IPad: buy from Apple store or Costco

[Brat]

DH needs a new one. Is there any difference in the service provided?

 

[Jerry1]

No. You won’t need service, but if you do, you can still go to an Apple store and get it. I bought two fro Costco and two from Amazon and have yet to need any service. They pretty much just work but they have a full Apple warranty.

 

[KB]

The difference I have found is that buying through the Apple store gets you a free telephone consultation for your new item. They used to offer a 45 minute phone meeting to review your new item where they can go over the features and help you with anything specific, if you need it. I believe the time is shortened now though I'm not sure how short it is.

 

[audreyh1]

Does Costco offer AppleCare too? Then no problem. Assuming you want AppleCare. Without AppleCare no problem either.

I purchased this iPad mini in a great deal through Best Buy and bought AppleCare too from them. Good thing as I dropped it on tile and cracked the screen in just past a year. Apple sent me a new iPad.

I also bought an iPhone through T-Mobile who offered their own more expensive “guarantee program” and had to buy the AppleCare separately direct from Apple which meant jumping through a couple more hoops. Was fine.

The service will be the same. We routinely buy Apple products through bhphotovideo and have no service or support issues.

 

[retiredunder50]

Costco has something called concierge services for their electronics. Members get a free second year warranty, free tech support, and a 90 day return policy. Maybe this makes some difference?



https://www.costco.com/concierge.html

 

[Brat]

What I will need is help to transfer a couple of games to the new IPad.

 

[COcheesehead]

Bought my last two at Costco. Will buy my next two there as well. Easy.

 

[COcheesehead]

What I will need is help to transfer a couple of games to the new IPad.

Back it up in the cloud and it will download to the new one.

 

[Jerry1]

What I will need is help to transfer a couple of games to the new IPad.

Back it up in the cloud and it will download to the new one.

If it’s a game you bought through the App Store, you don’t even need to do a backup. You just go into the App Store and re-download it. It won’t cost you anything. It will be right there for you.

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah - the App store knows you paid for it. Redownloading is free.

I usually backup my iPad in iTunes on my Mac, and then restore the new iPad from the backup.

 

[tulak]

Better to do a full backup and restore. Otherwise you’ll lose any data you may have. For some games, it might not matter.

It’s also nice to have any settings, etc, transferred over to the new iPad. Apple, to their credit, does this well.

 

[NoiseBoy]

For Apple products, I like to shop Apple's Refurbished and Clearance selection. It's hit and miss on what products are available at any given time, but they tend to run at a 15% - 25% discount and come with a full 1 year warranty.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/ipad

 

[HI Bill]

What I will need is help to transfer a couple of games to the new IPad.

If you have your old iPad backed up to the iCloud, then all of your games and apps will automatically be installed on your new iPad when you log in and set it up! Including email and contacts! Just make sure that you're using the automatic backup. I've had to turn off backup of the photos as they're now too large for the free account.

 

[NH Hiker]

I believe the iPad 9.7 inch is $70 cheaper at Costco or Best Buy - although Apple should match that if you ask.

 

[cyber888]

Costco has a 2 year warranty, and if you purchase using the Costco visa credit card, you get an extra 2 years warranty. That is a 4 years free warranty on your Ipad. https://www.costco.com/concierge-two-plus-two-warranty.html

 

[audreyh1]

Costco has a 2 year warranty, and if you purchase using the Costco visa credit card, you get an extra 2 years warranty. That is a 4 years free warranty on your Ipad. https://www.costco.com/concierge-two-plus-two-warranty.html

It doesn’t cover physical damage or water damage or accidental damage. You need AppleCare to cover those kinds of incidents which are far more likely than the device just failing on its own.

 

[brett]

I bought my last one at Staples this past Christmas/Boxing Day.

I was surprised to find that it is was less expensive than Costo and of course Apple. Both Costco and Staples had a sale.

The good part...I was able to go on line, select the product, select the store, buy it, and then simply pick it up. I knew it was there, and I did not have to wait in a long cash register line to pick it up. Did the same thing at Staples with a monitor purchase and again with a printer purchase last week. Saved me running around trying to find a store with stock of these sale items.

 

[Smitty700]

Costco has a 2 year warranty, and if you purchase using the Costco visa credit card, you get an extra 2 years warranty. That is a 4 years free warranty on your Ipad. https://www.costco.com/concierge-two-plus-two-warranty.html

Costco's free second year warranty specifically excludes touchscreen tablets, so iPads do not qualify.