Apple no-cash policy for iPad takes some by surprise

Is there anything in Apple's retail policy regarding the barter of chickens?

Here is Canada. I paid for my 27" iMac, and my 13" MBP with cash. Because my credit limit (on credit card) was low. Maybe I should do the same with the iPad.

From what I was told by an Apple Store Employee it's about quality control. People buy these things (as they did with the phones) by the hundreds, and then sell them on the black market for huge mark ups. Apple knows it has something worth something (like I guess the Cabbage Patch kid, or whatever the hot fad is) and they want to ensure that you (the user) is getting a good product. She told me imagine if people started seeing fake ipads/iphones, they'd blame it on apple and people would be screaming at them because they didn't have 'quality control'.

Having said that, I still would like to believe that there could be a happy medium... maybe say not let someone pay $50,000 in cash for hundreds of iPads when you know obviously what they're up to.. reselling. But the store lady said that people would give people cash and send them in to buy more and more on a daily basis.. and she said Apple had to stop that.

As far as the cash issue, i think it's been pointed out enough what the law is. It's Apple's choice, I guess...

Why did not somebody with a credit card just purchase it for her in exhange for the cash. I am sure somebody did.

I am just saying this because it came to mind. I may be completely wrong on this but he it goes:
The KGO-TV story said she doesnt have a credit card because she doesnt have good credit. What about a bank account? I know that at my bank, if you walk in and have proof of ID and $25 to deposit, you can open a checking account and get a debit card for free WITH NO CREDIT CHECK. I would imaging that alot of banks all over the country are like this so why doesnt she open a checking account and get a debit card. I am also wondering how she pays her bills every month if she doesnt have a checking account. Does she put cash in an envelope and send it to the electric/water/etc company?

Just thought I would express my opinion. Thanks

"Apple's policy of not accepting cash is a direct slap in the face to hardworking Americans - and to our American way of life."

i thought that use the and abuse of credit cards is part of the American way of life, no pun intended.

This reminds me of the iTunes Card problem in Canada. You can spend $25 at Best Buy on a prepaid card using cash and then download $25 of music or movies no problem. Try to download an app, however, and you suddenly find that you can't do that and require a credit card due to some obscure tax laws.

This is indeed a dangerous situation. US Currency is Legal Tender and therefore cannot bet refused as the currency of transaction. In the State that I live in, the Apple Store accepts cash for all purchases so that it is in compliance with the retail regulations. Instead, they are using e-mail addresses to identify purchases and limit based on that.

I personally prefer to buy with cash when possible because it is a financial control mechanism for me. Credit Cards, and their unabated proliferation, are partially responsible for our current financial crisis.

As for the 2 - per customer limit. I know this is not a hard and fast rule for Apple. My brother has purchased 6 iPads (all with the same credit card). Some were gifts, but 3 were for him, his wife, and their kids. I have purchased 4 myself. 2 as gifts and 2 for personal use.

All in all - Apple is NOT being a good corporate citizen with this behavior and practice. For a company that claims to want to "bring computing to the masses" they are certainly catering to the elite in this case.

You are missing the point. Apple instituted the no-cash policy AFTER the demand became so strong they could not keep units in stock. This was specifically to ensure the U.S. end users would get ipads, not resellers.
The intention was to make it easier for U.S. residents to buy them, not harder. But they needed a way to track resellers and that's only possible using credit card data. Otherwise, all the ipads would have been on ebay at $1000 a pop, making money for resellers, instead of making end users in the U.S. happy with their new toys. If Apple was indeed a money-grubbing crap company, they would have sold them to anyone who wanted one; it's all revenue. But they didn't. And they instituted a procedure to reserve them for people who came in-store and found them sold out. It's easy to bash a company but, really, they didn't need to do any of the above, and if they had not, then you all would be screaming about how there were none available to purchase and Apple was money-grubbing and just interested in selling to resellers. Sheesh.

Picked up a wifi 32g two weeks ago. They let me use two gift cards on the purchase. It should be noted these only added up to $120. Madison,WI