Apple products return to Costco with deep discounts for iPhone and iPad
A year and a half after Costco stopped selling Apple products through its brick-and-mortar and online stores, the discount wholesaler is now carrying current iPhone and iPad models at discounts up to $120 off retail pricing.
The Costco Mobile online store, in partnership with third-party supplier Wireless Advocates, is now offering Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as the most recent iPad models, at discounted prices. The apparent change in policy was first spotted by TGAAP.
It is unknown what kind of deal Costco or Wireless Advocates managed to arrange with Apple, though current online specials show discounts of up to 60 percent on select hardware. For example, a 16GB iPhone 5s can be had for $78, down from a subsidized contract price of $199. Costco Wireless carries devices from big-four U.S. cellular providers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
As for pricing, all iOS devices are limited to 16GB models, while T-Mobile versions must be purchased in-store and come with a $25 Costco Cash card in lieu of cash discounts. Interestingly, only one iPhone 5c model is available in a blue AT&T version going for $99 through Costco's web store.
Apple's iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display are also for sale, though pickings are slim with offerings limited to Verizon and T-Mobile. Through Verizon, both tablets are priced $100 below retail, with a Silver iPad Air priced at $520 and a Space Grey Retina iPad mini going for $420 on contract. T-Mobile versions are 16GB Space Grey models and again only available at brick-and-mortar locations with a $25 Costco Cash card discount.
Costco stopped carrying Apple products in late 2010 when the companies reached a "mutual agreement" to cease their partnership. No official explanation was offered for the change, though at the time Costco was rumored to be behind the move after being passed over for iPad distribution.
The Costco Mobile online store, in partnership with third-party supplier Wireless Advocates, is now offering Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as the most recent iPad models, at discounted prices. The apparent change in policy was first spotted by TGAAP.
It is unknown what kind of deal Costco or Wireless Advocates managed to arrange with Apple, though current online specials show discounts of up to 60 percent on select hardware. For example, a 16GB iPhone 5s can be had for $78, down from a subsidized contract price of $199. Costco Wireless carries devices from big-four U.S. cellular providers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
As for pricing, all iOS devices are limited to 16GB models, while T-Mobile versions must be purchased in-store and come with a $25 Costco Cash card in lieu of cash discounts. Interestingly, only one iPhone 5c model is available in a blue AT&T version going for $99 through Costco's web store.
Apple's iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display are also for sale, though pickings are slim with offerings limited to Verizon and T-Mobile. Through Verizon, both tablets are priced $100 below retail, with a Silver iPad Air priced at $520 and a Space Grey Retina iPad mini going for $420 on contract. T-Mobile versions are 16GB Space Grey models and again only available at brick-and-mortar locations with a $25 Costco Cash card discount.
Costco stopped carrying Apple products in late 2010 when the companies reached a "mutual agreement" to cease their partnership. No official explanation was offered for the change, though at the time Costco was rumored to be behind the move after being passed over for iPad distribution.
Comments
No kidding. Wow. Things really are changing at Apple.
Has anyone actually been to the Costco site? I find no Apple products on it today.
Has anyone actually been to the Costco site? I find no Apple products on it today.
http://membershipwireless.com/index.cfm/go/shop/do/browsePhones/
Filter out for iOS
Wow, that actually makes it worth it to buy a Costco membership just for that discount! Not just about moving inventory for profit, Costco is reaping benefits on all ends.
Costco is great for just about everything in there. I do 99% of most of my grocery shopping there, and it is just for me. One just can't beat their everyday prices.
Why would just having Apple products for you justify a Costco membership? I doubt they would discount it that much. I will be impressed if they start carrying Macs.
Costco is great for just about everything in there. I do 99% of most of my grocery shopping there, and it is just for me. One just can't beat their everyday prices.
Why would just having Apple products for you justify a Costco membership? I doubt they would discount it that much. I will be impressed if they start carrying Macs.
The discount is basically double the price of general membership dues.
iphone 5s is 78
samsung s5 is 100
What I was getting at was that with the cost of a Costco membership being roughly $55 that people who don't currently have Costco memberships would join basically for free plus get an additional $78 off of an iPhone. So the incentive being to not only get a discount on an iPhone but also draw new customers there who will read all of the other savings for everything else they sell at Costco.
I do just about all of my shopping at Costco as well and have been for years.
They should offer Macs, especially since that's the product I'm in the market for.
The only company that I personally know of with a more liberal return policy than Costco is my other favorite store, REI.
I wouldn't do this personally, but you could buy an iPhone 5S today, wait until the 6 comes out, and return the 5S in the Fall for cash or credit.
And if you did so on a Saturday you could get free samples of whole grain crackers, frozen egg rolls, and vitamin water.
I like Costco....wish there was one around here.
Only thing I have is a Sam's Club which seems to be more business oriented than consumer oriented. Costco I think is more consumer oriented.
The only company that I personally know of with a more liberal return policy than Costco is my other favorite store, REI.
I wouldn't do this personally, but you could buy an iPhone 5S today, wait until the 6 comes out, and return the 5S in the Fall for cash or credit.
And if you did so on a Saturday you could get free samples of whole grain crackers, frozen egg rolls, and vitamin water.
REI used to be one of my favorite stores. It's return policy was great. You could return an item no questions asked forever. It used to also offer a daily garage sale where you could find clearance items and things people returned for big savings. It was like treasure shopping. Now the return policy is a year for regular items and 30 days for outlet items. The store also did away with daily garage sales.
They only have outright Samsung handsets and a few different tablets.
The money I save on gasoline @ around 20c per litre more than makes up for the membership cost, since they opened here I've never filled anywhere else.
The free food is good too, a few rounds soon fills you up.
It's also good to not have to bother with receipts as everything is linked to the membership card.