Apple store employee denies sale to Farsi speaker

[iammalcolmx]

Retail Apple Store employees = Customs officials in 2012. Didn't you know?

[ttt]

Preeeeetty sure US Customs doesn't contract enforcement out to Apple.

[druidp]

In other news, the Samsung Galaxy III looks to be better than the iPhone. (In case anyone wants a solid smartphone but now wishes to go anti-Mac.)

[Deleted]

bahahahahahaha.

omg that's the most ridic thing I've ever heard.

[dylanite]

I feel the pain of these Iranians because I'm often asked if I'm Persian.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2012 15:37:08 GMT -5 dylanite said:

I feel the pain of these Iranians because I'm often asked if I'm Persian.

thats a very specific thing to ask someone.
i don't even know what persians look like.

[msmerymac]

That's a common policy for stores and businesses to have. I've seen it in business contracts.

That said, the dumbfuck working at the apple store clearly has a problem interpreting contracts. Ahmadinejad calls you up? Feel free to deny him an ipad.

[msmerymac]

Jun 20, 2012 15:35:42 GMT -5 druidp said:

In other news, the Samsung Galaxy III looks to be better than the iPhone. (In case anyone wants a solid smartphone but now wishes to go anti-Mac.)

That's a LITTLE over the top, IMO, given that this was a low-level employee of a large company who messed up.

Jun 20, 2012 15:37:08 GMT -5 dylanite said:

I feel the pain of these Iranians because I'm often asked if I'm Persian.

My cats are Persian. Truth. But they were born in Santa Barbara and don't speak Farsi.

[ttt]

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:51 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Wow. What is the Muslim population like in the Atlanta area? Here, that would be so, so weird. Every other person you meet is from an Islamic country, including Apple store employees. Is everyone just white or black in the area? It doesn't excuse this behavior, but might explain something?

Alpharetta is not known for its diversity.

[dylanite]

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:05 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:37:08 GMT -5 dylanite said:

I feel the pain of these Iranians because I'm often asked if I'm Persian.

thats a very specific thing to ask someone.
i don't even know what persians look like.

Yeah it's usually older women that ask me. I think it's because I have eyebrows like Jafar. And resplendent olive-toned skin.

[druidp]

Jun 20, 2012 15:41:07 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:35:42 GMT -5 druidp said:

In other news, the Samsung Galaxy III looks to be better than the iPhone. (In case anyone wants a solid smartphone but now wishes to go anti-Mac.)

That's a LITTLE over the top, IMO, given that this was a low-level employee of a large company who messed up.

You don't know the people I know.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2012 15:43:16 GMT -5 dylanite said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:05 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

thats a very specific thing to ask someone.
i don't even know what persians look like.

Yeah it's usually older women that ask me. I think it's because I have eyebrows like Jafar. And resplendent olive-toned skin.

old ladies are weird.

i will say it is a striking resemblance

[dylanite]

Jun 20, 2012 15:45:35 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:43:16 GMT -5 dylanite said:

Yeah it's usually older women that ask me. I think it's because I have eyebrows like Jafar. And resplendent olive-toned skin.

old ladies are weird.

i will say it is a striking resemblance

Lol, see?! We're also both animal lovers.

[UMaineTeach]

right, buy one online. hows about send her a free one and retrain your staff to not be dumb.

[marie427]

Thank you Alpharetta Apple store worker for making us safer today.

[aurora]

Jun 20, 2012 15:32:37 GMT -5 toledo said:

HOLY.

www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/06/20/155440206/no-ipads-or-iphones-for-you-apple-store-clerk-tells-iranians

No iPads Or iPhones For You, Apple Store Clerk Tells Iranians
...
Sabet, the station adds, later got an apology from an Apple customer relations representative and was told that she could buy the iPad online. Still, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has "called on Apple to change its policy following reports of Farsi-speaking customers being denied service."
...

Honestly - your poorly-trained (racist?) employee declines a sale to me unlawfully, even if with intent to uphold misinterpreted company policy? You'd better be giving me that iPad, not suggesting I go out of my way to buy it online.

[iammalcolmx]

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:51 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Wow. What is the Muslim population like in the Atlanta area? Here, that would be so, so weird. Every other person you meet is from an Islamic country, including Apple store employees. Is everyone just white or black in the area? It doesn't excuse this behavior, but might explain something?

We have a substantial Persian community North of the city with fab restaurants. Our best friends here are Persian like we are always with their families during the holidays. We have a large Turkish population here as well( DELTA WHY is there no non-stop flight to Istanbul??) I am going to them if they have ever had any issues.

[iammalcolmx]

Jun 20, 2012 15:41:43 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:51 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Wow. What is the Muslim population like in the Atlanta area? Here, that would be so, so weird. Every other person you meet is from an Islamic country, including Apple store employees. Is everyone just white or black in the area? It doesn't excuse this behavior, but might explain something?

Alpharetta is not known for its diversity.

Did you read this happened at Perimeter as well?

[birkbop]

what a douchecanoe

[ttt]

Jun 21, 2012 8:22:44 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:41:43 GMT -5 ttt said:

Alpharetta is not known for its diversity.

Did you read this happened at Perimeter as well?

::headdesk::

You'd never know how diverse Atlanta is by the way some people act. You'd think they'd never seen anyone who isn't a fourth-generation American before.

[fernane]

Jun 20, 2012 15:39:05 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Jun 20, 2012 15:37:08 GMT -5 dylanite said:

I feel the pain of these Iranians because I'm often asked if I'm Persian.

thats a very specific thing to ask someone.
i don't even know what persians look like.

A lot of times you would t even be able to tell. One of my good friends is Persian and I didnt even know until I learned his family's story. He speaks Farsi with them but has lived in the US his entire life and also has perfect English.

[Deleted]

I *so* want to see this happen to anyone speaking Spanish at Apple stores in South Florida. I mean, we are pretty damn close to Cuba and heaven forbid I ever take my phone or ipad with me if I ever decide to visit my family there.

[ttt]

Jun 20, 2012 15:57:55 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

It just seems like an overeager employee. I went to a CLE lunch on export controls and it's crazy the types of things that could count. If you have some IP on your computer and fly over to China with it, that could be subject to export controls. All the lawyers, even parthers in different fields had their minds blown by the guy giving the talk. At the end of it, we just walked out and figured we would email him for almost anything that seemed tangentially related.

This was a big deal with I was a flight attendant. There were all kinds of rules and warnings about taking your laptops or electronics into certain countries because you might end up with it confiscated if you're not careful.

[madringal]

Man, I am glad I didn't tell my Apple sales guy that my family is from Iran when I got my Mac Pro last month!

[casmgn]

Jun 21, 2012 9:05:50 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

I'm disgusted that Apple is "not commenting".

I agree. I don't understand how they couldn't respond with a simple "We apologize to this customer for her experience and are assisting her with her purchase. We are taking the necessary steps to re-educate our retail employees about the application of this rule to avoid a similar situation in the future."