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Best Buy ??

U

udflyer

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 3, 2011
424
104
I was planning on picking up the MBA 13" Base Model.

Any issue getting it from BB ?

They are $70 cheaper ($1229) AND since I am a Premium RewardZone member, I get a 45 day return window if I read the fine print correctly.

Their floor model has a Toshiba SSD but I do not know how old that is.

Anyone have any luck with the Base Model 13" at BB getting the Samsung SSD ?


I assume the apple store would still have to fix it under warranty if purchased at BB ... correct ?

ANy advice appreciated.

Flyer
 
Personally I prefer buying from the Apple store. Their customer service is outstanding, the staff knowledgable, and I've had nothing but positive experiences there. I will pay a little bit more to buy from the Apple store. But that's me.

That being said, if you buy it at Best Buy, Apple will service it like you bought it directly from them. No concerns there. I am not familiar with the restocking fees at Best Buy or how they apply to Apple products.
 
udflyer said:
I was planning on picking up the MBA 13" Base Model.

Any issue getting it from BB ?

They are $70 cheaper ($1229) AND since I am a Premium RewardZone member, I get a 45 day return window if I read the fine print correctly.

Their floor model has a Toshiba SSD but I do not know how old that is.

Anyone have any luck with the Base Model 13" at BB getting the Samsung SSD ?


I assume the apple store would still have to fix it under warranty if purchased at BB ... correct ?

ANy advice appreciated.

Flyer
Click to expand...

I purchased a 2011 MBA 13/128 from Best Buy on July 26th. LG Screen/Toshiba SSD.

I returned it on August 10th (I am Premier Silver, as well) because I decided I wanted the 13/256. I managed to find the last remaining one in my area (it appears BB does not carry the 256 currently as it is no longer on their website).

The new one (256) had Samsung screen/Samsung drive.

It appears that the resports of Toshiba SSDs are getting fewer and farther between as, perhaps, Apple has used up the last remaining supplies of the older drives.

The full Apple warranty applies when you purchase it from Best Buy. Also, Best Buy no longer charges a restocking fee.

The Reward Zone points I got...along with the $100 gift card as part of the Back-To-School promotion...made this purchase a no-brainer for me.

I also managed to trade in my 2007 vintage white Macbook to Best Buy and got a $484 gift card.
 
If it's cheaper, I'd just buy at BB. Unfortunately, I haven't had as positive of an experience at Apple Stores as the previous poster, and either the staff has been clueless or rude. Apple stores will service it under warranty as well
 
alust2013 said:
If it's cheaper, I'd just buy at BB. Unfortunately, I haven't had as positive of an experience at Apple Stores as the previous poster, and either the staff has been clueless or rude. Apple stores will service it under warranty as well
Click to expand...

I've had very mixed experiences with Apple Stores...Most of the time, they are good...but when they are bad, watch out.

The "Genius" that "assisted" me at the Apple Store at The Grove in Los Angeles had to be the singular rudest person I have encountered in retail in a long time...Rude enough to warrant an immediate call to Corporate.
 
Thanks Everyone.


I will go with BB.

I have had no issues with my Apple store other than they are constantly mobbed.

When you go in there to buy something and hit the Q on their iPads, it takes at least 20 minutes to get someone. Wish they had a "I know what I want Q"

Anyway, Thankss again.
 
well i dont think bestbuy is any different. when i went in there to buy my 11 inch air the guy was acting like i was causing him a hassle by purchasing it from him and he had to get the ladder. he didnt even want to deal with me. im sitting there thinking to myself, they are getting like 1000 dollars of my money they can lose the attitude. if best buy wasnt cheaper id go else ware.
 
I work at Best Buy. I'm also about to get the 13" MBP from there soon too :) No restocking fees anymore and the extended warranty they offer covers accidents (which Apple doesn't).
 
There's no point in guessing if your BB has a Toshiba or Samsung SSD since there are a whole lot of BBs and each shipment is different.

Amazon on the other hand just received a large shipment of base 13" Airs and those have Samsung SSDs as many have reported.
 
Acorn said:
well i dont think bestbuy is any different. when i went in there to buy my 11 inch air the guy was acting like i was causing him a hassle by purchasing it from him and he had to get the ladder. he didnt even want to deal with me. im sitting there thinking to myself, they are getting like 1000 dollars of my money they can lose the attitude. if best buy wasnt cheaper id go else ware.
Click to expand...

This happened to me once at Best Buy (when I was purchasing my first Macbook in 2007)...The saleperson acted like it was a hassle. There are good and bad in all stores...but the one thing I will say about Best Buy is that their resolution of any issues that I have had over the years has been outstanding.

Truth be told, Apple does, too, try to resolve issues, and does a good job at it...but, as for me, when weighing out the experience between Apple and Best Buy, it's pretty even except Best Buy wins out for me because of Reward Zone points, no interest financing offers, and their extended return policy.
 
Buy your Mac from Best Buy, don't purchase the extended warranty. Get the Apple Care later on. I got my Macbook pro returned to me from BB after 2 weeks at a 3rd party repair company. The Apple store would have just replaced on the spot. At Best Buy i noticed the screws under the laptop were not flush with the body. I showed the tech and he said no problem, took out a screw drive and torqued the screws more into the laptop. I told him that the screws are different lengths but he didn't listen and kept twisting the screws in harder. I told the guy to stop and i took it home
 
I got a 13" / 128 from the local BB here a couple weeks back. Got Samsung screen / Toshiba SSD. Have thought about taking it back for roll of dice with 256, but they haven't gotten anymore in stock. As a silver premier, I can wait another couple of weeks.

I've also been looking on eBay for people selling Aura Pro's and 256 take outs. Might pick one of those up, sell 128, and come out ahead.

Also might just wait until the first 6gbps Sata III drives come out for the Air. Should only be a couple of more months before we start to see those.
 
I got mine at Best Buy a little over a week ago. Samsung screen and SSD. Some of the employees don't really know what they are talking about, but I knew what I wanted before going. One guy said I only had 14 days to buy the Apple Care for it, and another said the Super Drive I bought the next day wasn't covered under the Air's Apple Care which the website says it is. The manager came over to unlock the case and get my Air for me but it wasn't in there, so he took the time to look in the back to find it. I also used my Best Buy credit card to buy mine to get the 18 months no interest, which I plan to pay in less then half that time.
 
I really dont understand peoples obsession with customer service. Every day we buy burgers from people who aren't necessarily friendly or well versed in their "career" and its not a big deal. But when it comes to technology then some people feel that its worth paying extra money just so that the guy who sells you the computer is smiling?!?! Who cares?

Some people may not accept this but the 12/hr Apple Store worker and the $9/hr part time Best Buy worker both could care less about you once you leave the store so why not go after the best price and best return policies rather than pay for "the best experience".
 
urkel said:
I really dont understand peoples obsession with customer service. Every day we buy burgers from people who aren't necessarily friendly or well versed in their "career" and its not a big deal. But when it comes to technology then some people feel that its worth paying extra money just so that the guy who sells you the computer is smiling?!?! Who cares?

Some people may not accept this but the 12/hr Apple Store worker and the $9/hr part time Best Buy worker both could care less about you once you leave the store so why not go after the best price and best return policies rather than pay for "the best experience".
Click to expand...

I agree. No matter what I am buying, I research everything BEFORE I go to the store. I would never depend upon a sales associate to be an "expert" on a relatively big ticket item.

I don't need the Best Buy employee to be an expert...just as I don't really need the Apple Store employee's "input" either.

With information being available to EVERYONE through the Internet, there is just no excuse for a consumer to not be well-educated before they go to a store.

I do this for virtually everything I buy...from cars to computers down to the external DVD burner I just purchased.

When I go to Best Buy or Apple, I know EXACTLY what I want. There is just no excuse for NOT doing the research, IMHO. Inevitably, those folks who throw caution to the wind and somehow think that the Apple Store employee has their best interest in mind, or that the Best Buy employee will really be able to steer them in the right direction, end up screaming the loudest that they were misled or ripped off.
 
The obsession with customer service is about respect. I don't give a rats butt how much they make they took the job and should do that job to the best of their ability and treat me friendly and with respect no matter what I am buying. This attitude bs from workers extends into our society where no one gives a crap about anything. If a sales person cannot be polite and respectful to me I buy someplace else regardless of the price. If more people did this our overall buying experience would be better.

In my area the Best Buy staff are mostly nice and helpful but when it comes to Apple products they have given me and others some incorrect info, so like anything else it is better to know your products ahead of time.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=35.638152,139.750936
 
Bought from BB

Bought a 13" base model from BB. It came with Samsung LCD + Harddrive :D
 
ChrisM07 said:
I work at Best Buy. I'm also about to get the 13" MBP from there soon too :) No restocking fees anymore and the extended warranty they offer covers accidents (which Apple doesn't).
Click to expand...

If Apple covered accidents, it would be nice. But, they don't. Also, I have to say, from Apple stores, that I have had really bad customer service. Too, I don't like that there is no central checkout. Usually, one floor employee has to find another to take care of the sale while I'm left just standing around. Lastly, I also, mostly purchase from the merchant offering the best deal. Even with the best deals, the bad service lingers in your mind.
 
rhinosrcool said:
If Apple covered accidents, it would be nice. But, they don't. Also, I have to say, from Apple stores, that I have had really bad customer service. Too, I don't like that there is no central checkout. Usually, one floor employee has to find another to take care of the sale while I'm left just standing around. Lastly, I also, mostly purchase from the merchant offering the best deal. Even with the best deals, the bad service lingers in your mind.
Click to expand...

I have to agree that this is the one thing that I find most disconcerting about an Apple Store...the checkoout process. I feel sometimes as if I have to beg somebody to check me out...
 
Built said:
I have to agree that this is the one thing that I find most disconcerting about an Apple Store...the checkoout process. I feel sometimes as if I have to beg somebody to check me out...
Click to expand...

The worst thing is when an associate needs to call in back to bring some thing out, then to call someone else over to ring up the sale

however I do like the convenience of handing my Amex to them and thats it, receipt in my inbox before I leave the store.

----------
Built said:
This happened to me once at Best Buy (when I was purchasing my first Macbook in 2007)...The saleperson acted like it was a hassle. There are good and bad in all stores...but the one thing I will say about Best Buy is that their resolution of any issues that I have had over the years has been outstanding.

Truth be told, Apple does, too, try to resolve issues, and does a good job at it...but, as for me, when weighing out the experience between Apple and Best Buy, it's pretty even except Best Buy wins out for me because of Reward Zone points, no interest financing offers, and their extended return policy.
Click to expand...

price matching, reward points, 0% interest for up to 18 months, decent service and accidental damage warranties and 3 miles from my house, tough to beat in my eyes.
 
Last edited:
bruinsrme said:
The worst thing is when an associate needs to call in back to bring some thing out, then to call someone else over to ring up the sail.

however I do like the convenience of handing my Amex to them and thats it, receipt in my inbox before I leave the store.

----------



price matching, reward points, 0% interest for up to 18 months, decent service and accidental damage warranties and 3 miles from my house, tough to beat in my eyes.
Click to expand...

You are right...I forgot the Price Matching. For example, I got Best Buy to price match Microcenter's deal on the MBP 13 back in 2010...999. I called ahead and the price match was done graciously.

I also agree that I do like the convenience of Apple's emailing of my receipts. :)
 
I've had good and bad experiences at both BB and Apple stores. I usually buy at BB simply for Reward Zone points, but bought my MBA at an Apple store because BB didn't have any i7 models in stock. And the guy at the Apple store was a complete jerk - fortunately I knew what I wanted and basically ignored him.
 
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