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800 Apple Employees get the boot after cashing in on rebates

Remember how jealous everyone got when Jobs announced that Apple was giving a free iPhone to each employee? Then remember the uproar caused by such an early price drop from $600 to $400? Ooh, ooh! Then, remember when Steve-O agreed to offer a $100 rebate for early adopters? Well, it seems that some of those employees in the first group, decided to play the system and cash in as though they were customers of the second group. And it might have cost them their job. About 800 people are rumored to have decided to willingly submit their $100 rebate on their free iPhone, and once Apple execs figured it out, it took no time at all to send them to the unemployment line. Too harsh? They say not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but that should probably be amended to say "especially when they give you a free iPhone, and it’s only $100."

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20 comment(s) for this post.

  1. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 11:15 am, rosegold Said:

    lol damn hey at least they got to keep their iphone I wonder how they figured it out…

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  2. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 11:39 am, victor Said:

    Serial numbers might have been an idea.

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  3. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 11:53 am, michael Said:

    Gee what about the Genius’s that hacked there phones and then bricked them and got a new one?

    Steve’s really pushing this. I sincerely hope that some one hacks this thing more than what has already been done.

    Anyone want to buy my iPhone?

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  4. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 12:28 pm, Dan Said:

    @ Michael

    What does that have to do with the article?

    The diffence is they paid for the phone so they can do with it what they please. While these ppl got a free phone and played the system to get a $100 out of it. Its two different subjects.

    I think it was kinda harsh however they did technically stole money, that rebate was offered to consumers who BOUGHT there phones and not for employees who got it for free.

    There lucky they didnt get into anthing like legal trouble. Not like any of them can sue Apple for something they werent suppose to do.

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  5. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 1:38 pm, victor Said:

    Also I am surprised so many people did this eventhough they had gotten it for free.

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  6. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 1:42 pm, Dtest5477 Said:

    These people are lucky all they lost was their jobs. This is stealing from your employer, just being fired seems like its being nice in this situation.

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  7. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 2:15 pm, chris Said:

    Atleast there playing it fair.

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  8. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 2:21 pm, scoopfeed Said:

    So Sad, Hope at least they get to keep 100$ as a souvenir. What say Mr Jobs.

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  9. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 2:46 pm, Jordan Brown Said:

    Yeah seriously? 800? That’s sounds a bit high..

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  10. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 3:05 pm, Jon Said:

    Hey BGR,

    Did you ever give out those iphones you had as a contest? I sure would love one if you still have ‘em!?

    Thanks!

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  11. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 10:37 pm, Tupman Said:

    Perhaps Mr. Jobs will consider this questionable action by his employees as feedback to the wages/benefits he pays them. Or, what I believe, is that they’re just greedy.

    Tupman

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  12. On Oct 20, 2007 @ 11:28 pm, somebody7 Said:

    They might have wanted to do layoffs, and this was the perfect way.

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  13. On Oct 21, 2007 @ 3:16 am, Galvatron Said:

    yeah thos 90 hour work weks are killer

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  14. On Oct 21, 2007 @ 9:18 am, TJhood Said:

    I think it is amazing that they had that many people get the very same idea and decide it would be a bright idea to actually do it.
    I wonder if they were ignorant enough to use internal company email accounts to pass along there great idea to there buddies.

    On the flip side I think companies knowingly hold out things like this as bait for people willing to break the rules. I don’t know that it is really a good thing to do but certainly effective.

    As an employee of any given place you have instances come up where you know you could do something like this. It just shows the integrity of these people and I wouldn’t want them working for or with me either.

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  15. On Oct 21, 2007 @ 9:40 am, Weave Said:

    Another scam some employees do is buy stuff for work and get reimbursed for it, then go file a rebate and get the cash back and don’t turn the rebate check back into their employer.

    It’s all dishonest and indicative that the employee may be stealing when other opportunities present themselves.

    Glad they were fired.

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  16. On Oct 21, 2007 @ 8:29 pm, mpty Said:

    I wouldn’t want to employ people that took their first opportunity to bilk their company of cash… Good on Apple for firing them, this coming from a shareholder.

    Although you have to think that 800 is a little exaggerated.. Transition issues just maybe?

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  17. On Oct 21, 2007 @ 9:25 pm, chuck Said:

    800 people? sounds likes bs to me. did anyone check up on this, or is it just a blind repost of a repost of a repost.

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  18. On Oct 22, 2007 @ 3:06 pm, Nedy78 Said:

    So what do you think happened to those employees who sold their free phone and the new owner decided to try and cash in on the rebate? Did any of you apple employees have to sign anything in order to receive the iphone?

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  19. On Oct 23, 2007 @ 3:10 am, nicole Said:

    Semi-related: has anyone heard why the iTunes activation server has been down since Sunday? No new iPhone activations have been processed for at least 48 hours if not longer… :-\

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  20. On Oct 23, 2007 @ 4:59 pm, ITsPennywise Said:

    Serves ‘em right! Just shows you how scandalous people in our society can be. These pieces of crap got a 600 dollar phone FOR FREE, which mind you, Apple did out of sheer generosity. And yet, these greedy scumbags still try and weasel a free $100 more out of Apple?

    Sickening. I’m glad they got canned!

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