Getting an iphone/ipod billed as something else...

I'll be going to law school this Fall. The law school I'll be attending reimburses up to $2500 (well, it's not a true reimbursement - they increase your student budget and allow you to take out the extra $2500 in federal loans) for a new computer and computer peripherals (monitor, cables, warranty, etc).

One category of "approved accessories" is Palm Pilots/PDAs/Handhelds

OTOH, iPods/mp3 players are ineligible.

Which brings me to the point of my post:

Assuming the school determines that the iPhone falls under the category of iPod/mp3 players (although I certainly think an argument can be made for fitting it under the PDA/Handheld category)...

Would it be possible to purchase an iPhone and have Apple bill it as, say, a printer? So my receipt which I would need to submit to the school for verification would say "Printer xyz - $299.99" when in reality, it was a $299.99 iPhone.

I doubt you'll convince the store to participate in what is essentially fraud.

Stop trying to scam your school out of money.

Dysfunction said:

I doubt you'll convince the store to participate in what is essentially fraud.

Click to expand...

Is it fraud? How? Doesn't fraud require damages? If it's illegal (which I didn't know - not in LS yet!), I wouldn't do it.

Stop trying to scam your school out of money.

Click to expand...

It's not scamming the school out of any money. They aren't paying for it - they're allowing me to take out additional money in education loans (through private lenders, not federal loans as I said originally...I was mistaken) to pay for it. Not a dime comes from the school.

Just charge it on a credit card.

Eric559 said:

Just charge it on a credit card.

Click to expand...

They request copies of my receipts from the store(s), not credit card statements.

I think you missed the point. The items are not acceptable for the program, therefore falsifying any receipts would be an attempt to defraud. Which, well, pretty much defines fraudulent behavior.. or fraud.

Nothing like starting off law school with a little bit of fraud ;P

Dysfunction said:

I think you missed the point. The items are not acceptable for the program, therefore falsifying any receipts would be an attempt to defraud. Which, well, pretty much defines fraudulent behavior.. or fraud.

Click to expand...

Again, one of the elements of common law fraud is damages to the plaintiff. What damages will they have suffered? Not a dime comes out of their pockets.

I will agree with your underlying sentiment though that it is quite shady and probably unethical (and therefore, I probably won't bother to do it).

'twas more of a mere curiosity than anything else.

Kash said:

Nothing like starting off law school with a little bit of fraud ;P

Click to expand...

Doesn't that get you quickly disbared?

Dysfunction said:

Doesn't that get you quickly disbared?

Click to expand...

They wouldn't let you sit for the Bar exam. You have to pass a character & fitness exam. If this turned up, you wouldn't be allowed to take the test.

I'll probably just try and convince them that the iphone is a PDA and not an iPod. Likelihood of success on that argument?

Cutwolf said:

They wouldn't let you sit for the Bar exam. You have to pass a character & fitness exam. If this turned up, you wouldn't be allowed to take the test.

I'll probably just try and convince them that the iphone is a PDA and not an iPod. Likelihood of success on that argument?

Click to expand...

What law school do you go to?

Dysfunction said:

What law school do you go to?

Click to expand...

Well, nowhere yet. I don't start until the fall.

I'd rather not disclose where, but it's top 15.

Cutwolf said:

Well, nowhere yet. I don't start until the fall.

I'd rather not disclose where, but it's top 15.

Click to expand...

With this threads contents, I wouldn't disclose it. I'd be willing to bet it'd pique the attention of the ethics dept.

I was being facetious, this isn't a serious offense. If you try to get Apple to show it as a printer, then you might get dinged for it as ethics boards can be quite anal. However, if you just try to show that it's a PDA, then worst that could happen is that they deny your request. The school isn't going to penalize you for it and the bar association isn't even going to find out.

I say there's nothing wrong with trying to see if you can get an iPod touch or iPhone approved by the school. What's the worst that can happen, they say no?

Oh btw, congrats on getting into law school. I'm finishing up my first year, finals are just around the corner.

We're done here.