Good or Bad Experience Buying Direct From Apple Store?

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lissie

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Ultimate Geek

#113775 28-Jan-2013 10:01

I've decided to buy an iPad mini - but nowhere in Wgtn seems to have theWIFI version in stock. I notice the apple store will ship within 2/3 business days. Has anyone bought direct from them? Good? Bad? - Are they a NZ retaler so covered by the consumer guarantees act?

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

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307 posts

Ultimate Geek

#751796 28-Jan-2013 10:09

Apple store has always been a good experience for me.
They will provide you with a tracking number so you can check where your item is.
Your iPad will be shipped from china most likely (depending on stock levels).

Cant go wrong buying from apple direct, 1 year international warranty.
If you do have issues with your iPad, just contact apple. Their customer service
is pretty good.

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josephhinvest

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#751833 28-Jan-2013 10:39

Yes, also good experience, iPad, iPhone bought from online store with no issues.

Cheers,
Joseph

Kyanar

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#751836 28-Jan-2013 10:43

Apple sales in NZ are from Apple Sales NZ Ltd, a NZ company, so CGA applies after the manufacturer warranty expires. The manufacturer warranty is international cover for a full year, so that goes above and beyond the CGA requirements which don't require that retailers cover you if you walk into a store in London looking for repairs.

Shipping is usually when they say it is, but just watch out for the fact that they don't charge your card until a few days after they ship the products to you - you'll have an auth on your card which will expire in about 7 days but after that you need to remember not to spend the money you need to pay the invoice.

gehenna

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#751840 28-Jan-2013 10:45

I try to only buy direct from Apple where possible. I've only had bad experiences buying from retailers (Magnum Mac now Yoobee, etc)

freitasm

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#751851 28-Jan-2013 11:04

Bought from Apple online once, a Mac Mini. Ordered around lunch time, landed here next morning (of course YMMV).

Bought an iMac from Dick Smith here in Jville because it was discounted (sold the old iMac on Trade Me and bought the new one for the same price), didn't have a problem with this one either.

Bought from Dell online three or four times, never had a problem.

lissie

448 posts

Ultimate Geek

#751855 28-Jan-2013 11:12

Thanks guys - I've just ordered my iPad mini from Apple - should be in Jvill between 8-11 Feb .

Suddenly Win8 seems like an OS I understand compared to iOS - oh well - learning new stuff is good for the brain LOL

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

mrphil

407 posts

Ultimate Geek

#752106 28-Jan-2013 17:20

I purchased a few items from them before and one time my item was shipped from china to hong kong to sydney to auckland and arrived in at my doorstep in christchurch the next day!

plus their customer services is awesome

1eStar

1580 posts

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#752112 28-Jan-2013 17:31

Ordering from Apple online is great. I've bought two iphone and an ipad. Had good experience when needed warranty replacement on my 3gs. Just call the international warranty number and they will set you right. Their customer service is awesome.

Behodar

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#752126 28-Jan-2013 17:54

I find it interesting that you've has good experience with defective products. When I got a DOA AirPort base I had to go through I think three different people and spent maybe an hour on the phone because they didn't believe me when I told them that it was defective.

Eventually they replaced it (and the new one is still working now, six years later) but I didn't appreciate having to fight for it. Are things better now? It seems that they could be but it'd be good to hear some experiences in more detail.

mattwnz

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#752128 28-Jan-2013 17:57

I think the only problem with ordering from the online store, is that more money goes overseas, vs buying locally, where a a NZ retailers does get a cut of the money you spend. I have also read on another thread that they can be quite tough in getting them to honour the CGA. But I have never had any bad experiences with using the online store, and it was the only way I could get the item I wanted, as the nz retailers didn't have any stock.

Somethings like the ipod touch new gen are cheaper buying locally, than through the apple store.

lissie

448 posts

Ultimate Geek

#752321 28-Jan-2013 21:43

*shrug* it's not my job to support NZ retailers - if I could have got it cheaper buying overseas I would have, for example both the Kindle's I've bought direct from Amazon -because it was cheaper and Amazon has superb customer service.

For me it's all about price and service, unfortunately NZ retailers usually come up well-short on both

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

alasta

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#752324 28-Jan-2013 21:50

The first time I ever bought something from the store about six years ago I had a shocking experience with their freight carriers (TNT) which scared me away for a while after that.

However I've made a few purchases in the last three years or so and have had absolutely no problems so they've obviously cleaned up their act.

khull

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#752336 28-Jan-2013 22:08

Only good experience here. Have bought enough items to pay for the deposit for a brand new house. They don't bill until the item ships and sometimes even a day or so after you get the tracking number (check your billed date). Also you can cancel anytime up until before it enters the preparing for shipment stage

Of the rare occasion that I had a query about my order, I spoke to Americans who could understand English. Heh.

Also if something goes wrong with the item, the returns process is very straight forward. I'd rather deal with them directly otherwise you'd get the beat around the bush tactic i.e. you bought from [insert retailer name llke JB hifi, Harvey Norman etc] , you have to go back to them which only adds overheads and delays. Don't you think for one second that the resellers have more power or influence over the ordering/returns process. Apple unfortunately do whatever they want - an example, if you had to place a hold for an iPad that is sold out, unless the retailer can guarantee the delivery (which they probably won't for newly launched products because they themselves won't know what they get until the unmarked TNT pallets arrive in store) you're sometimes better off ordering direct as the dates quoted online are pretty accurate.

mattwnz

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#752343 28-Jan-2013 22:22

lissie: *shrug* it's not my job to support NZ retailers

Possibly not, but if there are no NZ business to pay taxes, then either we have to borrow more as a country or slash services.

I do find it quite interesting when I was on Australia, how much people over there are all for supporting aussie owned companies. I believe it is similar is the US. But in NZ we don't seem to care so much, and it comes down to price. It is possibly one reason NZ companies don't tend to do very well in oz, but aussie companies in NZ do very well.

If you are buying from amazon, then there is no CGA protection. The extra you pay for GST is sort of like buying an extended warranty. Apples online store is different, because your are paying GST, and they do appear to be a NZ registered company, so theoretically you should be covered by the CGA.
But pricing wise, you should be able to get a cheaper price in NZ if you shop around and get them to price match, but only if they have stock, which the ipad mini is very short of. I wonder if that is one sign that there is a new model due to be released soon, as that is often a sign. I believe that the retina one could be out soonish, and that should be far better than the current one, where the pixel denisity is no better than the 1st gen iphone.

khull

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#752350 28-Jan-2013 22:44

I experience the retailers overseas and including Australia have the need to retain customer loyalty whereas over here the relationship is only one way, if not transactional.

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