Back to School to Start Tomorrow - $100 App Store Gift Card Confirmed

[jimsowden]

There is no legal way to avoid paying sales tax. You just aren't being forced to claim it at the time of purchase.

No longer worth it for some to purchase from apple retail store.

Information on AppleInsider.com suggests you will actually be better off purchasing your MAC from a 3rd party seller than the apple store, even with the new promotion.

I was awaiting the promotion because with the student discount and the BTS promotion I was looking at about a $300.00 discount to the original price of my iMac (27" 2.7 @ $1700). With the student discount you are down to a $1600 price tag, with the free iPod which I would have sold to a friend for $200 ($30 dollars cheaper than retail price), I was looking at paying a total of $1400 for a 27" 2.7 sandy bridge iMac which is the cheapest you can possibly get the price down to no matter where you shop.

Problem is apple retail also adds tax, in Ohio I have a 6.5% sales tax which would add about 103 dollars to my total. Without the Ipod being offered I am now looking at a total price of about $1700. (minus student discount but adding tax). With tax before I would have been at $1500.

3rd party sellers offer this same iMac free shipping and printer rebate that matches apples for $1579. There will be no tax in my situation, so by ordering online I will actually save about $120. PLUS im guessing some of the 3rd party resellers will offer some sort of deal/match for the $100.00 itunes gift card apple is giving (if you handle the sale correctly).

Shopping at apple will actually be more expensive so if you are in the market make sure you check out pricing guides at www.appleinsider.com and consider sales tax into your purchase IF you are choosing to purchase at the physical store and maybe you too will not purchase from apple and save some money by going through macmall or a seller like it! Hope this helps some people!

 

[Cougarcat]

false

Please read the post:

the promotion will offer a $100 gift card that can be used in the Mac App Store, iTunes Store, App Store or iBookstore, and that it will launch tomororow.

Apple's codes are store-ignostic. It's tied to your AppleID, that's all.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

I'm disappointed but it does make sense. I mean if you don't have an iPod Touch or iPhone by now then you really don't want one most likely.

However, I don't have either and would much prefer the iPod Touch but I can see why Apple made the switch.

 

[lesyork]

false

Umm, true?

 

[vomer]

So glad I didn't wait to buy my MBP.

same! and for people that are bitching... at least you get something. Be happy.

 

[DaGreat01]

Title should say it all. I am really curious to know if all the people who are complaining about the $100 gift card are students or have children who are students. Perhaps another iPod is not what people most are looking for. So many people have iPhones and iPods, especially if you are a Mac user. So, the promotion is just different. It helps promote developers, the app store and helps to get those apps on those new computers.

It's funny that Microsoft has to actually give an XBox to promote their OS. As an aside, isn't a game console the last thing a student should be concered about? An entire campus of XBoxes? Not to mention that a game is $60+ dollars. So, if money is tight then getting a console is probably not the best deciding factor for getting a cheap (well, at least $699), low rent, power guzzling notebook with no real software to be used.

Just another opinion, as is with any forum.

And yes, I am a bit of a fanboy (within reason).

That's what I'm saying....

 

[juicedropsdeuce]

It's called the market leader acting like the market leader. You know what that eventually leads to. For all that Jobs cried like a baby about Gates, looks like he does a great impression of him.

This says it all! Well stated, sir.

 

[fleshman03]

Dislike!

I wasn't in the market for a new MBP but if I was, I wouldn't go to Apple for it now.

 

[wikus]

same! and for people that are bitching... at least you get something. Be happy.

If I can sell the card, sure. Otherwise, its completely useless and may as well not take advantage of the promotion at all, I have no intention of ever using an iOS product or the app store.

 

[iphone1105]

If I can sell the card, sure. Otherwise, its completely useless and may as well not take advantage of the promotion at all, I have no intention of ever using an iOS product or the app store.

You just seem to want to whine....then don't get in on the deal??? you can get a mac anytime you know, hell you can get it during this deal and throw the card in their faces....they don't owe you anything bro

 

[wikus]

Can the gift cards at least be sold to someone else and have the new owner use the $100 in their account?

 

[WestonHarvey1]

If I can sell the card, sure. Otherwise, its completely useless and may as well not take advantage of the promotion at all, I have no intention of ever using an iOS product or the app store.

So that means you're never upgrading to Lion, then?

Why are you even getting a new Mac?

 

[shaynes]

To all those complaining about Apple taking 30% of the $100 gift card, what are you even talking about? Have you ever heard of a gift card?

If Wal-Mart gave you a $100 gift card, do you think that costs them $100 from their bottom line? Of course not, they just lose the wholesale cost of whatever you buy for your $100. Probably something like $80 (I am just estimating, I really have no idea the margins Wal-Mart has).

Apple does not get $30 for every $100 you spend at the app store using the free gift card they give you. Just think about it for a second, because it makes zero sense.

 

[Marbel]

BAD APPLE!
Seriously no iPod's!? Now Microsoft got this year big deal with a free XBOX with a Dell purchase. Apple has to change the $100 card for mayb a $100 discount on a iPod touch or iPad!

 

[macsamillionjoe]

I'm more pissed about Apple's complacency about their products.. Apple should focus on getting their damn products up to today's standards.. The mac mini, macbook, and airs should not have C2D in today's world!! Refresh the products already or cut the prices, they are just ripping people off....

 

[Cybbe]

$100 gift card in which Apple gets a 30% cut on apps so Apple is only giving out $70 instead of $200. A bit too steep of a cut for those students...

Oh yes, Apple was of course buying those iPods at face value last year.

 

[wikus]

You just seem to want to whine....then don't get in on the deal??? you can get a mac anytime you know, hell you can get it during this deal and throw the card in their faces....they don't owe you anything bro

Read my previous comment.

Thanks for assuming.

 

[igal2k]

if i bought MBP 10 days ago will i be still able to receive this 100$ ?? because its less then 14 days?

 

[angryshortguy]

I found a better deal

Best Buy matched the $999 price at Micro Center.
I also got the BB points on my card for another $20 in BB bonus bucks.
Can't imagine why Apple is coming out with this offer.
Not a reason for me to switch to MS, but a disappointment none the less.

 

[juicedropsdeuce]

How elegant.

.
Who is in charge of the gift cards at Apple? The whole concept is flawed. How elegant it is to enter some huge 40 digit code in order to have the privilege of spending money in iTunes. 1993 called, they want their promotional strategy back.

 

[1986alexander]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

What about if I return my laptop after I receive my gift card?

 

[eXistance360]

This is garbage and anybody saying the xbox promotion is worst or not needed is the biggest fanboy ever. Point is cash value, resale or keep. We are getting 150-200 less value out of this crappy ass deal.

 

[wikus]

So that means you're never upgrading to Lion, then?

Why are you even getting a new Mac?

I'm upgrading when Expose acts like it does in Snow Leopard and Lion gets full TRIM support for SSDs other than crappy apple branded toshibas.

Quick to judge, arent you?

 

[acslater017]

Need free iPod not free Angry Birds x 100.

I don't doubt your personal needs, but it really makes more sense for most STUDENTS to get a Mac App Store card than an iPod. Get some writing apps, iWork, Photoshop-ish apps, organization apps, etc. It's much more practical than plopping an iPod in their lap.

Students already get about $100 off. Combined, they're getting $200 worth, with no credential check or anything! They should be happy... (This, from someone who took advantage of the back-to-school deal twice his life)

 

[DaGreat01]

If I can sell the card, sure. Otherwise, its completely useless and may as well not take advantage of the promotion at all, I have no intention of ever using an iOS product or the app store.

Yet you want an iPod Touch so bad......................

Yes you can sell it, but did Apple add the iPod to the deal so people can sell them, i dont think so. It's a business, and they made a smart business move.