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Received a diff. configured MBP than what ordered

X

XTRanger

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 24, 2007
95
0
so i ordered a 15" 2.2ghz MBP (with 128mb video, 120gb hdd) from apple's online store. I paid the quoted price and received it on 25th.

When I opened the box, I realized that the MBP is actually a 15" 2.6GHz one, with 4GB RAM, 160gb HDD and a 256mb video card. The computer is brand new, not refurbed.

But I see tht my credit card was charged for the base MBP model with 2.2GHz one.

So, this not being the machine i paid for, called apple. The guy said tht it is really weird for me to get a differently specd computer than what I ordered. He suggested that I head out to my local apple store with the computer to get it exchanged.



so i drag myself down to the apple store with the laptop packed to the best of my ability. The genius looks at my invoice and the computer, then he calls the manager. The manager makes a couple of calls inside, comes out, and tellls me: "Would you mind keeping the current machine?" I didnt want to get charged extra 500 bucks, so I said no. He clarified "I talked to Apple, and they wont charge you extra. Also, you get a $100 store credit".

I was quite taken back with the offer. I started thinking that this may be a jinxed machine and they are just trying to get rid of it..... but he insisted that its a completely brand new machine and there should be nothing wrong with it, and he is willing to switch to the originally configured machine if i wanted.

I finally decided to get the 2.6GHz MBP, and I got a $100 store credit.


I still haven't blown up the store credit because if I change my mind to return the machine... im skeptical as to why they would give away a more powerful machine for a lower price.


Any thoughts?
 
I'm skeptical as to why you would tell Apple and then question them when they tell you to keep it without an added price.
 
clearing stock for the new ones?

I would say its just a goof and somebody else in the world got yours, they will call apple and get what they wanted with an exchange be happy i know i sure would be happy if i got a awesome machine like that for the price of the low end one:)
 
This could be a very good sign that they ARE clearing stock of the new ones.

However, I wonder if apple makes more money if:

A. They sell the 2.6ghz new machine as a refurbished machine at 2.6ghz refurbished prices.

OR

B. They sell the 2.6ghz new machine at 2.2 ghz prices to 2.2ghz buyers to get rid of stock.


This sort of confirms what many retailers have been saying in that they don't have any stock yet until apple ships out their next models.
 
you got better than you expected.

next time just smile and stay quiet

you won.
 
i hate you :p
your so lucky!!! if you really dont want it, ill be happy to take it. ill even accept the store credit :)
 
Apple is one of the companies who if they mess up they will make it up to you. Whether you got something better than you ordered doesn't matter, you didn't get what you ordered and in that case apologies are in order. Also, its much less trouble letting you keep it then take it back, re-box it and so on.
 
The Flashing Fi said:
I'm skeptical as to why you would tell Apple and then question them when they tell you to keep it without an added price.
Click to expand...

I would tell Apple because I received something that I did not pay for. 30 years of life has taught me a thing or two about honesty.

And I question it because I do not know why a corporation would like to take a hit and offer a new machine discounted to someone who is not affiliated with them in any way- and give a 100 bucks of store credit.

It seems just too good to be true... and you what they say to that.
 
The Flashing Fi said:
I'm skeptical as to why you would tell Apple and then question them when they tell you to keep it without an added price.
Click to expand...

this. personally if i hadnt been charged the extra cost i wouldnt have even called up. id also be too lazy to take it to the store. following this, if they were to offer it to me for the lower price and a voucher i would bite off thier hand and get out of there before they change thier mind or they find out it was a mistake or something
 
Lucky you!
Also nice to see that you are honest about it.
You should be happy with the machine, I hardly believe they send out "jinxed" machines to customers on purpose =).

This is really nice of them ;)
 
XTRanger said:
And I question it because I do not know why a corporation would like to take a hit and offer a new machine discounted to someone who is not affiliated with them in any way- and give a 100 bucks of store credit.
Click to expand...

It was most likely a clerical error. It happens. Once they've given the computer to you, they won't sell it as new again, meaning that the overall cost of taking it back, selling it as refurb / open box at a lower cost, plus making you a new MBP makes it more expedient for them to just let you keep it. Usually people would generally be happy about that, although no one can obligate you to be happy about it. :p

It does happen with pretty much everyone who manufactures custom-to-order devices.... Of course Apple gets more scrutiny than Dell (no one goes to Dellrumors.com anymore) and so you hear about it here and not there.

You are the first person I've ever heard who actually managed to get a bonus store credit for the ignominy of having to deal with a nicer computer than the one you paid for, though. ;)
 
XTRanger said:
I would tell Apple because I received something that I did not pay for. 30 years of life has taught me a thing or two about honesty.
Click to expand...

Good for you :)

XTRanger said:
And I question it because I do not know why a corporation would like to take a hit and offer a new machine discounted to someone who is not affiliated with them in any way- and give a 100 bucks of store credit.
Click to expand...

You got the $100 store credit because you were honest. Most people wouldn't be. Apple aren't going to take the machine back as they screwed up and gave you the wrong machine.

When I went to Vietnam I regret that I didn't give the only honest taxi driver in Saigon a massive tip simply because they were honest (which made a massive change), to overcome the fact that the cost was significantly less than what we would normally pay with a standard dishonest taxi driver.
 
there was a similar thread eralier this week where someone ordered a white macbook and got a blackbook and apple asked for it back...

Interesting
 
I guess it's just as other people have said that if they swapped it over they couldn't sell the faster one as new and would possibly lose out overall. I think the $100 store credit was a great gesture and would view it as a reward for your commendable honesty in reporting their mistake.
Hope you enjoy your fantastic new machine :)
 
if it is because theyre trying to deplete their stock (and an update is coming), then you're stilling winning because that model will still be better than the future base
 
ok good to know that my machine might not be a dud.

I just find it hard to believe that a corporation would give out more money that they have to, to a person who is in no way affiliated with them.
 
I think they asked for the blackbook back because it wasn't a BTO machine.

Stock 2.6ghz machines don't exist, so you most likely got someone else's custom mac and they had already built that person another computer to replace the one that got shipped to you.

I've never seen a refurb mac that wasn't a stock configuration.
 
The other thing, though it may be unintentional, is the positive publicity they gain from these stories.

People can tell the difference between real acts of authentic generosity and forced/staged acts... so they are getting much more than they lost if this story gets into the public psyche.

And congrats, I'm envious!!!
 
glad there are still some honest people around!

Looks like you got rewarded for it. :) Enjoy your 2.6 Macbook Pro. ;)
 
I don't believe it for a second. The one you ordered was (I assume 2GB of RAM) was $1999, but they one you got is $3,449 on Apple's site.
WHY would they let that mistake stand?
 
If you order something like that, saying something to get the records corrected might be a good idea -- to make sure there are not problems later during repairs.

Letting the mistake stand is better than losing money on one machine, and sending out another one -- and all the paperwork involved.
 
I think you are a good person and did the right thing. I applaud you for that! Probably wouldn't have taken it to the next step past 'informing them of the error'. If they weren't in a hurry to fix it, neither would I :) But I would at least tell them about it, it feels like stealing otherwise and if I made a mistake at my business I would hope someone would let me know about it.

-Allen
 
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