Welcome to my iTunes Privacy Mountain
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How did the Apple store get my e-mail address when all I bought was a case for my iPhone? Several readers of this blog pointed out that I gave Apple my e-mail when I registered for iTunes. And that is true. I also now believe that AT&T didn't give my private information to Apple. And here's why I still think it's disturbing. All I gave the clerk at the Apple store was my credit card. It seems that in order to smooth my customer experience with Apple, the company has linked my credit card number, iTunes account and Apple's wireless point-of-sale check out devices. What bugs me is that I still haven't been able to wade through the 60-plus pages of license and terms of service that I had to accept to get iTunes and my iPhone activated. I think this is an example of Fleet of Lawyers vs. Average Consumer. Because Fleet of Lawyers works for the Very Large Corporation of America and wants to cross sell and up sell as much as possible, consumers are forced to "agree" to license terms that rival the paperwork associated with buying a home. In the case of Apple, their products "cross sold" me, in spite of the pool of legalese I had to wade through to get to the service they were selling, and in spite of the privacy that I know I'm giving up in order to use their services. I feel compelled to answer the reader who asked why I took a bag from the Apple store if I was just going to throw it away. The other half of my Apple Store experience was akin to that of walking into a bank vault. A security guard discreetly directed me to NOT take items from the wall to look at them unless I was accompanied by a sales person. While I was in the store, the anti-theft klaxon sounded twice, for a long time and very loudly. Even the herd of hyper Apple store clerks were looking around for someone to shut the darn thing off. So, after having blithely had my receipt e-mailed to me, it was clear the best way to get out of the stainless steel and glass tank was to put the little case, which I had practically been accused of trying to boost already, in what passed for a legitimate purchase, a store branded bag. Normally, I would decline such a bag. However, the Apple experience isn't really about environmentalism. After all, my iPhone and iPod will both get tossed when the battery gives out because there are no serviceable parts accessible to the user. |
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Comments (8)
The checkout people at the Apple stores with the handhelds ask for your email address to send you a receipt. Or did you forget this in the heat of bashing Apple.
You don't mention which store has had this rash of thefts. I've never encountered similar issues of "shell shocked" employees in any of the NYC stores.
Actually, not having any user removable battery increases the chances the the manufacturer, in this case Apple, will get their hands on the old battery and recyle it appropriately. Millions of users just chuck their old batteries into the dump, so this argument is spurious at best. Also, Apple will replace the battery for you. You may have to pay for the service if you are out of warranty.
Apple still has a long way to go on environmental issues, but the non user replaceable battery is not an environmental issue, but a convinience issue.
Posted by Taras | January 31, 2008 1:23 PM
I would suggest you have a look at EULAlyzer from javacool for guidance, the next time you hunker down to wade through an EULA.
Posted by ursamajoran | January 31, 2008 4:37 PM
Sounds like Apple's CRM system is doing just what it should. If you are going to throw away the Apple products please be sure to return them to Apple for recycling.
Posted by W D J | January 31, 2008 6:59 PM
If you are going to throw away your ipod or iphone, toss it to me! I am not afraid to buy a battery on ebay for $5 and put it in myself. Silly guy...
Posted by michael | February 1, 2008 12:51 PM
WOW....your experience is quite contrary to my experience, The Apple Store is par excellence!!!!
Posted by Dunham Swift | February 1, 2008 1:22 PM
I was also quite surprised when I bought Leopard from my local Apple store. I didn't quite get the security issues, as they were so busy no one really bothered me except the "greeters" at the door and the guy at the counter I needed to ask for the software since the space on the wall of software was out of was I wanted,
What I didn't understand was why standing at the registers out of maybe 5 sales, about 3 were done by the traditional register and the other 2 using the Symbol (now "Moto") scanner, including my purchase. We were right in front of a register, my items were scanned with the handheld, which I thought were maybe inventory control, I was asked fr my credit card, and signed the scanner and asked paper or e-mail recepit, then given a bag. I think he did ask to confirm my email address, but I also used my card to by my laptop.
What I did find erie was that my receipt in my email, had all of my info on it- not like a traditional store receipt, with the items bought, last 4 of the card #, xx/xx for the exp date and maybe an image of my signature. It had my name, address, home phone number, email address. Talk about too much info in one place and maybe an abuse of the use customer info...
Posted by Chris | February 4, 2008 10:41 PM
Cameron: I'm late to this discussion thread because I live in Canada and just read your blog in the dead-tree, February 4 edition of e-week that just arrived on my desk.
I had a similar experience when I bought an iPod Shuffle at the Apple store in Soho last year. The handheld-equipped clerk offered to email me my receipt, I said "Sure," and was just about to rattle off my email address when he recited it to me.
I was momentarily gobsmacked because I would have said I had no relationship with Apple, having never before bought anything from the company. But, of course, I did have a relationship; I had an iTunes account that, quite logically and with no sinister overtones, gives Apple both my credit card number and my email address.
Far from feeling my privacy had been invaded, I was quite impressed that their back office systems worked so well, so swiftly and so seamlessly. I thought it was an outstanding example of the superior customer service Apple has striven to deliver.
Posted by Francis | February 20, 2008 1:43 PM
My frustration is that whenever I buy something at the Apple Store (i did give them my email address the first time) they send it to my email address and it never arrives. Which makes it impossible to do returns, etc. I don't think this is smart.
They actually refused to print out the receipt for me when asked, even though I told them I didn't get them in my email.
And yes. I have checked my spam and all that. :)
Posted by john | May 3, 2008 5:17 PM