# New Macs real cheap "is it for real"



## callieX (Feb 7, 2003)

I saw this site posted on OGrady's site.  It states that this orgainization  can get you a new Mac really cheap for a small fee ($250).  My first thought anything too good to be true is usually a scam.  What do you think?  Here is the link
http://www.applepurchaseprogram.com/

There price for the 17" laptop is about $500 cheaper.  The Apple price they quote is 3800, of course Apple site says $3300.  It looks a little shakey to me.

Calliex


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## symphonix (Feb 7, 2003)

It says:


> *Prices on this site are estimates or our target goals for negotiation._ The actual price of the computer will not be known until all reservations are taken and the order is placed with the reseller.



And also:



> Again, to get the price break, we must wait until all reservation fees are received before we can place the order.



I think that means they have to wait for all the purchasers for each bulk-order to get their act together.

Still, it is tempting. I'd examine it a little harder.


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## ApplePurchase (Feb 7, 2003)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We hope that the following document will help answer any questions you have about the details of the Apple Purchase Program:

www.applepurchaseprogram.com/forumresponse.htm

Furthermore, as you will see from the following links, it is quite possible to get similar discounts directly from Apple without using the Program:

http://developer.apple.com/membership/usa.html
http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ADC?qprm=38839

As you will see from the page above, what we are offering is really not very complex.  You are all invited to read the document and contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,
Member Support
Apple Purchase Program
Marbella Technologies, Inc.
www.applepurchaseprogram.com
info@applepurchaseprogram.com


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## Vard (Feb 7, 2003)

ok...if you (anyone) gives this site money, you absolutely deserve whatever scam you have just validated!

please do not bother with this crap.  take a look at the site and then ask yourself if you ever expect to see your computer or money again.  The site advertises systems on the first page that aren't even available via the drop menu on the following page, spec for spec.  

OK...I just called the number and listened to the schpiel...still sounds like a scam.  They say that if you are not willing to pay they price they negotiate, you don't have to buy a system....awesome, except your still out your $250 registration fee.

Please, the site is low quality, there's no business contact or legal information anywhere on the page, other than the part saying they get to keep your money legally when you agree to the terms.

Save your bucks...please.


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## banjo_boy (Feb 7, 2003)

how long is the wait for the computer? I understand that you save up ALL the "reservations" so you can get the bulk/volume discount, but how long could that take and what is the amount you need for that order goal?

Also, why do you not have the 12" Superdrive PB? The only thing I could see was because it was a built to order but you are selling other built to orders also.

I am asking this here because I can not get through to the operators.

I am having a hard time believing this too. Too good to be true

I would, however like to see the price of an iPod for kicks! ;O)


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## banjo_boy (Feb 7, 2003)

At the bottom of the page in light grey type:

*Prices on this site are estimates or our target goals for negotiation._ The actual price of the computer will not be known until all reservations are taken and the order is placed with the reseller.

So, don't look at the price we have. Just hope you can get that...!

Now, I am not interested.


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## twister (Feb 7, 2003)

But it also says this in black type on the questions page

How much will my new Mac cost me?

There is no way to know exactly how much your new Mac will cost until all deposits are received by Marbella Technologies and we negotiate the order with Apple._ Our goal is to get you the best price available to you. We anticipate a savings of up to $1000 per order! Since we are placing a bulk order with Apple, there are several discounts that we can take advantage of._ *If we cannot get a price that you are satisfied with, you are under no obligation to purchase the machine.*


Twister


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## twister (Feb 7, 2003)

Ok so heres some other opinions.  

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=144549&highlight=applepurchaseprogram 

This thread gets off topic though.  However if you keep reading you might get a good laugh.  I did.

Twister


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## banjo_boy (Feb 7, 2003)

you are out the $250 you put down for the reservation.

So you can cross your fingers and HOPE the price is at least $10 cheaper than Apple's or blow $250 for reason whatsoever except the CHANCE of getting a cheaper machine.


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## chevy (Feb 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by twister _
> *Ok so heres some other opinions.
> 
> http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=144549&highlight=applepurchaseprogram
> ...



The canadian naval base is just... perfect !


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## jeb1138 (Feb 7, 2003)

Check out this price reduction estimate they put up on their page -- apparently this is what the resellers are going to strip out of their deals to give applepurchaseprogram a lower cost:







There is NO WAY that ANY memory bundled with a Mac costs the resellers $400.  The retailer would only subtract the cost of the memory _for themselves_ first of all, and check out the price of additional memory from Crucial.com (not the cheapest, but very reputable):

PowerMac G4
- 512 MB = *$104* (DDR PC2700)

iMac G4
- 512 MB = *$150* (SDRAM PC133 SODIMM)

PowerBook G4 15"
- 512 MB = *$172* (SDRAM PC133)

PowerBook G4 17"
- 256 MB = *$58* (DDR PC2700 SODIMM)

Crucial.com has to make money on RAM!  Sure, sites will advertise 512MB as worth $300 maybe, but they're NOT going to subtract $300 from the price for you if you get them to take it out.  They will only subtract what the memory costs THEM, which is even less than what I've listed from Crucial.

On top of that, compare applepurchaseprogram's _generous_ estimates above to what they advertise on the _main_ page of their website:





It just got $200 cheaper ladies and gentlemen!  Amazing! 

I don't know about the other cost estimates, does anybody else here an idea?

Smells like a scam to me.


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## My Arrows Aim (Feb 9, 2003)

that may not be a total scam, but i'm not giving $250 to anyone for a chance.

if you are looking for a deal, what's not a scam are education discounts.. Go to your local college apple store and check out their prices. On Monday I'm picking up the dual 867mhz i paid $999 plus tax for. Just find someone at the college who will buy it for you.


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## jeb1138 (Feb 9, 2003)

Hey this is really interesting now!  Check out their site right now -- it's been taken down with an explanation up.

But the interesting part is this:
"We took our site down because we wanted to do so -- to get rid of some of the complaints -- however, it will be up again in a few days once we remove every little detail that you can complain about. In the meantime, please accept this as our formal invitation to call us, email us, or even stop on by. *Heck, pick someone to represent you and we'll even pay for the plane ticket if you're not in Florida!"*

Are these guys for real about this?  Anybody want to go to Florida?  We could have a poll to elect a representative!  

If they're telling the truth about the plane ticket at least someone gets a free trip to Florida!  But then again, maybe they mean the mac community as a whole should pick *one* representative.  Interesting anyway!


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## Lazzo (Feb 9, 2003)

Never mind the content and products, nobody proofread the page:

Dear *Perspective* Member & All Existing Members,

Could be they mean 'Prospective'. Also, spelling 'Thanks' as 'Thanx' always puts me off.


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## moav (Feb 9, 2003)

Truthfully, this is not a scam I used to do something very similar when I lived in a college town.

This is how it works...

I would ask students on local campuses to give me their names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. so I could sign them up for an apple developer membership $99.00. With an Apple Student membership they are allowed to purchase 1 (one) Apple hardware product in their lifetime(not every year) for a great savings 10% to 20%, same as premier members, but only once, not ten times a year. I used to do this about 4 years ago. Non students around the country would send me a $100 deposit to cover the Apple Student Membership. I would then purchase the computer in a students name and then resell it for the discounted price plus 1/2 the difference of street value. This way everyone is happy!!! The customer gets a discounted Mac, the student gets $100 bucks beer money, I got somewhere between $400 and $800 bucks each time. The reason I stopped was that I moved away from a large college town and secondly since prices of Apple computers came down so much in the past few years the profit wasn't worth it to me at that time in my life. 
So, what I am saying yes you will get your products, yes it isn't quite kosher, yes Apple frowns upon it, yes there are loopholes in the system. 

Just as simple as I could at this very instance gain access to gas or poison three to four thousand people while they sleeping in hundreds of cities across the world. So, simple and so sad, but we never see it until it is to late and then everyone cries about it.  The one thing you have to be cautious about is that Apple is not as naive as we think. If they do catch on to an order, no they will not cancel it, what will happen like many times happened to me was Apple caught on to my scheme, the order was shipped, the customer was charged full price. I would recieve a few calls and would have to refund the $100 bucks and give them an additional $99.00 out of my pocket. Of the 800 computers I shipped only 9 were cut by Apple. So, it's a gamble but if you want to try doing this good, luck... and please don't stay in any hotels for the next few weeks that have common ventilation systems. Yes, a motel 6 or a Knights in isn't the greates place to stay but a wall or window unit is sometimes a good thing. Why do you think we stay at these places.


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## HCSwitch (Feb 9, 2003)

> _Originally posted by moav _
> *Truthfully, this is not a scam I used to do something very similar when I lived in a college town.
> 
> This is how it works...
> ...



You say that your technique is not a scam, but does it not scam Apple?  The purpose of the Student Developer Program is to be "... a low-cost membership program, providing tools and special discounts for students 18 or over interested in developing for the Mac platform. "  It is neither a way for every college student in the world to get a cheap Mac (that is what the regular educational discount is for) nor a way for dishonest people such as you to make thousands of dollars.  
You are undoubtedly a pathetic individual.


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## moav (Feb 9, 2003)

I never said my techniques were not a scam! But the individuals who are running this new program are not scamming their customers.

"So, what I am saying yes you will get your products, yes it isn't quite kosher, yes Apple frowns upon it, yes there are loopholes in the system. "

When I was 18 an I did this, eating into Apple's profits a bit was the last thing on my mind. Much of the profits I made went right back into buying Apple products or stocks, and we both profited at the time. Just as Apple nows that the ipod will not last under normal use for more then 3 years without needing to replace the battery or for the user to buy a new iPod. Companies scam people, that is why they are in business. If they there would be no such thing as profit and everything would be sold for cost. How good a company is in pulling the wool over the eyes of a customer is what capatalism is all about. Look at Boeing and Lockhead. Do you believe that it would cost nearly 40-50 billion to replace the space shuttle?? No, but they get away with it... you pay for it!


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## twister (Feb 20, 2003)

Their BAAAAAACK!

www.applepurchaseprogram.com

And much more professional looking.  however i didn't read any new details.


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## banjo_boy (Feb 20, 2003)

They have been back like that for quite some time.

Man your slow, twister.


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## malexgreen (Feb 20, 2003)

> _Originally posted by callieX _
> *I saw this site posted on OGrady's site.  It states that this orgainization  can get you a new Mac really cheap for a small fee ($250).  My first thought anything too good to be true is usually a scam.  What do you think?  Here is the link
> http://www.applepurchaseprogram.com/
> 
> ...



Back where I'm from, any items bought from from a questionable source at a big discount where considered to be boosted.


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## pej (Feb 21, 2003)

Was that the same O'Grady story as this?

I was so close to falling for it, because, except the prices, everything seemed quite legit especially compared to the Western Union loving european scammers that are all over eBay.  Ahwell, I guess I won't be a switcher any time soon.


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## twister (Feb 21, 2003)

Missing Story.  You link doesn't work.


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## pej (Feb 21, 2003)

> _Originally posted by twister _
> *Missing Story.  You link doesn't work. *



Shame, it was working when I originally posted it... regardless, basically in the article and the article comments were a whole bunch of people debunking ApplePurchaseProgram and seeming to do a pretty good job at it.  Only one person claimed to have known someone who successfully placed an order and they got their unit and ended up paying very close to Apple's price for it.  Although I'm still not 100% positive that it is a scam, it's definitely not worth 250 dollars to find out.


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## genehack (Feb 24, 2003)

Hello Victims,

here is the link memeber pej wuz talkin´bout.

http://www.powerpage.org/story.lasso?newsID=10551

Its enjoyable,especially the bottom of the posts!
We are wtih you poor victims


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## jeb1138 (Feb 24, 2003)

Wow, here's an interesting link from that powerpage site about a company with similar-looking (though I don't know enough about either to say how similar looking they are) offer that really scammed a bunch of people out of money.
http://home.nyc.rr.com/dp284/

Wasn't that long ago either -- just a little under 2 years ago.


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## genehack (Feb 24, 2003)

Hey,

this IS(!!!)the same guy who fucks up people under APPLEPURCHASEPROGRAM.
WOW he even threatens people.


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## diddy (Feb 25, 2003)

the site seems to be down...


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