Where to buy? Best Buy or the Apple Store?

[Mac23]

In my opinion, the experience you can gain from visiting an Apple Store is second to none when it comes to product knowledge.

I'm not a fan of Best Buy myself, but again, that's just me.

 

[mostro]

That said, you can purchase the Apple Care online and get it even cheaper at certain places. An ex co-worker of mine (and long time Apple user) turned me on to LA Computer Company They specialize in Apple products, including Apple Care for a discounted price. They even offer lo-jack insurance in case your Mac is stolen.

Thanks for posting that, I live close to Anaheim and never knew of this store. I'll have to check it out!

As for the Apple Store, i'm sure not all of them are like this, but the one in Costa Mesa, CA is not pleasant. For one, it's always so crowded you can barely move around. For two, I can never get on a machine to demo because they are ALL occupied by homeless people and young teenage girls (mostly the former). I really dont mean to sound like a jerk, but I don't get why they let homeless people sit on the Macs for hours at a time who will never buy a single item and prevent potential paying customers from getting on them. I don't even go there any more because it's just not worth it.

 

[Motornerve]

I would suggest if you know what it is that you want it trying Powermax.com.
They are based out of Oregon so there is no sales tax. You pay for the machine and shipping, that is all. You might not think that sales tax is not a big deal but with computers as expensive as Macs it can easily be $70+,
And the new computers still come with all the Apple warranties and such because they are an Apple certified store.
They also have the best customer service I have ever experienced.
They also have a bunch of nice used computers that you could also look into also if you are a little tight on money but set on a Mac.

http://www.powermax.com/

 

[Mac23]

Thanks for the site^

 

[mulcher]

Apple warrant not the same at best buy as from apple

I bought an Ipod Touch form Best Buy in Mar 2010. Brought it in for repair to Apple store yesterday and they said that it was out of warranty!?! They fixed it anyway so I didn't worry about it but I did some research when I got home and definitely have best buy receipt for March 2010. I call Apple and they explained that the 1 year warranty at Best Buy began when BEST BUY bought the ipod from Apple, not me- WoW! Best buy never told me. I'll never buy there again and will only buy at Apple Stores, especially since they replaced it anyway. "BestBuyer Beware"

 

[chas_m]

At the risk of offending DarkestRitual which I do not intend to do, BB is colloquially known as "Worst Buy" for a reason. Their prices are usually lower by some varying degree *up front,* but they have a reputation for salespeople who lie and don't know the products, and who take advantage of non-nerd customers by up-selling them crap they don't need (like anti-virus). Tales of service abuse of Macs by inept Geek Squad-ites fill the web.

I don't like to encourage that sort of behaviour, so I don't buy from BB. If I lived somewhere where there were NO independent Mac dealers, NO Apple Store for 100 miles AND my internet connection was broken so I couldn't order online, THEN I would consider buying the model I had pre-researched and knew precisely what I wanted from a BB store, which would probably avoid most of the pitfalls of buying from them.

In short, BB and other "big box" retailers are not the place to buy from if you're still in the "researching" process, but can be an adequate outlet if you know exactly what you want and just need to pick up the physical item conveniently. I can't comment on BB's warranty as I've never bought one.

 

[chscag]

I call Apple and they explained that the 1 year warranty at Best Buy began when BEST BUY bought the ipod from Apple, not me- WoW! Best buy never told me. I'll never buy there again and will only buy at Apple Stores, especially since they replaced it anyway. "BestBuyer Beware"

I would dearly love to see that one in writing... Someone at Apple was blowing smoke at you. All Apple products that are sold thru authorized stores or resellers (which Best Buy is one) carry the same warranty as if you purchased it direct from Apple. Your 12 months started the day you purchased it from Best Buy.

And as for the advice not to purchase from Best Buy... you'll get varying opinions depending on who you speak with and their personal experience.

 

[bobtomay]

... I call Apple and they explained that the 1 year warranty at Best Buy began when BEST BUY bought the ipod from Apple, not me- WoW! Best buy never told me. I'll never buy there again and will only buy at Apple Stores, especially since they replaced it anyway. "BestBuyer Beware"

I would dearly love to see that one in writing... Someone at Apple was blowing smoke at you. All Apple products that are sold thru authorized stores or resellers (which Best Buy is one) carry the same warranty as if you purchased it direct from Apple. Your 12 months started the day you purchased it from Best Buy.

And as for the advice not to purchase from Best Buy... you'll get varying opinions depending on who you speak with and their personal experience.

ditto - that is a load of hogwash.

 

[chas_m]

Technically, it's not.

If the user *never registered* the computer with Apple *and* cannot provide a receipt proving the day they purchased it, under THOSE circumstances Apple will INDEED use the date the company bought the unit from Apple as the warranty. I worked with Apple in the early days of their retail operation and for quite some time after that, that was their policy.

 

[chscag]

I worked with Apple in the early days of their retail operation and for quite some time after that, that was their policy.

I can understand that. A purchaser without a receipt and no registration has given up their rights to the warranty. However, if the OP had his Best Buy receipt (which I assume he had when bringing it in for repair) then what the Apple person told him is indeed "smoke".

 

[chas_m]

I can understand that. A purchaser without a receipt and no registration has given up their rights to the warranty. However, if the OP had his Best Buy receipt (which I assume he had when bringing it in for repair) then what the Apple person told him is indeed "smoke".

I prefer to think of that particular representative as misinformed.

But yes, the OP should try again. I suspect they will get a completely different answer.

 

[Geesix]

I would dearly love to see that one in writing... Someone at Apple was blowing smoke at you. All Apple products that are sold thru authorized stores or resellers (which Best Buy is one) carry the same warranty as if you purchased it direct from Apple. Your 12 months started the day you purchased it from Best Buy.

And as for the advice not to purchase from Best Buy... you'll get varying opinions depending on who you speak with and their personal experience.

I bought a "internet on the go" from best by. I asked the guy (worker at best buy) if it would work on my macbook. He said he was pretty sure it would, but if it didn't just bring it back with the receipt. I told him I was going on a trip with my family, and that I couldn't bring it back till after a week or so. He said no problem. Anyways it doesn't work and it wasn't compatible with my macbook. So I take it back and to turn it in with my receipt at costumer service at best buy. They ask me for the plastic cover that it came with I told them I don't have it, I had to use a knife to cut it open, and that it was not useable anymore. They tell me they need the bar code on the back of the plastic box and that they can't refund my money unless I have the plastic cover. I was so ******, I was yelling at the guy and his manager (btw I hate making a scene). Telling them that the guy who sold me the item at this very store told me all I need was the receipt. So after about an hour and a half they finally gave in and gave me back my money. Best Buy is crap.

 

[DarkestRitual]

Best Buy's protection plans have an optional Accidental Damage from Handling plan that you will never be able to get from Apple. Beyond that, I honestly prefer Apple Care for just the standard hardware coverage stuff.

 

[schweb]

Best Buy's protection plans have an optional Accidental Damage from Handling plan that you will never be able to get from Apple. Beyond that, I honestly prefer Apple Care for just the standard hardware coverage stuff.

You should also check with your credit card companies. Many offer accidental damage or loss insurance for free when you use the card to purchase. Amex does that I know.

 

[6string]

Went into Apple yesterday with a bricked 32GB 3GS (white back) 3 days before the warranty was due to expire.
It wouldn't charge, wouldn't load past the Apple logo, and wouldn't restore through iTunes.
They had me waiting 10mins while hooking it up out the back, and came back and said that they believe it to be a software issue, and will wipe, reload, and charge it up, and to go have a coffee and come back in 30mins.
I went and had a snack, came back 30 later, and they had a Apple refurbished in mint condition for me ready to go.
All this while the shop was packed (Christmas rush), took the better part of 50 mins including waiting to be seen by the genius bar.
I can't comment for Best Buy as we don't have them here in Oz, but as for Apple hitting the nail on the head with precision as efficiently as possible trying to ensure a happy customer experience, they certainly do stand above any other company that I have dealt with in Australia pre and post sale

 

[schweb]

Well beyond that fact that Best Buy typically has horrible service staffed by snotty 16 year olds that need to be hit in the face a few times, they also have a real problem with thinking privacy is important.

I won't go into all the details, but let's just say their system stuck my email address on another person's account so for over a year I was getting all their personal emails including order confirmations, account information confirmations, contract expiration reminders all with personal details.

It took over a year for me to get them to fix it (and this was very recent) and they only finally did it because I started bashing them for it on Twitter and threatened to involve the Ohio attorney general for privacy violations.

Shady company. You couldn't pay me to have anything to do with them.

 

[bobtomay]

Just got a free $20 certificate from them because I am a Silver Rewards member there. (Only because they just happened to have the exact TV model I had already decided to purchase on sale $500 cheaper than any place else I could find.)

The last certificate I had from them, I never could find anything I wanted that made it cheaper than Amazon even with the discount.

It has a little caveat: "Certificate is ineligible for certain products and services", and doesn't tell you what products that may happen to be. Going to check and see if I can find a B-R I want, but that'll probably be one of the products it's not good for.

 

[6string]

the battery case for iphone from these websites got the authentication from Apple company

LOL spamming a moderator... wonder how that's gonna sit! hehe

 

[bobtomay]

LOL spamming a moderator... wonder how that's gonna sit! hehe

Not long.

Would have been less time if it'd been reported though. ;D

One of the funniest things I've seen, when a new moderator is announced, spammers love to jump in that thread thinking that somehow we'll let their spam slide because they're saying congrats to the new mod. Total morons.

 

[6string]

hehe ...I normally report it, but I did want to see your response for this one my friend