Pricing

[DustinT]

I've got the opportunity to buy a 2011 13" 256g MBA for $1371.02 + tax. That's $1499 sale price, $100 edu BB gift card and 2% back from Rewards zone. I'm skipping their service plan because the .edu discount on Applecare is just too good to pass up.

Is there a better deal out there that you know of? Any reason not to buy it from them?

 

[DustinT]

After a trip down to my local Apple store they were willing to match the price, including the $100 gift card. So, I got it there. Great price, $1399.

 

[iZeeshan]

Does Apple actually price-match?

Couldn't then I go to them and tell them that MacMall has it for about $70 cheaper and get that back? Can I try that over the phone?

 

[Bob Coxner]

Does Apple actually price-match?

Couldn't then I go to them and tell them that MacMall has it for about $70 cheaper and get that back? Can I try that over the phone?

They only price match brick and mortar stores. At least that's all I've ever seen. You can always try.

 

[DustinT]

They only price match brick and mortar stores. At least that's all I've ever seen. You can always try.

I know in my case I pulled up Best Buy.com on one of their computers. The associate printed the sale price, $1499 and then called the local store and verified the $100 back to school promotion. That took about 10 minutes and that was it.

 

[iZeeshan]

They only price match brick and mortar stores. At least that's all I've ever seen. You can always try.

Would I have to go in store for that or could I call them?

 

[blue22]

They only price match brick and mortar stores. At least that's all I've ever seen. You can always try.

Just FYI, MacMall/PC-Mall is a "brick and mortar" store, located in Santa Monica, California.

 

[h00ligan]

But you can't apply the gift card you are getting at the time you purchase the new air right? So really you got a $1479 + tax air with a $100 gift card. Not exactly the same thing .

Maybe I'm wron and you can apply it, but that seems unlikely.

 

[Bob Coxner]

Just FYI, MacMall/PC-Mall is a "brick and mortar" store, located in Santa Monica, California.

Every report I've read says that Apple stores only price match brick and mortar in their market. That's the way it's working for everyone trying to match the Microcenter $999 for the 13" MBP. Apple stores in towns without a Microcenter won't match the online price.

I'm assuming it will work the same with MacMall but I would love to hear that an Apple store outside of southern California matched their price.

 

[DustinT]

But you can't apply the gift card you are getting at the time you purchase the new air right? So really you got a $1479 + tax air with a $100 gift card. Not exactly the same thing .

Maybe I'm wron and you can apply it, but that seems unlikely.

You are correct. But, I was allowed to use the gift card towards One on One.

 

[blue22]

MacMall isn't discounted that much anyway...

Every report I've read says that Apple stores only price match brick and mortar in their market. That's the way it's working for everyone trying to match the Microcenter $999 for the 13" MBP. Apple stores in towns without a Microcenter won't match the online price.

I'm assuming it will work the same with MacMall but I would love to hear that an Apple store outside of southern California matched their price.

Well, in MacMall's case, they offer modest discounts somewhere around 5% only for base stock models of Macs, which really isn't much anyway, IMO. It's when you try to customize for BTO that their prices become much more expensive than just buying the same BTO set-up from the Apple store itself. So if people have a MicroCenter in their town/market, great, then they should at least always try to price match when buying from a nearby Apple store.

 

[KPOM]

Well, in MacMall's case, they offer modest discounts somewhere around 5% only for base stock models of Macs, which really isn't much anyway, IMO. It's when you try to customize for BTO that their prices become much more expensive than just buying the same BTO set-up from the Apple store itself. So if people have a MicroCenter in their town/market, great, then they should at least always try to price match when buying from a nearby Apple store.

When you use the AppleInsider discount, you can get discounts on the CTO models, as well. It takes them a while to get them in when they are first released, but in a few weeks it will be a good way to get the CTO models for about $75-90 less than Apple's prices.

FYI, regarding taxes, there's a proposal in Congress to require all Internet businesses to start collecting state sales taxes. Amazon is behind it, since they see the writing on the wall in all their battles with individual states.