Here’s my latest (mis)adventure purchasing AppleCare. Thankfully, the story has a happy ending, but it almost cost me.

I purchased a refurbished 24″ Apple Cinema Display last summer. I did not purchase AppleCare from Apple and I generally don’t purchase it until I get closer to my 1 year mark with a product. The reasons I’ve strayed away from immediately purchasing AppleCare with a product are 1) the price when bought direct from Apple and 2) if the product has a non-covered event within the first year of life (i.e. I knock the monitor off my desk and it shatters) then I’m stuck trying to get a pro-rated refund of the AppleCare and have essentially wasted my money.

I decided it was time to purchase AppleCare for my monitor and found several options. Apple charges $99, they were the most expensive. However, I found a reseller through the Amazon Marketplace who sold me the AppleCare for $35. I was a little skeptical, but Amazon has a pretty good consumer protection guarantee so I decided to give it a go and my total price was a little more than $40 after shipping.

The package arrived a week later and sure enough was a retail boxed copy of AppleCare that was sealed. Curiously, inside the package was the Amazon invoice showing my actual purchase price, as well as an invoice from a reseller I had never  heard of with an incorrect date (showed I had purchased the product a couple of months prior) as well as showing the full retail price of the AppleCare. This should have been my first clue. The package arrived the day before I left for a trip so I set it aside for a couple of weeks until I got home and got around to registering it through Apple’s support site.

During the registration process, Apple asked me for a proof of purchase. The instructions weren’t clear and I assumed they wanted a proof of purchase for my monitor to confirm it was still within the one year coverage period. No problem, I sent it off. A couple of days and emails later it became clear they wanted proof of purchase of the AppleCare. Wanting to be honest, I sent them the Amazon.com receipt showing the true purchase date and price. Apple sent me the following email rejecting the AppleCare:

The documentation you sent, however, is not sufficient because it was purchased through an unauthorized reseller. A valid proof of purchase should contain the date of purchase, authorized reseller information, itemized product information, and total price paid.  Contacting the reseller or taking a screenshot of an online invoice may be the best way to obtain a proper receipt.

For further assistance with this issue, please scan and attach your proof of purchase or sales receipt issued by the reseller to an email and send it to…

So I contacted the reseller. They assured me this was no problem and said they would generate a receipt. They provided me with a copy of the same receipt that was inside the package showing an incorrect date and purchase price from a reseller that I never heard of. I asked them for clarification and they explained that this is just “how it works.”  Interesting. So, I sent a reply email to Apple with both receipts and an explanation, making sure that I was clear with Apple that I actually bought the product through Amazon for the lower price. Apple sent back the following response:

Thank you for sending your product’s proof of purchase to Apple.

Apple has re-reviewed your proof of purchase and your request to register your Applecare. Your request was carefully considered. We regret to inform you that your request has been denied.

Your request was denied because the receipt does not reflect the original retail purchase.

Apple does not offer refund for Applecare purchased from a non-Apple authorized reseller such as eBay.  Please contact the reseller for assistance.

Obvious I’m not going to get anywhere with Apple, I contacted the reseller. They tell me just to send my serial number of my product and they’ll register it for me. Mind you, these people have provided no verification of who they are or that they are an Apple authorized reseller. I refuse for fear that if I go through anything other than official Apple channels that I’ll have problems down the line. Several emails later, the reseller agrees to refund my money. So I’m out nothing but my time.

I ultimately ended up buying AppleCare for a discounted price (though higher than my Amazon.com deal) from LA Computer Company. They are an Apple Authorized Reseller and a company I’ve done business with before. This time, I actually spoke to the manager on the phone before my purchase and received his assurances that if there was any problem my money would be refunded. Again, when I went to register the AppleCare I was asked for Proof of Purchase and this time I  fsent AppleCare both my invoice showing the date of purchase of my monitor and my AppleCare and within 12 hours I received a confirmation from Apple that my AppleCare was active.

If you’re looking to save a few bucks on AppleCare, by far the best legitimate deal is to purchase direct from Apple if you qualify for a discount through their Education Sales Program or through some other purchase program. If not, here are a few tips I would suggest to make sure you don’t get burned:

• Consider only buying from an Apple Authorized Reseller.
• Leave yourself a cushion before your 1 year AppleCare expires incase you have problems.
• Once you receive your AppleCare, immediately register it with Apple so you have ample time to dispute the transaction or request a refund if there are any problems.
• Pay with some kind of method or through a service that allows you to dispute the transaction if you have problems.
• Keep your proof or purchase and AppleCare documentation for the life of your covered product.
• If something feels suspect, it probably is.

Black Friday is one of the few days that Apple will put products on sale. You can find discounts around 5 – 10% on Macs, iPod, software and accessories. If you’re looking to buy from Apple direct and are not otherwise eligible for a discount from Apple, Black Friday is typically one of the best days of the year to do it.

In addition to Apple, many Apple Resellers will be offering great deals on Macs and other Apple products. If you’re in the market for a new computer or looking to buy one as a gift, Black Friday can be one of the best days of the year to get a discount, especially if you can find an older model. I’ve had several friends and family members buy Macs on Black Friday and have gotten killer deals. Check the Mac resellers, specifically MacConnection and MacMall.

Check the deal aggregator sites, they tend to gear up for Black Friday. Two of my favorite sites are DealMac and DealBrothers.  You can also preview the Black Friday ads early (though take their accuracy with a grain of salt) on the Deal News Black Friday site.

Lastly, once you’ve got the best deal you can get, try to sweeten it a little bit more with a coupon. Free shipping, an extra percentage off, every little bit helps. A couple of my favorite sites are RetailMeNot and DealCoupon though there are others.

What are your ways to save money on Apple products?

I favor buying a product when you need it. If you keep waiting for the next greatest thing you’ll never upgrade because you’ll constantly be waiting for something better to be right released. Newsflash: something better will always be released.  That new computer you bought will only be the latest and greatest for so long, get over it.

That being said, if you can, avoid buying right before Apple announces an upgrade. Apple user to have fairly predictable upgrade cycles with Macworld in January and WWDC in June but now they call their own press conferences and things are a little more difficult to predict. MacRumors has a Buyers Guide that can offer some guidance. It gives statistical data on when a product was last refreshed, a summary of the latest rumors and a timeline of past updates. It’s not a sure bet, but it will give some guidance and hopefully allow you to avoid smacking your head when you find out that Apple released an update just two weeks after your purchase.

If Apple releases an update immediately after your purchase, you may have some options. Apple’s pricing policy states that if Apple reduces it’s price on any shipped product within 14 calendar days of shipment you can request a refund or credit of the difference. Apple also has a 14 day return and refund period, however a 10% restocking fee may apply. You can find full details on Apple’s website and should review the policies before your purchase as they may change between the time I’ve written this post and the time of your purchase.

Where To Buy

If you’re looking for the latest and greatest with the most customization options, Apple’s website or an Apple Store is probably the way to go. The Apple Website offers build to order and customization options on just about every machine. Some of these options are available in store, some aren’t.

If you’re going to buy one of the stock configurations of a machine, it’s worth the time and effort to compare prices. There are numerous Apple Authorized Resellers that will offer special deals or bundles that will beat Apple’s offerings.  AppleInsider keeps a pricing guide that is updated regularly. Usually, prices on Apple machines don’t vary much, but special deals may make a difference in your buying decision. You should also consider tax and shipping, some resellers require that you pay it, some don’t. Of course, check your local laws as you may be responsible for the taxes even if it isn’t collected by the retailer.

If you are affiliated with an educational institution, check to see if you qualify for an Apple Education discount. You can save anywhere from $50 – $300 on the purchase of a Mac and accessories. Likewise, if you work in government or for a large business you may also be eligible for discounted pricing direct from Apple.

Refurbished Deals

Besides looking for the best price as mentioned above, there are other ways to find deals. One of my favorite ways to get a significant discount on a Mac is to buy from Apple’s “Special Deals” section of the store. This section typically includes refurbished machines and sometimes new machines that are not the current revision. You can easily save a couple hundred dollars on the purchase of a refurbished machine. Before I make a purchase, I always check the refurb store.

Some people are nervous about buying refurbished Macs, but I prefer it if I can find the machine that I want. Let me explain.  First, you save money and I’m all about saving money. Second, you’re getting a machine that you know has been inspected by a technician and restored to Apple’s stringent standards. On a new assembly line run, only a handful of every couple hundred or thousand machines gets tested for quality control purposes. It’s possible that you get a dud that comes off the line. With a refurb, you’re getting a machine that has already had a little TLC from Apple’s techs. Third, Apple has very high standards. Every refurbished Apple product I have purchased looks and feels new. (It even has that new computer smell!) It may have a plain brown box (that is a little disappointing) but otherwise it’s just like a new Mac. Fourth, refurb products are fully eligible for AppleCare and came with the same warranty as new produces. In other words, Apple stands behind them. Lastly, on occasion, you find a little “surprise” inside a refurb product. A hard drive upgrade, extra RAM, etc. Not often, but sometimes the product you get is on that has been custom configured by the original purchaser, so you get the benefit and end up with a bonus.

Other Deals:

There are other deals to be had on Mac related products and accessories if you know where to look. One of my favorite sites is DealMac because they prescreen their vendors and list only reputable sources. I also suggest that if you’re shopping for AppleCare or MobileMe that you price check as you can regularly find deals on those products through authorized resellers for significant savings, just make sure you’re buying from a legitimate source. Here are a few other promotions you should look into:

• Save $30 on the purchase of MobileMe with the purchase of a new Mac or an iPhone
• Save $30 on the purchase of iWork with the purchase of a new Mac
• Mail in Rebates for qualifying printers
• Free iPod for education purchases during Apple’s “Back to School” promotion (Only during summer months.)

If you’re considering purchasing through Amazon, I would appreciate it if you would use the Amazon link in my sidebar. It costs you nothing, but if you buy a very small portion of the purchase comes back to me. It helps pay the hosting costs. Happy shopping!

Black Friday is usually one of my biggest shopping days of the year. But this year things are a little different. For one, I blew my discretionary budget on new living room furniture. Secondly, I’m not seeing amazing deals on products I need or plan to give as gifts this season. That being said, there are still some excellent deals out there. And since I personally won’t be participating in the Black Friday festivities this year, I thought I would live vicariously through all of you and post a few of my favorite Black Friday deals here. Because I live in the US, the below deals are valid in the states on Friday, November 27th. However check the respective websites because many of these deals or similar ones may also be available internationally.

Computers
There are some killer deals out there on Apple computers today. MacRumors and AppleInsider have a pretty good listing of deals available from Apple Authorized Resellers. Generally speaking, MacConnection tends to have some of the best prices of the day on systems but make sure you do your on research and compare prices. Examples of some deals include up to $150 off MacBooks with up to $300 off MacBook Pros. The beauty of buying from non-Apple authorized resellers is that you can usually save tax and sometimes they throw in extras in the form of bundles.

Before buying a Mac this holiday season, might I shamelessly plug our recent Mac Power User episode on Buying and Selling Macs for a good overview.

Airport Express
I love the Apple Airport Express base station. I have a couple in my house and hope to pickup a few more. I use them to connect to speakers throughout my house for customizable zones for audio that I can pipe my iTunes music through. They can also be used to share a printer wirelessly, create a small wireless network and extend a wireless network. This is a great gift for the geek who has everything, because even if they already have one, they can always use another. While already a deal at $99, today Apple has them on sale for $88. At that price, I may pick up a couple.

iPods and iPhones
iPods and iPhones rarely go on sale, and if so usually only a couple of bucks off. But there are deals to be had. Apple stores are cutting $11 off Nanos and up to $49 off the top-of-the-line iPod Touch. The AppleTV (another one of my personal favorites) is also cut by $21. Many third party resellers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart area offering gift cards with the purchase of select iPods. So if someone on your list is getting an iPod, today is a good Day to pick it up.

Also, there are some killer deals out there on refurbished iPhones. With activation, AT&T is offering the 16GB 3GS for $49 and the 32GB model for $149. Typically, I don’t recommend buying iPhones as gifts because the receiver is stuck with a pricey 2 year contract. But, if you have a family member you know is drooling for an iPhone or perhaps are willing to add them on to your plan, this deal is not to be missed.

Smile On My Mac Software
One of my favorite Apple software developers is Smile On My Mac. I use and recommend just about every one of their products. And, they’re really cool people to boot. Today, they’re having a 50% off sale on all their software. TextEpander and PDFPen are on my must-have list. Here are the details.

Other World Computing
One of my favorite Mac Retailers is Other World Computing. Sure, you can buy cheeper hard drives out there, but I’ve always had great success with OWC’s products. They also do a great service to the Mac community with their tutorials and upgrade videos. They have a great Black Friday Sale going on this weekend. Here are a few of my favorite items:
OWC Express 2.5″ HD Enclosure Kit – $9.99
Elgato EyeTV Hybrid – $85.00
NewerTech Voyager S2 Docking Station – $27.50
2TB Hitachi Drive with Mercury Elite-AL Pro enclosure – $199 (after rebate)

TiVo
I love TiVo, I don’t have a TV in my house that doesn’t have a TiVo box attached. I think Apple users especially will “get” why a TiVo is so much better than a standard cable company DVR. The TiVo HD boxes also have great features like Netflix streaming, Amazon downloads and CableCard support. The base TiVoHD model’s internal hard drive is fairly small and only accommodates 20 hours of HD Recording, so you may want to consider the XL model or the DVR Expander external drive. Tivo recently cut their price to $250 on the TiVoHD box. But, if you already own a TiVo box you can save up to $100 when upgrading to a TiVoHD. Friday only, they’re running a promo with Best BUy where you can get a TiVo HD for $100 when you buy any HD TV from Best Buy. Also check out their refurb store. Just remember, a service agreement is required.

That’s all for now, I may add to this list as a find new deals throughout the day. Feel free to post some of your favorites in the comments. Happy shopping!