My First Mac + Apple Finance

Hi Everyone, I'll try to keep this short.

I've just got my first Mac, its a Macbook Pro 15" (2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB Memory, 500GB hard drive...etc), managed to get a student discount on the order over the phone too.

I ordered it Thursday (3rd Dec) and applied for Apple Finance at the same time, about 4 hours later i got an email from Barcleys saying i was accepted for finance, I have since then filled in and sent back my agreement to them.
I'm just wondering if anyone has used Apple Finance and how long it usually takes to run through and then get shipped to you? Because I'm hoping I'll get it before Christmas.

I'm a video editor and CGI animator so I needed a laptop to use when away from the big machine and work and decided to go with a Mac book pro because of their reliability and amazing quality, I'll also be dual booting Snow Leopard with Windows.

BTW I'm in the UK for a final note.

Sorry for the length of this, i know i said i'd 'try' to keep it short. Any comments in general or help on the question in bold above would be much appreciated.

Only used it once and did it in store but was sorted there and then, so took machine home with me (That was when they had just changed to Barclays btw), so can't see it taking any longer to deliver than if you'd paid cash, once it had been agreed.

The only thing that may delay it is if you've added any upgrades to the standard, as I once did this and it took a couple of weeks to arrive (Shipped from Singapore to California to Holland to UK! Although that was a fair few years ago and pre Apple Store days). If you ordered with standard configuration then it will probably just be shipped locally.

Is there not a shipping/delivery estimate when you look at your order online? You can usually track it on it's journey.

BTW, Barclay's has nothing to do with Apple. It's a bank much like any other - and their customer service is terrible, as are their financing rates. Make sure you get it paid off before the free interest period is over.

I used them when I bought my first MacBook Pro, but that was only because I was able to get a $25 iTunes gift card due to the purchase amount. I paid it off as soon as I got the card (which took MONTHS and several phone calls).

cwa107 said:

BTW, Barclay's has nothing to do with Apple. It's a bank much like any other - and their customer service is terrible, as are their financing rates. Make sure you get it paid off before the free interest period is over.

I used them when I bought my first MacBook Pro, but that was only because I was able to get a $25 iTunes gift card due to the purchase amount. I paid it off as soon as I got the card (which took MONTHS and several phone calls).

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Yes I can't stand Barclays either but to give them their due, when I contacted them to pay mine off early they did it there and then with no hassle (Now that was something I wasn't expecting!)

There is no information on my order status on apple except that it will be shipped 'Fast Ship (EMEA)' and 'Items will be shipped when all items are available.'

It also states the order is still 'Under Review' which is possible if Barcleys havn't forwarded information of my return of their agreement which they would then Pay Apple the amount.

I'm actually only having to pay £1950 with VAT and with all Interest. Which is nearly £400 more yes, but only £50 a month so it's not to bad i don't think.

I'm hoping I'll hear from Apple sometime this week on an update to the order.

Ma TT said:

There is no information on my order status on apple except that it will be shipped 'Fast Ship (EMEA)' and 'Items will be shipped when all items are available.'

It also states the order is still 'Under Review' which is possible if Barcleys havn't forwarded information of my return of their agreement which they would then Pay Apple the amount.

I'm actually only having to pay £1950 with VAT and with all Interest. Which is nearly £400 more yes, but only £50 a month so it's not to bad i don't think.

I'm hoping I'll hear from Apple sometime this week on an update to the order.

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Ouch! A quarter of the price in finance costs? I'd have a hard time justifying that. And if you pay the full term, you're looking at a 3+ year old machine when you finally own it.

I'm pretty sure i'll end up paying it off by early next year, but i'd love to have it early. Just can't wait for things, i guess that's what justifys the price (if only a little more) to me strangely, but i can't wait for it any longer, i hope my personal hype about my first Apple Product (i also own an iPhone so not completley true) lives up.

cwa107 said:

Ouch! A quarter of the price in finance costs? I'd have a hard time justifying that. And if you pay the full term, you're looking at a 3+ year old machine when you finally own it.

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Everytime I've looked it's been about 23% interest man.. it's just NOT worth it.. same loan, through a credit union.. 6.5%.

Dysfunction said:

Everytime I've looked it's been about 23% interest man.. it's just NOT worth it.. same loan, through a credit union.. 6.5%.

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I know it - even a signature loan is way less than that. These credit card companies are crazy and getting worse with the recent regulation efforts. My lone credit card, a Citibank rewards card, used to be 9% (and I would negotiate them down periodically when they raised it, threatening to go elsewhere) is now something like 28% - and since we're not getting flooded with credit card offers anymore, there's nothing to use as leverage in negotiating a better rate anymore. I sure as heck will never carry a balance on a credit card from month to month anymore.

This Christmas, we're sticking to cash and not buying anything we can't afford to pay for it on the spot.

I've just got an update from Apple:
"Please note that these dates are estimated lead-times only. Your order will not ship until all items are available. Once your order has dispatched, you will receive a Dispatch Notification email, which will provide you with detailed delivery information."

Not yet shipped
Estimated Shipping: 3 business days
Estimated Delivery: 21 Dec, 2009 - 22 Dec, 2009


Shipping Method: Merge in Transit GB

Hi, Sorry for the DB.

I got an email this morning saying my mac has been shipped.


Just wondering, where do they come from exactly? and What delivery service will they be coming? (UK)

I haven't got courier tracking info yet, only apple tracking atm, i guess i'll get courier info soon?


How reliable are the Apple 'guesstimates' at when the item will be delivered? Because mine says 21st-23rd December, which is pretty close to Christmas so, I hope I get it then or I'll be waiting until the super post-Christmas rush deliveries.

If it's anything like mine, it shipped directly from a factory in China. Typically Apple's estimates are pretty conservative. I don't know what special magic they use, but even when I pay for standard shipping, it's usually on my doorstep just a day or two after it actually ships. Of course, I'm in the US, so it might be different in the UK.

You were probably better off getting a loan from a credit union or even applying for a credit card that came with a no interest period. That's what I did, the Juniper credit that Apple was offering at the time had an obscene interest rate (well over 20%) and I had no intention of paying that off for years. So I applied for an American Express Blue card that came with 15 months of no interest, I paid off my Macbook well before that.

Hey,

Anyone know what:
"Preparing handover to final carrier" is?


Lets hope it means it will be here in the next few days ;D

The means it's being transferred to the local shipping company

That's good news then, unfortunately i still don't have any sort of tracking information other than that on Apples website, will i get any sort of shipping company tracking details?

In Transit to Customer - Shipment on Schedule

is what it was updated to today, so that's good news, i wonder when i will get it, hopefully before Christmas.

So it's currently in the hands of UPS in the UK. And says the estimated delivery (on UPS and Apple) is tomorrow . Which surprised me it was so soon, but i'm not complaining, i 'll be in all day tomorrow, so i'll keep my fingers crossed that i'll be receiving my first mac.

PS. I'll be paying the Macbook Pro 'off' in June 2010.

I got my Mac Book Pro today, 500GB, 2.8Ghz, 4GB RAM. It's a beauty. Currently running boot camp on it so i can use some of my windows programs, but 'Snow Leopard' seems like a great OS too, never used it before but seems alot smoother and faster then most windows configurations.