November 14, 2024 at 2:49 pm

‘I’ll be contacting the FTC.’ – Shopper Said She Was Given A $100 Apple Gift Card, But Then She Was Charged For It

by Matthew Gilligan

Source: TikTok/@drmaraeinstein

Hmmm, this is strange…

A TikTokker named Mara shared a video and sounded off against Apple after she claimed she was scammed by the company.

Source: TikTok

Mara said bought an iPad and explained, “They said, ‘We’ll give you $100 off.’ Great. ‘And we’ll give you a $100 gift card also.’ I’m not going to be able to use the $100 gift card on that purchase. I have to come back and purchase something again. But that’s a sort of standard marketing technique these days, and I get it. They want me to come back to their place and buy something for more than $100, right? You get it.”

But when Mara looked at her credit card statement, she noticed that she was charged an extra $100…

Source: TikTok

She continued, “I call up Apple, and the woman says to me, ‘Oh, that’s how they charge it.’ That’s how they charge what? So it turns out they were charging me for the gift card. They didn’t order the gift card; they sent me something saying, ‘We’re giving you a gift card.’ I don’t want this gift card, you guys gave it to me for free.”

Mara said she was able to get the charge removed by speaking to a manager but she wasn’t happy about it.

She said, “You’ve given it to me for free, and now you’re taking it away. But okay, get rid of that $100, but I’ll be contacting the FTC. If this did happen to you, do contact the FTC and let’s make sure Apple isn’t doing this to anybody else.”

Source: TikTok

Here’s the video.

@drmaraeinstein

@apple tried to #scam the wrong person. If you are planning on buying any new Apple products, make sure to check your credit card statement. And if they charge you for #free #giftcards make sure to contact the #ftc #falseadvertising #deceptivemarketing #marketing #advertising #socialmediamarketing #bts #backtoschoolshopping #computer #ipad #college #highereducation

♬ original sound – Professor Einstein

Mara posted a follow-up video and wrote in her caption, “They can [get away] with it legally, but should we let them? I don’t think so,” she writes in the caption of the follow-up.

Mara showed viewers how the Apple website works and how she thinks it’s deceptive for customers.

Take a look.

@drmaraeinstein

I stand by my analysis that @apple is using deceptive and unethical marketing practices. They can geg awsy with it legally, but should we let them? I don’t think so. #Marketing #advertising #socialmediamarketing #deception #scam #giftcards @target

♬ original sound – Professor Einstein

And this is how TikTokkers responded.

This individual chimed in.

Source: TikTok

Another TikTokker spoke up.

Source: TikTok

And this person shared their thoughts.

Source: TikTok

Things really went off the rails for her.

If you liked that story, check out this video about a Dollar Store cashier who has had it with customers who argue over $4 products.