Apple NOT ACCEPTING CASH FOR iPHONE!!

[socalkevin21]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/

And also limits iPhone purchasing to 2 per person. This is ridiculous.... Nowhere I know has EVER rejected cash... This pisses me off enough to consider returning my 4 day old MacBook Pro.

[jjvaldez]

is there a law against this kinda stuff?? dont you need a credit/debit card to activate it anyway[ i could be totally wrong on this]

[socalkevin21]

is there a law against this kinda stuff?? dont you need a credit/debit card to activate it anyway[ i could be totally wrong on this]

Right on the cash it says "This note is Legal Tender for all debts, Public and Private"

[jjvaldez]

yea .. im just wondering can a person just tell the apple rep at the counter, im covered by "XXXXX" law" i can get this with cash.. or is there not a specific law for that... this is just horrible for those that dont want to use their plastic..... this is lame

[socalkevin21]

yea .. im just wondering can a person just tell the apple rep at the counter, im covered by "XXXXX" law" i can get this with cash.. or is there not a specific law for that... this is just horrible for those that dont want to use their plastic..... this is lame

Yeah man I feel you.... This may SLOW DOWN resellers but they are going to lose LEGIT customers too. I am already going to switch to T-Mobile soon. People are just gonna start buying with Apple Gift Cards or Pre Paid Credit cards. You cannot stop the devoted!!!

[jjvaldez]

yea that is true... i am on the side of the cash buyers, that is how i got mine, but my question is can apply legally say this item can be bought only with card, i mean, it is the CASH that makes the card.. right?

[socalkevin21]

yea that is true... i am on the side of the cash buyers, that is how i got mine, but my question is can apply legally say this item can be bought only with card, i mean, it is the CASH that makes the card.. right?

Okay... here is why they are pissed. People were going in and buying 5 phones at a time... and when Apple asked them to sign the "disclaimer" stating that they were not going to resell them, people used a fake name and said "I only have cash, I don't have an ID on me" , thus avoiding giving their real name. How I know that this was going down?? I have no idea :tounge: :2cool:

[ColsTiger]

They are just trying to protect their partner at&t. Apple guaranteed the iphone would be exclusive to at&t for five years. At&t ponied up the cash for the partnership and now Apple is trying to keep up their end of the deal.

[beej]

They are just trying to protect their partner at&t. Apple guaranteed the iphone would be exclusive to at&t for five years. At&t ponied up the cash for the partnership and now Apple is trying to keep up their end of the deal.

More than that, I'd be willing to bet Apple is "contractually obligated" to help AT&T maintain its lock on iphone service.

I don't think there's anything illegal about refusing cash. Just because it's legal tender doesn't mean a seller has to take it.

[thesaint]

What if a family of four is trying to buy 4 iPhones. How do they do it, dad buys 2 and mom buys 2? This sounds kinda crazy.

[z28black98]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/

And also limits iPhone purchasing to 2 per person. This is ridiculous.... Nowhere I know has EVER rejected cash... This pisses me off enough to consider returning my 4 day old MacBook Pro.


I was in my local apple store in the mall last sunday when they opened and saw a lady purchase an 8gb iphone with cash. I watched her get change back.

[hoits2000]

Yeah, it is illegal to not accept cash. This must be a rare case of an employee who is stupidly over stepping their boundries. I dont think apple is stupid enough as a whole to do this.

Oh by the way. FYI. I just learned this a few weeks ago.

You know when you go into a gas station or somewhere else and try to buy a pop, and then pay with a credit card? And then the guy says sorry cant take credit card if less then 5 purchase. That is also illegal. I never knew that.

[kdarling]

No, it's not illegal.

Unless you find a state law that says otherwise, any business can take or refuse any kind of payment.

http://www.treas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtml

However, it is stupid. When they write the history of the iPhone in ten years, it will be a course in how to piss off as many people as possible... between the price drop, missing features, ringtones, bricking, you name it. Apple is throwing away a lot of good will it used to have on its side.

[LauraBee]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/

And also limits iPhone purchasing to 2 per person. This is ridiculous.... Nowhere I know has EVER rejected cash... This pisses me off enough to consider returning my 4 day old MacBook Pro.

I just purchased an iPhone for my husband for our anniversary on 10-21-07 and paid cash for it. He only needed one phone so I don't know about the limit, but I drop lots of cash at my local Apple store and they never give me any grief about it. I'm just saying.

[paulomb]

went to the apple store in houston this week, they limit the 2 iphones per person, and not only this, they have to used 2 different credit cards, meaning they will ring up one phone with one card and the second iphone with a different credit card, "thats the rule" they said to me...

they told me i you want to buy more than 2 at the same time, they have to get your info and approval which takes 24 hours to get cleared. stupid i know

then i went to eh AT&T store and bought 2, paid one with credit card and since my other card didnt had anymore funds, they took cash for the second phone...

[scandalex]

I just purchased an iPhone for my husband for our anniversary on 10-21-07 and paid cash for it. He only needed one phone so I don't know about the limit, but I drop lots of cash at my local Apple store and they never give me any grief about it. I'm just saying.

I'm just saying it right along with you. I buy mad stuff from the Apple store. I'd rather pay in cash as opposed to racking up yet another charge on my card. By the time I leave the store, I would say at least 70% of the time, my purchase is more than $100.

I am not understanding the logic behind this simply because its not as though the iPhone is being activated in-store. Even if a credit card was used, who says that has to be the card used when activating the phone thru iTunes?

Well, if this is how its going to fly, I cant wait to see what the next set of sales numbers looks like for Apple.

[mernst]

well I'm not paying my taxes....

[falsetigerlimbs]

Seriously? I almost paid for mine in cash when I got it back in July...good thing I didn't try to do that. O_O

[Youngbinks]

This just seems absolutely ridiculous. On iDay I went to an AT&T and paid for mine in cash and I know that a lot of people behind me probably did the same. I really don't see how not accepting cash is going to resolve anything. My parents have amazing credit but we still like to pay in cash whenever possible for the convenience of it (ie, not having to wait for the bill, then sending in cash, seems kind of repetitive) and this definitely dampers that possibility for many customers.

[Woofus]

I must be WAY out of touch here..maybe it's just old age?!?

But, what's the big deal, really?

Is anyone here planning to go to the Apple store in the near future and buy a dozen more Iphones with cash?

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I don't often carry large amounts of cash with me. I seldom carry cash at all.

I use the debit card. No fees, no extra costs, no problemo.

[eTEK]

i bought mine a week ago with cash =] haha good thing i bought it early.

[xcissexc]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/

And also limits iPhone purchasing to 2 per person. This is ridiculous.... Nowhere I know has EVER rejected cash... This pisses me off enough to consider returning my 4 day old MacBook Pro.

i bought my iphone at an apple store and i was able to pay cash. this was a week after the phone came out so idk if that makes a diff.

[Silverado]

That's almost unbelievable and they can't get a way with it for long (if it's true).

What they CAN do is stop selling them without them being activated first (i.e., like when you buy any other phone from AT&T). You would activate in the store as part of the transaction. That would legally require a credit check, unless you go with a pay as you go plan, which they might start disallowing. I can see them going that way to achieve their goals.

[socalkevin21]

I was in my local apple store in the mall last sunday when they opened and saw a lady purchase an 8gb iphone with cash. I watched her get change back.

This started this weekend

[socalkevin21]

Seriously? I almost paid for mine in cash when I got it back in July...good thing I didn't try to do that. O_O

OKAY, THIS STARTED THIS WEEKEND!!!!

[bsharp]

It speaks quite loudly about how popular the iPhone is. They have to place restrictions on people who want to buy more than 2 (for obviously nefarious purposes).

Also, can't you just buy an Apple Gift card (or 5 or 6), and then turn around and buy the phone with the gift card?

[mrmacbook]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/

And also limits iPhone purchasing to 2 per person. This is ridiculous.... Nowhere I know has EVER rejected cash... This pisses me off enough to consider returning my 4 day old MacBook Pro.

I bought my iphone on iday and paid in cash. It seemed like a hassle to them, but they took cash. They had several lines going and apparently I was stupid and got in a credit card line.

[FlyersPhanatic9]

yea this is simply because way to many people are buying them with cash (as not to be tracked)
and then unlocking and selling them for profit
as much as i dislike ATT, even though i am with them, they did pay up to be exclusive

[morpheoussc400]

I must be WAY out of touch here..maybe it's just old age?!?

But, what's the big deal, really?

Is anyone here planning to go to the Apple store in the near future and buy a dozen more Iphones with cash?

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I don't often carry large amounts of cash with me. I seldom carry cash at all.

I use the debit card. No fees, no extra costs, no problemo.

Same here, I seldom do any transactions (large transactions) with cash. I think its just the fact that someone is telling you that you can't do it thats pissing everyone off. Honestly, unless you don't have a bank account, or you are planning on reselling the phone, there is no real reason why you need cash.

[Indy]

What if a family of four is trying to buy 4 iPhones. How do they do it, dad buys 2 and mom buys 2? This sounds kinda crazy.

I agree....and how ridiculous this whole thing is...

[Swagger]

yea this is simply because way to many people are buying them with cash (as not to be tracked)
and then unlocking and selling them for profit
as much as i dislike ATT, even though i am with them, they did pay up to be exclusive

Why does everyone keep saying, AT&T "PAID" to have the iPhone exclusively??? No AT&T didn't pay, We (iPhone) owners paid for AT&T to have the iPhone exclusively. I know of NO other phone that you buy, and sign a 2 year contract, and DON'T get some type of discount or other subsidy. So please stop saying AT&T paid for something that, (We) the consumer paid for..

I love Apple products, but I am not sure that I want to continue to purchase products, from a company that imposes such dictator type control, over their offerings. I believe that Apple is setting precedents , that will be emulated by other business's, and most certainly bad for consumers. Apple is on a roll right now, why do they continue to hinder their growth, with bad policies??? M

[el31415]

You all just forget one think you are giving your freedom away.

Not only they sell you a locked iphone and they force you to pay with credit card.( just wait until someone is going to sue them for credit card fee)
anyway if you are not happy just don't buy from apple.
They just try to discourage the "wholesale" buyer who are going to unlock them and sell them on ebay or over sea
My wild guess is since they don't have to much legal ground or will on stoping or prosecuting these "wholesaler" they just try to make live more difficult for them

see my previous post to show you some result of this policy

http://www.everythingiphone.com/forum/general-discussion/no-iphone-for-illegal-alien-no-way-jose-15107.html

[el31415]

You all just forget one think you are giving your freedom away.

Not only they sell you a locked iphone and they force you to pay with credit card.( just wait until someone is going to sue them for credit card fee)
anyway if you are not happy just don't buy from apple.
And also all these is BS if apple really want to make sure you are going to activate your iPhone they just have do it on the spot right there.
They just try to discourage the "wholesale" buyer who are going to unlock them and sell them on ebay or over sea
My wild guess is since they don't have to much legal ground or will on stoping or prosecuting these "wholesaler" they just try to make live more difficult for them

see my previous post to show you some result of this policy

http://www.everythingiphone.com/forum/general-discussion/no-iphone-for-illegal-alien-no-way-jose-15107.html


P.S, also that incovenience will not stop people from buying and reselling the iphone just get all your friends and multiply that by 2 iPhones each and by as many apple store as you have around you and by as many time as they are willing to get you iPhones = you will get enought iPhone to retire

[Silverado]

No, it's not illegal.

Unless you find a state law that says otherwise, any business can take or refuse any kind of payment.

http://www.treas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtml

However, it is stupid. When they write the history of the iPhone in ten years, it will be a course in how to piss off as many people as possible... between the price drop, missing features, ringtones, bricking, you name it. Apple is throwing away a lot of good will it used to have on its side.

Thank you for debunking that popular myth!

What is odd about this situation is that Apple would accept cash for other stuff, but not the iPhone, which makes them look petty.

I think it would be best for their purposes to stop selling them unactivated and gear up to do activation in the stores as part of the sale like most other mobile phone purchases. This will require the regular credit check, etc which will achieve their goal without looking petty.

[scandalex]

Thank you for debunking that popular myth!

What is odd about this situation is that Apple would accept cash for other stuff, but not the iPhone, which makes them look petty.

I think it would be best for their purposes to stop selling them unactivated and gear up to do activation in the stores as part of the sale like most other mobile phone purchases. This will require the regular credit check, etc which will achieve their goal without looking petty.

I agree, but Apple is too busy trying to incorporate iTunes into everything.... updates, activation. Soon no one will be able to wipe their own a$$ without iTunes.

[socalkevin21]

Apple turned me away from buying an iPhone today with a gift card. I called other apple stores and it is a corporate policy. Is this legal??? How can they sell a gift card and restrict the items it can be used on??

[Indy]

Apple turned me away from buying an iPhone today with a gift card. I called other apple stores and it is a corporate policy. Is this legal??? How can they sell a gift card and restrict the items it can be used on??

That's just stoopid...

[Swagger]

Apple turned me away from buying an iPhone today with a gift card. I called other apple stores and it is a corporate policy. Is this legal??? How can they sell a gift card and restrict the items it can be used on??

I guess next, Apple will require us to give up our first born son, to buy, own or update an iPhone. The control freak thing, is getting very old, as well as very petty!!! M :angry:

[stevetim]

Apple made a deal with the devil(ATT), but Apple doesn't give up it's own soul in the end. We are the ones paying for exclusivity...for FIVE??? years?

Apple would do well to dissolve this deal anyway possible, seeing as how popular the phone IS, and WOULD, be, anywhere on any carrier.

[ravman]

I bought 4 iPhones from the AT&T store this Friday just gone. If the Apple store rejects you, just go to the AT&T store, they will sell you however many you need.

I know if you register with the Apple store for some business agreement, they will sell you however many iPhones you want. But I'm not sure what is involved in registering for this process, in terms of requirements etc.

I think Apple is getting worse than Microsoft. But unlike Microsoft, we can live without Apple products.

[shawn]

Don't fret. I'm sure Apple will realize their mistake and come up with a solution for cash buyers. Maybe a tattooed serial number on each Apple customer's right arm that matches their EIN, or possibly a blood sample can be drawn for Apple's DNA database. Something like this will surely prevent buyers from garnering more than their allotted two phones. Apple is not a beast, so it's OK to take their mark.

Steve won't alienate his cash minions.

[tonyj81]

While i think this is a very drastic approach, I can see in certain perspectives how it might be necessary.

The obvious is yes, people are purchasing the product in bulk to unlock and resell for profit. Most know this is going on so why would we feel a company doesn't have the right to protect itself. Regardless of who pays for it, Apple is under contract to keep the phone exclusive. This drums up for business for AT&t, and I'm sure they are very happy with the turnaround they have had since the release of the iPhone... If Apple doesn't try to regulate this in some sort of manner, what kind of credibility can they truly hold onto as a business. I do agree something simpler might be, yes, making the activation a process at the store just like any other phone. For whatever reason this isn't possible and to be honest I can truly care less.

Then we run into the age old problem of, "I don't want to be told what to do!" I believe this is the major uproar of this topic. Think about it, how much of our population has some for of credit card, a huge one being a Bank Check Card. Those aren't even true lines of credit, it's just deducted from your account right away. It's all I use, I don't even carry cash anymore. I believe people are out there that don't want to keep some form of a credit line because they don't want to take any risks in damaging their name. I also believe people out there only use cash because something fishy is floating around. But to each person is his own, once again I could truly care less.

When running a business there is always tough decisions to be made. DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE APPLE MADE THIS DECISION WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE REPURCUSSIONS THAT CAN COME FROM IT? Once again folks they are only trying to protect themselves in the deal they have made as a company.

Before the the flame posts come out on this, all im saying is try and think about it from Apples point of view, as a business they really don't wan't to alienate potential customers. Will this hold, I don't think they will keep it forever, maybe just enough to deter whyever they needed to implement this in the first place. And remember they are still the same company you were so happy to support in the first place by going out and purchasing your phone. Those who are true to their convictions will maybe return products or truly never purchase again, and that is the beauty of our lives we have those options. With all the anti-Apple talk going on I guarantee that # still wont be large and that is what I find funny about so many posts in these forums.

Just my opinion like you all had an opportunity to do........

[stevetim]

Since I live in an area VERY popular area with South Americans, and tourists in general, there are a lot of poor english speaking people that frequent my local Apple Store.

I have noticed that the Apple Store employees are definitely denying cash iPone payments, and now they are starting to ask people if they live outside of the U.S.

I have not seen anyone that is a non US resident denied an iPhone, but this seems like it may be the next step in Apple's strategy to appease AT&T's part of the pie.

[Staszek]

Wow, ummm is this really that big a deal?

As others have said this really doesnt affect you much unless you are buying them in bulk.

I mean really how many people dont have a Debit card these days. Its the same as cash and you dont carry a balance.

Honestly the only people that I know who dont have debit cards are maybe people under 18 (and many of them do) and my grandma, and believe me my grandma wouldnt even know how to turn a regular cell phone on so I doubt she is buying and iphone for cash.

Another thing do you really think that Apple wants to not accept cash and they made this decision lightly, for every credit/debit card purchase they have to pay a fee, with cash they dont so its not like this decision doesnt hurt a little for them.

[SmartAlx]

It doesn't hurt all of us directly. But it does hurt us all indirectly because it is evidence of the power that Steve thinks he has over us. If we dont rise up and tell him that we aren't going to be dictated to, then hid dictatorship will only get worse.

[SmartAlx]

No, it's not illegal.

Unless you find a state law that says otherwise, any business can take or refuse any kind of payment.

http://www.treas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtmlHas this been tested in court? Just because the treasuru department says it's legal doesnt make it so. The corts decide whats legal, not private for profit pseudo-governmental institutions. The treasury department, IRS, and Federal Reserve are in bed together. The all love to put unsupported "information" on their websites. And this website absolutely has that manipulative stench all over it. I cant quite but my finger on it, but there is something not quite right about that website.

[kdarling]

When running a business there is always tough decisions to be made. DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE APPLE MADE THIS DECISION WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE REPURCUSSIONS THAT CAN COME FROM IT? ...

Oh yes, absolutely. In almost everything, they managed to make people angry.

The lack of information, even reviews, until the last second, in order to hide what's missing.
The initial price gouge, then giving just a gift certificate so you can spend more at Apple.
Barring native app development, until the drumbeat was so loud they had to give in.
Taking backhanded steps to relock phones.
Accepting unlocking sales in order to get to their million mark, then flipping around and trying to stop them, using a lame excuse of wanting to conserve phones for Christmas.Basically, Apple has taken the low road at nearly every turn. Yes, it's deliberate. No, I think they're surprised at how much people complain. Why? Because the phone market is not the iPod or Mac fanboy market.

[Indy]

Oh yes, absolutely. In almost everything, they managed to make people angry.

The lack of information, even reviews, until the last second, in order to hide what's missing.
The initial price gouge, then giving just a gift certificate so you can spend more at Apple.
Barring native app development, until the drumbeat was so loud they had to give in.
Taking backhanded steps to relock phones.
Accepting unlocking sales in order to get to their million mark, then flipping around and trying to stop them, using a lame excuse of wanting to conserve phones for Christmas.Basically, Apple has taken the low road at nearly every turn. Yes, it's deliberate. No, I think they're surprised at how much people complain. Why? Because the phone market is not the iPod or Mac fanboy market.

Amen to that....:smile:

[najoonoo]

Has this been tested in court? Just because the treasuru department says it's legal doesnt make it so. The corts decide whats legal, not private for profit pseudo-governmental institutions. The treasury department, IRS, and Federal Reserve are in bed together. The all love to put unsupported "information" on their websites. And this website absolutely has that manipulative stench all over it. I cant quite but my finger on it, but there is something not quite right about that website.

Has your statement been tested in court? You get cash payment from your customer (service, good, or whatever) and they give you this nasty $100 bill that you wouldn't even think to touch. What would you say?

By all I'm not defending Apple, but they have their own reason and their are doing their business as you have the right to do yours. If this is opposed to public opinion or against the law, they will get blamed for it and loss customers. It's their thing to do, as they are trying to protect their product.

I'm just researching for an iPhone now cuz my phone broke. And I think I would actually thank Apple doing this because many of the posts/articles I read were saying "free usage" of GPS, YouTube, SMS and everything you can do with an unlocked iPhone which should be only allowed to legally authorized iPhones. When I owned PSP, I did not care thing about using hacked firmware, and still didn't use them , but when I read about iPhone, man I could not believe that it was even possible to snitch all those service for free. With PSP and ordinary hacking, you only use what they made already, just the licensing, which does hurt the authors, but does not cost them directly. But with iPhone hacking, wow... Basically paying ATT customers will have to take care of those bills accumulated for the hacked users.

This type of things rarely came up to surface in the past, but with current internet tech, they are talking about millions of dollars of loss.

I do acknowledge that some people will not have a debit/credit card. In that case, maybe Apple can make some arrangement, like showing proper ID, saying why they have to pay cash and signiture with bunch of reasons underprinted not to resell and etc.

By all mean I'm not defending Apple, but IF I was in business to sell iPhone, I would try to regulate high volume sales to one customer by all mean. And if you are an ATT customer, you should appreciate it because you won't be paying for what other non-paying people are using. If you are using a "service" you should pay for it.

[najoonoo]

Oh yes, absolutely. In almost everything, they managed to make people angry.

The lack of information, even reviews, until the last second, in order to hide what's missing.
The initial price gouge, then giving just a gift certificate so you can spend more at Apple.
Barring native app development, until the drumbeat was so loud they had to give in.
Taking backhanded steps to relock phones.
Accepting unlocking sales in order to get to their million mark, then flipping around and trying to stop them, using a lame excuse of wanting to conserve phones for Christmas.Basically, Apple has taken the low road at nearly every turn. Yes, it's deliberate. No, I think they're surprised at how much people complain. Why? Because the phone market is not the iPod or Mac fanboy market.


Basically Apple targetted those who won't come to the forum and read complains and etc.

% happy with iPhone > %(who actively research iPhone's capability, desire more out of it, etc and etc)

Basically it comes to $$$$$ > portion of customers.

That's their decision and if they proved to be wrong, it shows on the market and then public knows. To be honest, knowing all the things Apple did wrong, iPhone will not go down, meaning they will make money. I don't see public recongnizing ANY of the pts. from what you posted, although enthusists see everything. Hopefully public will have some response, but I really doubt it. If you don't like it, don't use it. I'd hate to use an iPhone (tomorrow) but it's the only way to get out of my broken phone as I'm bounded contract. I'm getting my iPhone tomorrow.

[kdarling]

... I don't see public recongnizing ANY of the pts. from what you posted, although enthusists see everything.

The rebate came from general public pressure, for one.

I suppose you could say that the calls for an SDK mostly come from enthusiasts, but aren't all iPhone owners enthusiasts by definition? :-)

[greenjbhsd]

I mean really how many people dont have a Debit card these days. Its the same as cash and you dont carry a balance.

It would tick me off as I use my REI rewards card for all my purchases and don't carry a balance on that. At the end of the year I get a dividend to spend at REI that is sometimes around 1000$. Everything I can put on this card I do for that reason. Some do it for frequent fly miles, others for cash back. I don't use my debit card unless I have no other option. But of course this is all me.

[SmartAlx]

I'm just researching for an iPhone now cuz my phone broke. And I think I would actually thank Apple doing this because many of the posts/articles I read were saying "free usage" of GPS, YouTube, SMS and everything you can do with an unlocked iPhone which should be only allowed to legally authorized iPhones. When I owned PSP, I did not care thing about using hacked firmware, and still didn't use them , but when I read about iPhone, man I could not believe that it was even possible to snitch all those service for free...

...But with iPhone hacking, wow... Basically paying ATT customers will have to take care of those bills accumulated for the hacked users...

...This type of things rarely came up to surface in the past, but with current internet tech, they are talking about millions of dollars of loss...

...And if you are an ATT customer, you should appreciate it because you won't be paying for what other non-paying people are using. If you are using a "service" you should pay for it.
Wow. No offense intended but your ignorance* is staggering. You need to do a bit more of that there research you were talking about. No one who modifies or unlocks their iPhone gets anything for free that they arent entitled to receive. They don't even get a reduced price or rate. Maybe some of the things you were seeing were people reactivating things that got broken by jailbreaking (modifying) their iPhones. I know that there have been issues with YouTube not working sometimes when some people unlocked their iPhones.

People that unlock or modify their iPhones don't sneak into a network and get something for free. That's not what it's about at all. They are AT&T customers all, or if they have unlocked their iPhones, they are with T-Mobile or Orange, or they are a customer of some other mobile provider. They all pay for the services they receive. The modifications are about people wanting additional features that are impossible to receive any other way. These features ARE available for free with modifications, but they are free simply because the people writing these applications give them out as freeware. They don't take anything away from Apple or AT&T or any other company at all.

The FACT is that modifying and even unlocking iPhones HELPS all parties involved, including Apple and even (in the long run) AT&T (because competition will encourage them to create better networks and in so doing be more attractive to a larger customer base.) It is this reason that so many of us are completely BAFFLED by Apple's reaction to iPhone modding. It can do nothing but HELP Apple. If the iPhone was locked down so much that you couldn't do anything with it, Apple would lose out on at least (I'm guessing) 10% of iPhone sales because there are many more options for phones that might not have the slick interface, but do allow you to install programs. Steve being a dictator is just stupid.

*ignorance isn't intended to be an insult. The definition of ignorance is simply that the person does not have the knowledge.