Best Buy vs. Apple Store

[sa gringo]

Looking for some thoughts on this:

If I buy apple products at Best Buy I have 30 days to return opened products for full refund, no restocking fee, and if you talk to a manager you can get all you applicable discounts, i.e student, military.

Apple Store is 14 days with restocking fee...although I did get a $300 credit when the new iMacs came out since it was within 30 days of me buying the "old" iMac.

So why would l just not go to Best Buy ?

 

[r.j.s]

Best Buy only carries a limited stock and may not have the one you want ... if they do, then go for it.

 

[Mjmar]

Best Buy is great. That's where I got my MacBook, and they even gave me a 10% college discount along with 2 years no interest with a Best Buy card.

 

[pasteater]

if i purchase apple tv or an airport extreme base station at best buy (i have a bunch of store credit) can i get apple care or do i have to get best buy's crappy protection plan?

also, if i purchase at best buy can i then go to apple and buy the apple care separately?

thanks.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Don't listen to a thing the Freak Squad says. If you have to buy it at Best Buy, get NOTHING else from them and walk out with just the computer.

if i purchase apple tv or an airport extreme base station at best buy (i have a bunch of store credit) can i get apple care or do i have to get best buy's crappy protection plan?

also, if i purchase at best buy can i then go to apple and buy the apple care separately?

thanks.

Don't buy AppleCare from either BestBuy or Apple. Get it on eBay for half the price.

 

[sa gringo]

Don't listen to a thing the Freak Squad says. If you have to buy it at Best Buy, get NOTHING else from them and walk out with just the computer.



Don't buy AppleCare from either BestBuy or Apple. Get it on eBay for half the price.

Yea I forgot to mention not to listen or ask the associates there anything for any reason...you do have to go in there knowing what you want to buy and good point on no custom stuff. I guess I was thinking of this mainly for peripherals...

 

[Scottsdale]

Are you positive Best Buy has NO restocking fee? I thought I read on the forums they do have one, but I have never bought a Mac there. That is good to know for future reference. Nice to try out a different Mac for 30 days and be able to return it for free, if it doesn't meet expectations. The 14 day Apple policy really is too limited, and the restocking fee sucks BIG TIME.

 

[r.j.s]

When I worked there, they did have one ... 15% IIRC. But that was 8 years ago.

 

[belvdr]

They still do:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage.jsp?type=page&contentId=1117177044087&id=cat12098

On computers, it is a 14-day return policy.

 

[zx7rgirl]

Bestbuy

If you go the BB route, do your research ahead of time.
We bought a macbook in Sept. 08 from the apple store - with edu discount, we received 10% off.
My friend bought the same machine at bestbuy - he told BB that his wife would be using it for college - BB did not mention the edu discount, and he didn't know about it - so he lost out. BB wouldn't help him out after he went back two weeks later... I thought that was shabby of the BB salesperson.