Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Buying through a student discount

D

DMPDX

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
309
0
I have a question.
My powerbook (the one in my sig) is currently up for sale on ebay. I am planning to buy an intel imac with the money i make from this. But see, my sister just got accepted into a bunch of different universities and what not. She is buying a MBP soon with her letter. My question is, can I give her my money and have her buy the imac and get the discount? Would this be accpetable or would the apple stormtroopes come and arrest me?:confused:
-DSM
 
There are limits to what you can buy with a student discount, but I believe it is one desktop, one mini, and one notebook per year, so you should be fine.

Apple will not have a problem with you using her discount (they let me use my Uncle's).
 
In canada you can by 1 power*ahem* macbook, 1 iBook, 1 imac, 1 powermac, 1 mini per year if memory serves... plus you can by 2-3 of each edu software. You can get around the limits by shopping at the university shop (maxing out their limits with a small price hike) and shopping direct via apple's education site:D no-one will really notice if you do this:D

ok here it is from apple:
Purchase Quantity
Eligible purchasers will be allowed to purchase one each of the following per academic school year: PowerBook or iBook; iMac; eMac; Power Macintosh G4 or G5; iPod. Two Displays and two copies of each software title on the Apple Store for Higher Education Individuals.
Click to expand...
 
As I understand it:

(a) By the book, you aren't entitled to the educational discount yourself.

(b) By the book, your sister can buy with the education discount, but can't sell you the system (by having you give her the money to buy it in the first place) unless you are eligible for the same discount (which you aren't -- see (a) above).

(c) Apple isn't going to peer in your windows to see whether you or your sister is the one using the iMac.
 
Doctor Q said:
As I understand it:

(a) By the book, you aren't entitled to the educational discount yourself.

(b) By the book, your sister can buy with the education discount, but can't sell you the system (by having you give her the money to buy it in the first place) unless you are eligible for the same discount (which you aren't -- see (a) above).

(c) Apple isn't going to peer in your windows to see whether you or your sister is the one using the iMac.
Click to expand...
I really don't think Apple cares. When I bought my Mac over the phone, the Apple rep told me it was perfectly OK to use my Uncle's discount. He said if I got chosen for the random check by their fraud department, all I had to do was have my Uncle fax in proof of employment.

Apple just wants the business.
 
Yeah, Apple doesn't check up on the comps.
I've purchased 3 computers with my discount
a 15" pb for my bro (his first mac)
my iBook (my first mac)
my mom's iMac (her first mac
all had no questions nor issues with purchases
BTW I've never even used my own credit card for them
 
oh..so they do check?

galstaph said:
Yeah, Apple doesn't check up on the comps.
I've purchased 3 computers with my discount
a 15" pb for my bro (his first mac)
my iBook (my first mac)
my mom's iMac (her first mac
all had no questions nor issues with purchases
BTW I've never even used my own credit card for them
Click to expand...

i've been done university for 15 years now (yes, I"m old! :) and i was wondering about using my student ID from then. i don't see any note about not using an alumni discount? what would they do if they did a random fraud test? - make me pay the full amount? would be bad if they banned me forever from buying apple stuff :)
 
Keebler said:
i've been done university for 15 years now (yes, I"m old! :) and i was wondering about using my student ID from then. i don't see any note about not using an alumni discount? what would they do if they did a random fraud test? - make me pay the full amount? would be bad if they banned me forever from buying apple stuff :)
Click to expand...
They could charge you with fraud.
 
I really don't know if apple checks up on the numbers or not. As far as I know, at my school at least, once you have an id it is your number forever. Apple may just check to see if the number is a valid id format for that particular school, I'm not sure
 
galstaph said:
I really don't know if apple checks up on the numbers or not. As far as I know, at my school at least, once you have an id it is your number forever. Apple may just check to see if the number is a valid id format for that particular school, I'm not sure
Click to expand...

That would certainly be nice if that was the case. Next semester I will be a junior at college and one year closer to losing my Apple education discount. :(

But if I can use my current school ID to keep getting the education discount even after I graduate..... :) ;)
 
Thank you everyone for your fast replies.
Once my powerbook sells, I'll go down to the apple store with her and pick up the 20" core duo. Thanks for everything guys.

-dsm
 
imo, pricegrabber'n a mac is better. the student discount saves just 100bux, but you still have to pay that huge tax. save the trouble; macconnection sets up a straight up price. and if you wanna customize a bit, you just email your information along with the specs. mac store is pretty quick though if you dont care for the extra tax.
 
Philberttheduck said:
imo, pricegrabber'n a mac is better. the student discount saves just 100bux, but you still have to pay that huge tax. save the trouble; macconnection sets up a straight up price. and if you wanna customize a bit, you just email your information along with the specs. mac store is pretty quick though if you dont care for the extra tax.
Click to expand...
That's why I live in Oregon, NO SALES TAX! Its great for things like this, but the income tax is crushing. Oh well. But who or what site were you talking about that you send in the config you want?
-DSM:D
 
I was going to say the same thing... a student discount really isn't all that great. You save around 10 percent but then you pay it right back with taxes and shipping. Going with some place like macmall you will get it tax free and usually shipping free if you get there the right week... plus companies like that always throw something extra in such as ram to intice you to buy from them.
On the other hand... check out the Apple student developer program. You will find some awesome savings in there. You pay 100 bucks to become a student developer (which you don't even have to do anything), and you get a huge discount on a computer... as in 3 - 400 off.
 
DMPDX said:
That's why I live in Oregon, NO SALES TAX! Its great for things like this, but the income tax is crushing. Oh well. But who or what site were you talking about that you send in the config you want?
-DSM:D
Click to expand...

link

i emailed concerning personalized config and they gave me a great quote of 1850 for my 20inch intel, 1gig, 256vram. no tax or shipping. the wait was 3 weeks total from the day i ordered. it is, however, a bit tedious, as you have to have to send in a picture of your license and both sides of your credit card.
 
FWIW, I'm buying my Macbook Pro through Macconnection. Their price with rebate for the 1.83 is $1844, which is $50 higher than the edu discount with Apple, but there will be no sales tax. I have done much work with pcconnection, who is their pc counterpart. I have always had excellent experience with them.
 
Doctor Q said:
As I understand it:

(a) By the book, you aren't entitled to the educational discount yourself.

(b) By the book, your sister can buy with the education discount, but can't sell you the system (by having you give her the money to buy it in the first place) unless you are eligible for the same discount (which you aren't -- see (a) above).

(c) Apple isn't going to peer in your windows to see whether you or your sister is the one using the iMac.
Click to expand...

Well I do take a class at portland state universty, but I talked with them and said that since it is through a granted education system for tag students, I'm not concidered enrolled. (even though its the same prof's as everyone else's classes) But my sis is 3 years ahead of me and is buying her MPB to go off to college.<p> And to answer b) Technically its my dad thats buying my imac and he is buying my sisters MBP, so then she owuldnt b able to use it. But also, I went down to the apple store to the genius bar to have them look at my ipod, and of course i ended up buyin something, but while in line a man had his daughters acceptance letter in hand, and was buying an iBook+applecare+case and got the discount. So woulnt this work?

Philberttheduck said:
link

i emailed concerning personalized config and they gave me a great quote of 1850 for my 20inch intel, 1gig, 256vram. no tax or shipping. the wait was 3 weeks total from the day i ordered. it is, however, a bit tedious, as you have to have to send in a picture of your license and both sides of your credit card.
Click to expand...

That sounds waaaay too sketchy for me. But it makes me think, that I could buy from my credit card online from a reseller? hmmm.
Thanks for everyones help,
-DSM
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back