# AppleCare Pricing



## bobw (Aug 18, 2004)

From MacFixIt;

 AppleCare price negotiable? Reader Tim Flight notes his experience in purchasing AppleCare directly from Apple, which indicates that Apple's price is flexible:

  "I had an interesting experience with Apple Tech Support today. I called to ask about a hardware problem I had with my PowerBook and found out I was just a few days past the complimentary 90 day phone support. The tech asked if I wanted to purchase AppleCare. I said I was planning on it but an Apple Reseller in my area usually offers it cheaper than Apple does and that I would purchase it through my local reseller instead. The tech then asked how much they were selling it for. I told him my local reseller normally sells it for $299 but occasionally has it on special for $279. (It is $349 from the Apple Store.) He then said he could sell it to me for $239. Seems like if you want $110 off the price of AppleCare all you need to do is ask."


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## serpicolugnut (Aug 18, 2004)

$239 is the Education price, which they are not really checking on. My guess is that you got the Education discount. I just bought AppleCare for my Powerbook the other day, and got it at the education price. They never asked for verifiable proof that I was a student.


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## bobw (Aug 18, 2004)

I didn't get it. That is an article from MacFixIt. Apple gave a lower price after hearing he could buy it cheaper from a local dealer. Nothing was mentioned about education.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Aug 18, 2004)

What serpicolugnut is saying is that Apple does not require proof of eligibility in order to get educational pricing.  All you have to do is go to the online Apple store, click on education, and order away.  I've done this many times and they've never required proof of anything from me -- even though I am a registered, full-time student at a university -- therefore, fully qualified for the educational pricing structure.

The Apple tech on the phone may have offered the educational pricing of $239 to a non-student by mistake, either by thinking that $239 was for anyone and not just students, or by mistaking the person on the other end of the line for a student for one reason or another.

Either way, or for whatever reason, it's certainly is a coincidence that the "discounted" pricing offered to the person in the story was exactly the price of AppleCare with an educational discount.  It's be interesting to see if a non-student with a tower machine could get a "discounted" rate of $199, or $119 for an iMac/eMac.


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## bobw (Aug 18, 2004)

The local dealer normally sells it for $299. but occasionally has a special on it for $279.00. Not the same as the educational pricing of $239.00.

 Seems like if you call Apple for it, and tell them you can buy it cheaper, they'll go lower for anyone to get the sale.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Aug 18, 2004)

It'd be interesting to see if someone can get Apple to go lower than the educational price...


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## metro10 (Aug 18, 2004)

bobw said:
			
		

> From MacFixIt;
> 
> AppleCare price negotiable? Reader Tim Flight notes his experience in purchasing AppleCare directly from Apple, which indicates that Apple's price is flexible:
> 
> "I had an interesting experience with Apple Tech Support today. I called to ask about a hardware problem I had with my PowerBook and found out I was just a few days past the complimentary 90 day phone support. The tech asked if I wanted to purchase AppleCare. I said I was planning on it but an Apple Reseller in my area usually offers it cheaper than Apple does and that I would purchase it through my local reseller instead. The tech then asked how much they were selling it for. I told him my local reseller normally sells it for $299 but occasionally has it on special for $279. (It is $349 from the Apple Store.) He then said he could sell it to me for $239. Seems like if you want $110 off the price of AppleCare all you need to do is ask."


 Thanks for the info- I was wondering why a local Apple independant store was selling AppleCare for $187 on a G5.


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## metro10 (Aug 18, 2004)

I was wondering why a local Apple reseller was offering AppleCare for a G5 for $187.  But what about a Cinema Display purchased later and seperately from the G5?  An Apple Tech sort of suggested that I might be able to "work something" out with the reseller.  Any ideas or suggestions?


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## Giaguara (Aug 19, 2004)

G5 is different from a Powerbook, so different things are included in the Care.


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## monktus (Aug 19, 2004)

The UK store does require proof of you being a student AFAIK. My girlfriend just bought an iBook and forwarded an email from her university for verification; when I got my G4 (back in 1999 I think) I sent Apple a photocopy of my matric card. This sounds like the Apple dude wanted to get the sale so he offered the customer the Education rate to make sure he didn't go anywhere else.


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## fryke (Aug 19, 2004)

More generally speaking: It's always good to _ask_ for a lower price. Because _if_ the salesman _can_ go lower in price theoretically (as in: he's allowed to), he just _might_. But if you don't even ask, he most certainly won't. Unless he wants your phone number and go out on a date with you, too. (I'm not sure whether it would be good to go out with salesmen before asking them for a discount, though...)

Back when I worked for a computer store selling Macs and PCs, I always had the price on screen that we paid and the price we were selling items for - which gave me a base for possible discounts. We usually didn't give those discounts to customers, unless they were those who regularly bought at our store. 'Normal' customers sometimes got a printer cable or some CD-Rs for free with a small discount added when they bought a complete system.


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