18 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubert View Post


    Simply amazing that they won't accept cash. I understand checks, but cash?!?!? U.S. currency is no longer an acceptable payment method?



    Absolute crap!!!



    The CC only may be to prevent people from bypassing the system and getting more than one. Although the phone should be tied in with an account, I'm sure someone would figure out a way to work around that, maybe by opening up a pay as you go account. With a CC it's easier to track and tell whether or not someone has already bought one. That's my guess, anyway.
  • Reply 19 of 51
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    I remember a figure of $300 as being the average amount a person carries around with them.



    Seems QUITE high.
  • Reply 20 of 51
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    So, what is the general take on: (1) Whether any/all of 8, 16, and 32GB models will be available in 3G; and (2) the likely price of each?



    (My family is thinking of what an appropriately-sized Apple gift card would be, for Fathers' Day! )
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