Heck, buy a couple of MacBook's and you get a free mini. Kind of defeats the point, though.
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Might try in-store if that's an option. But probably not a fun one on black friday.
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Apple's U.S. and Canadian Black Friday Sales Go Live Online With Gift Card Deals
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Heck, buy a couple of MacBook's and you get a free mini. Kind of defeats the point, though.
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Might try in-store if that's an option. But probably not a fun one on black friday.
Thanks for explaining to the world how to spend the amount on a gift card. I don't know what the world would do without your help.
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... . These are all 'want' as opposed to 'need' items.
maybe so, but the line can be blurry. I'm a libra, lol, and do need to be surrounded by beauty in my environment or I can become quite depressed. It doesn't have to be a lot, but anything ugly brings me down until I get rid of it. Apple helps me be happy. Don't think I'm the only one. Apple knows!
Apparently, Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of Cheap - The high cost of discount culture - does. If I remember correctly, it has to do with the idea that once certain societies/cultures develop a mindset that 'cheap is good', a feeling of entitlement sets in that substantiates itself for a long time afterwards. Was a pretty good read if I may say so myself.
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More gift cards or less discount
While we in Europe seem to be getting smaller discounts than say the US, we do get ours in 'real' money (i.e. traditional discount on the product) rather than in the form of a gift card.
Of course I'd love to have my cake (cash) and eat it too (bigger discount) but I'd say Apple has found a nice compromise here and even paid attention to cultural preferences.
While we in Europe seem to be getting smaller discounts than say the US, we do get ours in 'real' money (i.e. traditional discount on the product) rather than in the form of a gift card.
Of course I'd love to have my cake (cash) and eat it too (bigger discount) but I'd say Apple has found a nice compromise here and even paid attention to cultural preferences.
Are these gift cards rewarded only if we buy online or this deal includes purchases made in physical store as well? Canada or US?
Sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for mentioning it I'm going to check it out.
I'm not the biggest fan of the gift card deal either, but I just picked up an Apple TV and got a $25 gift certificate that I'd likely spend in the future anyway.
This is me. Ordered online at 4:15 am for in-store pickup, got my "ready" email an hour later, and my gift card an hour after that. I'll pop in later and pick up my iPad Air and buy a case with the gift card. I'm happy.
Apple gift cards cannot be used today on any gift card promo items
This is stupid, Apple.
I spent an hour earlier this morning trying to buy a iPad Air, which is on promo with a free $75 gift card. Obviously it nets out to be a discount of $75.
Well, online at the Apple store, you cannot use any saved Apple gift cards to put towards this purchase. The tab to input the card's code is hidden. You can only use credit/debit or financing. I have a few hundred dollars in GC's that I wanted to apply towards my purchase
I used their chat and was advised of this policy. When I asked if this also was the case in-store, I was told it varies from store to store. WTF?
Frustrated, I called customer service and got confirmation of this stupid policy, but was assured that I can use as many GC's as I like in-store, today, on Black Friday.
I was willing to pay more here in order to buy directly from Apple, but this has left a very sour taste in my mouth regarding this ****** policy.
I am now thinking I can do without here.
This a a fail, Apple.
This is stupid, Apple.
I spent an hour earlier this morning trying to buy a iPad Air, which is on promo with a free $75 gift card. Obviously it nets out to be a discount of $75.
Well, online at the Apple store, you cannot use any saved Apple gift cards to put towards this purchase. The tab to input the card's code is hidden. You can only use credit/debit or financing. I have a few hundred dollars in GC's that I wanted to apply towards my purchase
I used their chat and was advised of this policy. When I asked if this also was the case in-store, I was told it varies from store to store. WTF?
Frustrated, I called customer service and got confirmation of this stupid policy, but was assured that I can use as many GC's as I like in-store, today, on Black Friday.
I was willing to pay more here in order to buy directly from Apple, but this has left a very sour taste in my mouth regarding this ****** policy.
I am now thinking I can do without here.
This a a fail, Apple.
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I don't think that mindset is unique to any particular culture or cultures. Learning how to weight short-term gain (getting something cheap) versus long-term gains (getting something that lasts, or not getting things you don't need to stay within your means) is a difficult skill to acquire. There are always going to be people who didn't figure this how who are going to obsess about short term 'deals'. Long-term, it doesn't matter whether you spend $500 on your tablet or $450 or $500 with a gift card or whatever. What does matter is whether your tablet will do what you need it to and last a long time.
Answered my own question. Apple specialist on the phone told me that you can purchase an iPad air. Then make a separate purchase for AppleCare+ on that same product using the gift card, then pay the remaining balance.
Since dropping, cracking, and self repairing my iPad 2 some time ago, I have been paranoid and getting AppleCare+ for my >$500 items. Getting AppleCare+ for $25 sounds good to me.
I feel sorry for you. My reseller in Germany is offering the exact same deal as last year. Neither hardware nor price have changed a bit. I'm wondering what that means for resale value? But there will be a refresh eventually. The new Mac mini (Early 2014) will feature 802.11ac, Thunderbolt 2 and Haswell. Since you won't have an AirPort Extreme ($200) or a 4K-Monitor ($4K) and the mini has no battery, this upgrade will be meaningless. Unless they redesign the motherboard to add support for PCIe based flash storage. 700MB/s read and write speed, that would make a difference.
Be patient. Something great is coming in your way.
Guys
Apple has never been one to give good discounts. This gets you an accessory for your device as well (cover for iPad, external hard drive for computer, Applecare, etc).
Black Friday at Apple isn't anything special and won't be any different next year.
Black Friday at Apple isn't anything special and won't be any different next year.
Sooo you're telling us you bought a high priced electronic the week before Black Friday? Not telling you that you won't be able to be compensated, but try thinking about how silly of a purchase that might have been and taking some personal responsibility.
THE WEEK BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY?! Dude come on. That's almost as bad as buying a new iPhone the week before a new launch and then acting surprised.
Not everyone is so focused on consumerism that they know about and anticipate Black Friday.
I just happened to go to the MacRumors site yesterday to check the buy/don't buy page for an Apple product I intend to buy. That was my first awareness of Black Friday and Apple discounts. Silly?
When I buy an Apple product, I want only to know that it is not about to be upgraded.
The person with buyer's remorse seems to feel badly enough. Your ridicule seems mean-spirited to me.
Tom
Apple is a for-profit company with known high margins. However, you can get lower prices from some of their resellers. I think their sale pricing policy makes sense, since it enables independent resellers to continue to exist.
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Thanks for explaining to the world how to spend the amount on a gift card. I don't know what the world would do without your help.
It was in response to complaints about why Apple is offering gift cards this year instead of discounts. Obviously, they want people to come back and make more purchases later, and the approach allows them to appear to offer larger discounts at the same net cost to Apple (e.g. instead of offering $101 off a Mac like they did last year, they can offer "$150" that will likely be fulfilled selling accessories or other products whose net cost will likely be around the same $101 based on Apple's margins).
I would not beat myself up over your MBP purchase. Focus on your good fortune that you have the easy remedy or returning it and repurchasing it.
If you pack up your receipt and new laptop and take it to an Apple store today, It would certainly be in Apple's best interest to give you the gift card. If they do not, you could give it back to them and then buy a new one from the same person who declined to give you your gift card. Or, for an even better deal, wait and watch for it to show up among their refurbished merchandise.
(Before I did all that though, I would phone customer service and see if they would issue you your gift card then and there.)
I think you are a lucky person.
Tom