> 1) Why would redeeming a bad gift card result in a complete shut-down of the account?
Because they assume you stole the gift card and are therefore a criminal. As to why they're making the assumption that you are the criminal, not the actual criminal who successfully redeemed the gift card first, you've got me. Since either situation is possible.
> 2) Why is it seemingly impossible to get any support now unless you drum up a ton of press?
I'm as infuriated as you are.
> 3) Should companies be restricted from growing too large where they can’t support their customers?
Size has nothing to do with it. Plenty of small companies ignore their customers too. So I don't think this is the right solution.
> In my personal and professional experience, banks are the only companies that seem to actually know how to handle these issues appropriately when it comes to fraud or access.
There are plenty of horror stories with banks too. I'm not sure they're that much better at all.
"No Way To Fix This" Claims Only Digital Ecosystem Where Catastrophic Lockout Regularly Happens
I know the headline you're referencing, but "only digital ecosystem"? I'm pretty sure accounts getting blocked is an issue with all of them. So I don't know what point you're trying to make. It's certainly not like Google is known to be any better.
Google's digital ecosystem doesn't doctrinally prevent owners from installing software or reflashing bricked hardware. Their OEM might, but iOS is the only smartphone ecosystem I've seen that enforces it universally.
But hey, at least Apple's universal lockout capability is able to deter theft! Every non-negotiable backdoor has a silver lining.
I feel like you're conflating three things -- software installation, account closure and disabled hardware.
Software installation has nothing to do with account closure, so I don't know why you're bringing it up.
Account closure doesn't disable your devices. You can set them up with a new account.
And if devices are disabled due to theft and can't be reflashed for sale on the black market, that is a good thing. I haven't heard any reports of people's legitimately purchased devices being disabled due to theft.
Clearly you have things you don't like about Apple, but I don't see what they have to do with the subject at hand, which is account closure.
Google and PayPal are notorious for locking customers out with no recourse.
Still, with Point 1) I wonder what exactly was happening. To think straight away "suspected fraud/criminal activity" for merely entering a voucher code a second time?
As a sane person I would expect a mere popup saying "Voucher code was already redeemed. try another one" Nothing more.
The ONLY other thing I can currently think of why Apple straight away went to "criminal" would be that the brick and mortar store failed to activate the card when they sold it.
You know, someone shoplifts such a card thinking they got it made. Even though you'd think everybody should know that the code you scratch of that card is only active after the clerk at the register did his thing.
If Apple then receives this voucher code that they must have in their databases but it has a big "not activated flag" next to it, THEN I could start to believe why they would lock down the account that tried to redeem, it.
And even then it seems iffy. Because how should I as the consumer know if the clerk did everything right with the activation?
I'm not defending Apple here. But I think the logic is, if you rightfully bought the card then nobody but you should be able to activate it. So the first person activating it is legit, and a second person attempting to activate it is necessarily trying to engage in fraud, having stolen it from a trash can or something.
But this breaks down for the reasons described, that thieves get the code before you do and manage to spend it first once the cashier activates it but before you get home and actually use it.
So maybe that's new and Apple hasn't updated their scam detection logic? It's the only thing I can think of.
>.As to why they're making the assumption that you are the criminal, not the actual criminal who successfully redeemed the gift card first, you've got me. Since either situation is possible.
Why the fuck couldn't it just be that you forgot and tried to redeem twice?
Just reject the card and be done with it, no action required.