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Education discount

This will probably anger some people, but.....I'm a teacher. I was concerned about this issue myself so I asked what the rules were. I was told on more than one occasion by Apple reps, employees at the store, and employees at their Apple education phone number that it is OK to buy a computer and give it to someone else. Based on this information, I once purchased a laptop and gave it to my mother as a gift. She registered it under her own name, purchased Apple Care, etc. with no problems. I agree that abuse of discounts that are well intended by the company is wrong, but I do not feel bad about what I did, considering I was directly told by the company that it was completely legit. I understand that others may disagree on this.

Of course this doesn't exactly address the original question, but it does indicate that they aren't overly concerned about what happens to the computer, since they say in their own rules that they are supposed to be for "personal use" but they then tell people that you can give it away.

I'm trying to think about how Apple might view this. The bottom line is that the discount is designed to encourage people to buy their product, particularly those in eduation where Apple has traditionally tried to cultivate customers. To take it to an extreme, even if EVERY eligible person purchased their allotted one computer in a given year and gave or even sold it to someone else, the net effect for Apple is positive in that more people are using their product. Probably a good number of those people would not be using the product without the discount, which (as some have pointed out) is not that large on many items anyway, but might be just enough to convince people to buy. So my guess is that Apple is willing to eat the discount if it gets their product wider usage. I mean, they have to know this is going on, and they haven't tried to stop it. In fact, I feel liek what I was told encouraged it. Of course I could be way off here, I'm no economist.

On the tax issue, I think the rule is that if the place you are ordering from online has a store in your state, you pay tax. But then again I've ordered from Apple online in states without a store and had to pay tax, so who knows.
 
skubish said:
Really?

My University book store you have to have a valid ID to purchase anything. Regarding software you are only allowed 1 copy and they actually check your records.

Yup...all of the software just has the EDU price on its tag and anyone can grab a copy and buy it. I bought iWork there and they didn't ask me for any ID or record that I got it. This applies to all of the software, not just Apple's.
 
I second that!

I second that!!!!

mannybianco said:
If you have the opportunity to make money/save money by going against the spirit of the law, rather than the letter, go ahead. It is your god given right.

You people need to realise that Apple is just another company. If they saw a similar opportunity, youd be a damn fool to think they wouldnt take it. Maybe a very good company, but there job is to maximise profits, just as our job as consumers is to get the best deal we can. If they were selling product at a loss to the academics, more fool them.

I have a friend in the academic community , and fully intend to use his discount in the next purchases i make, which are likely to be many and hefty.

I like Apple, I have reccommended them to my friends, which has resulted in purchases on their part. But i dont beleive in this doe-eyed devotion, you want religion, go find it....dont worship a [expletive deleted] corporation.
 
Taking a student to the store and buying the computer using his student ID is no more or less unethical than using a family member's student ID and purchasing a computer for yourself. Its ALL fraud. Don't try to say that if you're using your brother's student ID, it's okay, or any more moral than using a friend's or cousin's ID card. Using your friend's or brother's ID card is NOT moral. However, you won't get caught. ;)

However, I think that buying online is a bit more obvious to Apple, since the purchaser will be your friend, but it'll be your credit card that is used to purchase the computer. Hmmm.........seems fishy, doesn't it? Then of course, they know which computer they sent to you, but another person registers their name to the computer Apple sent to your friend. Hmm......seems fishy, doesn't it?

Anyway, I personally don't care if its immoral or not. Just don't sugar-coat it by saying it's not immoral, or its half-way between honesty and fraud when all it is is 100% fraud. ;) I'd do it too, but again, don't kid yourself.
 
As someone who was once a student and bought my current Mac back with a student discount, I'm surprised Apple in the US is so lax! In Australia, if you want the student discount you have to show student ID in the store. If you buy it online, they call you up and ask you to fax through a copy of your student ID!

I've bought 3 things with the discount and 3 times had to fax the info through.
 
cooknwitha said:
As someone who was once a student and bought my current Mac back with a student discount, I'm surprised Apple in the US is so lax! In Australia, if you want the student discount you have to show student ID in the store. If you buy it online, they call you up and ask you to fax through a copy of your student ID!

I've bought 3 things with the discount and 3 times had to fax the info through.

buying in-store should guarantee that you're asked for your student ID, but i think they only do random checks and have you fax them when you purchase online. either it's different in australia, or you are a statistical anomoly. :D
 
When I got my PowerMac G5 at the Apple Store, my dad was writing a check for it from my parents account but I'm a student, showed them my ID and they gave me the discount.


As far as purchasing at the online store, I've used my student discount a few times and haven't been asked to fax anything in.
 
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