Key takeaways
- Apple Store staff allegedly pressed “Accept” on paid-service trials for customers without their consent, under a 40% sign-up target that Apple tracked as a performance metric, according to Louis Rossmann.
- Apple reportedly told stores that only the customer may press “Accept” and paused the metric, but it hasn’t commented publicly.
- My view: the same Apple that throws apps out of the App Store for tricky billing did it in its own stores. And it still can’t say one word to its customers.
Apple Store staff allegedly signed customers up for free trials of paid Apple services without their consent, pressing “Accept” on their own devices to hit a 40% sign-up target, according to repair advocate Louis Rossmann. Apple has reportedly ordered stores that only customers may press the button, but it has not commented publicly.
In this article: You paid $1,000. Here’s a “gift” · 40% is not a mistake. It’s a system · The App Store police does the same thing at home · Silence again · “Stopped”? For Christmas · It’s all the same Apple · What to do today · FAQ
You paid $1,000. Here’s a “gift”
Picture it. You walk into an Apple Store, you pay $1,000 or more for a new iPhone, and a friendly specialist sets it up for you. You think you’re in the most premium store in the world. And while you smile, someone presses “Accept” on a screen you never see. They call it a “gift.” Three months later, your card pays $20 or $30 a month for something you never asked for. For me, that’s not a gift. That’s a trap with a nice logo on it.
40% is not a mistake. It’s a system
Apple will probably say a few employees did something wrong. Sorry, but I don’t believe in “a few bad employees” when the company sets a 40% target and measures people by it. If you tell your staff that four out of ten customers must sign up, or your numbers look bad, you know exactly what will happen. The employees pressed the button. Apple built the button, set the target and put it on the wrong screen.
The App Store police does the same thing at home
This is the part that makes me angry. In April, Apple threw an app called Cal AI out of the App Store for “deceptive billing design.” Apple loves to play the police when other developers trick users into subscriptions. And in its own stores, with its own staff, it did something very similar. Rules for everyone else, a “gift” for Apple. It’s the same story as the 400 deepfake apps it defended: Apple tells us how safe and clean its world is, until someone outside shows us what’s really happening.
Silence again
Who found it? Not Apple. A YouTuber, Louis Rossmann. And what did Apple do? It read a memo to its staff at a morning meeting and said nothing to us, the customers. No apology, no statement, no “check your subscriptions.” This is the Apple I keep writing about: arrogant, and it doesn’t talk to its users anymore. We learn everything from others. A company that sells “privacy” and “trust” in every ad can’t stay silent when its own stores sign people up behind their backs.
“Stopped”? For Christmas
Apple supposedly removed the metric. But Apple pauses this exact metric every year in early November for the holiday season anyway. So did it stop because of the scandal, or because it’s November? My guess: after the holidays, quietly, the metric comes back with a new name. Remember my words.
It’s all the same Apple
Look at the last few weeks. Apple cut its own engineers’ AI to $25 a day, saved $2.7 billion in taxes through Singapore, and now its stores push subscriptions on people who just paid for a phone. It’s always the same direction: more money from us, less respect for us. Services are Apple’s money machine, and somebody inside clearly decided the machine needs more.
What to do today
If you bought anything in an Apple Store this year, open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and check the list. Cancel anything you didn’t choose. If you were charged for something you never agreed to, ask Apple for a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com. And next time in the store, set up your phone yourself, or watch every screen they touch. Nobody should have to do that in a store that charges premium prices. But here we are.
Also on Evolt News: Apple Defended 400 Deepfake Apps · Apple Saved $2.7 Billion in Taxes Through Singapore · Apple Cuts Its Own People’s AI to $25 a Day
Featured image: TungLawWanG / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
This article is opinion.
Apple Store subscription sign-ups: FAQ
What are Apple Store staff accused of?
Louis Rossmann says some staff pressed “Accept” on free trials of paid Apple services for customers without their consent, during in-store setup.
Why would staff do that?
Rossmann reports that Apple set a 40% sign-up target for these offers and tracked it as a performance metric.
What did Apple do?
According to a staff member quoted by Rossmann, stores were told that only customers may press “Accept,” and the sign-up metric was removed. Apple hasn’t commented publicly.
Is the metric gone for good?
Unclear. AppleInsider reports that Apple suspends this metric every November for the holiday season.
How do I check my Apple subscriptions?
On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Cancel anything you didn’t choose.
Can I get a refund?
You can request one at reportaproblem.apple.com for charges you didn’t authorize.
Sources: Louis Rossmann, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, MacRumors.
Our Take
A 40% target, an “Accept” button on the staff’s screen and a “gift” that turns into a monthly bill. That’s not a few bad employees, that’s a system Apple built.
The same Apple that bans apps for tricky billing did it in its own stores, and still hasn’t said a word to its customers. Check your subscriptions today.
