Mobile Phone News

Want to check out the iPhone at an Apple Store? It’s going to cost you $5.

By Will Park on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 2:26 pm PST In Announcements, Apple, iPhone

Given the huge success of the Apple iPhone, it’s not surprise that throngs of windows shoppers have hit their local Apple Store to get a chance to play with the almost iconic device. What is surprising is Apple’s newest move to help curb the incredible crowds that have started to inundate Apple Stores. Following a successful pilot program in Canoga Park, California, Apple Stores across the nation may start to institute a $5 “cover charge” for iPhone window shoppers.

Elitist Apple Store

Vince Sciopiano, vice president for Apple’s retail stores, said that, “Part of the move was to limit crowds to keep the stores safe, but also we wanted to keep the right kind of people in the stores. By ‘right kind of people’ I mean true Apple customers with money, willing to pay just to look at our newest wares.”

Shoppers would buy a $5 badge that would track the customer’s movements throughout the Apple Store. Upon purchasing an item, the $5 entrance fee would be deducted from the purchase price.

However, Mr. Sciopiano’s statement that Apple wants to limit entry into their stores to people “with money, willing to pay just to look a” Apple products seems a bit elitist. Sciopiano asserts, “That’s exactly the case.”

Update:
Turns out the source of this story was a parody of Apple’s techno-snobbery. Hilarious.

[Via: Tech.co.uk]

Image courtesy of CartoonStock

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4 reader comments on “Want to check out the iPhone at an Apple Store? It’s going to cost you $5.”

  1. Darren says:

    We all, of course, realise that BBSpot is a parody site? Right? Right?

    http://www.bbspot.com/News/2007/07/apple-store-to-being-charging-entrance-fee.html

    :wink:

  2. Darren says:

    We all, of course, realise that BBSpot is a parody website right? Right???

    http://www.bbspot.com/News/2007/07/apple-store-to-being-charging-entrance-fee.html

    :wink:

  3. Will Park says:

    No, I didn’t. But that just makes this whole thing hilarious!!

  4. » The iPhone form factor is the future | John Carroll | ZDNet.com says:

    [...] an iPhone this past weekend. Fortunately, I did this before Apple stores started to charge $5.00 just to view the phone, an attempt at controlling the crowds of window-shoppers at Apple stores, but would have ensured [...]

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