Apple imposes purchase caps on online stores amid coronavirus scare

After announcing the closure of all its retails outside China last week, Apple Inc has now limited the purchase of its handsets to only two per person over its online stores in many countries including the United States and China. The checks on its website on March 20 revealed that in numerous countries, a drop-down menu restricts customers from buying more than just two of the same model iPhone across all models. 

The purchase caps was last introduced by the company back in 2007 when the iPhone was first introduced, in order to prevent people from reselling them. However, as the deadly coronavirus outbreak has now spread to at least 180 countries and the global death toll has also crossed 10,000 while infecting over 2,45,000, Apple Inc limited the customers. According to international reports, in its official website in China, where the COVID-19 originated, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, a message appears above iPhone listings to inform the buyers that they can order only two devices. 

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Apple suffers a blow

Meanwhile, Apple Inc also suffers a blow due to the pandemic, as its supply chain is disrupted with the weak demand. Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook announced on March 14 that the company will be closing all its retails outside China until March 27 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and communities. Cook also pledged $15 million to help the worldwide recovery from the novel coronavirus. He said that the company is matching donations of its employees with two-to-one proportion to support COVID-19 response efforts locally, nationally and internationally.

“Apple’s committed donations to the global COVID-19 response — both to help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic — today reached $15 million worldwide,” said Cook in a statement.

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(With agency inputs)