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pmcneil

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
15
0
I'm in the market for a 13" Macbook Pro Retina Display, I'm just wondering if there is any advantage to buying from the Apple store/site in terms of Warranty, AppleCare etc..

I'm a college student so I get the educational discount, the model I'm looking at is the base 13" Macbook Pro with Retina Display, 128GB Flash Storage.

On Apple.com my total with tax and my educational discount is:

$1496.00

On Amazon, due to no tax I could potentially get the same model, with 256GB Storage for about the same price:

$1499.00

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...5&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+macbook+pro+13+retina


I'm just wondering if I go with an amazon purchase that would be cheaper than straight from apple, would I be eligible for the same coverage by Apple, etc as if I did buy it from Apple? I would buy Apple Care from where ever I can find it cheapest.

Thanks
 

agenda893

macrumors regular
Jul 17, 2004
140
111
The advantage to non-apple stores is finding one that doesn't charge sales tax. Amazon in most states doesn't, and if you live in one that does you can always look at expircom or abt. As far as AppleCare goes you can save a bundle buying it from lacomputercompany - just go to their website and search for it. Instead of $350 for applecare on a 15" retina macbook pro I bought it from them for $235. The 13" applecare is only $167.
 

bobr1952

macrumors 68020
Jan 21, 2008
2,040
39
Melbourne, FL
I bought my rNBP from Amazon to save sales tax--Florida has sales tax but has not yet jumped on the bandwagon to aggressively pursue sales tax from online merchants.
 

dacreativeguy

macrumors 68020
Jan 27, 2007
2,032
223
If you want to buy from someone other than apple, the choice of retailer does matter, aside from the best price. Apple assigns special serial numbers to machines sold by retailers like Best Buy, but Amazon sells machines with normal Apple serial numbers.

Does this matter?

If the machine comes and is perfect out of the box, then no. It is the same machine no matter where you buy it. The serial number is just a tracking code for Apple. But if the machine arrives with a defect or DOA, then the serial number DOES matter. If you bought from Best Buy, you can't walk into an Apple store and exchange it for a new one. You must deal with Best Buy.

Since Amazon sells machines with serial numbers identical to those sold by Apple, you CAN walk into an Apple store and get a brand new replacement right there without having to deal with warranties or repairs. Oh, the lower level geniuses will hassle you about not having an Apple receipt, but just ask to speak to the manager and they'll help you out. I've unfortunately had to do this 2x before on totally different macbook purchases.
 

pmcneil

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
15
0
Last week Baseline 13 retina was on sale for 1299 on Macconnection. http://appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide

Thanks for that site! B&H seems to be the best posted price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...A_MACBK_PRO_i5_2_5g_8GB_128GB_RETINA_13_.html

The reviews from B&H seem to be solid, are they a good alternative to Apple Store?

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.

Edit:

Base rMBP , With Applecare + lojack for laptops (free) from B&H:

Total : $1,566.00

lojack for laptops seems like the software that interests me the most. I dont do any photo editing and I'm not sure if Parallels interests me much. However, I would be interested in hearing any free software suggestions?
 
Last edited:

Murgatroyd

macrumors regular
Feb 26, 2010
113
6
Staten Island, New Yawk
Thanks for that site! B&H seems to be the best posted price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...A_MACBK_PRO_i5_2_5g_8GB_128GB_RETINA_13_.html

The reviews from B&H seem to be solid, are they a good alternative to Apple Store?

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.

The selection of merchandise at B&H is extensive. I live in New York. It's a large store, and the place is always on my list when I want to check out a variety of similar products, and to look at and get my hands on any one product before purchase. Management of the store from sales staff to purchasing is impressive. I don't need to purchase things online, but I have no doubt this department is up to par.
 

eric/

Guest
Sep 19, 2011
1,681
20
Ohio, United States
Well, you could sign up for an Amazon credit card with the purchase, then you could get money off the purchase, and get the points, which will further your discount.

Just pay it off immediately, and you're setting pretty good.
 

pmcneil

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
15
0
The selection of merchandise at B&H is extensive. I live in New York. It's a large store, and the place is always on my list when I want to check out a variety of similar products, and to look at and get my hands on any one product before purchase. Management of the store from sales staff to purchasing is impressive. I don't need to purchase things online, but I have no doubt this department is up to par.

Thanks for your reply!
 

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
Apple assigns special serial numbers to machines sold by retailers like Best Buy, but Amazon sells machines with normal Apple serial numbers.
\

Care to provide proof of this? A quick googling found nothing even remotely mentioning this about Apple products. I'm not saying it isn't true, but I am questioning why Best buy but not Amazon.... In the end a reseller is a reseller isn't it?
 

utekineir

macrumors 6502
Feb 20, 2008
327
1
The advantage is obvious.

Price

Resellers are able to skirt map pricing. I.e. best buy and micro center ads that show the msrp price on an apple item then have save $xxx right below it. Best buy for example also has a rewards program, and on occasion has bonus days. During the christmas season Wednesdays were 3x points.

Last fall bh photo was selling rmbps at less than msrp, with discounted apple care available and free parallels. Not a bad deal.

Chances are the only discount you'll get in an apple store is academic.
 

obiegrad

macrumors newbie
Jun 7, 2012
22
0
If you have a Discover Card see if any merchant you are looking at accepts ShopDiscover. Apple does for most (but not all) products which is worth 5% cash back. Last year on a Macbook Air I combined the academic discount with the 5% from Shop Discover and the 5% cash back for online shopping for a nice savings and 10% back.
 

troy14

macrumors 6502a
Mar 25, 2008
773
130
Las Vegas (Summerlin), NV
Care to provide proof of this? A quick googling found nothing even remotely mentioning this about Apple products. I'm not saying it isn't true, but I am questioning why Best buy but not Amazon.... In the end a reseller is a reseller isn't it?


There is no proof because that post is 100% false.

----------

If you want to buy from someone other than apple, the choice of retailer does matter, aside from the best price. Apple assigns special serial numbers to machines sold by retailers like Best Buy, but Amazon sells machines with normal Apple serial numbers.

Does this matter?

If the machine comes and is perfect out of the box, then no. It is the same machine no matter where you buy it. The serial number is just a tracking code for Apple. But if the machine arrives with a defect or DOA, then the serial number DOES matter. If you bought from Best Buy, you can't walk into an Apple store and exchange it for a new one. You must deal with Best Buy.

Since Amazon sells machines with serial numbers identical to those sold by Apple, you CAN walk into an Apple store and get a brand new replacement right there without having to deal with warranties or repairs. Oh, the lower level geniuses will hassle you about not having an Apple receipt, but just ask to speak to the manager and they'll help you out. I've unfortunately had to do this 2x before on totally different macbook purchases.
You're spreading complete BS. You can walk into an Apple store with any machine still under warranty and get it fixed / replaced for any reason as long as it is covered under warranty terms. They don't care if the laptop was stolen found on the side of the road given to you by a llama or bought at best buy.
 

maxosx

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2012
2,385
1
Southern California
There is no proof because that post is 100% false.

----------


You're spreading complete BS. You can walk into an Apple store with any machine still under warranty and get it fixed / replaced for any reason as long as it is covered under warranty terms. They don't care if the laptop was stolen found on the side of the road given to you by a llama or bought at best buy.

I've never heard of such nonsense as a special serial number.

However there is a chop shop in LA that will happily sell you a salvaged Lexus with the VIN numbers ground off.

While their cars are stolen, the prices are great :)
 

plumosa

macrumors regular
Mar 17, 2007
178
9
Australia
The thing I have run into a proble with is warrantee coverage. I bought an iPod from amazon and right around the one year mark the battery was shot and needed to be fixed. However, since I bought it from amazon, it went off the date it went to amazon which was a couple months before I bought it. I probably could have argued it or talked with amazon but I didn't make the effort and just replaced it myself.
 

KaraH

macrumors 6502
Nov 12, 2012
452
5
DC
The thing I have run into a proble with is warrantee coverage. I bought an iPod from amazon and right around the one year mark the battery was shot and needed to be fixed. However, since I bought it from amazon, it went off the date it went to amazon which was a couple months before I bought it. I probably could have argued it or talked with amazon but I didn't make the effort and just replaced it myself.

I am going to guess that is less of an issue if you go somewhere you can customise a mac order and do so. It is not like a reseller can keep all possible variations of the products in their warehouse. They probably will not sit on it either as the sooner they ship it to you the sooner they can charge your card and free up the space it was using in their shipping facility.
 

troy14

macrumors 6502a
Mar 25, 2008
773
130
Las Vegas (Summerlin), NV
The thing I have run into a proble with is warrantee coverage. I bought an iPod from amazon and right around the one year mark the battery was shot and needed to be fixed. However, since I bought it from amazon, it went off the date it went to amazon which was a couple months before I bought it. I probably could have argued it or talked with amazon but I didn't make the effort and just replaced it myself.

You can submit a validated warranty date, requires a fax or scan of the original receipt to Apple and they will adjust accordingly
 

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
There is no proof because that post is 100% false.

.



I was 99% sure it was completely false, but I gave him the opportunity to prove otherwise. There's a lot of FUD out there. Just another example I guess!
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
On Amazon, due to no tax I could potentially get the same model, with 256GB Storage for about the same price:

Remember that buying at Amazon is not tax free. It only means that the seller doesn't ask you to pay the tax and sends it to the IRS, you'll have to do that yourself. Buying at Amazon and not paying the tax is tax evasion. Whether you get caught or not is another question, but you should know what you are doing.
 

saturnotaku

macrumors 68000
Mar 4, 2013
1,978
97
Remember that buying at Amazon is not tax free. It only means that the seller doesn't ask you to pay the tax and sends it to the IRS, you'll have to do that yourself. Buying at Amazon and not paying the tax is tax evasion. Whether you get caught or not is another question, but you should know what you are doing.

Sales taxes are handled at the local/state level, not by the feds.
 

Mr. McMac

Suspended
Dec 21, 2009
2,968
363
Far away from liberals
Remember that buying at Amazon is not tax free. It only means that the seller doesn't ask you to pay the tax and sends it to the IRS, you'll have to do that yourself. Buying at Amazon and not paying the tax is tax evasion. Whether you get caught or not is another question, but you should know what you are doing.

I wonder how many people get caught.. Seriously, do you know anyone who pays the uncollected tax?
 
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