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Does Apple check education discount with online purchases?

N

naturallight

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 15, 2007
59
0
Hi,
I found a thread from 2005 which seemed to indicate that Apple rarely checked the validity of education discounts with online purchases. Have people found that still to be the case?

thanks!
 
If you want to be the one purchase they do check on, then go for it.

Or you could just choose to do the right thing.
 
how about buying it from MacMall or Amazon or something so that you don't have to pay sales tax? In most cases not paying the sales tax would more than make up for the edu discount.
 
I've purchased a PB G4, 17" MBP, 2 G4 Mac Mini, 4 iPods (about 4 or 5 years ago when they were still discounted), and a Black MacBook during my time in college and was never questioned or investigated, or even contacted, about any of the purchases. Granted, my last purchase was about 14 months ago with the edu discount.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Apple checks education purchases online. If you do not qualify, they contact you asking if you'd still like it at the real price.

You can't scam them. Buy a refurb.
Click to expand...

I HIGHLY doubt this is true.. However, if you wanna be legit.. Apply to your local community college (free) and most likely they will be on the list.. As long as youve graduated HS you should get accepted immediately.
 
My parents ordered a comp for me last year from the edu store and I doubt they checked because my name was nowhere on it and my parents were able to purchase it to be delivered home. Same with going to the store, my friend went with an ID that had expired already but they gave him the discount. I think it's kind of like the Leopard install disc that you purchase--it says should only be installed on one computer but they don't actually have any checks in place for it.
 
Apple does random audits. Some online buyers, but certainly not all, get a request for documents to verify that the buyer qualifies. If you don't, then they charge you the full price.

As I recall, this is all part of the "terms of use" you agree to in order to buy from the online education store
 
Even if you get the EDU discount, by the time you pay the tax, your discount has been eroded (unless you buy an expensive Mac Pro). Go to MacMall, pay no tax and make sure to file the rebate they have associated on almost every model and you'll more than likely be ahead of the game.....
 
They rarely check , and if they do check you can always cancel your order, they wont do that now , they want to sell as many macbooks and imacs
 
naturallight said:
Hi,
I found a thread from 2005 which seemed to indicate that Apple rarely checked the validity of education discounts with online purchases. Have people found that still to be the case?

thanks!
Click to expand...

If you're a student, you don't have to worry.
 
I am thinking of driving my sister to the nearest apple store like 2 hours away. She is a real student with ID. But I was wondering if she will still get the free ipod in stores or if we should just order online?
 
Just FYI: From the Terms and Conditions of Apple's Sales Policy;
Audit Rights

Apple routinely audits the purchases of customers at the Apple Store for Education to insure that that all purchase conditions have been observed. Should we discover that you have not observed all of the conditions applicable to your purchase, you authorize Apple:

- If you placed your order by credit card, to charge to your credit card the difference between the amount you paid for the delivered goods and the price that Apple charged the general public for the same goods at the Apple Store, in effect on the date that you placed your order; and

- If you paid by a means other than credit card, to (a) invoice you for the difference between the amount that you paid for the delivered goods and the price that Apple charged the general public for the same goods at the Apple Store, payable in fifteen days from the date of the invoice, and (b), should you fail to pay the invoice when due, institute legal action against you in a court of competent jurisdiction, with the prevailing party entitled to attorneys' fees.

- Should Apple not offer to the general public the specific products that you purchased at the Apple Store for Education, your credit card will be charged or you will be invoiced the difference between the amount you paid for the delivered goods and the price that Apple charged the general public for the closest equivalent goods at the Apple Store, in effect on the date that you placed your order.
Click to expand...
 
In the UK if your connected to the local network at your college/university you will be able to buy online however there is a way round it to get the university link and order it from home like i did.

As far as im aware they didnt do any check on me. Infact I ordered [MBP base model] at 3pm on Thursday and it arrived at 8.30am on Friday. At no time was I telephoned, emailed or anything to provide proof and so I guess it really is dependant on whether your the unlucky order that gets checked. However even still the worse that can happen is that you are asked to provide ID and just say you dont have it yet and they will cancel your order to just buy at the usual price.

No harm done.
 
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