Apple's 'secret' eBay store undercuts company's own refurb store by $100
Apple's somewhat unofficial eBay store has begun undercutting the company's own refurbished prices, offering MacBooks for up to $100 less, and savings of up to $50 on iPads and iPods.
Apple's Refurbished Outlet eBay store, where the company sells Macs, iPads and other products at significant discount. Currently, shoppers can find the following deals:
Aggressive deals on Apple's MacBook lineup continued throughout the month of February, when resellers began offering discounts of as much as $350 off of the company's premium laptop lineup.
Apple's changes come after the company saw a 17 percent year over year drop in Mac sales in the December quarter. The company largely attributed that reduction to limited availability of its latest iMac models, but also admitted that cannibalization from the company's own iPad may have played a role.
Read on AppleInsider
Apple's Refurbished Outlet eBay store, where the company sells Macs, iPads and other products at significant discount. Currently, shoppers can find the following deals:
- A 13.3-inch MacBook Air at eBay.com with 128 gigabytes of solid-state storage for just $899, which is $100 less than Apple's direct refurbished price.
- Refurbished 64-gigabyte iPod touch models at eBay.com for $229, a savings of $50 from Apple's traditional store.
- And the 32-gigabyte iPod touch at eBay.com is also available refurbished for $179, or $30 off what Apple normally charges.
- Verizon 3G-enabled iPad 2 models: the 64-gigabyte model at eBay.com is offered for $529, while the 32-gigabyte version at eBay.com is $429, both a savings of $50 from the Apple Store.
Aggressive deals on Apple's MacBook lineup continued throughout the month of February, when resellers began offering discounts of as much as $350 off of the company's premium laptop lineup.
Apple's changes come after the company saw a 17 percent year over year drop in Mac sales in the December quarter. The company largely attributed that reduction to limited availability of its latest iMac models, but also admitted that cannibalization from the company's own iPad may have played a role.
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Meanwhile, readers in the market for new, sealed Apple products and closeout items can turn to our Macs, Macs with AppleCare, and iPad price guides for the absolute lowest prices anywhere. In addition, AppleInsider readers get the absolute lowest prices anywhere on MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros when using links in the price guides or this article and then apply Promo Code APPINSDRMWB38717 on MacMalls product pages. Similarly, readers in the market for a new Mac with AppleCare can achieve the best prices on the bundles when using our Macs with AppleCare price guide.Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Originally Posted by godrifle
Another questionable move by Apple CEO Tim Cook: fundamentally changing the openness and honesty of Apple's dealings with customers.
Yeah, nice try.
1. Do we know that this is actually "Apple's" store?
2. If you read the last article on it, this has been in existence for years. Pre-Cook. So if it is directly owned by Apple, that completely destroys your little bit of FUD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by godrifle
Another questionable move by Apple CEO Tim Cook: fundamentally changing the openness and honesty of Apple's dealings with customers.
They also have another store where they discount hardware, sometimes by up to 10%!!! And even throw in free iPod Touch (when I bought mine)!!!
So unfair and definitely not honest of them to offer an educational discount...
Are you seriously on crack or something? Every major electronics company has an ebay store.
The reason for the drop was the monumental cockup of the iMac refresh & nothing else.
Everything is now business as usual for them & they should be comfortably back to shipment growth this quarter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by godrifle
Another questionable move by Apple CEO Tim Cook: fundamentally changing the openness and honesty of Apple's dealings with customers.
Yeah, nice try.
1. Do we know that this is actually "Apple's" store?
2. If you read the last article on it, this has been in existence for years. Pre-Cook. So if it is directly owned by Apple, that completely destroys your little bit of FUD.
Not to mention that under Steve Jobs, new Apple iPods were sold on Overstock.com -- they had to come from somewhere, and AFAIK, Apple is the only company that makes Apple iPods,
Slightly off-topic, but I do not see why most people avoid buying refurbished just so they can be the first to crack open a new product. I am completely okay with buying a refurbished current-gen product just to save some money. I bought a refurbished 15" retina MacBook Pro for 15% off the retail price a little while back and it did not even have a scratch on it. Same warranty as retail, I believe, in case there is anything wrong with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Yeah, nice try.
1. Do we know that this is actually "Apple's" store?
Given that you can add a GeekSquad warranty to most products there (as opposed to AppleCare), it seems unlikely.
This "seller" has only been on eBay since October, 2012
Wasn't this already talked about in a recent thread?
"refurbished_outlet" has 34 neutrals and 36 negatives in the last six months; everything from buyers never receiving shipments to receiving broken merchandise.
I don't buy from eBay sellers with feedback like this.
Is this really an official Apple ebay store run by Apple?
I'm asking because how come they offer third party warranties? That seems very strange. Why would I pay for an extra warranty from Geek Squad or Square Trade when buying a new Apple product?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Yeah, nice try.
1. Do we know that this is actually "Apple's" store?
2. If you read the last article on it, this has been in existence for years. Pre-Cook. So if it is directly owned by Apple, that completely destroys your little bit of FUD.
Wrong much?
1. This article plainly states that it is owned by Apple in the second paragraph.
2. Checking the date on the store (http://myworld.ebay.com/refurbished_outlet/) shows the account was created roughly 13 months after Cook took the reigns of CEO.
I will go further. I think sometimes buying a refurbished product is better than buying new because the refurbished product has been checked out. I might question buying a refurbished product from anybody other than Apple though.
It is possible Apple distributes refurbished products through E-Bay that are not the same quality as the ones Apple issues directly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 65C816
They also have another store where they discount hardware, sometimes by up to 10%!!! And even throw in free iPod Touch (when I bought mine)!!!
So unfair and definitely not honest of them to offer an educational discount...
Are you seriously on crack or something? Every major electronics company has an ebay store.
Yours is a silly comparison -- the Education Store is clearly and plainly identified as an Apple-owned store. This eBay store is not.
All the major electronics manufacturers that I do business with also clearly identify their eBay stores, which I think is the moral thing to do. While there is probably no legal requirement to do so, I simply would like Apple to have a similar moral compass.
If this is Apple, I would assume they are trying to reach the bargain shoppers who would only buy something at a certain price and still market to the regular crowds who will pay regular prices.
I have a Mitsubishi 73" plasma TV that I got for a song. I got it through Dell Home. However, if you look other places, you will pay more. Depends on where you look.
P
Originally Posted by godrifle
1. This article plainly states that it is owned by Apple in the second paragraph.
That makes it unerring fact¡ I prostrate myself before the almighty article, which plainly states whatever it states¡
Quote:
Originally Posted by godrifle
Another questionable move by Apple CEO Tim Cook: fundamentally changing the openness and honesty of Apple's dealings with customers.
With people like you, when Tim Cook breathes it's a questionable fucking move.
Seriously, you jump at shadows and really reach in order to validate your confirmation bias. There has been nothing but an INCREASE in openness and honesty, in numerous areas, since Cook took over- and anyone who sees the opposite is clearly not looking at the facts, but rather at a twisted reality they've invented because of their desire to hate.
Here is one negative review, there are only 36 for the entirety of the store) that stuck out:
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/21758/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
Many of the 36 were resolved. In a couple of cases, the customer admitted that it was their mistake, not the store's. In others, it appears to have been a paperwork error (customer complains that they did not receive refund, store says that it was issued). Given the customers I've dealt with on eBay, it's not hard to believe that the customer was mistaken.
In any event 99.7% satisfaction for over 10,000 transactions is pretty good.
In any event, I don't know why it's an issue. There are all sorts of reasons to have different prices at different outlets and it's a legitimate business practice. For example, perhaps the ones sold on eBay don't have the correct packaging. Or perhaps Apple just wants to appeal to a different audience. It doesn't matter - they're free to have a sale any time they wish.
Why is it that the people who whine that Apple is evil because they don't discount are the same ones who whine when Apple discounts?