Apple Charged my card $100 for the Back To School Giftcard

[Highlander-]

I have a question for anyone who ordered a MBA (or any other Mac) with a BTS giftcard...

I ordered a Macbook Air last Friday. I'm confused as to why I have a $100 charge for the BTS giftcard. The charge shows on my Mastercard and also shows on the invoice for the giftcard.

Is this normal? I haven't received the MBA itself yet. Or the GC. But they have charged me for a Giftcard which is shipping via DHL...

I don't want to call Apple again if this is somehow normal but it's pretty confusing to me. Sorry if this post is in the wrong place.

 

[KPOM]

If you qualified for the discount, I'd give them a call and ask them. Perhaps they placed a "hold" on your account, but if you actually see a charge (and not just a pending charge) then give them a call.

 

[Higgs1]

What they do is they charge you $100 for the gift card, but deduct $100 from the cost of the computer.


However, they did screw me on my order and charged me for the card and forgot to deduct the $100 off the computer. 3 phone calls later I had $300 credit on my account

 

[Highlander-]

What they do is they charge you $100 for the gift card, but deduct $100 from the cost of the computer.


However, they did screw me on my order and charged me for the card and forgot to deduct the $100 off the computer. 3 phone calls later I had $300 credit on my account

Oh okay... My MBA hasn't shipped yet so I can't see it's invoice to verify that.

The MBA was about $50 cheaper with education discount but the giftcard was meant to be free, so it seems odd they would reduce the price again of the MBA for the invoice. Maybe it's a tax thing? =l Thanks for your help in any case - I will definitely be calling if the MBA invoice doesn't show a discount related to this giftcard.

 

[NewbieCanada]

This way if you return the laptop for a refund, you've paid $100 for the gift card. If they didn't charge you for it, you'd be $100 ahead if you decided not to keep the laptop.

 

[Highlander-]

This way if you return the laptop for a refund, you've paid $100 for the gift card. If they didn't charge you for it, you'd be $100 ahead if you decided not to keep the laptop.

Makes sense... I assumed I would have to return the giftcard if I needed to return the Mac.

Anyway, anxiously awaiting my MBA to go to shipment (ordered last Monday) and hoping this will be cleared up when I see the invoice.

 

[NewbieCanada]

Makes sense... I assumed I would have to return the giftcard if I needed to return the Mac.

Anyway, anxiously awaiting my MBA to go to shipment (ordered last Monday) and hoping this will be cleared up when I see the invoice.

Thing is the card is mailed out separately, usually the day after you order... so you could get the card and use it all up even before the computer arrives, all with with best of intentions. It would be a lot of trouble to start billing or partially bill people for a used card after the computer is returned.

 

[mattopotamus]

Makes sense... I assumed I would have to return the giftcard if I needed to return the Mac.

Anyway, anxiously awaiting my MBA to go to shipment (ordered last Monday) and hoping this will be cleared up when I see the invoice.

Depends if you are doing an exchange or not. I had to swap mine out b.c of a bad battery, but already activated the gift card. They took $100 of the new laptop, but didn't give me a new gift card. It took about 45 mins of me explaining to them how i would be out $100 if they didn't take $100 of the laptop b.c the online stores charges you the gift card and take $100 off the laptop. If you end up returning it or exchanging it, make sure to show them how much it actually charged your account. My receipt looked like it was $100 cheaper than i was actually billed.

 

[Highlander-]

Depends if you are doing an exchange or not. I had to swap mine out b.c of a bad battery, but already activated the gift card. They took $100 of the new laptop, but didn't give me a new gift card. It took about 45 mins of me explaining to them how i would be out $100 if they didn't take $100 of the laptop b.c the online stores charges you the gift card and take $100 off the laptop. If you end up returning it or exchanging it, make sure to show them how much it actually charged your account. My receipt looked like it was $100 cheaper than i was actually billed.

Excellent point, thanks man. If I need to do an exchange I will be sure to bring the invoice for both the MBA and the gift card and explain that $100 will need to be taken off the total price of whatever Mac I may end up exchanging for.

And thanks to Higgs1; you were right. My MBA is now leaving Shanghai and the invoice shows the -$100.

 

[zenfloater]

Just an FYI ... if you do not want the Gift Card, you can email iTunes support and tell them you'll be returning the device and they will actually suspend the iTunes card (if you haven't used it already) and reverse the $100 charge on your CC.

 

[asting]

Just an FYI ... if you do not want the Gift Card, you can email iTunes support and tell them you'll be returning the device and they will actually suspend the iTunes card (if you haven't used it already) and reverse the $100 charge on your CC.

Wait, if you do not want the gift card do you have to tell them you're returning to get the $100 credit or actually return? If you tell them you don't want it will they refund you?

It's too late for me (I sold mine on ebay), but maybe this can save someone else some cash.

 

[zenfloater]

That's why I posted it here
You tell them you're returning it, and then you do as you wish. I'm not saying it's morally correct, but it saves another $100 if you don't want the iTunes card.

 

[The Smyrk]

That's why I posted it here
You tell them you're returning it, and then you do as you wish. I'm not saying it's morally correct, but it saves another $100 if you don't want the iTunes card.

I can confirm this. I actually did this same thing on accident when I got a 2011 MBA when it was newly released. Tried to get the amazon kindle deal so I initiated a return of the one I ordered through Apple but ended up having to cancel the return. I was surprised at how simple it was to get a $150 discount rather than just $50 + giftcard I didn't care for.

 

[midtownhd]

That's why I posted it here
You tell them you're returning it, and then you do as you wish. I'm not saying it's morally correct, but it saves another $100 if you don't want the iTunes card.

Can you call them, or just email?
and does the iTunes support "verify" that you're requested the return or they don't care?

 

[zenfloater]

Can you call them, or just email?
and does the iTunes support "verify" that you're requested the return or they don't care?

iTunes only does support via email, and usually gets back withing 3 days.
Not sure about the verification, but there were not requests pending on my side for a return.

 

[midtownhd]

iTunes only does support via email, and usually gets back withing 3 days.
Not sure about the verification, but there were not requests pending on my side for a return.

What's the email you used? I contacted the iTunes Store Support online, but they replied saying they don't deal with Apple Store purchases.

 

[Highlander-]

Guess what? The gift card never showed up. There is no tracking for them once they enter Canada. Customer service has yet to provide a solution... 2 tedious phone calls where I get put on hold for 30 minutes while the rep talks to a supervisor. Each time they tell me "sir, the gift card is free so why worry? We can send a new one". I tell them it's not free when you charge my credit card $100 for it and take the deduction off of the computer instead.

And I am having problems with this Macbook Air... (USB drives, bad display).

 

[GREEN4U]

I have a question for anyone who ordered a MBA (or any other Mac) with a BTS giftcard...

I ordered a Macbook Air last Friday. I'm confused as to why I have a $100 charge for the BTS giftcard. The charge shows on my Mastercard and also shows on the invoice for the giftcard.

Is this normal? I haven't received the MBA itself yet. Or the GC. But they have charged me for a Giftcard which is shipping via DHL...

I don't want to call Apple again if this is somehow normal but it's pretty confusing to me. Sorry if this post is in the wrong place.

Well I have just encountered the same problem. I ordered my MBA and $100 gift card 2 nights ago and today I have a pending charge for $100 on my AmEx, even though my Apple Invoice looks normal like this:

Back to School Gift Card | $100.00
MacBook Air, 13-inch | $1,239.00
Recycling Fee | $6

Savings -$100.00
Subtotal $1,245.00
Free Shipping $0.00
Estimated Tax $95.39
Order Total $1,340.39

I called Apple customer service and the answer they gave me is that they charge you $100 for the gift card, and then for your computer, they charge you the Order Total MINUS $100. So I guess it all works out. I'll be keeping a close eye on my Credit Card's pending charges...

Thanks for this thread.

 

[emaja]

Oh okay... My MBA hasn't shipped yet so I can't see it's invoice to verify that.

You can see the invoice on the online store. Log into your account.

I assume it is for accounting purposes, but they do take the $100 off the price of the computer. Just go through the process of buying one again - don't actually buy it of course - and you will see.