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Education Discount (screened?)

D

Dunebug38

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2006
15
0
Is there any kind of screening process for using the education discount on the online store? I am no longer a student as of last year and I will be purchasing my first mac this fall and I wish I could qualify.

However, when I was browsing the site it seems that there is no real enforcement or advanced screening process for these purchases.

I probably don't have the balls to purchase a computer like that even if I would not get into trouble but I'm just curious how the hell apple can offer something like that and not regulate it...Unless there is something further along in the process of checking out I don't know about.

What I am interested in though is can I use a friends college discount. In other words have him start an account to get the mac if he agrees to it and just use my credit card and shipping adress?

Anyone?

I'm not cheap and I am willing to pay full price but if there is a loophole I can feel morally okay with I might be up for it.

Thanks
 
To the best of my knowledge Education purchases online are screened at random. You might be asked to provide proof of Student ID and a class schedule for your current semester.
 
When I ordered my mac mini over the phone all they asked me for was which university I went to which I could have made up. But I'm sure they do random checks somehow and (morally) I wouldn't feel right doing it if I didnt go to uni. Its not a massive discount anyway really
 
yeah exactly, the only reason I really care is that I am going to try and get a lot of upgrades. But yes, I would not do it unless a friend did not mind starting an account and doing it through him and even then it's probably not worth it.

I'm out of college and I can afford it. Time to grow up and bite the bullet I am afraid.

I was really hoping that I could find a legit way of doing it though.

My mother works at city hall in a high position at my local counties office and I called regarding the local government discount apple offers. According to the rules, my mother could legally get a discount for friends or family. However, after talking to a representative they told me she needs an ID number from her agency and that they should have their own online store URL. Well I e-mailed her about this and she acted very unsure about it. And to be honest I don't know what to tell her.

I don't know where she is supposed to come up with this number (maybe he meant her ID numer) and URL. For the URL maybe I need to call a local apple store in my state (Georgia) and ask them how she can obtain her URL? Who knows?

By the way I'm talking about a small town here. So I kind of gave up on this plan even though it is the most legit and reasonable way for me to get a discount. If anyone knows how she can go about getting this URL I would love to know and I will continue to persue this angle.

Thanks
 
Finding loopholes will never make you feel better. Sure you could order a machine from the online store and probably never get checked up on but it still doesn't make it right.
If your mothers discount URL comes through then go with that otherwise pay the full price that you admitted you can afford. If you want you can order from amazon or somewhere like that where they offer some rebates etc....

EDIT: For federal http://www.apple.com/r/store/government/epp.html

For state and local:
http://www.apple.com/r/store/government/state/epp.html
 
thanks for the links.

It's either govt discount through my Mom or none at all. I'm going to get to the bottom of whether she qualifies or not soon I hope.

Thanks for the replies.
 
Just find a college friend who won't use their Apple discount and wire a monthly amount to their bank account.
 
Yeah they do random checks, but every time I have bought something online from the education store, I have had to be connected to the university domain, and you have to select the university from the list.

in the Apple stores, I have had to show them my student card, but never have been checked but have had a few friends checked when they have bought iPods.

This is for the UK, not sure if it is different for the US.
 
ok, say I want to buy a Mac Pro but I do qualify but not really at the same time (don't want to explain). To over step this small technicality I would like to use my cousin's discount. Could I use my parents credit card? how about if there is a slight variation in the last name between the credit card's name and his? (only one letter?)
 
Wow, i'm surprised at all the loopholes on the Apple online store. My son shops at the Canadian Apple Online Education store and it always asks for the name of his school and his student number before he can even browse around.
 
I bought mine through the online store in canada, and before i can even browse, it has me input my student number and the university name.. But i have tried other schools, and the schools in the US and they dont always ask for ID... sooo it seems like it is just my university that does it and some others..
 
If I want educational discount I always have to call Apple my university isn't listed on their site. Still able to get the discount anyway :D
 
I'm a recent law school drop out (long story) and had to buy a PC laptop school, which I absolutely hate.

I'm wanting to replace it with a Macbook Pro when they ship with the Merom, but kind of want an educational discount.

I'm about to enroll in a class at a community college, anyone know if there is a minimum number of units you need to quality for the educational discount?
 
Since registering as a student is separate from registering for classes, you can register as a student and get your ID, without signing up for classes, and get the student discount.
 
dex22 said:
Since registering as a student is separate from registering for classes, you can register as a student and get your ID, without signing up for classes, and get the student discount.
Click to expand...

Yea thats what i think
 
If you barter with the business store over the phone you should be able to secure a discount that way. I got 5% on a recent order and, while it's not as much as the student discount, it's better than nothing.

I should add that I was making a legitimate business purchase... but I can't see why anyone couldn't become self-employed for a phonecall.
 
Sure you could order a machine from the online store and probably never get checked up on but it still doesn't make it right.
Click to expand...

What are the ethics of dealing with a multinational corporation? Why is it 'wrong' to take advantage of them when possible?
 
Obtaining goods or services at a lower price by misrepresentation is fraud. If the value of the product is high enough, or the event happens often enough, it can be a felony. Apple keeps transaction records for several years (as do all companies, by federal law) and they can take action, now, or any time in the future up to the point where the statute of limitations for that type of offense runs out.

So, the question is, do you want to risk it. Well punk, do ya? :p

On a more practical note, Apple can invalidate your warranty, pursue you for the avoided cost (the full amount you think you saved)...

They're a business, and they're trading to create value for investors. If this kind of conversation becomes wide enough that the abuse becomes endemic, not only will the corporation react to protect its shareholder value, but it'll affect the discounts that are given to people who really do need it - legitimate students.

I don't mean to sound like a butthead, but if you lose out on this, I won't feel any sympathy for you.
 
When I bought my Macbook Pro, they asked me for my student ID and my driver's license. Although I am a current student, there is no date listed on the ID (we keep the same one all 4 years, unless it gets too worn to be swiped in the dining halls). It could just as easily have been from 5 years ago and they wouldn't know the difference. They probably WILL ask you for an email address, and that's where I think suspicion might arise. If you claim you are a student you should have a .edu email...but you can just tell them you don't want spam being sent to that address.

If you're an alum, you probably have an alumni address...or maybe your old address is still in use and has a forwarding capability.

In any case, the educational discount *does* save you a significant amount of money if you are purchasing a full system. The $200 I saved bought me an extra gig of RAM, with $140 left to spare :)
 
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