Buy a MBP from retail store? Or online?

[palmerc2]

In a nutshell, one of my family members works for Apple so I can get a 15% discount. He can only order from the online store to get the discount.

I bought my (now in use) iMac, which when it came had a few stuck pixels. I brought it to the genius bar which they were ready to replace, when I showed them the receipt they said "oh, this is from the online store...the only thing we can do is fix it, or send it in" both of which would take more than 3 days. They went into saying that the online store, and the retail stores are not the same entity....in actuality, there not even the same store.

Now that I am waiting to get the MBP, would it be better to get it online or in store? I can get a student discount, which is 10%

So really, is paying the extra 5% worth it to just walk in store and getting the machine replaced if anything goes wrong? rather then being without a computer for 3 or more days? I really don't mind paying the extra 5%.....just want to know if it would be less painful

 

[maflynn]

I buy most of my stuff online and if that means I'll save money, its a no brainer!!!

Buy it online.

 

[phishindsn]

I truthfully haven't experienced a difference. I have bought my laptop on the online store and had issues corrected in the store. I had a logicboard go bad on my Powerbook G4 and they replaced the whole laptop in the store. Of course I dealt with Applecare and they said to take it to a store. It was within 30 days of purchase.

I hear more and more stories of them not being able to replace items generally in the store just because of the lack of inventory. So in any case you might have to wait. I think if you really can't be down 2-3 days without a machine for backup then I am not really sure if either is a benefit. Seeing how this will be a second purchase, unless you sold your iMac, then I would take the 5% because it's rare that these machines will die.

 

[palmerc2]

I buy most of my stuff online and if that means I'll save money, its a no brainer!!!

Buy it online.

I don't mind paying extra if it means less headache, if I am going to spend an extra $200 so be it.....I don't mind, at all

I am just curious if it is gonna be less of a pain

 

[old-wiz]

I have gone both ways. I like purchasing in the store since I get to make sure I get the right thing and I get the satisfaction of having it the same day I purchase. However, online is the only way to go if you want it customized. I've bought 3 Macs in Apple stores and one from Apple online.

 

[Spandexman]

Can you get higher education discount in a retail store? Online, you get the standard educational discount, and then you can get even more off if you shop from within the University network. Would I be able to get this full discount in store?

 

[barkomatic]

I like to use my education discount to buy it in the store. Shipping is a problem for me, as I live in an apartment building in Brooklyn without a doorman. That means if I'm not home when the courier brings it I don't get the computer. It's that simple.

 

[ajriggy]

Can you get higher education discount in a retail store? Online, you get the standard educational discount, and then you can get even more off if you shop from within the University network. Would I be able to get this full discount in store?

yes you can! i got mine in the apple store in Glasgow. You need to take along a vaild student Id though, just for them to confirm or like a letter proving your on a course, it doesnt matter if your in your first or final year either or undergraduate or post.

What should have cost me £1,094 for a MBP 13" and applecare cos me about £810 with the higher education discount.
Although my bank balance is still worse than if i'd got a pc laptop.
But i figure the mac is an investment that will last me a good few years, fingers crossed.

 

[Spandexman]

yes you can! i got mine in the apple store in Glasgow. You need to take along a vaild student Id though, just for them to confirm or like a letter proving your on a course, it doesnt matter if your in your first or final year either or undergraduate or post.

What should have cost me £1,094 for a MBP 13" and applecare cos me about £810 with the higher education discount.
Although my bank balance is still worse than if i'd got a pc laptop.
But i figure the mac is an investment that will last me a good few years, fingers crossed.

Thanks, that's brilliant! I take it that you can take a problem laptop to any store if bought from there. If so, I'll be buying from a real live shop

I think i've been reading these forums too much! I'm just assuming that the screen will be broken, harddrive faulty, trackpad defective and so on, as opposed to the reality from my 3.5 years of ownership that my macbook only ever went wrong once, and that was a few weeks after someone poured a glass of wine into it

 

[citron230]

I bought my iMac online almost 2 years ago. I haven't had a problem. I bought my last MacBook in an apple retail store and I just bought a new MacBook about two weeks ago after my last was stolen. I bought this one at the apple store at the apple store in my university bookstore. I really prefer buying things online.

 

[macgirl89]

I'd go with buying the MBP online, for two reasons:

1) You get a bigger discount. 10% discount... or 15% discount? I think we know which one is better there.

2) You have the ability to customize your machine if you buy it online. And you get a brand-new just-made machine, whereas if you go to the Apple Store, those machines may have been sitting in the store for months. I just don't trust the quality and reliability of stock machines that may be several months old when you buy them.

What do you get if you buy it in the store? The satisfaction of having the machine the same day you buy it and a smaller discount. Online's definitely the way to go!

 

[EndlessMac]

I don't mind paying extra if it means less headache, if I am going to spend an extra $200 so be it.....I don't mind, at all

I am just curious if it is gonna be less of a pain

You have already experienced the problem first hand so I don't know why you are asking. You also said you are wiling to pay the extra money to prevent the headache so I think your decision is already made up. If you are one of those people who customizes your computer specs than online is the only choice because they don't do that at the stores. Other than that it sounds like you have answered your own question.