There’s nothing special about a Mac purchased from the Apple Store. The ghost of Steve Jobs doesn’t sprinkle magic iDust on it, and the Geniuses haven’t loaded it up with bonus software.
It’s exactly the same computer as one purchased at any otherauthorized* source. The difference is the price. On any given Mac laptop or desktop computer, you’ll always find the highest price at the Apple Store. With very few exceptions, the price for a Mac at the Apple Store will remain consistent from the day it is released to the day it is discontinued.
Shopping for an Apple Mac
Apple’s done a great job catering to Mac fans with stores that are monuments to aesthetically pleasing design and staff that are as Apple-focused as the shoppers. By all means, go, check out the newest models, and take care of your repairs. But you should never buy a computer in the Apple Store, no matter how cool the hipster Genius makes you feel. So where is the best place to buy a Mac? You’ll always find a better deal by getting online and checking out the alternatives in the form of Apple Authorized Resellers and Apple’s own special pricing departments.
Sep 01, 2020. Jul 31, 2008 Looks like I will have to buy the current gen. Macbook Pro.Where is everyone getting the best price? Ebay doesn't have too many 'deals' and the Apple store even with student discount is a bad deal due to sales tax. Best price I am finding so far is Amazon.com and Mac Mall since they offer a $150. Apple MacBook Pro MLH12LL/A 13-inch Laptop with Touch Bar, 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB Memory, 256GB, Retina Display, Space Gray (Renewed) 4.0 out of 5 stars 116 $1,049.00 $ 1,049.
Jul 31, 2008. The best MacBook you can buy today. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) 2. MacBook Air (2020) 3. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019).
Look for an Authorized Apple Reseller
Apple Authorized Resellers frequently have the best deals on Mac computers and laptops. The big names in the game include: MacMall, Mac Connection, B&H, Best Buy and Abt Electronics.
There are a number of advantages to shopping at these stores. First off, they provide discounts on the retail price.
The next big advantage to buying from online retailers is free software and rebate offers such as free trials of software and rebate offers for free or discounted printers or accessories.
Best Buy even has started offering exclusive weekly discounts on select Apple products to members of its free My Best Buy loyalty program, kicking its special deals off with up to $200 off select Mac Book Pro models. If you’re in the market, it’s worth signing up.
A quick note: if the website you are looking at has a shoddy design and the prices are too low to be believed, it probably isn’t an Apple Authorized site and may not be a trustworthy business. Any site you see on Brad’s Deals is safe.
Purchase Through the Apple Education Store
Students, teachers, and education staff can save up to $200 on Macs by purchasing through the Apple Education Store. With these price reductions, buying through Apple can be a good deal, even though you will pay sales tax. Ground shipping is always free with a Mac purchase (from any of the Apple Stores). The best time for a student to purchase is in the summer months when Apple usually runs a back-to-school promotion. For a few years now, Apple’s been offering students a $100 Apple Store Gift Card with the purchase of a Mac, and a $50 Apple Store Gift Card with the purchase of a qualifying iPad or iPhone.
Consider Purchasing Through Apple-Certified Refurbished Mac Department
The Apple-Certified Refurbished Mac Department is the other big way to buy from Apple and save. Getting a great deal on a refurb can have a lot to do with timing. Apple refurbs are current or previous generation models that have been tested, refurbished, and re-certified. They carry the same one-year, extendable warranty as regular Macs. These purchases also often qualify for printer rebates, and students can purchase refurbs through the education store to get the gift card.
Wait for Apple’s Black Friday
This is the exception to the rule. The one time of year you can find variations in pricing at the Apple Store is on Black Friday. Sadly, these sales usually consist of the same 5 percent off deals year after year, so if you’re looking to score a good deal on a Mac on Black Friday, we recommend shopping anywhere but the Apple Store. Resist the siren’s call of the Apple Store’s shining halls and come to us for the best online deals.
Additional Tip: No matter where you buy your Mac, you can save even more if you use a cash back credit card. For instance, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card currently offers 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories and 1% cash back on everything else. Plus, new cardholders can earn a bonus of $200 when you spend $500 within your first three months. Additionally, when buying any type of electronics, using a credit card is especially important because of card benefits such as purchase protection, price protection, and extended warranty.
* David in the comments section pointed out that if you want to participate in Apple’s paid One-to-One training program, you must purchase your Mac from the Apple Store, or the Apple Store online (including Education and Refurbs). You cannot take part in the program if you purchase from an Authorized Reseller.
Related Apple Deals:
Straight Talk Prepaid iPhone 7 $199Apple TV 4K 32GB $169 ShippedRefurb Bose Home Speaker 500 $250Refurbished iPhone X from $549 ShippedApple iPad Air 64GB $559 ShippedRelated coupons:
If you are looking to save up to thirty percent on an Apple MacBook, you can use the following best places to buy a refurbished MacBook. These websites sell refurbished MacBooks after thorough quality checks and most of them provide warranties, thus ensuring peace of mind.
The money you save after buying a refurbished Mac can be spent on dongles, cables, and other peripherals. You may also choose to buy a comparatively powerful refurbished MacBook instead of buying a less powerful in the new state. So here is a list of best places to buy a refurbished MacBook.
What’s the Difference Between Refurbished, Used, and Resold
Before you see the list of best places that sell these, it is essential to know the meaning of Refurbished! First of all, refurbished is not the same as resold or used.
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Suppose your friend has a Mac, and he sells it to you for a lower price. This is ‘used, and he ‘resold’ it to you. That is, after his usages, he passed it on to you, at a price that is significantly less than what the cost of the product would have been if it were new. This MacBook will have all the problems and issues that your friend faced during his course of use.
Note: Even if it is a new, boxed product that you buy from him, it will still have the tag of resold.
Refurbished, on the other hand, falls between new and used. Refurbished MacBooks are in used condition, but only after thorough inspection, addressal of all issues, and repackaging, they are sold at a lower price.
Suppose a product had a minor issue, or you traded in your device that you no longer needed, but these products still have a lot of usages left in them. So, Apple will replace the malfunctioning parts, inspect it, make sure everything is working correctly, and then sell it at a discount.
Now that you know what ‘refurbished’ is, take a look at the best sites where you can buy refurbished MacBooks.
Best Places to Buy Refurbished MacBook in 2020
#1. Apple Refurbished Store
You may not know, as Apple does not advertise it a lot, but it has an online refurbished store where you can buy these products. Usually, the quantity is limited, and they sell out quickly.
Here you can buy refurbished MacBooks, and they carry a full one year warranty, just like any new Apple device. On top of that, you may even purchase AppleCare plan and extend the coverage. Apple professionally checks the MacBooks sold here and fixes all the issues, if any. The device is cleaned, properly repackaged, and then ready to be sold at around 15 percent to occasionally 25 percent less price than new.
Before you buy from the Apple Refurbished Store:
- Just like a regular new MacBook, refurbished devices carry one year warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support. They also come with all accessories, cables, and operating system
- On qualifying products, Apple Refurbished Store has free shipping, next day delivery, and returns as well as financing options
- If you are not happy with the product, you have 14 days to return it. However, since you cannot return refurbished products to a physical Apple Store, you will have to post it back to Apple
- Demand for refurbished products of a model rises when its successor launches. This segment becomes competitive as more people try to buy these
Visit:Apple Refurbished Store
#2. OWC Refurbished Macbook Store
I have used Other World Computing for upgrading my MacBook Pro. They sell various upgrade kits for Macs and more. However, if you go to their e-shop, you can find many refurbished MacBooks. Every refurbished Mac they sell is fully inspected and certified by expert technicians. These computers are reliable and function at their peak performance.
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Purchase from OWC carries a 14-day money-back guarantee, free shipping, valid warranty, their US-based support, and you may even configure the device before buying to suit your needs.
Visit:MacSales.com
#3. Mac of all trades: Buys and Sells Refurbished Macbook
Mac of all trades is another old name for refurbished Macbooks. A 90-day warranty backs each purchase on this platform. Once you place an order, the product is shipped quickly, most likely within 48 hours.
On the purchase page, you may even extend the warranty of some products up to 2 years by paying a nominal amount. You also have the option to pay and add cables, accessories, etc. with your purchase. If you are looking for a great alternative to the official Apple Refurbished store or OWC, Mac of all trades should be your choice for refurbished Macs.
Visit:Mac of All Trades
#4. Buy Used MacBook on Amazon
You may have already bought new products from Amazon. It sells almost everything that you need. But what you may find surprising is that refurbished MacBooks are also available at discounted rates.
But before making a purchase, be sure to read the description of the product. Whenever you buy refurbished devices, focus on the fine prints. Many times, the seller puts some things that he does not want to say outright in small words at the bottom or under terms and conditions.
Visit:Amazon
#5. Buy Refurbished MacBooks at Best Buy
Best Buy also has a catalog of refurbished products, and if you do not find the model you are looking for at the places mentioned above, you may search for it here. But make sure you properly read the description.
If you are looking to protect your product, you may pay and select up to 3 years of accidental damage plans. Also, make sure to read what cables and accessories come with your MacBook’s purchase.
Visit:Best Buy
These were the best places to buy refurbished MacBooks. However, these websites are not just limited to laptops. You may buy iPhones, iPad, and other devices too.
Summing Up…
Many of the above-listed sites also sell used MacBooks. (I already told you about the difference between used and refurbished.) Similarly, if you are looking for used devices, you can search for it on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Olx, Quickr, and other e-marketplaces of your area. You may even get these from physical local computer shops.
Sites like RefurbMe will help you compare the prices of refurbished products from various sellers. Since refurbished supply is minimal, websites like Refurb Tracker alert you via email or RSS feed so you can keep track and get notifications of new Apple Store refurbs.
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What are your thoughts about refurbished products? Do you have a favorable opinion about them, and are you willing to buy these? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.
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