[dopper99]

I intend to buy a new ipad 4. Is there any benefit from going into an Apple Store and buying it from there?

I rang a store up today and asked what happens if the product is faulty within the 12 month guarantee and they said they replace the product with a reconditioned one. So you could buy an ipad and it be faulty after a few days and you end up with a recon one. Not impressed with that.

Surely they cant do this and should replace the product with another brand new one if it fails within its guarantee period?

So I'm really wondering what benefits there are buying from an Apple Store if they cant replace a faulty item with brand new?


I'm actually thinking of getting one from Tescos, at least I'll get some clubcard points.

[Kerr]

When an item goes faulty they aren't actually obliged to replace it with a new one. You have to give the company the opportunity to repair an item first.

When an Apple product goes faulty they replace it in shop there and then with a reconditioned model which most people are happy with. A cosmetically new item to replace an older item.

I'm sure you can request your item is repaired but you will wait a while for that to happen.

I don't think there is any advantage of buying direct. You get the same level of customer care if you bought elsewhere.

[gavp]

2 year guarantee at John Lewis, not sure if this is only in store.

[dopper99]

Ok, cheers Kerr.
Sounds like driving 30 miles to my nearest Apple Store is pointless when I can pick it up from my local Tescos!

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by gavp

2 year guarantee at John Lewis, not sure if this is only in store.

I think they seemed a bit pricey though when I looked. I dont want to pay any more than £399 for a 16G ipad 4. Same price as most places (Apple Store etc...)

[ihpj]

Well it's swings and roundabouts when it comes to buying from an Apple Store, one of the key motivations for buying through Apple is the '14 Day Satisfaction Promise' - you buy black iPad and then change your mind for white, done (no quibbles, no issues, no overcharges or restocking fees to pay). You want someone to hand-hold you through the purchasing process, done. You want help setting it up FREE, done.

It's about being able to handle, see and compare all models side-by-side and make an informed decision knowing they have it in stock ready to go.

You can however use Genius Bar for swap out repairs if needed regardless where you bought the item, but the 14 Day peace of mind exists as a very attractive incentive to buy from Apple direct.



EDIT
The John Lewis 'free' 2 years warranty is rather pointless IMHO as second year coverage remains with John Lewis only and has some notable limitations - plus would I really want a guy that repairs fridges, microwaves and TVs attempt to repair my iPad? No thank you.

[too hot]

Have a look on Gumtree and the likes .I bought my IPad 4 32gb wifi and 3G a couple of weeks after Christmas for the same price as a new 16Gb Wifi version,11 months guarantee etc.
I know it's not brand new but as good as.So long as you go in with your eyes open and ask all the obvious questions,you can save yourself a fortune.I have had no problems with mine.
Worth contemplating

[RCUK]

Grab a stewdent at uni ... they get a pretty heft discount from apple directly!

When i got my macbook i got 17% off and applecare for £30 rather then £200!

[dopper99]

Thanks all. Some good advice there.

[Sir_Pigley]

Originally Posted by ihpj;

The John Lewis 'free' 2 years warranty is rather pointless IMHO as second year coverage remains with John Lewis only and has some notable limitations - plus would I really want a guy that repairs fridges, microwaves and TVs attempt to repair my iPad? No thank you.

That's clearly not going to be the case.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Grab a stewdent at uni ... they get a pretty heft discount from apple directly!

When i got my macbook i got 17% off and applecare for £30 rather then £200!

I might well be wrong but, AFAIK, student discount only applies to computers, not pads, phones, pods or accessories.

[mowflow]

I don't know who fixes the apple products that JL supply if they go wonky but we've always bought our work iMacs from JL specifically for the 2 year warranty. The main power board failed in my last Mac in the second year and they diagnosed the problem and fixed it no problem. The only issue was being without a computer for a week but fortunately we had a few spares kicking about.

In terms of the student discount. Apple only give students a £10 discount on iPads and iPods. The big discounts are on computers only. Someone posted a link to all the educational discount codes on here a while back.

We have about 5 iPads from the 1 to the 4 in work and a large portion of staff including myself have their own personal one. I've never heard anyone mention a fault. It's a pretty stable and sturdy piece of kit so i wouldn't be overly worried about the what if of failure unless you plan on dropping it.

My intern actually used to be a genius (Not really, she was a family room expert at the apple store in Glasgow for 3 years while at Uni but it's more fun winding her up about being a genius). I just asked her and she said there is no benefit. The only benefit is being able to compare them and get answers if you are clueless, which i doubt you are.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by mowflow

.... I've never heard anyone mention a fault. It's a pretty stable and sturdy piece of kit so i wouldn't be overly worried about the what if of failure unless you plan on dropping it.....

To be honest I didnt mention the full story in my original post as not to complicate the post.
I DID already buy an ipad 4 but it was faulty and sent it back.
I bought it from Amazon (but 3rd party seller). It arrived on Monday and seemed fine at first glance. But Tuesday night noticed a small spec on the middle of the screen that I could not clean off. Tried for ages with a glasses cleaning cloth but came to the conclusion that it was on the inside of the glass. So rang up an Apple Store and they said they could only exchange it for a refurb as "it was not bought through them". So contacted seller for my money back. After a bit of hassle and getting Amazon involved the seller agreed to give me a full refund.

So back to my original post, like I said I rang an Apple Store to ask about their guarantee and it appears they give you a recon even if it is bought through them. So this is the reason why I asked if they are any benefits from buying from an Apple Store.

Well I'm not fussed about the 14 day satisfaction thing as I've just tried one for a couple of days. So I ordered one from Tescos earlier. Went through Top Cash Back so will get a few quid back and will get clubcard points. Also they will deliver it to my local Tesco's Express, 5 mins away. Result.

[dopper99]

I must say the ipad 4 I had for a few days is a cracking bit of kit. Very fast indeed. I've got a DELL i7 8GB laptop and the ipad is as fast if not faster than the laptop for things like web browsing. Awesome. Cant wait to get the new one tomorrow.

[Subzero2003]

Which iPad did you get in the end?

Carphone Warehouse have got some good deals on and have beaten Apple's prices across the board, most notably:

Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad4 32GB for £478 vs Apple Store's price of £579 (saving of over £100)

and

Wi-Fi iPad4 32GB for £458 as opposed to Apple Store's price of £479 (saving of £21 - every little helps eh?! Especially considering you get the exact same end result, but you will also have an extra £20 in your pocket if you buy from CPW!)

[335d Rocco]

Originally Posted by dopper99

I think they seemed a bit pricey though when I looked. I dont want to pay any more than £399 for a 16G ipad 4. Same price as most places (Apple Store etc...)

JL will price match and refund the difference if what you buy is cheaper in another high street store

[E92MP]

Buy from the apple web site and get educational discount, that's how I bought my mac. Good saving to be had.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by Subzero2003

Which iPad did you get in the end?

I just bought an entry level 16GB wi-fi only new ipad 4, I'm happy with that for what I need it for. I looked into the 3G cellular version but realised a need yet another new sim and contract (or pay as you go etc...). I should be able to do tethering via my iphone for the very odd time I would ever need to connect online with it.

It's still stuck at the carriers depot and NOT delivered as promised yesterday.
Hopefully will turn up today.