A perplexing demand left one iPhone 7 buyer bewildered and insulted after receiving an unexpected email from Apple asking him to prove that he was not the deceased dictator, Saddam Hussein.
Sharakat Hussain (not Hussein) bought an iPhone 7 for his sister and, for unspecified reasons, wished to return the device. Several weeks after contacting Apple about obtaining a refund, Mr Hussain received an email that he believed to be spam.
The email, in fewer words, asked Mr Hussain to provide proof he was not the late Saddam Hussein. Sharakat"s surname, despite being spelt differently, was reportedly placed on the Governments Denied Parties list, triggering the chain of events.
Apple stated that the email should never have been sent, leaving everyone scratching their heads as to how and why Mr Hussain could have been mistaken for the former Iraqi president. You could assume that due to the differences in his name and surname, and the fact that one was executed over ten years ago, perhaps it would be very difficult for someone in Apple"s departments to make such a fault.
Apple issued a statement to the Independent, saying:
"We offer our sincerest apologies to Mr Hussain. Though we are required to check identity while processing a refund, the letter he received was an error and should not have been sent".
The Silicon Valley giant has since promised to process a prompt refund for Mr Hussain.
Source: The Sun via The Independent