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Deals: M1 iPad Air Hits Record-Low Prices at TigerDirect, Starting at $313.99 (48% Off)
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lol, I did caveat it as guesses and speculation. Just basing it off how suppliers and we work in the space our company occupies.
I can see one item, but multiple items at basically half price? If true, whatever employee let that through is probably in some hot water. Especially on a new apple product? It’s extremely rare they ever get discounts that big, you can’t even get refurbs that cheap.
Yes, that is what we are commenting on. Hello?
TigerDirect was bought by some China scam shop and is now a pass through for scam sellers that send you broken/fake stuff that is impossible to return. Everyone knows this.
Even if that is the case which is possible, there is recourse when using payments such as Amazon Pay, PayPal or major CC’s. As was mentioned in previous comments, the need to check the Apple serial numbers and check the packaging. Don’t open any product you suspect of fraud and report that fraud with proof to the payment holder.
If anyone suspects fraud, then report it and don’t pay until it is resolved and if it doesn’t get resolved then don’t pay.
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Hey you might be right. These deals seem too good to be true, no argument here in that regard.
I just think it’s weird if you’re running a scam to offer the most secure payment methods possible.
Well if they bought the company it would seem like a red flag to suddenly stop supporting secure payment methods. But I'm guessing that many people will use regular CC# in their own form and they can use that info.
I ordered "Apple BTO MBA M2 8C 8G 16GB 512GB 30W SPGR (Z15S000D2) (42636954)" for $808.99 + CA recycling fee, shipping, tax = $895.82. I would be super surprised if I receive it as it's almost certainly a pricing error.
It's dead, it seems. https://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1357930 is a way to get to it now.
I originally found it when browsing thru their MacBooks (probably https://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Recs=10&Nav=|c:4360|&Sort=4).
I ordered the exact same SKU haha, fingers crossed. But I doubt it as well, since it’s a Build To Order SKU and normally only has very limited stock. Even with Apple.com it takes ~2 weeks+ to ship..
These were probably all real. I knew when they were all weird configurations for one reason or another (see below).
I'm guessing these were all Apple overstock going into this quarter. And the sheer volume that needed to get sold and sold quickly. These prices can't linger long or they disrupt the value Apple gets in the full price and even educational/refurb channels. BestBuy/Target/Amazon would also get really mad even if they lost full price sales for any period of time.
Apple almost never misses like they did in Q4, so this one time only.
Other signs:
Tiger ran out of stock slowly over the day and across products and colors and didn't turn the links off at once.
Tiger specifically made these configurations show up at the bottom of the search results for "ipad pro" or "ipad air" or "macbook pro" under full price configurations. This is to not conflict with shoppers who didn't know about the sale or without the links. It's deliberate. Also when they didn't sell enough of the yellow 10th gen ipad, they promoted on the main page.
Here's what Apple misforecast the demand for last quarter:
Silver M2 iPad Pro 11s (128gb/256gb) - With the iPad Air and 10th gen iPad out, only businesses bought pros and they went for the high end configurations.
iPad Pro M2 12.9 - 128Gb configuations and 2TB Cellular configuration. No reason to upgrade. No demand on the low end and the highest end.
iPad 10th gen - Many many blues, and yellows in 64gb configurations, 64GB+Cellular. Retail price was probably too high.
M2 Macbook Air - weird configurations. lots of 16GB/256GB, some 16GB/512. Apple didn't have a lot of People who would upgrade to 16gb, yet only wanted 256gb/512gb storage.
13.3" M2 Macbook Pro - 24GB/1TB, 24GB/2GB, 16GB/1TB high end configurations all 50% off. These were amazing deals...
Apple studio display - nano-texture with the adjustable stand at $2299 retail was too much. so they cleared them out on Tiger at $1239.
** I couldn't justify upgrading my mostly at-home 2020 M1 MBA to fully configured M2, but the 24GB/2TB 13.3" MBP was perfect at $1250(!!). It's not a surprise Apple didn't sell a lot of these at $2400+ retail. Picked up a couple iPads too.
I'm guessing these were all Apple overstock going into this quarter. And the sheer volume that needed to get sold and sold quickly. These prices can't linger long or they disrupt the value Apple gets in the full price and even educational/refurb channels. BestBuy/Target/Amazon would also get really mad even if they lost full price sales for any period of time.
Apple almost never misses like they did in Q4, so this one time only.
Other signs:
Tiger ran out of stock slowly over the day and across products and colors and didn't turn the links off at once.
Tiger specifically made these configurations show up at the bottom of the search results for "ipad pro" or "ipad air" or "macbook pro" under full price configurations. This is to not conflict with shoppers who didn't know about the sale or without the links. It's deliberate. Also when they didn't sell enough of the yellow 10th gen ipad, they promoted on the main page.
Here's what Apple misforecast the demand for last quarter:
Silver M2 iPad Pro 11s (128gb/256gb) - With the iPad Air and 10th gen iPad out, only businesses bought pros and they went for the high end configurations.
iPad Pro M2 12.9 - 128Gb configuations and 2TB Cellular configuration. No reason to upgrade. No demand on the low end and the highest end.
iPad 10th gen - Many many blues, and yellows in 64gb configurations, 64GB+Cellular. Retail price was probably too high.
M2 Macbook Air - weird configurations. lots of 16GB/256GB, some 16GB/512. Apple didn't have a lot of People who would upgrade to 16gb, yet only wanted 256gb/512gb storage.
13.3" M2 Macbook Pro - 24GB/1TB, 24GB/2GB, 16GB/1TB high end configurations all 50% off. These were amazing deals...
Apple studio display - nano-texture with the adjustable stand at $2299 retail was too much. so they cleared them out on Tiger at $1239.
** I couldn't justify upgrading my mostly at-home 2020 M1 MBA to fully configured M2, but the 24GB/2TB 13.3" MBP was perfect at $1250(!!). It's not a surprise Apple didn't sell a lot of these at $2400+ retail. Picked up a couple iPads too.
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For anyone that wants to follow along waiting more info that might not be shared here first.
Apple 10.9 iPad 10th Gen 64GB WiFi - Silver - $224.99
IPad 10thgen free shipping@Tigerdirect . Too good to be true? https://www.tigerdirect.com/appli...No=1470154 Update 2/6 BestBuy updated its price match policy on 2/6/2023 to no longer include Tige
slickdeals.net
This is entertaining to see unfold what happened on TD side.
I can tell you some insights from my previous decades working in the supply chain that involved Apple, and Best Buy (and other major Apple retailers);
The cost that Apple’s largest retail partners get direct from Apple or through distribution channels are closer to the Apple Edu pricing consumers get. Maybe a couple percent less. Seriously, that slim margins. So even when they price match edu pricing at times, they make next to nothing on hardware. Margins are slightly more on accessories and services but not that much more. There are some performance related rebates if they hit certain purchase volumes on a quarterly basis but thats rarely reflected ahead of time in sell price and its only low single digit rebate % anyways. MDF $ may be passed through for certain initiatives but those usually fund other stuff and are also a small %. Retailers opportunity for more significant sales are on older gen stock. Apple usually drops costs on old with new version release, and retailers will scramble to buy up all existing old stock to have for all the annual shopping events (BF/BW etc.) but even those are slim margins and nothing close to this sale.
In addition, Apple, like most brands, are very firm on their MAP. As they want to protect their own stores and also retail partners. The sr management of every Apple seller is escalating this with Apple, even on the weekend. The price policing culture amongst the major retailers is real and crazy at times. I was a middle man in many of those call outs throughout my years. I would not be surprised that Apple legal team is already involved in this.
Although no one outside of Apple really knows Apples true cost of goods sold, my best speculation is its nothing close to 48% for main hardware. My guess is in the 30’s but only very sr management would truly know or see. The Apple account managers that sell to retail or disty would most likely see and work from a much higher cost. This is common throughout industries.
Lastly, the old TigerDirect had a very checkered relationship with Apple and other major brands because of their tactics. There is no way Apple would sanction this or even partner with the old or new TD to clear surplus. They dont operate this way. It degrades the brand and implodes the retail channel.
Even throughout the two or three recessions over the past 25 years, Apple didnt do sales like this. So this is 100% a rogue mistake, scam, hack, phish or marketing ploy by whomever TD is today. Im curious to see how this unravels. Feel bad for the frontline employees at retailers that price matched in error. Im guessing a hand slap is coming. As thats a major loss to the retailer!
One more add, on the tiny chance that stock and price is legit, TD could have procured the inventory from a liquidation channel of some sort (like an auction or some other business liquidating these assets due to financial distress) But even if that was the case, Apple would not sponsor this and will do everything they can to protect the regular channel. Plus, why would TD leave money on the table and discount so deep on so many sku’s when they could make more money with similar viral response at even half the discount? This theory is not logical to me.
I can tell you some insights from my previous decades working in the supply chain that involved Apple, and Best Buy (and other major Apple retailers);
The cost that Apple’s largest retail partners get direct from Apple or through distribution channels are closer to the Apple Edu pricing consumers get. Maybe a couple percent less. Seriously, that slim margins. So even when they price match edu pricing at times, they make next to nothing on hardware. Margins are slightly more on accessories and services but not that much more. There are some performance related rebates if they hit certain purchase volumes on a quarterly basis but thats rarely reflected ahead of time in sell price and its only low single digit rebate % anyways. MDF $ may be passed through for certain initiatives but those usually fund other stuff and are also a small %. Retailers opportunity for more significant sales are on older gen stock. Apple usually drops costs on old with new version release, and retailers will scramble to buy up all existing old stock to have for all the annual shopping events (BF/BW etc.) but even those are slim margins and nothing close to this sale.
In addition, Apple, like most brands, are very firm on their MAP. As they want to protect their own stores and also retail partners. The sr management of every Apple seller is escalating this with Apple, even on the weekend. The price policing culture amongst the major retailers is real and crazy at times. I was a middle man in many of those call outs throughout my years. I would not be surprised that Apple legal team is already involved in this.
Although no one outside of Apple really knows Apples true cost of goods sold, my best speculation is its nothing close to 48% for main hardware. My guess is in the 30’s but only very sr management would truly know or see. The Apple account managers that sell to retail or disty would most likely see and work from a much higher cost. This is common throughout industries.
Lastly, the old TigerDirect had a very checkered relationship with Apple and other major brands because of their tactics. There is no way Apple would sanction this or even partner with the old or new TD to clear surplus. They dont operate this way. It degrades the brand and implodes the retail channel.
Even throughout the two or three recessions over the past 25 years, Apple didnt do sales like this. So this is 100% a rogue mistake, scam, hack, phish or marketing ploy by whomever TD is today. Im curious to see how this unravels. Feel bad for the frontline employees at retailers that price matched in error. Im guessing a hand slap is coming. As thats a major loss to the retailer!
One more add, on the tiny chance that stock and price is legit, TD could have procured the inventory from a liquidation channel of some sort (like an auction or some other business liquidating these assets due to financial distress) But even if that was the case, Apple would not sponsor this and will do everything they can to protect the regular channel. Plus, why would TD leave money on the table and discount so deep on so many sku’s when they could make more money with similar viral response at even half the discount? This theory is not logical to me.
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Weird how Tiger Direct sells iPads OVER MSRP. How's a new iPad Pro 11" base model cost $825 ha? Guess the 'free shipping' is calculated in. Tiger Direct has been around for so long and has always been a subpar company, no idea how they stay in business.
Yes I would say the biggest winners are the one with price matched product from the store.
The last time I ordered from tiger direct was when they were clearing out the HP TouchPads. It took a month but i did end up getting it.
I agree. I lean towards mistake, simply because AC+ is also discounted steeply. It looks like, to me, someone entered a discount and it was the wrong amount or on the wrong products. It could be a hack but if you can do that why be selective if all you want to do is cause chaos? Or let is stand to raise red flags and get your purchases refused as well? Or do it on a weekend where there is more time to catch the hack before shipping starts on Monday?
We'll see Monday (or sooner) what happens next.
I agree. Apple' latest generation products will sell without step discounts, so why leave money on the table?
TD is an Authorized Apple Retailer, so doing this for a few quick $$$ and jeopardizing that relationship makes no sense.
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Re-read my message. I accounted for that.
Apple's a very different company now. In the last 2008 recession, Apple's revenue was $32B vs close to $400B(!) now. That was pre-iPhone, pre-iPad, pre-M1, pre-Walmart/Target/BestBuy/Amazon. Apple reported blended gross margin of 42% in the earnings call last week.
Everything else you said about degrading the brand and imploding retail channels is mostly true. That said, Apple walked into this quarter with billions in excess inventory. It's a very unusual situation th
Clearing it through TigerDirect in 12 hours was probably the last painful option now. Every other retailer would understand that today.