Apple ID disabled after failed $500 gift card redemption. User lost access to 25 years of data, including family photos and vital digital services. Apple support unhelpful; only suggestion is to create a new account, which leads to loss of data and purchases. Recommended precautions: separate personal and developer Apple IDs, avoid discounted gift cards, back up data locally. User is a long-time Apple developer, heightening concerns over system failures in account management.
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12/13/locked-out-of-apple-account-due-to-gift-card/