apple retail store vs online

[quackwack]

hi, i orignally bought the unibody mbp from an apple retail store here in london but i lost count with the number of times i had to get it exchanged mainly due to dust under the screen but also a few other issues, i.e the case have scratches or nicks or excessive number of dead / stuck pixels out of the box. so in the end it just got silly and i got a refund.

i'm just wondering do online orders come under more scrutiny in terms of quality control or have i just had a bad run of luck with the mbp's that i've bought / exchanged at the retail stores?

i'm looking to get the 17" and hopefully i wont have these issues this time round.

 

[Roy Hobbs]

hi, i orignally bought the unibody mbp from an apple retail store here in london but i lost count with the number of times i had to get it exchanged mainly due to dust under the screen but also a few other issues, i.e the case have scratches or nicks or excessive number of dead / stuck pixels out of the box. so in the end it just got silly and i got a refund.

i'm just wondering do online orders come under more scrutiny in terms of quality control or have i just had a bad run of luck with the mbp's that i've bought / exchanged at the retail stores?

i'm looking to get the 17" and hopefully i wont have these issues this time round.

It's purely the luck of the draw. A sealed bpx thats gone through QA is the same where ever you order it/buy it

 

[JGeorge07]

I can't imagine that you'll see much of a difference in the quality control and it seems like you've just had a run of bad luck. I mean, the computers are boxed, and I imagine they either sit there waiting to be mailed out via online orders, or they're boxed and sent to the stores, where they're handed out when you ask for one.

I doubt there's anything extra done at one location or the other, but I can't be certain.

 

[Mark2000]

I bought my MBP at MacConnection and I've ordered a new one from them this month. $150 rebates, free shipping, and no taxes. Its a good deal and I had no probs with it. No matter where you buy your computer its being shipped from China. I can't imagine UPS is going to make it worse.

 

[isaki87]

hi, i orignally bought the unibody mbp from an apple retail store here in london but i lost count with the number of times i had to get it exchanged mainly due to dust under the screen but also a few other issues, i.e the case have scratches or nicks or excessive number of dead / stuck pixels out of the box. so in the end it just got silly and i got a refund.

i'm just wondering do online orders come under more scrutiny in terms of quality control or have i just had a bad run of luck with the mbp's that i've bought / exchanged at the retail stores?

i'm looking to get the 17" and hopefully i wont have these issues this time round.

Irrespective of where you purchase your computer from, whether it be Apple Retail Store, or the Apple Online Store, it will be shipped from China. However, for warranty purposes, if it comes down to a replacement or exchange, it is better to purchase from the retail store, because they are more likely to replace your unit on the spot, considering they have it in stock.