I just got a Macbook Air with 512gb, 16gb of RAM, and an M3 from Amazon. I bought it from what looks like the official Apple store on Amazon, and it said sold and shipped by Amazon too. I went for this option since it was cheaper than Apple, almost $200 less. Is this a safe choice? Will I actually receive a new Macbook instead of a renewed one like I’d get from Apple?
Thank you!
I bought my M2 Macbook Air from Amazon and had no problems.
Since it is an official Apple seller on Amazon, you should be all good, and it should come from Apple themselves. If you do have any issues when you open it, returning it for a refund should be easy, as they are usually helpful with that. Hope you enjoy your new laptop!
@Reagan
thanks for that
I haven’t bought one myself, but I’ve heard many people say that they received damaged or wrong products, and then had issues returning them, with Amazon claiming the item wasn’t received or refusing to give a refund. If you want Apple products, I’d suggest getting them directly from Apple or an authorized seller like Best Buy.
@Kim
I think the way this works is that Amazon combines inventory from different sellers. For example, if a reliable vendor has 100 good Macs, but a scam vendor has 10 damaged or empty boxes listed as new, Amazon might send you one from the combined pool, regardless of who you bought it from. That’s why someone can get a dud even when buying from a good vendor.
I can’t say for sure if that’s true for all products, but it’s what I’ve heard.
@Noa
That’s not completely accurate. Each vendor will have a unique ASIN to make sure the right vendor gets paid. I work in an Amazon fulfillment center, and while it’s possible, a number of mistakes have to happen at the same time for that to occur. High-value items like these are closely monitored and stored in visible areas. There are multiple checks for codes and serial numbers. It’s not perfect but nothing is.
So personally, I wouldn’t buy a high-value item unless it was both shipped and sold by Amazon from the Apple Store on Amazon. That’s how I got my MBA without any issues.
@Davin
Thanks for the detailed info and clarifying things!
@Kim
I haven’t heard that before. Their customer service is great; they refunded me for a $500 speaker set after several months without requiring the old one back.
I would prefer buying from Amazon over any physical store, but Apple might have some extra benefits.
I got my M2 MBA from Amazon a few months ago.
Lyle said:
I got my M2 MBA from Amazon a few months ago.
What was the seller and how is your experience with the new MBA M2?
Lyle said:
I got my M2 MBA from Amazon a few months ago.
What was the seller and how is your experience with the new MBA M2?
Pretty great so far! The seller was likely one of those Amazon warehouses.
@Lyle
Can you check and tell me the name? And how much did you pay? I’m thinking of buying from Amazon.
Hollis said:
@Lyle
Can you check and tell me the name? And how much did you pay? I’m thinking of buying from Amazon.
Appario Retail Private Ltd for about 86k INR.
Hollis said:
@Lyle
Can you check and tell me the name? And how much did you pay? I’m thinking of buying from Amazon.
Appario Retail Private Ltd for about 86k INR.
Thanks, man.
I did this last month and my MacBook Air arrived just fine.
You should be okay since you bought it shipped from and sold by Amazon. They are clearly an authorized retailer. Problems usually arise when buying from third-party sellers.
Just so you know, I work at an Amazon fulfillment center, so I buy my Apple products there to get my employee discount on top of the other discounts. Usually, the prices are similar to what you find at other retailers like Best Buy.
I also have mine shipped to an Amazon Locker, and during checkout, I always choose the gift packaging option just in case. The locker is very secure and only you can open it after delivery. Recently, I had something delivered to my apartment because I was home when it arrived; I got a password I had to give the delivery person to get my package, or it wouldn’t be handed over to me. I do live in a rough neighborhood, so that might explain the password requirement.
@Davin
How can I know in advance if it’s an FBA purchase to avoid issues?
@Davin
Perfect. Thanks a lot.
