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Apple Walks Back UNiDAYS Verification Requirement for U.S. Education Store
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I thought the whole premise of using a verification system that doesn't focus on a majority of staff that work for Stanford University local to Apple was laughable. I called Apple about this and told them that this restricts the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university from accessing their online EDU discounts and only allows student verification as it was setup as you posted about.
I did inquire that we could still go to a apple store to prove with badge or documents you are a legit educational institute party if you couldn't use the online store. Must have got a lot of calls inquiring about this when it was discovered.
No.
And what does HomePod have to do with the other two items on your list? Should we include Macintosh on the list? The Apple ][?
It’s pretty much all the time. It’s really only bto orders you fool with apple. If you’re not getting at least 10% off msrp you’re way overpaying.
Like pet food, or discounts for veterinarians and other health professionals / first responders?
Because people working at private universities are not government employees, despite having a .edu address. Prime examples: Pepperdine University, University of Southern California, Stanford University, the For-profit colleges/universities, etc.
BL.
You guys in the US have it great! UK have required UniDays verification for years. Before that you could only access the EDU store via a campus network. If you were not a current student of a higher education college or university, you didnt get the discount. Anyone that fell through the cracks were told to buy in-store and prove status there (with a human being who are a lot more sympathetic than UniDays!), or you could place a phone order and they ask you to send proof via email that you qualify.
The system is robust, but surely the only way to ensure only those getting the discounts are actually entitled to it?
Sounds like the US system is getting horribly abused.
The system is robust, but surely the only way to ensure only those getting the discounts are actually entitled to it?
Sounds like the US system is getting horribly abused.
What luxury! My first university (who hosts their own email) deletes student accounts 6 *weeks* after graduation, with no arrangements for alumni.
Meanwhile, my other university (who hosts with gmail) allows for alumni email for life.
Apple has been using UniDays in Australia for 5+ years. The americans not happy to pay full price so they complain? *confused*
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
Suspended
You must have missed the news when Apple had to discontinue and go back to the drawing board for CSAM, Air Power and HomePod. I wasn’t alive when Macintosh was out
If they need it enforced, it should be in-store pickup only. OR, offer a slightly higher discount if you go into an authorized college bookstore if they sell macs as well to buy in person.
They us id.me for the military discount, which has worked fine for me.
My undergrad school used to simply give you a sticker for the back, later my grad school didn't even do that nor reissue IDs.
Many K-12 don't have .edu but use .org. They used to just have you pick from a list when buying online.
Actually, K-12 students do not qualify, per Apple:
Available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels.
My guess is because a large % of their customer base would qualify if they did.
They can, just not at an educational discount from Apple.
America is a nation of bargainers. My partner, who is not American, was surprised when I would ask what kind of discount I could get on large purchases, and often get one, since that is simply not done where she is from. Sometimes simply offering to pay cash will get one.
Given the number of "I'm traveling to the US, how can I get an XXX since it is cheaper there than where I live," posts I have seen over the years, Americans are not unique in wanting a deal.
Everyone had access to the Apple Education Portal! Pre-screening was not a requirement and all that you had to do was look up "Apple" and "Education." I tried UNiDays earlier this week and it worked fine! You do need an email with an .edu extension. If you don't have an email associated with your educational institution, you're most likely not a student or graduated in the 80's.
I don't really see the point of trying to game this system. If you want a deal on any of these items, they can be had for the same or cheaper than EDU pricing at other retailers. I got my M1 Macbook Air at Best Buy for $800, I earned BB rewards credits for the purchase, I put it on my Best Buy credit card with no interest for 12 months. I feel like I got a better deal from Best Buy than buying from Apple.
Simple, retailers have rotating sales, but Apple’s discount is always there. You can also get financing combined with 3% cash back with the Apple Card.
Not everyone wants to or has the time to wait for the best discount.
They should keep the verification off if they can't figure out how to handle the listed qualifications. They said parents buying for their child who is attending college are eligible but there was no way to prove that.
Also the fact homeschooling was excluded via Unidays is BS.
Also the fact homeschooling was excluded via Unidays is BS.
I graduated in 2003 but don't have an edu email since my university only gives email addresses to active students. It is very YMMV with those.
I am surprised Apple does not limit the educational discounts to in store purchases only where you can present proof of being a teacher/student by bringing a badge/school ID or a paystub if your a teacher.
For seurity reasons schools should put the expiartation date as the end of the current school year and issue a new ID if they attend that same school next year.
I blame the school district in issuing staff ID’s that have no expiration date since that sounds like a security risk.