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In an email, ironically entitled Welcome Back and signed 'The Apple Store Team', Apple explained that 'the exclusive online eCoupon promotion which you received yesterday has been withdrawn with immediate effect. Therefore, you will not be able to use the eCoupon to obtain a discount on purchases from the Online Apple Store. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.'

No reason was given for the withdrawal. However, one MacUser reader emailed the magazine this morning, drawing our attention to difficulties he was having in using the voucher code.

'I

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telephoned and was told yes, you can apply [the voucher] to items that are non Apple that are greater in value than £56, then they tried to apply it and of course, to quote the sales rep on the phone number, "the system is not letting me do it".'

A clue can be found in the terms and conditions at the foot of the original email containing the voucher code, which states that it is valid 'on orders over £56 inc VAT'. If correctly applied, this would technically give almost a 100% discount on anything costing at least £56.01 from the store. In practice, putting both a new iPod shuffle and a £6.95 Belkin headphone splitter in your basket, would have got you the shuffle for free.

A follow-up email confirmed this, explaining the mix-up on Apple's part. 'In relation to your call yesterday about the coupon code I have recieved [sic] information back. The email was in fact incorrect - it should have been £56 of [sic] a purchase of £560. I apologise for the misprint,' wrote an Apple representative, before signing off 'if you have anymore [sic] queries dont [sic] hesitate to mail me back.'

Apple was unavailable for comment.