I wonder what they'll do in Japan, where everyone uses cash, even for large purchases. (My friends actually bought their house with a plastic bag full of cash.)

Handing the guy cash and waiting for him to come back sounds a bit awkward.

Considering that it is becoming more and more like dining (since it is essentially the same when dealing with cash), are we going to be expected to tip our "personal shopper"? If so, forget it. I'll never buy from a non-online store again.

infraredad,

As a long-time employee in many big box stores, as well as a few Apple authorized sales centers, you'd be surprised how many people walk in with cash in hand, ready to spend $1500 - $5000.

A lot of places aren't accepting cheques anymore, especially smaller stores that have a lot to lose with even one phony cheque. Some don't even accept a certified cheque, or they at least have to wait for them to clear before an exchange of product occurs.

Debit cards often have a limit to how much can be spent in a day, and, as was previously mentioned, not everyone has access to credit cards.

Best Buy and Futureshop are two big-box stores that don't really emphasize on cash registers: All sales people are required (or they used to be) to carry a small wallet with change so they can do cash transactions. I believe that they bring everything to customer service nowadays.

Also, running off with a register nets you a few hundred dollars (more if not properly maintained). Running off with a pocket scanner... nets you a pocket scanner.

THe first time I went into my local apple store after they made the switch I lined up at the counter that used to be the registers, and it was busy with people getting one 2 one training. It was fairly busy, so no one asked if I needed anything, and I ended up getting a little frustrated and asking someone at the genius bar to ring me up, and then they directed me to the people walking around. It was annoying, and I wasn't very satisfied when I left.

You silly people, the cash is done alongside the Genius Bar counter.

Let me say that Apple has done a GREAT JOB with retail. ( and I work for a re-seller ) But my experience at the store in South Jersey was pretty bad, I took a friend to the store so that he could see all the Macs in one place. I stood back, didn't say anything except my friend here has a 7 year old Dell Laptop and was thinking about a Mac can you show him around. The sales person said sure then jumped into iweb " You see I was going to build a web site about the band YES so I went here then I pulled this off the site....bla bla bla" and I saw my friend's head about to explode. . I had to stop him and say, that's cool but how about showing him the iMac how things plug in you know the basics. He got a bit put off by that showed him iMovie and then went on to other customer...WOW- I hope all the sales staff aren't like that. If I wasn't there I'm sure my friend would have walked out and went right to Best buy and got something other then a Mac. The day I was there the sales people were using the portable scanners and product was flying out of there like they were giving it away. I think Apple needs to monitor what is being said to potential customers....AND DON'T FORGET THE RE-SELLERS WHO KEPT APPLE IN BUSINESS!!!!!

Our store in Jordan Creek has had this format for a while now (and they did away with the hideous key lime shirts). It's like your king of the world going into these stores now. My wife and I went in to drop off a MacBook (which they were able to repair while we waited it turned out) As we waited we chatted with one of the ladies working the floor about various things mac, including my distate for the glossy imac screens (thank the lords of kobal I bought my 2.33 when I did). Anyway we eventually milled about the ipod nanos (I had a first gen nano, the wife a pink mini) and decided what the hey watch some video podcasts or something, they bring out a couple ipods, swipe my bank card, bam. Bout that time the MacBook was done as well.

Long story short, first time I went in I was like what the h*** happened to the registers, now its like, oh man who stands in line at stores, the store comes to me to sell something.

Waited at a counter for an employee to ring me up (two boxes of Filemaker, a hard drive, a few cables, an ipod case). He had his requisite smirk as he let me know -- clearly he's smarter than I -- that ANYONE could have checked me out anywhere. So I smirked back and asked him which pocket he keeps his bags in, or did he expect me to walk around a mall cradling six boxes.

With my debit card, I almost never carry cash. And have not for years. I just hand it to them, it's rung up, and the $$ comes out of my account. Simple, easy, and I don't have to worry about cash.

A) Yes, Apple stores still take cash. By law, they have to (at least in the US). But if you look at the percentages of types of tender taken, cash and check are a minor percentage.

B) Personal shoppers are mostly for switchers, or pro users that need more information about their purchase. Switchers sometimes need a lot of time to get all their questions answered:

Will my iPod even work with a Mac?! What about Microsoft Office? How will this work with my broadband connection? Will my digital camera work? How do I get on the internet? What happens when someone sends me x from a Windows computer? Etc.?

Macs are not just being sold to ubergeeks anymore, your average run of the mill "I just want to do email and the internets" people are buying them now, and no, they don't know everything about computers, networks, file type compatibility, etc.

C) Apple Retail is trying to make things efficient. When a "low traffic" store sees several thousand people come through its doors each day, you *have* to think about efficiency, and try to balance that with customer experience and satisfaction.

If something doesn't work, Apple does change it, but keep in mind, highest sales per square foot in retail, period. They must be doing something right.

As for cash, the word got out about Apple not accepting Cash for purchases of iPhones, and people probably took that to mean everything.

And there's a lot of people who want to pay in cash. With the concern of identity thieves, card swipers, data-mining, etc, the paranoid and data-sensitive types might like to be able to make a purchase that isn't easily traced back to them by 500 different mail-order houses.

Testudo, you really aren't very good at this. I pointed it out, then multiple people after me pointed out that the Apple Stores are still taking cash. They're removing the registers from the front of the store, but here it is again - They're still taking cash.

So what was the point of your above post? People can still use cash at the Apple Store so why are you still making arguments for cash? Does that make any sense, knowing that - and here it is one more time - the Apple Store still takes cash?

"A) Yes, Apple stores still take cash. By law, they have to (at least in the US). But if you look at the percentages of types of tender taken, cash and check are a minor percentage. "

FALSE! Straight from the US Government: http://www.treasury.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtml

"And there's a lot of people who want to pay in cash. With the concern of identity thieves, card swipers, data-mining, etc, the paranoid and data-sensitive types might like to be able to make a purchase that isn't easily traced back to them by 500 different mail-order houses"

Uh, OK, Looserudio. They'd feel more safe walking through a crowded mall with $100-3,000 in their pocket?

Not to mention even if you never carry a credit card, the government has way too much information on you. And so do private companies. There is no "privacy of your information" at all anymore. If you are or have walked this Earth there is a database file on you somewhere.

From the link you provided:

Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise.

I live in one of those states... so I partially retract section A of my statement. :)

It is called a cash drawer. Only one is needed and it sits underneath the counter. They ring you up with a hand held scanner and walk you over to the "cash Drawer" if you are one of those rare customers paying in cash or writing a check. Not hard. Has been done for years in some sectors and takes up very little real estate in a store.

SOmetimes the answer is simple its unheard of.

I've seen it in action and I can tell you it is a terrible system. The change of check-out procedure is not made clear. People are wandering around as employees refuse to talk to them, because they are with other customers. I go to the Apple Store frequently, and I didn't know about it until they explained what was going on. It sounds like a good idea, but I assure you in reality it just makes customers confused and even angry.

Testudo, you really aren't very good at this. I pointed it out, then multiple people after me pointed out that the Apple Stores are still taking cash. They're removing the registers from the front of the store, but here it is again - They're still taking cash.

And I didn't say they weren't. I was explaining why some people were saying "They no longer take cash!" (as many of you seem to be espousing that they do, and asking "Who says they aren't?"). But, I guess, you're way too brilliant to need said explanation.

So what was the point of your above post? People can still use cash at the Apple Store so why are you still making arguments for cash? Does that make any sense, knowing that - and here it is one more time - the Apple Store still takes cash?

Well, if you could read and comprehend everyone's post, rather than worrying about finding something to rail on me about, you'd also notice there's several people saying "Who pays by cash anymore?". But, again, you missed that pointed question, I guess.

And, since you seemed so perturbed by my post (which was actually trying to be informative - explaining why some people were under the impression cash was no longer accepted, as well as answering those questions of "why someone would pay by cash"), I must ask you the same questions So what was the point of your above post? Just to find some reason to rail on testudo, because he doesn't get in line with everyone else to suck steve off every chance they get?

The Canadian Apple stores still suck compared to the American ones even the one in Buffalo is better than the in Eaton Centre and Yorkdale shopping centres.

complaining about being taken to task? Oh the irony of it all. Here's what's wrong with what you've been saying in this thread.

"And there's a lot of people who want to pay in cash."

And you can still pay in cash at the Apple store. So what was the point of you saying that? It's redundant.

"the paranoid and data-sensitive types might like to be able to make a purchase that isn't easily traced back to them by 500 different mail-order houses."

So it's a good thing that you can still pay in cash at the Apple Store right? Again, redundant. Just like all of your posts, either redundant, completely pointless or vastly misinformed. So why were you posting anything at all? The point of my post was pointing out where you failed in yours. Sorry if that wasn't clear enough.

And you're a well known idiot on these boards, and it has nothing to do with "not sucking Steve off every chance you get". Being wrong about Apple-related topics isn't just a hobby for you, you've made it into a career. You can go ahead and cry some more about having your BS handed back to you though, I don't really think anybody cares. "You can dish it out but you can't take it", sound familiar?