Purchase Online vs. In Store

I am considering purchasing the new iMac, and live very close to a retail Apple store. Any advice as to advantages and disadvantages of purchasing online vs. at the retail store? Cost? Customization? Support differences? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

One major advantage to purchasing online is that you can forgo the sales tax of your state, which can be pretty hefty depending on the model you purchase. However, one distinct advantage to purchasing at an Apple Store is that you have a local "advocate" in case you have problems with your computer. Yes, any authorized dealer will help you deal with warranty issues (including the Apple Store); however, if you get a lemon, the Apple Store will probably give you a new one and they might be more inclined to help in general. The Apple Store will also take returns (minus a 10% restocking fee). Most mail order places won't take returns on Apple products.
So, the bottom line is that it might be cheaper to go with an online retailer, you might get better customer service by going with the Apple Store.

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After change region Indonesia possible purchase online to apple store(US)

I have iMac 21" OS X version 10.9.5.Processor 3.1 Ghz Intel Core i7,Memory 16 GB.after change region as indonesia possible purchase Final Cut Pro to applestore(US)..?.I try to buy icon price Final Cut Pro $ 299.99 but doesn't work.

Hello cvmanoj,
Thanks for the question, and welcome to Apple Support Communities.
The following article may address your question:
iTunes Store: Changing account information
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1918
Thanks,
Matt M.

HT4061 I am living in Pakistan, Lahore. I have purchased an Apple Iphone 5S online from apple store. I am facing water damage problem and there is no apple store here in Pakistan, How can I repair my phone from apple service center? Please help me

I am living in Pakistan, Lahore. I have purchased an Apple Iphone 5S online from apple store. I am facing water damage problem and there is no apple store here in Pakistan, How can I repair my phone from apple service center? Please help me

Take it to an authorized service center or Apple Store in the country where the phone originated. Apple does not sell iPhones in Pakistan, nor will they ship them to Pakistan.

I am trying to download a free game from the app store. I have never purchased online, I don't want to enter credit card info, can't I download FREE Solitaire w/o entering credit info???

I am trying to download a free game from the app store. I have never purchased online, I don't want to enter credit card info, can't I download FREE Solitaire w/o entering credit info??

This is the only way I now how to create an account without credit card info
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534?viewlocale=en_AU

Can I purchase from malaysia apple store with my online bank account without using credit card?

hi,
I want to purchase online an iPad2 from apple store in malaysia. I don't have credit card. I only have the online banking facility from my bank. Can anyone please tell me if its possible to use online bank transfer to apple store instead of using credit card? Please suggest any alternative method to pay online to Apple store. I didn't find any other payment method other than credit card in apple malaysia website.
I will be waiting for the reply eagerly.

http://store.apple.com/my/help/payments
If you have further questions, I'd suggest calling the Apple Store.
Regards.

Is it possible to ask Apple online store to resend me the e-invoice for what I have purchased online?

Is it possible to ask Apple online store to resend me the e-invoice for what I have purchased online?
I accidentally delete my e-invoice in my inbox.I did check View and print an invoice in my account in apple.com,but it is not what I am looking for. I need more formal one.
Really appreciated all helps

Yes. Contact
For everything you need to know about accounts. Apple - Support - iTunes - Account & Billing
But they will only send you their standard invoice.

Why can't I purchase on the app store?

I have an early 2008 Macbook Pro that I had purchased the Snow Leopard for through the app store. I just paid the 20.00 bucks and downloaded it without any issues. I have now given the computer to my brother and in order to have all of my stuff erased and it set up under his apple id and such I had to reboot the system using the startup discs that came with the computer originally. No issues there, I was able to do it but I want to upgrade it now to Yosemite but of course it has to be an OS X system no later than 10.6.8 which is Snow Leopard. I understand that I have to pay for it again and that is not an issue BUT now I have to order it and wait for it to come as is appears to not be available on the Apple app store anymore.... does anyone know if I am missing something? Its saying that it wont arrive until Jan 5 and I was hoping to have all of this done before Christmas so I am super bummed....
Many Thanks

You needed Snow Leopard to get to anything higher. So, yes, that disc must be bouncing in a drawer somewhere.
If you can't find the SL disc, you could try to download the installer for whatever you did buy online for $20 (Lion? ML?) on your new Mac, then use that installer to upgrade the old Mac. I don't know whether that procedure will work--you may still need SL on the old Mac to upgrade to something higher--but it's worth a shot.
First, on the new Mac, go to the App Store and check your Purchases. See if you can find a link for the previously purchased Lion or ML. But because the purchase may be tied to the serial number or some other unique machine identifier of the old Mac, perhaps you won't find the old purchase. (I don't know. I haven't been down this road.) However, if the purchases are tied instead to your Apple ID, then you might reasonably expect to see these old purchases in the App Store on the new machine. If so, follow the instructions that you find on the net (for instance, http://osxdaily.com/2013/11/01/re-download-os-x-mavericks-installer-mac-app-stor e/ or http://osxdaily.com/2014/02/24/re-download-older-os-x-version-from-mac-app-store /) for downloading but not installing the Lion/ML installer on the new machine and then transferring that installer to the old machine.
Good luck!

HT204088 I have received an email with a receipt to my iCloud email for a purchase from a apple store in Perth Australia...it does not appear in my purchased list but why did I get the email

I have received a receipt to my email address from an apple store in Perth Australia. No purchase history on my iTunes account but clearly someone else appears to have given my iCloud email...has this happened to anyone before? Should I be worried that someone has access to my account and emails. I sent a query to Apple and received a generic non answer......typical.

The purchase history on your iTunes account will only show purchases from the iTunes stores (iTunes, app store, ibookstore, Mac app store), not from Apple online or bricks-and-mortar stores.
Does anything show on your credit card ? If the email is genuine then it's possible that your and their email addresses are similar and that they gave the wrong id (or the store typed it incorrectly), it doesn't necessarily mean that anybody has access to your account.
For the contact, you will initially just receive an acknowledgement email, the proper reply may take 24 (possibly 48) hours.

HT1386 Hello, When trying to sync, I get the following message. This computer is no longer authorized for apps that are installed on the iPhone "Terri George's iPhone". Would you like to authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes Store?

while trying to sync with my iphone I recieve the message: This computer is no longer authorized for apps that are installed on the iPhone “Terri George’s iPhone”. Would you like to authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes Store? When I put in my password and hit authorize, I get a message telling me there was an unknown error (-50). Would love to sync today. Any help would be appreciated.

The -50 error is documented in this article:
iTunes: Specific update-and-restore error messages and advanced troubleshooting
Here is a synopsis:
Error 13, 14, 35 and 50 (or -50)
These errors are typically resolved by performing one or more of the steps listed below:
Perform USB isolation troubleshooting, including trying a different USB port directly on the computer. See the advanced steps below for USB troubleshooting.
Put a USB 2.0 hub between the device and the computer.
Try a different USB 30-pin dock-connector cable.
Eliminate third-party security software conflicts.
There may be third-party software installed that modifies your default packet size in Windows by inserting one or more TcpWindowSize entries into your registry. Your default packet size being set incorrectly can cause this error. Contact the manufacturer of the software that installed the packet-size modification for assistance. Or, follow this article by Microsoft: How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to reset the packet size back to the default for Windows.
Connect your computer directly to your Internet source, bypassing any routers, hubs, or switches. You may need to restart your computer and modem to get online.
Try to restore from another known-good computer and network.

Lightroom 4 purchased through Apple App store does NOT have a serial number - cannot upgrade to lightroom 6

I am trying to upgrade from Lightroom 4.4 to Lightroom 6 on a Mac running OS X (Lion). I have purchased Lightroom 6 as an upgrade (as I am running Lightroom 4). The Lightroom 6 installer continues to indicate that it cannot find a "qualifying product" and asks for a declaration of the Lightroom product installed and its serial number. I am currently running Lightroom 4 purchased through the Apple App Store in 2013; according to all the information I can glean regarding this product... it does not have a serial number (if it was purchased through the Apple App Store). Does anyone have an idea on how to supply a valid serial number for the Lightroom 6 installer?
iMac running OS X 10.9.5
Adobe Lightroom 4.4 (purchased in 2013 through Apple App Store)
Adobe Lightroom 6 (purchased online as an upgrade from Adobe Lightroom 4.X)
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bruce

As I said in the post, a serial number was not necessary to install it; the Apple downloadable version doesn't seem to be serialized. I have not uninstalled Lightroom 4; it is still running, but apparently in its present form it doesn't provide a serial number for the Lightroom 6 upgrade to use.

How to purchase apps in App Store? When I am trying to buy those apps, it is asking for my card details. I have entered my debit card number and then it asked for 3 digit security code. I have entered cvv secure code but it is showing an invalid security

How to purchase apps in App Store? When I am trying to buy those apps, it is asking for my card details. I have entered my debit card number and then it asked for 3 digit security code. I have entered cvv secure code but it is showing an invalid security

Debit cards are no longer accepted in the iTunes Store, it seems. The current valid payment methods are listed here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5552
You can try contacting the iTunes Store and asking if there is any way to use your card, but they probably will tell you that it's not possible.
http://www.apple.com/emea/support/itunes/contact.html
Using a debit card in any online service where it stores your card is a bad idea in any case since if someone gains access to your account in the service, they can quickly drain your bank account. Credit cards limit your liability, as do prepaid iTunes cards.
Regards.

Do I need to pay again when I download past purchases from the app store?

Do I need to pay again when I download past purchases from the app store?

Bare with me...I need to explain the situation first.
I purchased an external harddrive and with the help of phone support, I moved some(most) of my itunes stuff to that hard drive. However, when I sync my iphone, it occasionally says something like..."did not sync song because it could not be found".
When I typed in the finder thing at the top right corner of my screen (spotlight?), I searched for itunes media. I found one file but it doesn't show me it's location. So I started looking (I'm still new to this) but I think I found 2 itunes media folders...1 on my imac harddrive and the other in my external harddrive.
After reading some of the online posts regarding downloads, I discovered that it is possible to redownload something you purchased before and NOT be billed again. I know that when I download an app in my iphone and then delete it, if I go to download it again, it tells me i already downloaded it and can download it again for free...so no problems there.
However, my interest is to greatly reduce the amount of "stuff" I have in my external harddrive as well as my internal harddrive. But before going into my external harddrive and deleting all 8 seasons of 24...which is something like 250gigs, I wanted to test the theory. So I looked for something cheap that I downloaded. I would then delete that and then go into the itunes store to redownload it again.
One thing I also want to mention, I read that there should be a purchased tab in my itunes store. Either I don't have it, or don't know where to look. One other thing I read is that it might be not available to me based on where I live. I live in Toronto, Ontario.
Back to what I did. I deleted an episode of Wallace and Gromit (kids show). Then went in itunes to download the same episode. When I checked my account information...it shows that I was just charged for that download...AGAIN! Now granted it was only $2.99...apparently this doesn't need to be the case.
So...going back to the 2 itunes media folders. I checked my system preferences and saw that itunes was set to save downloads here.../users/"my name"/music/itunes/itunesmedia. This folder is on my imac. However, the Wallace and Gromit video was on my external. So when I deleted it, I removed it from my external drive.
So here's what I have done so far...I went into the system preferences and proceeded to change the path to my external harddrive.
Now...before I go and delete something else...am I doing things correctly?
Also...what should the path be in itunes? I suspect it should be to my imac so that anything I download, downloads successfully to my internal harddrive...and then I drag and drop into my external...
I also want to mention that I have a time capsule as well. So basically...I want to keep my imac and time capsule free of as much media as possible...My computer and timecapsule each have 1 TB and I nearly maxed them out...I take alot of home videos with an HD camera...I had no idea how much that would add up.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

In how many days i can get i-Phone 6, if i order it online from apple store, Tulsa

In how many days i can get i-Phone 6, if i order it online from apple store, Tulsa,OK, USA

In no days at all because you will not be able to order it from the Apple store online if you do not live in the USA and by your user name I am assuming that you don't live in the US?
The US Apple store online will not ship outside the US, so wait until you can purchase the iPhone 6 in India or wherever you are and buy it then.
Anyway, pre-orders for the iPhone started last Friday, so pre-orders now are looking at an October/November delivery date, but forget that because you can't anyway.
Wait until you can get it in your country and then buy it.

How do I return a SIM activation Kit purchased from the Verizon Store?

I purchased a SIM Activation Kit from your online store and even though the web site said it would work with my phone it didn't. I called support 3 times and they were unable to activate the SIM.
I need to return the kit.
I called Customer Service and they told me I am unable to return it because I am not a Verizon customer? Please advise how I can return this I do not have a Verizon Store Nearby. The packing slip said go to vzw.com/printlabel , but it asks for a Wireless number. I don't have a Verizon number because I was never able to activate the Card.

    l!m!t,
Thank you very much for that information. If the kit was purchased online you will need to call our Internet Orders Team for assistance with this return. You can reach them at 1-866-338-7390. They are open from 8AM - 5PM Monday through Friday and I'm sure they can assist you with this return.
SarahO_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

Can't Purchase anything in App Store, Additional Security Information Needed

I am trying to make a purchase from the App Store in Snow Leopard 10.6.8, but can't make any purchases. When I try to purchase, I get the message, "Additional security information is needed. To use this Apple ID you must first login to the my info web page then provide additional security information." But when I click on Update Security Info, it brings me to a page at https://myinfo.apple.com/ but the page will not load, and it says that Safari can't establish a secure connection to the server. I have also tried it in Firefox and it does not work there either.
I went to the Apple Store online, and updated my account info with the proper credit card and information, but it has not helped. What is going on here.
This is for my bosses account and not my account, and we need to purchase some software for this machine, but are completely unable.
Any help would be appreciated.

I'm having the same issue. We have recently signed up for the Volume Purchase Program. I created the Facilitator account, logged into the VPP site, then got a message that additional information was needed.
When I click the link to "Update Security Info", I get an error page on the browser...
I have tried the same process in Firefox and received a similar message...
I then proceeded to try the same thing on a Windows 7 computer with Internet Explorer, no good...
Next, I thought the problem might be related to my firewall, so, I attempted it on a computer OUTSIDE the firewall, no good.
Then, I tried it from home on my ipad, no good...
Anyone have any ideas?

Purchase Online vs. In Store

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