14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has taken down its US web store after kicking off Black Friday in a number of territories, starting with Australia and New Zealand, then Europe.
It’s routine for the Cupertino giant to take its web store offline whenever the listings need updating, and Black Friday is one of those times.
The Australia and New Zealand stores have been live with Black Friday offers for quite a while now, but the deals don’t involve any discounts. Rather, Apple is offering customers iTunes Gift Cards to spend in the iTunes Store.
In Europe, things are different. Countries like the UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, and so on, are not getting Gift Cards, but they are getting discounts. For some reason, Apple feels that people in Europe deserve to buy cheaper iPads and Macs, whereas those living with the kangaroos don’t.
Update: Apple's US online store is up and running again. No discounts (only gift cards).