Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

apples and oranges

(1,451 posts)
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:49 AM Jun 2012

Apple stores refuse to sell to customers who speak Farsi

It is being reported by WSB- TV this evening that two local Atlanta area Apple Stores have denied the sale of Apple products to customers who are of Iranian descent.

A college student from University of Georgia, Sahar Sabet went to the Apple store to purchase an iPad. The sales associate turned her away after the customer was heard speaking Farsi to her uncle.

The sales associate told the uncle that he could not sell to them because 'Our countries have bad relations.' Ms. Sabet is a U.S. citizen.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/326950

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Apple stores refuse to sell to customers who speak Farsi (Original Post) apples and oranges Jun 2012 OP
racist wingers are too stupid for words uponit7771 Jun 2012 #1
I'm sorry this is happening in Atlanta, but I do recall during the Atlanta Olympics... hlthe2b Jun 2012 #3
A friend of mine once attended a conference there... regnaD kciN Jun 2012 #5
Ok, now that was LOL funny.... hlthe2b Jun 2012 #7
This message was self-deleted by its author SidDithers Jun 2012 #2
Idiots are all around us malthaussen Jun 2012 #4
Yes... all retail Apple employees are taught to recognize Farsi in thier on line training videos Ellipsis Jun 2012 #6
Umm, the customer didn't try to purchase in Farsi...... marmar Jun 2012 #8
Farsi Georgia? n/t Ellipsis Jun 2012 #12
Umm, the employee overheard a conversation in Farsi...... jeff47 Jun 2012 #13
Duh....the post I replied to implies that the employee tried to converse with the salesperson.... marmar Jun 2012 #14
No, just sensational headlines. Ellipsis Jun 2012 #15
No, the post implies that the employees are tought to recognize Farsi jeff47 Jun 2012 #16
The salesperson and customer obviously had a conversation - there's no petronius Jun 2012 #20
Well, what about nice, friendly Afghans who speak Dari? The clerk's trained to tell the difference? leveymg Jun 2012 #23
People routinely jettison IQ points if they hear someone speaking unfamiliar languages. (nt) Posteritatis Jun 2012 #11
I would bet money the sales associate has already been fired. Quantess Jun 2012 #9
Ridiculous! Rosa Luxemburg Jun 2012 #10
Very impressive, I didn't realize that Apple sales associates hughee99 Jun 2012 #17
I can just imagine how red their faces would be ... lpbk2713 Jun 2012 #18
It is actually kind of impressive that they knew iranians speak farsi 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #22
I'm betting they've already been fired Marrah_G Jun 2012 #19
So it's ok to do business with China 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #21

hlthe2b

(102,276 posts)
3. I'm sorry this is happening in Atlanta, but I do recall during the Atlanta Olympics...
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:54 AM
Jun 2012

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)

a well reported story that the national ticket sales office had told callers from New Mexico that they would have to call back on the INTERNATIONAL line.

My sympathy to our lovely DUers from Atlanta, but I lived there in the past... There truly are a lot of stupid RWers there... yes, we have our share where I live too, but....

regnaD kciN

(26,044 posts)
5. A friend of mine once attended a conference there...
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:19 PM
Jun 2012

He went into the hotel cafe one morning and ordered an espresso, only to be told that they didn't serve alcoholic beverages.

Response to apples and oranges (Original post)

malthaussen

(17,195 posts)
4. Idiots are all around us
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:56 AM
Jun 2012

The late proprietor of one of Philadelphia's most famous steak sandwich purveyors had a sign in his window that said "We only take orders in English" or some such. This, in a neighborhood famously Italian, where he and most of the white population were only two or three steps from the Old Country. And I don't believe he saw the irony.

It does sound like someone in the local Apple command structure at Atlanta has been pushing his personal agenda. Hopefully he will be found and fired, but I doubt we'll ever hear anything about it.

-- Mal

Ellipsis

(9,124 posts)
6. Yes... all retail Apple employees are taught to recognize Farsi in thier on line training videos
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:30 PM
Jun 2012

What an absurd OP

marmar

(77,080 posts)
8. Umm, the customer didn't try to purchase in Farsi......
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:35 PM
Jun 2012

........ perhaps you should try reading again.


jeff47

(26,549 posts)
13. Umm, the employee overheard a conversation in Farsi......
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:56 PM
Jun 2012

........ perhaps you should try reading again.

marmar

(77,080 posts)
14. Duh....the post I replied to implies that the employee tried to converse with the salesperson....
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 01:01 PM
Jun 2012

..... in Farsi. Do you have a problem with someone speaking in Farsi to someone who speaks Farsi? Or is that to un-Murkan for you?

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
16. No, the post implies that the employees are tought to recognize Farsi
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 03:53 PM
Jun 2012

I don't know about you, but my untrained ear is not going to be able to tell Farsi from a host of other languages I don't speak.

petronius

(26,602 posts)
20. The salesperson and customer obviously had a conversation - there's no
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:53 PM
Jun 2012

reason to think he didn't ask what the language was and where it was spoken.

Sounds like the employee had an extremely screwed-up understanding of export restrictions and who/what they apply to, to go along with some (at best subconscious) biases...

leveymg

(36,418 posts)
23. Well, what about nice, friendly Afghans who speak Dari? The clerk's trained to tell the difference?
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 05:05 PM
Jun 2012

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
9. I would bet money the sales associate has already been fired.
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:36 PM
Jun 2012

This absolutely sounds like the actions of an individual employee.

hughee99

(16,113 posts)
17. Very impressive, I didn't realize that Apple sales associates
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:37 PM
Jun 2012

not only recognized Farsi, but knew in which countries it was spoken.

lpbk2713

(42,757 posts)
18. I can just imagine how red their faces would be ...
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:42 PM
Jun 2012



if in actuality they had been speaking a Native American dialect.


 

4th law of robotics

(6,801 posts)
21. So it's ok to do business with China
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 05:01 PM
Jun 2012

the actual country that we have so many concerns with (and that builds all those i-whatevers) but not with Iranian individuals who haven't really done anything.

Gotcha.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Apple stores refuse to se...