Should I purchase from Bestbuy or Apple?

[killerwhack]

My advice is don't buy from either of them! Do this:

Buy from amazon.com with your VISA card which will give you two years of warranty right from the start and often allow you to extend it through VISA after the second year(check with your card issuer, but usually platinum cards and above have this extra warranty service - all cards seem to have the automatic double warranty service) . Also, you will save significant amounts of money by getting it from amazon: $150 rebate on the already slightly lower price, no taxes and free shipping - that could be $300 saving right there and certainly enough to buy either the extended warranty through VISA (highly recommended and with a no lemon/replacement policy, battery replacement policy and just great service) OR applecare. Also, Amazon has a great return policy for items with any kind of defect.

All this for less than just the computer from apple or bestbuy!

You make a very good point - as long as the reader considers that the warranty without cost, does in fact have a cost. The cost is: time.

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you bring your workhorse mac into the apple store and the genius fixes it on the spot or over night.

If you use your mac to do work and make a living, and you choose to rely on third party service organizations, don't expect them to be able to fix it fast.

An alternative is to buy and keep a spare on hand and rely on the third parties.

 

[PDE]

You make a very good point - as long as the reader considers that the warranty without cost, does in fact have a cost. The cost is: time.

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you bring your workhorse mac into the apple store and the genius fixes it on the spot or over night.

If you use your mac to do work and make a living, and you choose to rely on third party service organizations, don't expect them to be able to fix it fast.

An alternative is to buy and keep a spare on hand and rely on the third parties.

I suppose it depends on where you live, but when I take my visa-covered computers in for repair to the Apple Store they don't seem either slower or faster with repairs that with applecare of 1st year warranty service. I assume the same thing applies when you send it in after warranty (paid for by VISA). If it took more time, I would actually not be interested in it either since I need my computer all the time.

With the VISA extension, you can take your computer to any repair center and VISA will pay for it.

 

[tmelvin]

I bought my 20" iMac at BB. The main incentive was no tax; that plus I didn't want to wait

I didn't go for the extended warranty. I'll wait until I get closer to the one year anniv. and get applecare.

 

[aristobrat]

You make a very good point - as long as the reader considers that the warranty without cost, does in fact have a cost. The cost is: time.

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you bring your workhorse mac into the apple store and the genius fixes it on the spot or over night.

Regardless of where you bought your Mac from, the Apple Store Geniuses will treat it the same.

The only "bump" in service you should get at the Genius Bar is if you are a ProCare member.

 

[michaelsviews]

I am considering buying a 17in Macbook Pro from Bestbuy because their extended warrantee covers accidental damage as well as battery replacement and power cord replacement.

Is this a good idea? How beneficial would buying from Apple and buying Applecare?

Thanks for your help.

GOTO Apple store and buy, I know of 3 people locally that got SCREWED by Worst buys programs and or with out there computers for over 2 weeks plus.

 

[fredrickyoon]

Although Best Buy carries Apple products, I've noticed that the custom high end models aren't carried by the Best Buy stores. For example, if you wanted the US$ 3,199 model (MB Pro 17 inch 2.6 GHz, Penyrn processor, with 200 GH hard drive, 512 VRAM, and 2 GB RAM, 7200 RPM) with the glossy widescreen (1920X1200), only the Apple Store or Apple Online will have these. Best Buy only carries the bare stock models.

 

[sdsviet]

i have to say with best buy warranties it all depends on the geek squad guy that's working there. he can pretty do what he wants if he wanted to do it. i remember waiting in line an hr for some 55 yr old dude to write down a number on a piece of paper and tell me to call gateway to give me a new battery. i was like wtf, this is your warranty and i have to do the work? i then just went to another bestbuy and basically just a college kid working there and he's just like i'll have them send u a new battery.

so yea its up to the geeksquad employee if he wants to do the work or not. they decide if its worth replacing or not. i had a bad lcd and on the condition list the douche put my laptop as dusty and banged up. it wasnt even really dusty at all and there were just scratches from normal wear and tear. as u can see ur experience will depend on whoever is there at the time. u cant always blame it on the company.

there was even one time they had me waiting a week to send me another lemon battery. it wouldnt charge past 12%. i just went in and said the new battery u gave me is another lemon and they just put in a request for a new battery and i got it in 5 days. although bestbuy themselves have retarded requirements on getting replacements. i had to send in my tablet to get the lcd and mobo replace. i forgot to bring in the ac adapter which burnt out too so i brought it in the next day and they told me they cant do it until the laptop comes back. i was like wtf? i have to wait 2 weeks for my laptop and then i can get my ac adapter replace and wait another week for that? seems ridiculous but thats' how bestbuy handle things. so i had a bad adapter and a lemon battery. brought it in and they took it and they said they have them send me new ones. got the adapter in a week and waited another 2 weeks and no battery. went in and they told me that they can only request one item at a time and the other guy tried to do both which doesnt work. their policies are so retarded at times but its up to the guy working to determine if he wants to help u out or not.

 

[switcher3365]

You can buy from a place like MacMall or Amazon and save on the sales tax (assuming you don't like in their states). The Best Buy I visited recently didn't even have the latest models.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

Apple stores are FAR fewer than Best Buys. I'd choose an Apple Store or Apple.com over BB any day, but I've never had trouble at BB either.

 

[hotsauce3868]

I would never buy a laptop or anyother gadget from Best Buy. Four years ago I bought a Plasma TV from them and had the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life. Had to threaten to write to corporate and talk to the store manager before I was able to get the TV I purchased. The TV was not even on sale.

Not to mention this story: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330659,00.html

I have heard so many complaints about BB breaking things on computers that were not broken when dropped off. Then saying is was dropped off that way.

Beware of Best Buy BS. I would never buy a computer from them.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

Its sort of become a fallacy of sorts, to say "dont buy from them, I heard this guy on blah blah bleh....." Best Buy is a huge company, and like any others, it has its share of problems. Kind of like this one kid kept telling me how many Dell laptops were igniting on fire....next day saw a news post of a macbook doing the same.

I would always take Apple over Bestbuy but, I guess it all depends on what store/employees you go to.

 

[leekohler]

I don't understand why anyone would *willingly* support chains like Best Buy. I hope you come to your senses.

Two words- great financing. I bought my last two Macs from Best Buy for that reason alone. Apple's financing blows. 3 months same as cash? Please.

 

[jjahshik32]

I would buy from apple.

 

[jarpod]

Everyone buying at Best Buy: You are subsidizing this poster! The return policies at Best Buy are not right. The squeaky wheel customers are the ones that get treated like this (or the attorneys) and the profits from what the rest of the customers pays for it.

Best Buy has been reported to be trying to categorize customers. They are trying to ditch the squeaky wheels and embrace the gold ball customers who just buy their stuff and go home.

Either BB is going to stop greasing squeaky wheel customers or they are going to go out of business.

Apple stores are cool. They are covenient (at least for me) to get to and they perform their function well. I vote with my dollar at the Apple Store.

You can do as you wish with your dollars.

YEAHHHHHHHH everyone buy from BB to keep on subsidizing me!!!please do so now
Call 1800SUBSIDEZEME and make your donations... thanks to your generous donations posters like me can benefit from BBs warrantee and get ourselves that new laptop that just came out, so we can ditch our two week old piece of trash....
Call now operators are standing by!!!!

hahahaha J/K
Dude, for real, nobody is putting a gun into your head so that you buy from them!!! its your choice!!!! wether you use your protection plan or not its up to you
and please ALL THOSE COMPUTERS WERE LEMONS!!!! they just honored the "4th repair you get a new one policy" so I didnt do anything to make those computres fail........ or did I??????

 

[alphaod]

I just have to say BB service sucks and so does their warranties.

 

[killerwhack]

Smart: Apple > Best Buy

YEAHHHHHHHH everyone buy from BB to keep on subsidizing me!!!please do so now
Call 1800SUBSIDEZEME and make your donations... thanks to your generous donations posters like me can benefit from BBs warrantee and get ourselves that new laptop that just came out, so we can ditch our two week old piece of trash....
Call now operators are standing by!!!!

hahahaha J/K
Dude, for real, nobody is putting a gun into your head so that you buy from them!!! its your choice!!!! wether you use your protection plan or not its up to you
and please ALL THOSE COMPUTERS WERE LEMONS!!!! they just honored the "4th repair you get a new one policy" so I didnt do anything to make those computres fail........ or did I??????

Face the facts. If a retailer is *allowing* a class of customers to buy and return equipment more frequently than *normal*, then they are making that cost up someplace else or the retailer will go out of business.

Intuitively, you can see that additional costs are incurred when you allow customers to open merchandise and then return it becuase they did not like the shade of blue the power supply is painted (or any other lame excuse).

The BB brand is all about how to squeeze the most juice out of a box (any box!) where as the Apple brand is about making really great products and providing a reliable and consistent customer experience.

People who are aiming to just use their computers on a daily basis to enhance their lives and get their work done will prefer an Apple experience. People who want to squeeze the best deal prefer BB, it seems.

But it is interesting to note from these posts that one cannot get the best apple equipment from BB !!

So the consensus is that you can get the Best Price from BB, but not the best service or best equipment. So I guess they live up to their name. Best Buy!

 

[xkRoWx]

YEAHHHHHHHH everyone buy from BB to keep on subsidizing me!!!please do so now
Call 1800SUBSIDEZEME and make your donations... thanks to your generous donations posters like me can benefit from BBs warrantee and get ourselves that new laptop that just came out, so we can ditch our two week old piece of trash....
Call now operators are standing by!!!!

hahahaha J/K
Dude, for real, nobody is putting a gun into your head so that you buy from them!!! its your choice!!!! wether you use your protection plan or not its up to you
and please ALL THOSE COMPUTERS WERE LEMONS!!!! they just honored the "4th repair you get a new one policy" so I didnt do anything to make those computres fail........ or did I??????

And he said he's a lawyer?

Doesn't sound too professional to me.

 

[jarpod]

And he said he's a lawyer?

Doesn't sound too professional to me.

Believe me, Im professional all right.... if by professional you mean ethical... well, it depends on how you want to see things.....
As far as BB concerns.... I dont care really if they loose or win money.... truth is they never loose money, so If making a warranty they sell work for me is a crime then Im guilty as charged!!!

 

[sdsviet]

bestbuy will always make money off of their warranties. its the fact that they count on the majority of the bought warranties dont get used. out of all the people who actually have a problem and actually took it back to bestbuy to get it fixed is small percent of the whole. just because we are able to make use of the said warranties doesnt make us a bad person.

 

[OldSkoolNJ]

bestbuy will always make money off of their warranties. its the fact that they count on the majority of the bought warranties dont get used. out of all the people who actually have a problem and actually took it back to bestbuy to get it fixed is small percent of the whole. just because we are able to make use of the said warranties doesnt make us a bad person.

How is AppleCare any different?

Kevin

 

[hexonxonx]

I'm not sure why people are so against BestBuy. I have purchased two Macs from them and am thinking of buying another Mac there this weekend. The Apple reps there are very knowledgeable and let you take your time looking at the computers as long as you need.. The only Mac I bought from Apple as my MacBook last week.

BestBuy also has another advantage and that is if you don't wish to drive across town to an Apple store when a BestBuy is 10 minutes away. Plus you can order online and have it waiting for you when you get there and all you have to do is pay.

 

[killerwhack]

I'm not sure why people are so against BestBuy. I have purchased two Macs from them and am thinking of buying another Mac there this weekend. The Apple reps there are very knowledgeable and let you take your time looking at the computers as long as you need.. The only Mac I bought from Apple as my MacBook last week.

I can tell you why I don't like BB. Because I am honest and informed.

I am going to make a prediction here. I am going to predict that BB goes BK within 2 years from today. The policies of BB are not sustainable. If they figure it out before they go out of business, the parasites who shop there will stop and that will be the end of them.

Don't any of you ever read their quarterly financial reports? They sell flat screens and laptops at a loss just to get you to come in!

Mark my words! I said it here. BB is going to go down the toilet.

 

[aristobrat]

Don't any of you ever read their quarterly financial reports?

From their website, doesn't look like they're doing poorly financially. Were you thinking of Circuit City? They've been tanking financially the last few quarters, IIRC.

Best Buy:

2007 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $35,934 / 24.4%
2006 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $30,848 / 25.0%
2005 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $27,433 / 23.7%
2004 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $24,547 / 25.2%
2003 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $20,946 / 25.0%
2002 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $17,711 / 21.3%
2001 revenue (in millions)/gross profit: $15,189 / 19.8%

They sell flat screens and laptops at a loss just to get you to come in!

Um, yeah, that's called a loss leader. Never heard of it before? Best Buy's hardly the only retailer that uses that to drive sales.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader

 

[mox123]

I would say direct from apple store all the way....unless there's a huge price advantage over at best buy....

 

[LeahM]

I would say direct from apple store all the way....unless there's a huge price advantage over at best buy....

Agree.

My view is that MB/Ps are an apple product so the people who would know it best is the people who work directly for Apple. But thats just me, heck, I bought my Ipod from walmart originally.

But seriously, whereever the buyer is most comfortable, no specific factor could be right for everyone, but OP could have a BB next door, or s/he could have an apple store closer, also, the workers might be different, the apple workers might be snoody, or the same goes for BB. Good luck anyways!