Comments for Apple Stores Will Now Price Match Authorized Retailers

Apple Stores Will Now Price Match Authorized Retailers

2008-11-26T02:39:26Z

Apple Insider says Apple stores will be price matching other authorized retailers. The policy isn't new -- but it's never been emphasized before and the Apple bloggers seem surprised that it exists.

Apple Insider says:

It�s unclear whether the Mac maker, which rarely offers discounts outside of back-to-school and Black Friday promotions, plans to promote the policy given the current economic situation, but has chosen not to do so in the past.

They also reported that readers were having success getting the Apple Store to price match online retailers like Amazon.com.

Does this match your experience?

Apple's unadvertised retail store price matching policy [Apple Insider]
(Photo: JohnKit )

Comment from Anonymous on 2008-11-28

2008-11-28T11:56:15Z

A friend of mine shared this CONSUMERIST article with me because he new I wanted to get my son an IPOD for his 18th bday. Yesterday. Just to be sure my local Apple store in Austin, TX would do this I called and spoke with one of there reps who could not conceive of this being true. I waited ....and waited until she said her manager said they could NOT honor this and that online mags like the CONSUMERIST were not supposed to be putting out info like this and they would turn this in and get it to stop. Then she said they would give me a 10% discount instead....which works out to exactly the same discount the CONSUMERIST was talking about! So, I go into the store last night, thinking it was already understood that I was getting the discount...and a rep AND manager grilled me, flipped through my printout of the CONSUMERIST article and were seriously behaving very snooty, seriously...and telling me they weren't going to do it..right in front of my son on his bday. He said they never discount and that CONSUMERIST is not getting its info from APPLE. Their attitudes disgusted me and I will not shop in the APPLE store in Austin. Thanks, CONSUMERIST! You saved me $15!

Comment from mitten on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T22:42:44Z

When I bought a MacBook last month, I told the salesperson that I would be buying AppleCare from Amazon because it was $50 cheaper. She told me to hang on while she checked with her manager, and when she came back, she said she could match Amazon's price. She had me pull up the Amazon page on a nearby laptop for verification and then gave me the $50 off on the spot.

Comment from HogwartsAlum on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T20:18:26Z

I thought they cost the same no matter where you bought it. When I was looking at iPods, they were all the same in every store circular.

Comment from Sidecutter on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T20:13:21Z

@Corporate-Shill: No requirement, maybe. And they'd have a good backing on it - if you can't get it at that price anyway, why should we take the hit? But I should think that a happy customer is more than enough reason to do something like that, if they're able to.

Comment from tedyc03 on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T20:10:29Z

Apple is probably changing. They know that people have less money so if they sell their hardware for less they're still moving units.

Comment from Mikestan on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T20:07:08Z

Can I use my student discount with the price match?

Comment from pb5000 on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T18:47:24Z

@MasterShazbot: a case of beer now that's money well spent!

Comment from kyle4 on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T13:52:10Z

In Canada, the prices are $20-30 difference on the iPod touch's and $50-70 on the hardware. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Comment from MasterShazbot on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T09:58:19Z

I wanted to get an ipod touch and the apple store was on my way home so I went there, it was $40 or $50 (can't remember exactly) more than it was at Future Shop or Best Buy which were a block away. I asked the guy why that was and he said their prices were fixed by corporate and he couldn't do anything about it. Then he tried to convince me that the fancy apple store bag was worth the extra money. I laughed and walked up the street to get one for a lot less and spent the money I saved on a case of beer.

Comment from batsy on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T07:48:00Z

@DjDynasty:

If 2 bucks less is a lot cheaper to you...

Comment from taney71 on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T05:26:33Z

@DjDynasty: Does that apply to an itouch?

Comment from DjDynasty on 2008-11-26

2008-11-26T05:15:53Z

Go buy an iPod at Wal-mart, it's cheaper, A LOT!

Comment from Corporate-Shill on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T04:11:23Z

@Mark 2000:

You might be able to avoid Sales Tax but you still owe Use Tax on your Amazon purchases.

Comment from Corporate-Shill on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T04:09:52Z

@BrianDaBrain:

IF the vendor does not have the item in stock there is no reason for anybody to price match the vendor.

Comment from The_IT_Crone on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T04:02:23Z

?! When I worked there they told us that resellers weren't allowed to have lower prices. They got around that by offering deals- like things WITH them (free iPod with purchase, etc).

We were also told under NO circumstances would we price match other sellers. WTF.

Comment from Zocho on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:56:39Z

How ironic, I just called an Apple Store this morning asking to price match my new MacBook. As long as it was purchased within the 14 day return window, I was set.

Comment from Mark 2000 on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:45:43Z

honestly, why would you not just buy it from Amazon? Free Shipping, no Taxes (unless you're in NY).

Comment from deadandy on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:26:53Z

@WolfDemon:
I'm with you - I was under the impression that the authorized resellers were not allowed to change the price. Maybe that's just hardware?

Comment from tande04 on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:14:49Z

@plamoni: Those are more the $6 a peice?

I keep accumulating them some how. I thought I only had two but I've got two at home and some how when I was going through a bag I use for travel today I found another one so I took it to work.

Comment from ElleDriver on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:10:07Z

@plamoni: Amazon Marketplace wouldn't count, as those sellers are likely not "Authorized Apple Retailers." Amazon.com is fine, but not Marketplace. It would be the equivalent of price matching sellers on Ebay.

Comment from plamoni on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T03:02:51Z

I wonder if they'll price match Amazon Marketplace... I ordered a couple "Apple" iPhone sync cables for 6 bucks a piece. I knew it was too good to be true. It was. They were not Apple Branded.

They did end up working just fine though (so far). It would have been nice to get the Apple ones for 6 bucks each, though...

Comment from BrianDaBrain on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T02:59:38Z

I've gotten them to price match before. I wasn't even aware that they had an official price match policy, I was just trying to see if they'd do it. Besides, the authorized retailer didn't have said product in stock, and I didn't want to wait for it. The salesman at the Apple Store was very professional and helpful about it.

Comment from WolfDemon on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T02:58:06Z

Price match what? All their products cost the same standard amount.

Comment from discounteggroll on 2008-11-25

2008-11-26T02:55:37Z

they've always offered it because no company would be stupid enough to disregard MAP agreements and their chained corporate-hungry lawyers that would be released if the agreement was breached.