MP 7,1 UK - Buy as a business and get a 6% discount, or buy as a consumer? (UPDATE: Bought with 5% discount and consumer rights protected)

[AdamSeen]

I went into the Apple store in Covent Garden today to see which XDR display I wanted (glossy, FYI). They offered me a 6% discount on the Mac Pro and XDR display if I bought through a business. I have the choice to buy through either avenue. Direct to business, or buy personal and put through as a business expense - effectively getting consumer protection.

The UK has quite good consumer laws. I think it's around 6 years of protection for defective goods, but the same laws don't apply to business.

Putting aside the technicalities (It's technically a pseudo business/personal expense). Do you think saving 6% off the price (approx £16k inc VAT) is a good enough to forgo the consumer protection?

UPDATE:
I've ended up with a 5% discount and consumer rights protected.

I phoned them (number from Apple Store: 0800 058 2222) up and they unexpectedly offered me a 5% discount as a consumer or 6% as a business. I ordered with the 5% discount, preserving my consumer rights. With the savings I purchased AppleCare for the display and when the 5700x is available, I will do that with the Mac Pro as well.

Overall, it will be about the same cost to me, but I'll have AppleCare on both the display and Mac Pro - which I've decided is sensible given they are both first generation products.

 

[BarredOwl]

I have purchased through Apple Business before and while the machines were fine, the experience was not; enough so that I’ve determined the discount and lack of support (at least in my location: Apple Business in NC) are not worth saving a couple hundred per machine.

For me, the easy returns and consumer protection/services are worth the extra ”fee” of buying as a consumer.

 

[shuto]

Do you know any students you could use their Apple discount of 10%? That might give you consumer protection plus discount. That was my plan, to use my wife’s student discount and then still put it through my business to deduct vat and corporation tax.

 

[AdamSeen]

Do you know any students you could use their Apple discount of 10%? That might give you consumer protection plus discount. That was my plan, to use my wife’s student discount and then still put it through my business to deduct vat and corporation tax.

I've read the problem might be with that is you don't get a VAT receipt? Or perhaps you only get a VAT receipt if you buy at the store? It would definitely be the most effective option - 10% off student discount, 20% off VAT, 20% off capital - That would amount to a sizeable discount.

 

[Anon3]

If it sounds too good to be true .... claiming a student discount on the one hand and relief for a trading expense/VAT input tax on the other hand are likely to be incompatible with each other (unless,just possibly,your wife’s course is being undertaken wholly and exclusively for the purpose of your business - but even then I would check the terms of Apple’s student discount scheme very carefully because such schemes are intended to help individuals buying for themselves, rather than a business that wishes to help an employee obtain a qualification).

 

[bsbeamer]

Does Apple Business operate entirely outside of Apple Retail in the UK? Know in other countries they are basically independent computer shops, but thought UK was adopting the US Apple Business model.

In the US, I have a dedicated Apple Business website within Apple.com that I can shop through and directly place orders for shipping or pickup, or I can go to my local Apple retail location(s) and place orders with the business reps locally. Honestly it's easier to purchase online with less chance for screwup.

 

[John_B Beta]

I'm in the same shoes - was about to buy through the business scheme - had no idea it could affect consumer rights... Thanks for the headz up - will have to get googling research.

 

[gazwas]

What consumer rights do you loose?

Buy Applecare for Mac Pro and you get three years piece of mind. Do consumer rights help outside of three years?

 

[pierre1610]

I had a problem with a 2013 Mac Pro, it was bought through a business but didn't get the discount. I thought i was buying in a consumer capacity but when something went wrong and i went in stating my consumer rights Apple told me conumer rights were void as i bought through a business. I think they'll squirm out of whatever they can, they act like insurance companies when you have a problem these days.

 

[bwinter88]

Convince an Apple employee to use their 25% discount on you

 

[OkiRun]

Do you know any students you could use their Apple discount of 10%? That might give you consumer protection plus discount. That was my plan, to use my wife’s student discount and then still put it through my business to deduct vat and corporation tax.

I was under the impression that the Apple Student discount was up to $400 for a Mac. That is much less than the business 6% offering for a mid-tiered Mac Pro.

 

[shuto]

I was under the impression that the Apple Student discount was up to $400 for a Mac. That is much less than the business 6% offering for a mid-tiered Mac Pro.

Nope full on 10% off the Mac Pro and XDR. The machine I was very close to buying was normally £17255 and with student discount is £15453.

I understand some people wouldn’t want to buy with student discount and put through their small scale business. But this is what I did with my 2013 Mac Pro and worked fine for me, so thought it was helpful to suggest an option to save for example £1802.

 

[OkiRun]

Nope full on 10% off the Mac Pro and XDR. The machine I was very close to buying was normally £17255 and with student discount is £15453.

I understand some people wouldn’t want to buy with student discount and put through their small scale business. But this is what I did with my 2013 Mac Pro and worked fine for me, so thought it was helpful to suggest an option to save for example £1802.

I see.
Yes ~ Doesn't look kosher to take a business deduction with the invoice listing a student discount

 

[AdamSeen]

What consumer rights do you loose?

Buy Applecare for Mac Pro and you get three years piece of mind. Do consumer rights help outside of three years?

You loose the rights as mentioned under "Consumer Laws in the United Kingdom": https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/

It maybe worth getting a full service warranty (AppleCare) for 3 years, but yet to decide. i.e. Use the 6% discount savings to buy AppleCare for a no hassle warranty.

Nope full on 10% off the Mac Pro and XDR. The machine I was very close to buying was normally £17255 and with student discount is £15453.

I understand some people wouldn’t want to buy with student discount and put through their small scale business. But this is what I did with my 2013 Mac Pro and worked fine for me, so thought it was helpful to suggest an option to save for example £1802.

Were you also able to claim VAT back and had a VAT receipt?

 

[nicho]

I was under the impression that the Apple Student discount was up to $400 for a Mac. That is much less than the business 6% offering for a mid-tiered Mac Pro.

That's what the banner says (except it's £270 rather than $400) in the UK but I just signed myself up for unidays and can confirm all macs appear to be eligible for the 10% off. And that 10% discount is way more than £270 on an imac pro, let alone a mac pro.

 

[macintoshmac]

I went into the Apple store in Covent Garden today to see which XDR display I wanted (glossy, FYI). They offered me a 6% discount on the Mac Pro and XDR display if I bought through a business. I have the choice to buy through either avenue. Direct to business, or buy personal and put through as a business expense - effectively getting consumer protection.

The UK has quite good consumer laws. I think it's around 6 years of protection for defective goods, but the same laws don't apply to business.

Putting aside the technicalities (It's technically a pseudo business/personal expense). Do you think saving 6% off the price (approx £16k inc VAT) is a good enough to forgo the consumer protection?

This is something you will have to weigh for yourself as to which option would work out better for you, writing off as business expense of effectively staying in warranty for 6 years.

16k is not a small amount in any currency, but for such large purchases, I might want to go towards maximum number of years I can stay protected, that is, unless I could/ would upgrade in about 3-4 years anyway. If I were to upgrade in about 4 years, then I would probably take a risk and save the dough.

 

[shuto]

Were you also able to claim VAT back and had a VAT receipt?

I’m pretty sure I had a VAT receipt for it as VAT is still being charged on it. When you buy through student store it still shows VAT being added, so would be fine to put through my bookkeeping as a VAT expense.

I think it is a lot safer to buy AppleCare than rely on Uk consumer protection if machine has faults. I looked it up on internet and people said that Apple always fights it and would be hard to prove fault had not developed after purchase.

 

[gazwas]

I had a problem with a 2013 Mac Pro, it was bought through a business but didn't get the discount. I thought i was buying in a consumer capacity but when something went wrong and i went in stating my consumer rights Apple told me conumer rights were void as i bought through a business. I think they'll squirm out of whatever they can, they act like insurance companies when you have a problem these days.

Don’t think consumer rights act applies as I think it didn’t come into action until 2015.

For the cost, extended Applecare seems like a no brainer on the Mac Pro.

Apple generally only fix stuff out of warranty when there are a significant numbers of complaints regardless of UK consumer law so I’d personally go with the 6% discount and Applecare (if available to a business?).

 

[AdamSeen]

I've ended up with a 5% discount and consumer rights protected.

I phoned them (number from Apple Store: 0800 058 2222) up and they unexpectedly offered me a 5% discount as a consumer or 6% as a business. I ordered with the 5% discount, preserving my consumer rights. With the savings I purchased AppleCare for the display and when the 5700x is available, I will do that with the Mac Pro as well.

Overall, it will be about the same cost to me, but I'll have AppleCare on both the display and Mac Pro - which I've decided is sensible given they are both first generation products.

 

[John_B Beta]

You'd get a VAT invoice regardless of how you bought it (from apple) so don't think that will be a problem for any of us.

What I don't get is how buying it from apple's business team somehow loses you the protection from the UK consumer laws. Finding it hard to find any clear definitive answer googling it.

 

[AdamSeen]

The answer is deceptively simple. If you put your company name and address on the invoice, you won’t have consumer rights. If you put your personal name and address on the invoice you likely will have.

Of course if it went to a court of law it would be dependent on if you put it through as a business expense or not. A mega corporation like Apple wouldn’t waste their time on trying to figure it out, however. But if they see a company name there, it would be very unlikely they would let you make claims under consumer rights.

 

[John_B Beta]

Just had this back from the Apple Business team guy I've been emailing:

"To answer your questions if you purchase through the Apple Business team it will be a business purchase and you can recover VAT. That will remove you from EU Consumer Law. As for getting ongoing support you will always get better support if you purchase through Apple whether it is through the Business Team or through the store as a consumer. "

Answers the EU consumer law question solidly enough for me, on top of what's already been said. Will get applecare with mine anyway, and avoid messing with hardcore techy processor swappingsings for many years to come, and just generally keep my fingers crossed nothing goes wrong with it!

Not planning on going through the business team currently though as can get exactly the same discount through the family discount via my wife's corporate company has linked up with Apple. Doesn't make dealing with the apple business team feel very special tbh - you just give up EU consumer rights, get same discount pretty much anyone can, and everyone gets a VAT invoice anyway. Anyway - apparently I'm stil happy paying those guys £7.5k for a computer lol.

 

[OkiRun]

Just had this back from the Apple Business team guy I've been emailing:

"To answer your questions if you purchase through the Apple Business team it will be a business purchase and you can recover VAT. That will remove you from EU Consumer Law. As for getting ongoing support you will always get better support if you purchase through Apple whether it is through the Business Team or through the store as a consumer. "

Answers the EU consumer law question solidly enough for me, on top of what's already been said. Will get applecare with mine anyway, and avoid messing with hardcore techy processor swappingsings for many years to come, and just generally keep my fingers crossed nothing goes wrong with it!

Not planning on going through the business team currently though as can get exactly the same discount through the family discount via my wife's corporate company has linked up with Apple. Doesn't make dealing with the apple business team feel very special tbh - you just give up EU consumer rights, get same discount pretty much anyone can, and everyone gets a VAT invoice anyway. Anyway - apparently I'm stil happy paying those guys £7.5k for a computer lol.

I fail to see how the EU Consumer Law is going to mandate Apple pay for repair of a 7.1 Mac Pro after two years - if you don't have Apple Care. Where in the mandate does it say such a thing?

 

[Philllllip]

Or just go to KRCS and get a straight 6% off any Mac at all on personal with zero percent finance over 10 months! Easy

 

[AdamSeen]

Just to be clear, they offered me two discounts:
A 6% discount, a business discount.
A 5% discount, a consumer discount.

I chose the 5% consumer discount, I didn’t need to provide business details. The 6% one I had to.