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Does Apple have any way of confirming university student status?
- Thread starter Bob Loblaw
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Are you sure? As long as we're playing hypothetical...I am not a student and I buy a computer using the edu discount...now according to you, b/c i didnt read a written copy of the agreement in advance, i cannot be charged back the extra that i ganked? if they send me a bill, i can just ignore it b/c i didn't read the agreement?
in my interpretation, if you are buying w/ edu discount = you are agreeing to edu policies.
But again (exasperated at this point), the point of my post was to emphasize the self-policing nature of the policy...i.e. i think they figure most people dont abuse the policy, so we keep on, keeping on.
(for an in-store purchase): If you ask for a student discount, and they give it to you (after showing a student ID), and you do not sign a paper saying that you affirm that you are a student (or that you agree to a policy like the one on Apple's website), there is no fraud. No one was decieved; they willingly gave you a discount, you did not lie, and there were no additional terms attached to the discount. But if there are such terms and you agreed to them while making the purchase, then things are different.
I'm not sure that Apple could legally and reliably verify student status in the United States, given that laws like FERPA limit the ability of schools to disclose student information to third parties.
No. That is not what I have been saying. The Apple website has the policies, but these policies do not automatically apply in a physical store just because they're on Apple's website. That is all. The store might have the same policy, but you would have to agree to it somehow while making the purchase. It could be as simple as a line on a signed receipt that says something like "You agree to our educational sales policies. Please ask for a copy of our policies."
I don't know if the physical stores actually have the same policy. But yes, it should be clear that the policies on Apple's website do not apply in a physical store unless Apple says somehow in-store that they apply. You cannot be expected to agree to a policy on a website without being "told" that you are agreeing to those policies. (I say "told" because it could be referred to in a way that most consumers would not read it - for example in small print)
Apple may have similar policies in-store, but if you made an in-store purchase and actually read everything you agreed to (if anything at all), you'd know or not whether they had such policies. And this is what I want to know: when making an in-store purchase, do you actually sign a piece of paper or otherwise agree that you agree to policies like those described on Apple's website website?
Apple may have similar policies in-store, but if you made an in-store purchase and actually read everything you agreed to (if anything at all), you'd know or not whether they had such policies. And this is what I want to know: when making an in-store purchase, do you actually sign a piece of paper or otherwise agree that you agree to policies like those described on Apple's website website?
bingo.
my bro bought a computer last year and all he did was show up (at an apple store) and say he wanted a computer for school - they ended up hooking him up with a better discount than just edu (not by much, but had to do with a special promotion) - and he didnt have to show anything, nor did he sign anything. I think it would be foolish to assume the policies dont apply just b/c you dont sign for it.
speed limit is posted, stop signs are there, a store says they will prosecute shoplifters, i never signed agreements to these policies, yet they certainly apply.
again again again! my point is the policies appear to be primarily self-policing w/ the freedom to enforce in cases of abuse. not some pointless and tiresome wrangling over whether the policy is in effect if you dont sign for it.
@someone - i believe if you are taking a class = student = student discount
Abstract
macrumors Penryn
The OP doesn't deserve an apology because Robbie isn't wrong. The rules are clearly stated, and the OP was willing to defraud Apple well before he (and you) knew Apple was rather lenient with that and be OK with it.
I'm not saying what I would do regarding the purchase, or my opinion on fraud. I personally don't care too much about the strictness of rules, as long as they're sort of followed (i.e.: who cares if you buy a computer 1 day after you graduate?). All I'm saying is that Robbie isn't technically wrong, he has a point, and many of you who are making excuses to justify fraud, and are also saying "See, Apple agrees!" are really just lucky that by page 3, someone found out that Apple was lenient on the policy of recent grads getting the discount. If Apple said recent grads weren't allowed the discount, I'm sure the justifications for defrauding Apple would be exactly the same, and the people who would do it would do so regardless of what Apple thinks.
From July to July the following year. You can buy a laptop and a desktop, but you can't buy 3 MacBooks, an iMac, and a Mac Pro. They don't really expect any student to buy more than 1 laptop and 1 desktop per year.
Get over yourself, he is just weeks out of school. Apple doesn't care so they've always granted leeway because of the ambiguity over exactly when your school year begins or ends.
Using "defraud" incorrectly only makes your point even weaker. If you want to be taken seriously, quit using colloquial definitions.
In my situation, I graduated in May, but I'll be ordering my computer and copy of CS3, along with my iPod Touch and some other software hopefully this coming week. The deal with my parents was that I had to graudate and get a job before I could purchase anything.
I'll be calling up Apple hopefully Monday because you have to give them a ring to get the additional CS3 discount rather than just order online.
If they need proof, I can fax them a copy of my student ID and my last bill from back in March.
You may call it Fraud, but I've never used the discount the entire time I was in school, so just because I'm a month late means I lose the rights that I had for four years but never used.
Whatever.
I'll be calling up Apple hopefully Monday because you have to give them a ring to get the additional CS3 discount rather than just order online.
If they need proof, I can fax them a copy of my student ID and my last bill from back in March.
You may call it Fraud, but I've never used the discount the entire time I was in school, so just because I'm a month late means I lose the rights that I had for four years but never used.
Whatever.
In the end, if for some reason they reject me, I can just purchase it under my girlfriend's name, who's in her second semester, and just pay for it myself.
No biggie.
No biggie.
apple accepts student ID's, acceptance letters, and if you don't have any of the above if you sign into a college website that has your name posted somewhere and show a picture ID they can use that as well. This is all in-store situations of course.
I see that you're in Vienna. I would suggest making a trip to the Tysons Corner store if you wish to purchase in person. They are (or at least were) fairly lax. If you can log into your school email account, they will most likely honor the student discount.
Macky-Mac
macrumors 601
Have you considered buying online from a reseller? The discounts are usually sufficient to match or better the student discount even with the $100 iTunes card.
In my case, I had decided to get a MacBook Pro, AppleCare and Parallels. The discount was measly on the laptop at B&H Photo, but they discounted the AppleCare to $122 and threw in Parallels for free. No tax (unlike an Apple Store) and free shipping.
I had considered a refurbished late model from the Apple Store, but the entry level 15" mid-2012 performs better than the fastest prior 15" model. And it is for a lower cost.
I also considered new late model from mac mall, but couldn't get anti-glare at a price I liked.
BTW, my wife is eligible as an educator. So she could have gotten the laptop herself.
Consider your needs. Do your research. And spend wisely.
Just noticed the comment above that this was an old thread.
In my case, I had decided to get a MacBook Pro, AppleCare and Parallels. The discount was measly on the laptop at B&H Photo, but they discounted the AppleCare to $122 and threw in Parallels for free. No tax (unlike an Apple Store) and free shipping.
I had considered a refurbished late model from the Apple Store, but the entry level 15" mid-2012 performs better than the fastest prior 15" model. And it is for a lower cost.
I also considered new late model from mac mall, but couldn't get anti-glare at a price I liked.
BTW, my wife is eligible as an educator. So she could have gotten the laptop herself.
Consider your needs. Do your research. And spend wisely.
Just noticed the comment above that this was an old thread.
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