MacMall Free 1GB Ram - False Advertising?
I think I am finally going to make the switch from Winblows to Apple. I am looking at getting the new Dual Core G5 2.0 PowerMac. I was interested in the deal at MacMall.
Its offer states that "FREE 1GB Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer. A $39.99 installation fee applies"
To me, that implies that I am getting free 1GB of extra RAM for a grand total of 1.5GB ram with the purchase (after the rebate, of course). But when I go through the checkout process, when I add this feature to my purchase, it only adds 512MB of RAM to the bottom line.
Is this false advertising or what? For the above statement to be true with only adding 512MB of ram it would need to read either of the following:
"FREE 1GB, Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer."
or
"FREE 512MB Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer."
Am I then only one who thinks this is very misleading. I stopped my checkout process because of this and sent an email to them to get to the bottom of it.
Am I off-base with my thinking here?
Its offer states that "FREE 1GB Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer. A $39.99 installation fee applies"
To me, that implies that I am getting free 1GB of extra RAM for a grand total of 1.5GB ram with the purchase (after the rebate, of course). But when I go through the checkout process, when I add this feature to my purchase, it only adds 512MB of RAM to the bottom line.
Is this false advertising or what? For the above statement to be true with only adding 512MB of ram it would need to read either of the following:
"FREE 1GB, Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer."
or
"FREE 512MB Extra RAM after $119 mail-in rebate offer."
Am I then only one who thinks this is very misleading. I stopped my checkout process because of this and sent an email to them to get to the bottom of it.
Am I off-base with my thinking here?
Comments
They are offering a $100 mail in rebate so that would bring the Powermac in at $1894 after the rebate.
$100 rebate, no tax, +/-$20 shipping, in stock... Sounds good to me!
Any reason why I shouldn't buy from them that I am unaware of?
Originally posted by Splinemodel
With the apple store, you have to pay sales tax. So unless you have a reason to buy from them, I don't see a reason not to use macmall. Many years ago I used macmall to buy stuff. . . this was in the days of Netscape 1.x and before the internet was a big thing. . . I didn't even know they were still around.
And you could get overnight shipping for $3!
Man, those were the days.........
Originally posted by a_greer
Just order from Apple and get more ram from Newegg or Crucial.
I also concur.
Originally posted by Gandalf
...
I am looking at getting the new Dual Core G5 2.0 PowerMac.
...
They are offering a $100 mail in rebate so that would bring the Powermac in at $1894 after the rebate.
...
Just to be clear the Dual 2GHz, $1900, is not a dual core machine. It's single core dual CPU. The machine with dual cores are called the Quad 2.5GHz, $3000.
Originally posted by fng
Just to be clear the Dual 2GHz, $1900, is not a dual core machine. It's single core dual CPU. The machine with dual cores are called the Quad 2.5GHz, $3000.
Ummm... from Apple's website...
"Dual-core 2GHz PowerPC G5 processor"
The top of the line 2.5 model is Two Dual Core CPU's, the 2.0 amd the 2.3 are single chip with dual core CPU's.
I am not paying anyone to install me the customer installable RAM.
The next PowerBook will not be from MacMall either (even if for another reason this time).
Originally posted by fng
Ahhh I get it now. So they only use dual core CPUs now and only the top one gets two of them. That kind of sucks. I'd think a two CPU G5 at higher MHz would be a faster system than a single dual core CPU.
The two cheaper models retain the same clock frequency.
Supposedly, there's a sufficient performance boost, in part because of faster memory and the doubled per-core cache vs. the old single core CPUs that it more than offsets the loss of a separate FSB.
I didn't look at the false-free memory upgrade, but one thing I thought was stupid was their "trade-in" offer which seems to offer about 10% of the resale value of the computer to be traded. I hope no one is dumb enough to take them up on that. I'd much rather keep a superfluous computer or give it to someone that needs it than than a business pay peanuts for it.
I ended up buying the 12" Powerbook. I did get the added 1GB of ram and they waived the 39 install fee and shipped it next day air free of charge. I ended up getting the computer with the added memory for about $250 less then direct from Apple(and faster). This is no bash on Apple, since no matter how I bought it Apple still sells a computer
I have never purchased from MacMall but I can assure you my very next Mac purchase will be from them.
By the way, this was my first Apple ever and I did have some questions which were answered by the first person I got on the phone.
The customer service and pricing I thought was first class.
--I guess it also helps that after ALL those years with Windows I am so damn happy now with this MacOS that I would praise anyone who sold me this awesome computer ! haha
Originally posted by fng
Ahhh I get it now. So they only use dual core CPUs now and only the top one gets two of them. That kind of sucks. I'd think a two CPU G5 at higher MHz would be a faster system than a single dual core CPU.
Nope, sorry, you're wrong! A single dual-core 2.3 edged out a dual single-core 2.5 by 25% margins in this test, most likely because inter-core communication is faster than inter-CPU communication.
And oh man, if those are the results for the single dual-core, the quad-core with two cores on each CPU is going to be amazing.
Originally posted by fng
Just to be clear the Dual 2GHz, $1900, is not a dual core machine. It's single core dual CPU. The machine with dual cores are called the Quad 2.5GHz, $3000.
The quad is $3299 in USD, slightly higher than the previous high end model, the dual 2GHz model is $1999, same price as previous low end model.
I made the mistake of ordering an iMac from these morons on Thursday morning with the understanding that it would be shipped within 24 hours. I checked again on Friday afternoon and the order had not shipped. After checking my email JUNK folder I found an email from someone there that was a forwarded version of an email that they had sent to SOMEONE ELSE about a month ago. The idiot customer service person didn't even have the brains to delete the header from the email or change the name of the recipient to mine. The email stated in VERY bad English, that the order was on hold until I called to verify the credit card.
I call their phone number and get a chick who sounded like she was in the middle of a frat party (Lots of noise). I told her I was quite upset that they had not yet shipped my order and she then told me that the order would not ship until I gave them the password in the voice mail they had left for me. Voice Mail? WHAT VOICE MAIL? I was at work and the number I had placed on the order for contact was my cell phone number that had not burped all day.
Come to find out that they had left my credit card information and the password for this order on the voice mail for a phone number that I have not had for at least 5 years. They had not looked at the new order for contact, they had looked at records from a purchase I had made several years ago. So now I am VERY angry. These morons are sitting on an order and won't ship it until I give them a password that I have no way of getting. To top it all off, now a total stranger that has my old cell number has my credit card number and a password to change this order in any way!
It took me 5 phone calls to different people (Yes, all in the Philippines - GAH!) to get them to release the order. They promised me it would ship on Friday.
I received a shipping confirmation email from them on Saturday noting that the order had shipped. UPS had NO record of the shipment on Saturday or Sunday or Monday. Here it is Tuesday and I still have no idea if this has shipped or when I might get it.
Given this ridiculous response to placing a simple order and having them screw it up every possible way - there is NO WAY I would ever buy anything from MacMall again. Stay away from these idiots - Not worth the $25 you might save on the price when it comes to the frustration and stupidity of the people you will speak to there.
MacMall SUCKS!
I just purchased 2 macbook pros, 1 in December and 1 last week and everything went very well with them. Your experience will be in my memory next time I go to make a purchase with them though. I sure hope you get your system soon. Good luck and let us know!