This is an open thread + an announcement.
PatrickG has an offer that some of our Apple users may not be able to refuse!
I can personally vouch for PatrickG, since I got my brand-new iPhone and iPad through Patrick a couple of years ago. Read on for details, but the key part is that he gets 15% friends-and-family discounts on Apple hardware – and he is offering them to us. We must be family! :-)
If you have no interest in a 15% discount on Apple devices, skip the the details below and jump right to the comments – this is an Open Thread.
Hi all! PatrickG here, mostly lurking but ALWAYS reading.
I work at Apple and get a 15% Friends and Family discount for up to 10 purchases annually in each product line (think: laptop, iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, etc.). Discount also available for Apple Care and accessories.
As the end of the year approaches, I realized I could make that discount available to the community here in what feels like an indirect Angel Match for Balloon Juice causes. I save you money, which means you have MORE money to give to Four Directions, relief efforts in Ukraine, helping jackals in need, etc. Or just spend it on yourself, makes no difference to me!
WaterGirl can vouch for my bona fides. Everything else she tells you is a filthy lie.
F&F purchases require me to log in through a secure portal — no discount codes or anything, unfortunately. So if you’re interested, here’s how this would work:
- Contact WaterGirl to set up an intro via email
- Go to the Apple Store and set up an order (but don’t place the order!)
- Take a screenshot of your shopping list and send it to me
- I’ll set up the order and send a screenshot back for you to confirm I got everything right
- We hop on a call (or Zoom, if you want to see what I’m purchasing JUST to be sure) and you give me address & payment details
- I place the order and send you the receipt!
List of products covered:
- Mac (desktop or laptop)
- Apple displays
- iPad
- iPhone (wireless service pans not included)
- Apple Watch
- AirPods (includes AirPods Pro)
- AirPods Max
- Apple TV
- HomePod (includes HomePod mini)
- AirTag
- AirTag Hermès
- Apple accessories (includes Beats products)
- Apple Watch accessories (includes bands and chargers)
Happy holidays, y’all, and thanks for being such an awesome community.
Open thread.
Truth. It’s Inspirational!
coin operated
Dammit…mrs coin and I ordered new iPads for xmas during cyber Monday. Got a pretty good deal, but not as good as 15% off. Hope someone else can take advantage of this.
P.S. airtags are the BOMB! Dropped a pair of them in mrs coin’s luggage as she few cross country to visit family and she knew *exactly* where her bags were the entire trip.
edited…spelling
Alison Rose
If you do want an Apple Watch, better jump on this offer:
Another Scott
@coin operated: I found a dog out with an Airtag once – and nothing else on the collar. I don’t have an iPhone and I had no interest on trying to install an app on my phone in the dark while trying to walk my own dog and wondering if this dog was going to cause problems or run off or what.
I eventually took a chance and knocked on a door and the guy said, “yeah, he’s ours, I guess the kids let him out”.
Bare fobs with a logo on it are no substitute for actual words on a tag…
[/get-off-my-lawn]
;-)
I can’t take advantage of the discount either. It’s a great offer. Thanks PatrickG!
Cheers,
Scott.
Maxim
Thanks, PatrickG! Great offer. I bought new devices (iPad and Air) about a year ago, but I do need a new band for my watch, and some Air Tags might be good …
WaterGirl
Feel free to ask questions here, but anyone who thinks they might be interested should send me an email message so I can pass your information on to Patrick.
coin operated
@Another Scott:
Apple offers engraving if purchased thru their online store. Too late to help you, but for anyone else who might be interested…
Suzanne
@Another Scott: I was just looking into getting an AirTag for the new puppy. Ultimately decided not to, after reading about dogs eating them. Went with a collar-mounted tag that slides on, so it doesn’t make that annoying jingle-jangle sound. On the tag, I had it engraved “I’M MICROCHIPPED!” along with traditional contact info.
PatrickG
@Alison Rose: No joke, going to prioritize requests for Apple Watch over anything else.
Let’s just say that article is going AROUND the workplace right now like a hot potato containing a nuclear device.
Alison Rose
@PatrickG: I bet! And I imagine the suits at the top are, let’s say, a bit miffed.
Adam Lang
Do these include refurbs? If so, that’d be a great way to stack your discounts.
PatrickG
Btw, for those who don’t need it RIGHT NOW, I’m more than happy to make this an extended offer to juicers in the next year!
The implied expiration date here of Dec 31 is only because the discounts available reset on Jan 1 and I want to use as many as I can by then. :)
PatrickG
@Adam Lang: Yes! Reburbished products get discounts too!
raven
Apple doesn’t make monitors anymore do they
eta
well I guess they do!
Scout211
I have a set of air tags and immediately found out a big flaw in their use. Since they rely on a network of iPhone users (with their FindMy app on), if you live and drive in rural areas, you may not get an accurate location reading. Example: Our neighbor borrowed our second car because his was in the shop. I checked the air tag (one is on the key ring) and it told me the keys were last seen 2 days before at the grocery store 12 miles away. I could see the car parked in his driveway at the time. LOL
wmd
I tried to use F&F discounts when I worked at Apple. Always seemed to end up with most unused at the end of the year. Mostly went to my family and my girlfriend and her extended family. A few former work colleagues at other companies… but ended the year with over 6 unused discounts in every category.
My former manager said to hit him up if I’m buying Apple products for myself.
Well done finding folks here. You may maage to use all your discounts.
raven
@Scout211: I was a the dog park Saturday and noticed Artie’s air tag was missing from the little pouch it’s in. I got a little panicky until someone pointed out to me that that was what they are for!!! It was in the bed right where she sleeps!
Gin & Tonic
This fucking rain is just relentless. Still coming down, and we’ve had over 5″ since I went to bed last night. Over 10″ just since last Sunday, the 10th. To say the ground is super-saturated is to understate the problem. The basement is another story.
NotMax
Should you be acquainted with anyone in the proper department could you drop a hint to fiddle with the audio stream on Apple TV+ so it actually is functional?
AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue Team
How kind of you, this is awesome.
Geminid
I see that Reps. Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar have endorsed Maryland Senate candidate Rep. David Trone. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is Trone’s main opponent, and has been endorsed by Governor Wes Moore and Senator Chris van Hollen. Trone and Alsobrooks both hope to replace Senator Ben Cardin.
lowtechcyclist
@Gin & Tonic:
Where are you? I’m about a half hour south of Annapolis, MD. My rain gauge says we got 3.8″ yesterday and overnight. Been clear and sunny since about 10am, though.
Kristine
Thank you, PatrickG!
Pondering a new iPad but I may wait until next year. Same for a display.
Gin & Tonic
@lowtechcyclist: I’m in RI.
Yutsano
I’m Android 4 Lyfe but my mom could use a new phone and my brother sucked her into the Apple hive. Let me think about this.
eversor
Going to chime in on this but if you are a veteran or active duty apple is one of the many companies that give you a permanent discount. Theirs is only 10% and requires the ID.me login as standard. Comparatively companies like Oakley offer a vastly higher rate (can hit 50%) and access to the government only items. IIRC first responder types and others can also access the stuff like the apple discount but not the military items.
eclare
@Gin & Tonic:
Ten inches? Holy shit that is a lot. No basement can handle that.
NotMax
@eclare
Phrasing!
:)
El Cruzado
Having spent some years at Apple be careful with what you’re doing. I don’t think you’ll run into trouble if you make very sure you document that you’re not making a cent off this but folks have been fired for mismanaging personal discounts before.
narya
@PatrickG: I was very glad to have purchased my watch (Series 8) at the beginning of the year when I saw this case; it was my retirement gift to myself. I’m assuming that the legal stuff will be worked out by the time I want to replace it.
PatrickG
@El Cruzado: I’m very aware, yes, but thanks for the reminder.
Mousebumples
Thanks for the offer, Patrick. Very nice of you! We’re an Android family, however, and I think we’re set on electronics for now. Thanks for offering to share!
Madeleine
Dead thread, but I need to rant: the latest update to my iPhone’s system has taken over the timer function. It saves times I use regularly (and irregularly). It doesn’t always produce the circle that runs down as the time is used. And it changes the ringtone without notice, when it–apparently–feels like it. I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!
Grrrrrr. End of rant (here at least).
Alison Rose
@NotMax: Always helpful to know who is a size queen and who isn’t, though.
TEL
Looking to get a new MacBook Pro as Apple has stopped doing system updates for my 8 (7?) year old version. I can get an education discount, but it looks like yours is better.
Sure Lurkalot
I just bought the 2nd Gen AirBuds Pro this morning. A deal at Costco ($50 discount) ended today which is only a tad bit better deal than the 15% off the full price on the Apple site.
I never thought I’d spend this kind of dough on buds but my current pair (Raycon) are not my favorite–the right one started to hold a charge for only about 2 hours, the left one falls out easily (don’t ask how many times I’ve had to search the sides of my walking/biking paths to find) and the controls are for shit.
I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to wrap the little box or just open in a few minutes.
Also bought an iPad for the spouse about a couple of months ago (again, decent deals were available at both Costco and Amazon).
But it is so nice of you to extend this courtesy, Patrick!
Caroline
Hmm, we could probably use more AirTags….there are so many great uses for them…let me chat with Ivan about it…
Tinare
@raven: That happened with my dog’s tag too. Played the sound and also found it in her dog bed. I put the AirTags on my dogs after they got out a couple of times this summer and I was driving around the neighborhood calling their names and panicking. I like them because they show the address of where they are. I also worked on training my dogs that I will give them a treat when their tag rings on the theory that they will look for/come to me when it happens out in the wild. They also have regular engraved tags and are microchipped. I’m a worrier.
Ruckus
@Madeleine:
If you see this I have the latest update on my 14 and it does none of what you are talking about. I did notice that right after I uploaded the last upgrade 17.1.1, apple came out with an update 17.1.2 less than a day later, so if you don’t have that this could be your problem.
Ivan X
Very nice! I used to work at Apple a hundred years ago (I’m in the Consiltants Network now, so Apple Is still very much a part of my life) and it was good getting to hook up my peeps! And I like your proposal for what can be done with that saved cash! Thanks.
pieceofpeace
Very thoughtful, Patrick…good on you!
RobertS
@Yutsano: The phone thing is complicated. There are often carrier deals better than what we can get for you with an employee discount.
I’ve offered phone discounts to several friends and about half have taken me up on it after checking with their carrier.
RobertS
@PatrickG: Reach out to me if you have too many takers. I’ve got lots of unused f&f discounts too. You can find me in the directory (SEG).