Apple loses a customer

DMB · 11-25-2011, 08:35 AM

I admit to liking Amazon. The customer experience is excellent. So perhaps I'm a bit spoiled. I thought Apple, being a large multinational, would offer something similar.

My daughter and son-in-law recently moved to Australia. He is by way of being an Apple fanboy and I decided some months ago that I would give him an iPad 2 for his birthday next month. I checked that Apple had an Australian website, so I thought I could go there and order it to be sent to him. I went through the whole online ordering process right up to the very end where I had to put in my billing address. I wanted to use a UK card, but the software allowed only US or Australian addresses.

So I fell at the last fence. Never mind, this morning I rang Apple UK to speak to sales support. I assumed they'd arrange it from my end but send the merchandise from their Oz store. No way. Apple Europe is quite separate and has effectively nothing to do with Apple Oz. So there was no way I could get any help from them.

Interestingly, I was thinking about buying myself an iPad some time in the middle of next year. So now they've lost two sales, because I'm sufficiently annoyed to feel I don't want to deal with such an unhelpful company.

I had Mac computers back in the 1980s and early 1990s, but have had nothing Apple since then. I have a certain amount of admiration for aspects of Apple, but not enough to take this kind of nonsense.

HarryT · 11-25-2011, 08:52 AM

You could always buy an iPad from a UK (or Swiss) Apple Store and post it to him.

kennyc · 11-25-2011, 09:25 AM

Why do companies make it so hard to give them money?

tubemonkey · 11-25-2011, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You could always buy an iPad from a UK (or Swiss) Apple Store and post it to him.

Isn't that going to cost a lot of money in shipping charges; and possible import fees?

DMB · 11-25-2011, 11:24 AM

I'd also be unlikely to get it to him in time.

Jim Lester · 11-25-2011, 11:42 AM

Did you try calling Apple Oz (or at least one of the stores) to see if you could do it that way?

tubemonkey · 11-25-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Lester

Did you try calling Apple Oz (or at least one of the stores) to see if you could do it that way?

Do they have international toll free calling?

monkeyluis · 11-25-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Why do companies make it so hard to give them money?

Its probably government regulations more than the companies. Who knows.

pwalker8 · 11-25-2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

Its probably government regulations more than the companies. Who knows.

This is pretty much it. Each country has it's own taxes and regulations. An example of this was that for a few weeks when the iPad first came out, Israel was confiscating iPads when people were trying to carry them in country because they had not yet been approved by the Israeli government.

Amazon gets dinged by customers all the time for the same reason. Why can't I buy something on the US web site and pay with a non US credit card? The basic answer is government regulation and legal liability. The reason that Apple has country specific web sites is because sales within that country is governed by that countries laws. I'm sure if Apple had it's way, they would have one website for everyone. It would be a lot more efficient and 9 times out of 10, the order is being shipped from the factory in China. But then, someone might find that it's cheaper to buy in a low tax country and ship the iPad to a high tax country and the high tax country fines Apple big bucks because they aren't getting the taxes that they feel are due them.

Terisa de morgan · 11-25-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Amazon gets dinged by customers all the time for the same reason. Why can't I buy something on the US web site and pay with a non US credit card? The basic answer is government regulation and legal liability.

Sorry, this I don't understand. Amazon.com is an US Web and I can buy electronic there with my Spanish card and my Spanish address. But it's easier for a company not being annoyed with this small details.

petermillard · 11-25-2011, 06:03 PM

Just a thought, but could you buy an iPad from Amazon to be shipped to Oz?

nohmi2 · 11-26-2011, 02:01 AM

I have had two K 1s, currently have two K 2s, plus an iPad2 and an iPod.

Quite frankly, I have become an Apple convert because they are much more

user-friendly.

Cheers
:

athlonkmf · 11-28-2011, 10:55 AM

Right... I also can't my US kindle to be repaired by Amazon germany.
I also can't let Amazon UK ship me books from orders made at Amazon Japan.

Why'd it be different for Apple?

And just a sidenote: when you have applecare, you get worldwide guarantee.

pwalker8 · 11-28-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

Right... I also can't my US kindle to be repaired by Amazon germany.
I also can't let Amazon UK ship me books from orders made at Amazon Japan.

Why'd it be different for Apple?

And just a sidenote: when you have applecare, you get worldwide guarantee.

This is true. A friend of mine's daughter was doing a semester of study in New Zealand and had her mac go out on her. This was a mac that she bought in Atlanta, GA and had applecare. Apple fixed her mac in New Zealand at no charge. She didn't have to send it off to the US or anything like that, she just took it to the Apple dealer in New Zealand and they fixed it.

11-25-2011, 08:35 AM	#1
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	Apple loses a customer I admit to liking Amazon. The customer experience is excellent. So perhaps I'm a bit spoiled. I thought Apple, being a large multinational, would offer something similar. My daughter and son-in-law recently moved to Australia. He is by way of being an Apple fanboy and I decided some months ago that I would give him an iPad 2 for his birthday next month. I checked that Apple had an Australian website, so I thought I could go there and order it to be sent to him. I went through the whole online ordering process right up to the very end where I had to put in my billing address. I wanted to use a UK card, but the software allowed only US or Australian addresses. So I fell at the last fence. Never mind, this morning I rang Apple UK to speak to sales support. I assumed they'd arrange it from my end but send the merchandise from their Oz store. No way. Apple Europe is quite separate and has effectively nothing to do with Apple Oz. So there was no way I could get any help from them. Interestingly, I was thinking about buying myself an iPad some time in the middle of next year. So now they've lost two sales, because I'm sufficiently annoyed to feel I don't want to deal with such an unhelpful company. I had Mac computers back in the 1980s and early 1990s, but have had nothing Apple since then. I have a certain amount of admiration for aspects of Apple, but not enough to take this kind of nonsense.

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11-25-2011, 08:52 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You could always buy an iPad from a UK (or Swiss) Apple Store and post it to him.

11-25-2011, 09:25 AM	#3
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,930 Karma: 119747553 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2 & PW, Onyx Boox Go6	Why do companies make it so hard to give them money?

11-25-2011, 11:24 AM	#5
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	I'd also be unlikely to get it to him in time.

11-25-2011, 11:42 AM	#6
Jim Lester Evangelist Posts: 416 Karma: 14682 Join Date: May 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Device: Nook HD, Nook for Windows 8	Did you try calling Apple Oz (or at least one of the stores) to see if you could do it that way?

11-25-2011, 06:03 PM	#11
petermillard Evangelist Posts: 496 Karma: 2384998 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: London, UK Device: iPad, iPhone, K3 & Amazon - between them they cover my needs.	Just a thought, but could you buy an iPad from Amazon to be shipped to Oz?

11-26-2011, 02:01 AM	#12
nohmi2 Pensively observing. Posts: 1,758 Karma: 12675456 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Varied.	I have had two K 1s, currently have two K 2s, plus an iPad2 and an iPod. Quite frankly, I have become an Apple convert because they are much more user-friendly. Cheers :

11-28-2011, 10:55 AM	#13
athlonkmf Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 1014039 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3, Sony PRS350, iPad 64GB	Right... I also can't my US kindle to be repaired by Amazon germany. I also can't let Amazon UK ship me books from orders made at Amazon Japan. Why'd it be different for Apple? And just a sidenote: when you have applecare, you get worldwide guarantee.