Apple Card Help me understand the gift card charge

[inkswamp]

Recently bought a MacBook Air from Apple’s site. Decided to get the Apple Card to finance it as the no interest offer seemed reasonable. This was on Black Friday and they were offering $100 off the laptop as well as a $100 gift card. I’ve now spoken to 4 people at Apple and cannot get my head around the billing statement. Looking at my Apple Card statement, I see the monthly charge for the MacBook Air. Good. But I also see a $8.33 monthly charge for the $100 gift card.

I’ve received the voucher for the $100 gift card in my email but what sense does this make? I’m baffled trying to figure out how they used a $100 gift card as incentive to buy but I’m being charged for it.

Summary:
The Macbook Air was regularly priced $1249.00.
They were offering $100 off.
That put the computer at $1149.00 plus tax of $98.81 so a total of $1247.81.
The gift card just shows up as a $100 charge, paid off every month at $8.33.
The total amount charged to my card was $1347.81.

Can someone explain this to me? It just looks like I paid the normal price + tax. I feel like an idiot.

 

[wilberforce]

Apple never, afaik, reduce the price of anything. They just provide gift cards.
So effectively you paid the normal price, and got a $100 gift card.

They charge you in this weird way: charging you $100 for the gift card but discounting the price of the Macbook by $100, in order that if you use the gift card, and then return the Macbook, you will only be refunded the discounted charge for the Macbook, and not be refunded the $100 for the gift card (which you may have already redeemed).

i.e. if you return the Macbook, you will get $1247.81 refunded, not $1347.81.

I think you misunderstood that you would get $100 off plus a free $100 gift card. What you actually get is $100 off, but the $100 gift card is not free, it costs you $100.

Exactly the same happened to me (but for a different item and different gift card amount).

Apple does not say you get a free gift card, they say you get a gift card for no extra charge, which is not quite the same thing. Read this carefully:

Apple Store Online - Holiday Gifts

Gift magic this holiday at Apple. Shop the latest gifts, add free engraving, and get help from a Specialist.

www.apple.com

 

[inkswamp]

Thank you. I also asked this question on Reddit and was getting answers that were mostly confusing me. You have managed to pull off the feat that nobody from Apple did—explain to me in clear enough language how this works. I appreciate it.

You're probably right that it wasn't $100 off plus the card but it does seem sort of deceptive the way Apple presents it. I think they need to be a LOT clearer about how these "discounts" work. I'd be perfectly fine with this arrangement but I don't like how unclear it was.

 

[TonyC28]

Same thing happened to me when I bought an Apple TV. I got the separate charge for the gift card. I had no idea what the heck was going on but thank you @wilberforce for explaining it.

 

[jenelemond]

Apple never, afaik, reduce the price of anything. They just provide gift cards.
So effectively you paid the normal price, and got a $100 gift card.

They charge you in this weird way: charging you $100 for the gift card but discounting the price of the Macbook by $100, in order that if you use the gift card, and then return the Macbook, you will only be refunded the discounted charge for the Macbook, and not be refunded the $100 for the gift card (which you may have already redeemed).

i.e. if you return the Macbook, you will get $1247.81 refunded, not $1347.81.

I think you misunderstood that you would get $100 off plus a free $100 gift card. What you actually get is $100 off, but the $100 gift card is not free, it costs you $100.

Exactly the same happened to me (but for a different item and different gift card amount).

Apple does not say you get a free gift card, they say you get a gift card for no extra charge, which is not quite the same thing. Read this carefully:

Apple Store Online - Holiday Gifts

Gift magic this holiday at Apple. Shop the latest gifts, add free engraving, and get help from a Specialist.

www.apple.com

Yes its true and clearly described!! Apple won't reduce the price rather they offer a gift card for no extra charge! Last year i came to know it while purchasing my Macbook!