Are the Apple Stores open to haggling?

Question

Level 2

309 points

Are the Apple Stores open to haggling?

I wish there was a more general area in which I could ask this, but I'm planning to buy a new iMac, so this is the best I could find. Please redirect me to a more appropriate discussion area if you can find one though.

I never pay full price for anything if I buy it from a real store, as you can always negotiate between 10% and 20% (sometimes more) off a retail price if you're nice enough to the salesperson. However, I've bought all my Apple Macs through the online store so far, so I've been paying full price for each one.

However, there are one or two companies that just won't enter into this kind of negotiation, often having a policy that prevents their staff from discounting products at their discretion.

I was wondering what the position is with Apple Stores (i.e. the official ones) and whether any of you have ever managed to get a better deal than the retail price? I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone in the UK who's managed to do this and what kind of deal they got.

iMac G5, Intel Mac Mini, G4 Powerbook, Mac OS X (10.5.1), The Mac Mini is connected to a Panasonic HD Plasma screen via a VGA cable

Posted on Mar 3, 2008 2:28 AM

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Answer 1

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Apr 11, 2008 11:00 PM in response to m0thr4

m0thr4 wrote:

I was wondering what the position is with Apple Stores (i.e. the official ones) and
whether any of you have ever managed to get a better deal than the retail price?

I've always been able to haggle small discounts on hardware prices at
Apple-owned retail stores in the USA. It appears that store managers
are authorized to apply "educational pricing" to any hardware sale --
if you just say "please." These discounts are typically in the 5% to 10%
range, depending on product. US educational pricing can be found at:

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/routingpage.html

...iPods are far from teenager-proof,

Looby

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Answer 2

pr100

Level 2

478 points

Mar 3, 2008 2:59 AM in response to m0thr4

I have had some success when buying over the 'phone from Apple UK. Whether that was because I was ordering late in the month and they were keen to hit a monthly target - or because they were aware of an imminent EOL on the product I was ordering, I couldn't say. I have anyway managed to negotiate some FOC accessories and linked purchases over the years so they must have some room to manoeuvre.

Of course, if you have a son or daughter in home education you are entitled to demand the educational discount which is typically 10% but significantly more for some reason on Applecare warranties.

Simon

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Answer 3

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Mar 3, 2008 8:46 AM in response to m0thr4

You may be able to negotiate, though discounts if you're buying just a Mac aren't likely. I can just about guarantee, though, that even if the Apple Store is willing to negotiate, you're not going to be able to get 10% off (unless it's a discontinued item or a refurbished unit), let alone 20%. We don't even get those levels of discount when we purchase in bulk here at my university.

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Answer 4

Mar 3, 2008 9:23 AM in response to m0thr4

The only time I got a discount at the Apple Store was on "Black Friday." The online store had discounted items, but some of those items were not discounted at the physical store. The sales person would not give me the discount, but the manager did.

I got a discount on my last iMac by buying from the Apple refurb page.

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Answer 5

m0thr4 Author

Level 2

309 points

Apr 11, 2008 12:27 AM in response to m0thr4

Hmmm... the answer seems to be "depends on the store".

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