Apple refuses to sell iPads to American-Iranian citizens

[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Go back to Iran if you want to speak your own language!!! Bloody immigrants think they can buy our iPads. nunovlopes

I hope this is sarcasm...

MERCA' equality for all. amirite?

MERCA' equality for all. amirite?

sideskull

A business is allowed to sell its products to whoever they want to, like it or not.

kingkong0124

Not totally. There are certain status that cannot be descriminated against. Race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Actually it is my understanding that retailers aren't allowed to sell items to embargoed countries. In fact you can refuse sale to someone from one of these countries if you have reason to believe that the product itself may be shipped to the country.

http://www.asianlawcaucus.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IranReport2011-final.pdf

read pages 10-12

[QUOTE="nunovlopes"]

Can they even do this?

JasonGriffee

Technically under US export law, knowingly selling something destined for a embargoed country is a punishable offence. This is not Apple talking, this is the federal government:

http://www.bis.doc.gov/exportlicensingqanda.htm (Forth Question)

But she's an American citizen. How do they know that she plans to go to Iran?

Thats pretty sad in my mind, they are citizens

A business is allowed to sell its products to whoever they want to, like it or not.

kingkong0124

[QUOTE="sideskull"]

MERCA' equality for all. amirite?

LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="sideskull"]

MERCA' equality for all. amirite?

Ravensmash

I'm 100% positive all the racist comments on that article's page are by republicans.

Blue-Sky

It is unfair that only Iranian people are stopped from buying Apple-devices.

Other people might actually waste their money on that crap.

[QUOTE="JasonGriffee"]

[QUOTE="nunovlopes"]

Can they even do this?

nunovlopes

Technically under US export law, knowingly selling something destined for a embargoed country is a punishable offence. This is not Apple talking, this is the federal government:

http://www.bis.doc.gov/exportlicensingqanda.htm (Forth Question)

But she's an American citizen. How do they know that she plans to go to Iran?

another reason apple sucks.

I'm Latino, so i may not have as much trouble buying those products, but this almost makes me want to go to that store in particular to buy an iPad and give it to an Iranian while their managers watch the gesture.

They may not be able to sell to Iranians, as part of a despicable policy, but it never said that Iranians can't recieve 'em as gifts neither.:twisted:

[QUOTE="Blue-Sky"]

I'm 100% positive all the racist comments on that article's page are by republicans.

sonicare

I'm Latino, so i may not have as much trouble buying those products, but this almost makes me want to go to that store in particular to buy an iPad and give it to an Iranian while their managers watch the gesture.

They may not be able to sell to Iranians, as part of a despicable policy, but it never said that Iranians can't recieve 'em as gifts neither.:twisted:

_R34LiTY_

[QUOTE="_R34LiTY_"]

I'm Latino, so i may not have as much trouble buying those products, but this almost makes me want to go to that store in particular to buy an iPad and give it to an Iranian while their managers watch the gesture.

They may not be able to sell to Iranians, as part of a despicable policy, but it never said that Iranians can't recieve 'em as gifts neither.:twisted:

sonicare

I too would like to think that there is no policy like that described, but according to this news report, a manager showed the reporter a policy from Apple that prohibits the export/sale of apple good to iran.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBDFILJ8tkM

Maybe the managermisinterpreted the policy,....

[QUOTE="nunovlopes"]

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]Yeah, they can. Doesn't make it any less stupid.

thegerg

She's a US citizen. Surely it's discrimination at it worst. Apple should be severely fined for this.

Facepalm

Are you really that thick? It's an expression you dumbass. It doesn't mean it's the worst of all time.

Next thing we'll know is that they'll be buying our Chryslers. (From SNL):D

Can they even do this?

nunovlopes

Land of the free.

iRacism at it's finest.

weird considering they're from iRan.

Apparently it?s Apple policy not to sell anything to anyone from Iran.

A manager at the Apple Store in at North Point Mall says that is the reason a 19-year-old and one of her friends were turned away when they were heard speaking Farsi.

Sahar Sabet is a U.S. citizen and a UGA student. She was trying to buy an iPad and her friend wanted an iPhone. But their trip ended Thursday when an employ heard Sabet and her uncle speaking the wrong language.

"When we said 'Farsi, I'm from Iran,' he said, 'I just can't sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations,'" Sabet said.

A manager showed Channel 2 Action News Apple's policy. It said the exportation, sale or supply from the U.S. to Iran of any Apple goods is strictly prohibited without authorization by the U.S. government. The manager also says they have to rely on customers to be honest.

"Discrimination. Racially profiled. He didn't have any business asking me what country I was from," Sabet said.

Sabet is not the only person with this complaint.

"I would say if you're trying to buy an iPhone, don't tell them anything about Iran. That would be your best bet," said Zack Jafarzadeh, who had a similar experience at the Apple Store in Perimeter Mall.

Jafarzadeh says he and a friend from Iran were looking to buy an iPhone. His buddy was living in Atlanta on a visa.

"We never talked about him going back to Iran or anything like that. He was just speaking full-fledged Farsi and the representative came back and denied our sale," Jafarzadeh said.

Sabet said when she called Apple?s corporate customer relations, an employee apologized and told her she could buy the iPad online.

A representative for the U.S. State Department says it is illegal to travel to Iran with laptops or satellite cellphones without U.S. authorization.

That representative said she is not familiar with Apple enforcing that law.

Link

Hahaha, wtf Apple?

Aljosa23

Also I imagine most stores that sell apple products do not have workers that can understand Farsi.

Wait what? How is that not violation of civil right acts? sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="kingkong0124"]

A business is allowed to sell its products to whoever they want to, like it or not.

worlock77

Not totally. There are certain status that cannot be descriminated against. Race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

[QUOTE="BiancaDK"]question, TC if i choose not to give directions to a tourist, due to some machination of my own personal ignorance, would a descriptive thread title be "denmark refuses to help foreigners"?sonicare

Apple is just trying to comply with the law. The U.S. government has put sanctions on Iran and bans the export of certain dual use technologies (i.e. things that can be used for both civilian and military use) to Iran.

Also I imagine most stores that sell apple products do not have workers that can understand Farsi.

whipassmt

Finally, the article clearly says AMERICAN citizens. Assuming that these people were buying stuff just so they can export it to Iran is silly and quite frankly racial profiling.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

Apple is just trying to comply with the law. The U.S. government has put sanctions on Iran and bans the export of certain dual use technologies (i.e. things that can be used for both civilian and military use) to Iran.

Also I imagine most stores that sell apple products do not have workers that can understand Farsi.

Aljosa23

Finally, the article clearly says AMERICAN citizens. Assuming that these people were buying stuff just so they can export it to Iran is silly and quite frankly racial profiling.

Well maybe Apple just doesn't want to take the chance of getting in trouble if those iPads do get smuggled into Iran and used to hack our drones.whipassmt

[QUOTE="whipassmt"] Well maybe Apple just doesn't want to take the chance of getting in trouble if those iPads do get smuggled into Iran and used to hack our drones.Zeviander

[QUOTE="nunovlopes"]

Can they even do this?

Ilovegames1992

Land of the free.

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]

Apparently it?s Apple policy not to sell anything to anyone from Iran.

A manager at the Apple Store in at North Point Mall says that is the reason a 19-year-old and one of her friends were turned away when they were heard speaking Farsi.

Sahar Sabet is a U.S. citizen and a UGA student. She was trying to buy an iPad and her friend wanted an iPhone. But their trip ended Thursday when an employ heard Sabet and her uncle speaking the wrong language.

"When we said 'Farsi, I'm from Iran,' he said, 'I just can't sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations,'" Sabet said.

A manager showed Channel 2 Action News Apple's policy. It said the exportation, sale or supply from the U.S. to Iran of any Apple goods is strictly prohibited without authorization by the U.S. government. The manager also says they have to rely on customers to be honest.

"Discrimination. Racially profiled. He didn't have any business asking me what country I was from," Sabet said.

Sabet is not the only person with this complaint.

"I would say if you're trying to buy an iPhone, don't tell them anything about Iran. That would be your best bet," said Zack Jafarzadeh, who had a similar experience at the Apple Store in Perimeter Mall.

Jafarzadeh says he and a friend from Iran were looking to buy an iPhone. His buddy was living in Atlanta on a visa.

"We never talked about him going back to Iran or anything like that. He was just speaking full-fledged Farsi and the representative came back and denied our sale," Jafarzadeh said.

Sabet said when she called Apple?s corporate customer relations, an employee apologized and told her she could buy the iPad online.

A representative for the U.S. State Department says it is illegal to travel to Iran with laptops or satellite cellphones without U.S. authorization.

That representative said she is not familiar with Apple enforcing that law.

Link

Hahaha, wtf Apple?

whipassmt

Also I imagine most stores that sell apple products do not have workers that can understand Farsi.

I'm 100% positive all the racist comments on that article's page are by republicans.

Blue-Sky

As a private business they should be able to do whatever they want.mingmao3046

Apple is a piece of s**t of a company.

TC should edit title to: Iranian-American.

[QUOTE="mingmao3046"]As a private business they should be able to do whatever they want.sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

Apple is just trying to comply with the law. The U.S. government has put sanctions on Iran and bans the export of certain dual use technologies (i.e. things that can be used for both civilian and military use) to Iran.

Also I imagine most stores that sell apple products do not have workers that can understand Farsi.

whipassmt

Finally, the article clearly says AMERICAN citizens. Assuming that these people were buying stuff just so they can export it to Iran is silly and quite frankly racial profiling.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]Yeah, I'm gonna call bullsh1t on this. I highly doubt Apple gives a crap about any of that since a) it isn't their job to enforce American law and b) I doubt this particular employee even knows of that law.

Finally, the article clearly says AMERICAN citizens. Assuming that these people were buying stuff just so they can export it to Iran is silly and quite frankly racial profiling.

chessmaster1989