Electronics technician and consumer rights advocate Louis Rossman has exposed a controversy in which some Apple Store employees allegedly signed up customers for auto-renewing subscription trials for Apple One and other services without their informed consent. The process involves customers scanning a QR code for a personalized shopping experience, after which employees can view their information and present available subscription offers. Some employees allegedly rushed through the process or positioned trials as 'gifts' without adequately explaining the automatic charges.
Apple was tracking a 'services attach rate' metric with a target of 40% for retail employees, encouraging them to sign up at least four out of every ten customers for subscriptions. In some cases, employees allegedly tapped the 'Agree' button themselves without consent. Apple removed the metric early last week and issued an internal memo reminding employees of the importance of respecting customer privacy and obtaining consent.
Source: MacRumors · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing