Apple Kicks Off Black Friday Sale With iTunes Gift Card Deals

[CFreymarc]

Well ... it's about AIDS, isn't it.
Must have slept poorly, and this is my ranting day of the month!

It is a backside joke that is typically below Apple's image standard. Either Tim Cook spotted and let it goes or the PR people let a sly one pass into public view.

 

[Crispy Duck]

Bad show Apple, you are missing out big time in the UK. But it's not just about getting some sales volume, it's to do with customer satisfaction and loyalty.

On the other hand, John Lewis, by far my favourite retailer, is doing just famously...

08.40 This just in from John Lewis: online traffic between midnight at 6am was four times higher than Black Friday last year -- which was itself four times higher than John Lewis' website had ever seen before. The department store is currently selling one Nutribullet every 30 seconds, although the fastest selling deal so far is the Apple iPad mini for £199.

.

Was just about to mention John Lewis... £100 off ALL iMacs and MacBooks. Including new 4k Retina iMac )

 

[cgull]

I'm within 14 days of buying an unlocked ip6. Think they will give me the gift card without going through a return and repurchase? Not really worth the hassle but is doable.

 

[graycrow]

Lol. High end stuff don't get on sale. If you want hi end, get 6+ and Air 2. I like low end stuffs, so I just got Mini 2 yesterday for $225.
Btw, Thanksgiving is American holiday. Why would you expect Apple to give discounts in Europe?

Well, if they did it last year, and one year before that, and maybe even earlier, one could expect this would happen again. But Apple wants to surprise us.

 

[rctlr]

I'm within 14 days of buying an unlocked ip6. Think they will give me the gift card without going through a return and repurchase? Not really worth the hassle but is doable.

When I bought my first Mac Mini, I got it full price. Two days later I realised that I had a discount with the firm I was working for at the time.
I went in to say "oh well", but the staff member was nice. He refunded me in full and I repurchased the same items with the discount.

Its worth a try.

 

[MH01]

Go on, I'll bite.

If you took the time to look in to these things you would have discovered that in previous years these deals were also made available to the rest of the world.

Time to do a little more research and get off your soapbox.

Edit: Looks like OllyW already covered what I have to say.

I'll also bite.

So sometime before tuesday next week, we might see the BF deals by Apple internationally?

At least in previous years they acknowledged BF, this year nothing so far.... lets wait I guess.

 

[maflynn]

I hate the whole gift card as a black friday promotion thing. Not just apple but everyone who's doing it this year. I'm not looking for a gift card to spend more money, but rather looking for a reduction in price.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Apple prices at the best discount are always awful. Not sure why anyone would by straight from Apple. Any retailer or even ebay is a much better deal and most would not require Tax.

For some reason, people still go in to the Apple Store and buy at full retail. $50 gift cards are a joke at this point.

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I hate the whole gift card as a black friday promotion thing. Not just apple but everyone who's doing it this year. I'm not looking for a gift card to spend more money, but rather looking for a reduction in price.

It gets around minimum price requirements by companies like Apple.

 

[RightMACatU]

In Canada, iffff you can find an iPad Air2... $50 off is the best you'll get at BestBuy and Future Shop. Walmart, The Source have no Air 2 and Office Depot has a very limited quantities of 16/32GB.

 

[Mike MA]

Well, I'm getting bored with this. So I had one look around to look for deals with today being an incentive. Since I saw no attractive BF deal in my area, the bucks will stay in the bank, and I ordered some fine Single Malt Whisky ... That saves a lot of time, and the day as well

Not very meaningful on a Mac site, I know ...

Good decision taking, merely what I did last year. This time I ordered a Balvenie Doublewood 17 yrs just a couple of minutes ago - payed by the 60 Euro iPad Air 2 discount from a authorized reseller...so you can have both if you're lucky

But truly, poor gaming by Apple not offering a Black Friday outside the U.S.!

 

[iapplelove]

I fell for this last year,

 

[herbapou]

Now that Black friday has become a big thing in canada, Apple stops doing it...

Other retailers are doing much better deals than Apple in the US anyway.... Apple retail are going to lose lots of sales this weekend. Who is the new manager of retail again?

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In Canada, iffff you can find an iPad Air2... $50 off is the best you'll get at BestBuy and Future Shop. Walmart, The Source have no Air 2 and Office Depot has a very limited quantities of 16/32GB.

On the ipad air 1, but Targets has $120 gift cards with the purchased of an ipad.

Future shop has $200 off macbook air and $150 off macbook pro. Nice deals

 

[sofila]

I understand Apple's decision given the tragic effects on profits in consequence of last two or three years Black Friday discounts spread all over the world.
Clearly a bean counter move, supported from some PR genius who thought that hiding behind red products "charity" is enough.

 

[Poochi]

No money for you this year Apple.

 

[G4DP]

No Thanksgiving, that's right. But Black Friday has been adopted outside the US, especially in Europe. There are Black Friday deals in (almost) all major online stores. And most physical stores promote some kind of Black Friday deals. Only exemption here is Apple, which had deals last year #

Btw, there was no Halloween in Europe 15 years ago... To get together with family and enjoy each others company over a great meal, we have Christmas... #

Oh, and before I forget: no deals in Canada I heard. That's on the same continent, last time I looked #

You really should know what you are posting about before making yourself look stupid.

Halloween originated in Europe 100's of years ago.

 

[Tycho24]

Ugh.
Woke early to coordinate a gift purchase with a family member. NO REASON...Mac Mini had no discount. =(

 

[alent1234]

and no 128GB iphone 6's in sight

 

[thekeyring]

Nothing in the Europe. And I planned to buy an iPhone and iPad today, and not a low end models. First the new mini, no new ATV, then this - Apple gives me only disappointments this year.

You said you were buying a new iPhone? You can't be that disappointed by it.

 

[Tycho24]

Rare Apple Marketing fail.

A "gift that gives back" is slang for an STD.

No.
No it is not.
The slang is, " The gift that keeps on giving"... You know, because diseases spread. So, if one person is given it they'll "keep on giving"
Lol, they don't "give back" though.
What would that even mean with regards to disease????
Nice try though.
Apple marketing fail = 0
Your comprehension fail = 1

 

[applepuree]

Considering you can get discounts at apple stores all year (via price matching upto 10% discounts are available on request), I don't see what the fuss is about.

On world aids day, coming Dec 1st, Apple will give a part of its take to the Product Red people to help fight aids. I think that is far better than giving rich kids a 50 buck discount.

 

[Akaba]

You really should know what you are posting about before making yourself look stupid.

Halloween originated in Europe 100's of years ago.

I'm not an expert ... Wikipedia locates its origin in Celtic speaking countries, which seems plausible to me ... yet that does not cover the majority of the continent imho ...

Depending on where that person came from ... she will not have known Halloween ... I haven't known Halloween in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, France, Italy nor Spain ... I must have been grounded for life that I missed all that in the eighties ...

Wouldn't call someone stupid because of that, though.

And we're way off topic, once again

 

[Zendokan]

You really should know what you are posting about before making yourself look stupid.

Halloween originated in Europe 100's of years ago.

Only if you count Great-Britain as the whole of Europe.

On the mainland we have "All Souls" day and "All Saints" day (Roman Catholic Church).
"All Souls" day is on the 2nd November, while Halloween is on the 31st of October, but it has got nothing to do with "trick or treat", it's just the day to remember our family that has passed away.
Halloween is derived from All Souls Day.

Personally and also about 65% of Belgians aren't a fan, that Halloween is being pushed here by the businesses, because it's not our holiday.
What would be next? Thanksgiving and the 4th of July? No thanks, we have got our own holidays to eat-a-lot and give presents.

 

[THE BG 86]

If anyone tries to get the gift card on a item they have already bought and are still in the return period, please post and let us know what they say. Thanks

 

[webdevfreak]

Hee Hee went in my Apple Store in Canada and purchased an Apple TV and Airport Ext. Time Capsule only to Find out in Canada they Donate the value of the card to Aids. I proceeded to return right away. I am finding more and more that BestBuy and FutureShop have better discounts all the time. Oh well, I'm sure it doesn't hurt their bottom line.

 

[babalou]

If anyone tries to get the gift card on a item they have already bought and are still in the return period, please post and let us know what they say. Thanks

I just got home from swapping my gold iPhone 6 for a Space Gray (which i originally wanted) since today was day 14 of my 14 day exchange period and I received the $50 iTunes card even though I didn't technically "buy" anything.

I'll probably give the card away as a gift for someone for Xmas, which is good since it something of value ($50 "dollars"). Though I wish it were for actual Apple Store items because I wanted a case