It appears if you speak a foreign language when in an Apple store there is a possibility that depending on what language you speak, especially if you speak Farsi, as word is an Apple store in Georgia refused to sell an iPhone and Apple iPad to a 19-year old woman from Alpharetta when she and her uncle spoke Farsi.
According to the guys over at 9to5 Mac by way of WSBTV, US citizen Sahar Sabet along with her uncle recently visited an Apple store in North Pointe Mall in order to purchase an iPhone and Apple iPad, and whilst there they spoke in Farsi, an Iranian language, and apparently when an Apple employee overheard, he inquired what language it was.
Apparently Sabet answered the employee, to which he responded “I just can’t sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations.”
It appears this isn’t the first time this has happened at an Apple store, as apparently another Apple customer, Jack Jafarzadeh experienced the same kind of treatment when he accompanied a friend to purchase an iPhone at the Apple store in the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta.
Jafarzadeh told WSBTV, “We never talked about him going back to Iran or anything like that. He was just speaking full-fledged Farsi and the representative came back and denied our sale. I would say if you’re trying to buy an iPhone, don’t tell them anything about Iran. That would be your best bet.”
Apparently Sabet, along with WSBTV’s Amy Napier Viteri, returned to the Apple store on Monday, and captured the same Apple employee describing Apple’s policy that prohibits the sale of Apple gear to Iranians on video, whilst the manager showed them the policy that states the sale, supply or exportation of Apple products to Iran is forbidden with permission form the US government.
We have embedded a video of the WSBTV report below for those that would like to check it out, but it would appear if you speak Iranian, and want an iPhone or Apple iPad, speak English when going to purchase the device.