What's the best way to save money on an iPod purchase?

August 2, 2004 9:17 AM

What's the best way to save money on an iPod purchase? Rebates, interesting freebie programs, etc. ... I'm interested in it all.

On that note: Any students want to save $100 on their Mac laptop purchase? The current deal through Apple Educational is that a combo laptop/iPod purchase nets you a $200 rebate. If someone wants an iBook/Powerbook and not an iPod, we could buddy up and split the rebate. (This applies especially to local Madisonians, since shipping concerns are nullified.)
posted by blueshammer to shopping (14 answers total)

We really are twins. I did exactly what you're suggesting (student discount) last year (though I simply brought a student to the store--both the laptop and dpod were for me). Some things to note:

a. if you do the student thing, the reciept/warranty will be in the student's name. I honestly haven't a clue what would happen if it breaks under warranty and you try to get it fixed yourself.

b. the rebate takes a while to come in (I think mine was 2.5 months coming).

Also, there used to be a guy posting on Craigslist who (for some reason I don't know) was able to buy Apple things on credit and then he sold them for 25% less than retail as he needed cash (he actually brought you to the store and bought it with you (you paid him cash on the spot)). I know 4 people who bought through him. He might be still posting.

And, another way to save money is to not buy the iPod Dock or Remote. You can get them cheap on eBay (dock's go for about $25 and the same for remotes whereas I think Apple sets their value at $65 each). Personally, I think the remote is useless and easily the worst designed thing on the iPod. (The clipper thing of it is too small to clip on to anything substantial--will only clip on shirts--such as any jacket/coat that's ever been created.)
posted by dobbs at 9:33 AM on August 2, 2004

You can get $100 off if you buy an audible.com subscription.

If you do the Apple Educational deal, I think you get 15% off ipods as well.

You could buy a used one off Ebay...
posted by gramcracker at 9:34 AM on August 2, 2004

Amazon, from time to time, offers $100 off any $500 purchase in its electronics store. I realize that this will necessitate another purchase.
posted by trharlan at 9:39 AM on August 2, 2004

There is a Apple Student Developer program that you can sign up for that, IIRC, gets you 20% off of anything Apple you order. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I believe. Google for "student apple adc" for info.
posted by armage at 9:41 AM on August 2, 2004

The only discount I know about is the ‘educators discount’, which is for teachers. I can’t remember the amount they discount, but it wasn’t worth the hassle. So now I will relay my crappy experience buying a discounted, new ipod:

This past April, I sent my mother to buy me an ipod from the store because she is a teacher, and I wanted the paltry ‘educators discount’. (I first tried to buy it myself with her teacher ID & credit card, but they wouldn’t let me do it, which is understandable.) So I sent her to do the deed. However, it was a pain in the arse because the people at the store wanted all this info like her driver’s license # and all this secondary, unnecessary ID. Her teacher ID alone would not suffice.

Now apparently, and this is integral to the story: you can also buy a refurbished, used ipod for the same exact price as a new one at the educators’ discount. In conclusion: my mother finally got the educators’ discount after all the paperwork, but the idiot at the store gave my mom a refurbished one instead of a new one (maybe because the final price was the same and he got confused? Maybe he was being a dick?). Anyway, I opened the sealed box, and found a used, scratched device. Needless to say, I was pissed, but I returned it to the store, and they gave me a new one.

So a word of advice: if you use the teachers’ discount, make sure they give you a new one...not a refurbished one...because the pricing is exactly the same.
posted by naxosaxur at 9:52 AM on August 2, 2004

naxosaxur, which store did you use? Was it an Apple store or a school store? I used a university store and they didn't ask for anything except for the student card of the person I brought with me.
posted by dobbs at 9:58 AM on August 2, 2004

does it have to be an iPod? the best discount is to not pay a high premium for a brand name.
posted by Hackworth at 10:06 AM on August 2, 2004

Apple Store: Short Hills Mall, NJ. Yes, my mother was a bit itchy because she's had her ID stolen in the past, and does not like giving out all that information. I can't blamer her either. She felt more like a criminal making the purchase with so many demands for ID. So it actually was totally not worth the adventure.

The worst part is that I just sent the "new" ipod back for service, as it is completely frozen, unresponsive and broken. The entire purchase was fatefully doomed from the beginning. *cries*. Steve Jobs, WTF?
posted by naxosaxur at 10:10 AM on August 2, 2004

Forever Geek review of "Freeipods.com" (lazy version: it actually works.)
posted by Aaorn at 10:41 AM on August 2, 2004

I looked at that free-ipod thing, and I'm going to try and make it work. I'll post on here if I ever really succeed.
posted by stoneegg21 at 2:25 PM on August 2, 2004

Welp, I just signed up and got my five offers completed. Now I wait to see if they get confirmed, and then comes the iPod... *licks lips*
posted by Khalad at 7:23 PM on August 2, 2004

Yeah, and at least one asshole is manually traversing Google's weblog directory and comment spamming people with links to their referral ID at Freeipods.com. I'd be loathe to provide these people whatever they're earning.
posted by Danelope at 8:58 PM on August 2, 2004

Freeipods.com looks like an obvious pyramid scheme to me. As more and more people sign up, they have to get more and more of their friends to sign up. Just like with any pyramid scheme, people who get in early can get big rewards, but eventually the entire thing will collapse when they can't get enough new people in. Meanwhile, the scammers are pocketing the commissions from all those suckers people who sign up for AOL just to get an iPod and then can't get enough friends into the program.
posted by fuzz at 6:07 AM on August 3, 2004

I got the education discount online, and you should be able to get it using somebody's university email account. Discount was 10%. It may have to be a school that is an Apple partner/reseller. It took a couple extra days to arrive, no shipping charge, and free laser engraving "name reward: tel.#" (I should've posted here for ideas on the engraving.)

That freeipod deal is because they get a big commission for the credit cards, mortgages and other sales. You'll pay in the long run, as these deals are likely to be more expensive than other credit cards, mortgages, etc. And the email account you use will be sold and sold and sold to spammers. Those are the worst kind of internet ads, and I hope you won't support them.

I went w/ ipod because the reviews from friends were compelling.
posted by theora55 at 7:14 AM on August 3, 2004