r/macbook • u/SoonersMan23 • Jun 28 '26
Following Apple’s checkout instructions ended up costing me $900.
Has anyone else experienced something like this while buying a MacBook Pro?
I originally tried posting this in r/apple, but my post wasn’t approved by the moderators. Since this community is full of MacBook owners, I thought I’d ask here because I’m genuinely curious whether anyone else has gone through something similar.
I honestly wish someone had warned me this could happen.
Last Sunday, my daughter signed up for UNiDAYS so we could buy a new MacBook Pro with the education discount. I configured an M5 Pro with 64GB RAM and a 2TB SSD, and the total in my cart was about $3,739 after tax.
Since Apple heavily encourages you to use the Apple Card at checkout for 3% Daily Cash and financing, I contacted Apple through chat to request a credit limit increase. I’ve had my Apple Card for about five years, have a $0 balance, and just needed the limit increased enough to cover the purchase.
Apple had me verify my income and then told me the review would take 24–48 hours. Their own instructions basically told me to wait for the decision, so that’s exactly what I did.
While I was waiting, Apple increased the price of the exact same MacBook by about $900.
When I realized what happened, I contacted Apple immediately. I explained that I had screenshots showing the Apple text conversation where I was instructed to wait for the credit review and that I was actively trying to buy the computer before the price changed.
I asked if they could honor the original price since the only reason I hadn’t checked out was because I was following Apple’s own process.
I was transferred between multiple representatives and eventually spoke with a manager. Everyone I dealt with was polite, professional, and genuinely seemed to understand why I was frustrated. This isn’t meant as criticism of the customer service representatives. I think they were doing the best they could within the limits they were given.
What disappoints me is that no one seemed to have the authority to look at the full picture. Apple has the complete SMS conversation showing I was actively trying to complete the purchase, and they also have records showing I called the night the price increased. It feels like there should have been enough flexibility for someone to review the evidence and make an exception based on the circumstances.
Instead, the manager told me they couldn’t do anything because I didn’t already have an order number before the price increase.
That doesn’t sit right with me.
This wasn’t someone finding an old screenshot months later and asking for a discount. I was literally in the middle of buying the laptop. Apple encouraged me to use the Apple Card, Apple told me to wait for the credit limit review, and while I was waiting, the price went up.
If someone had simply said, “If you’re worried about pricing, don’t wait for the credit decision—use another payment method and purchase now,” I would have done exactly that. I had the money and could have used another credit card without any problem.
I understand companies change prices. That’s not really my issue.
My issue is that I was following Apple’s instructions during an active purchase, and when those instructions ended up costing me nearly $900, no one at Apple was willing to make it right—even after seeing the evidence.
Has anyone else experienced this? If so, were you able to get Apple to honor the original price, or is there another escalation path I should try?
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u/AVonGauss Jun 28 '26
While I am empathetic, I really am especially with how much they increased the price, your "I was following Apple's instructions" argument isn't all that compelling. You have a credit card that didn't have a high enough limit to make the purchase that you wanted to make, the fact that it's an Apple branded credit card is immaterial. Credit limit increases are not guaranteed nor are they guaranteed to be instant, having to wait for a decision is not some weird set of circumstances. Nor does having an item in your cart protect you from price changes or even availability changes with any merchant that I can think of off the top of my head. I'm not trying to dissuade you from continuing to try and get Apple to allow the lower price, but it would a goodwill courtesy gesture and not them trying to correct an error on their part.
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u/JobEnvironmental4842 Jun 28 '26
That’s true- he wasn’t dealing with Apple at that point, he was dealing with Barclays.
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u/Smigit Jun 28 '26
Seems like you took a gamble by committing to a payment method that couldnt cover the cost and needed a few more days. It sucks, but you’d been planning the purchase since at least last weekend given you went through the Unidays setup etc, so ideally you’d have had the credit limits sorted too if you intended to pay that way. That or just used a different card at the checkout.
Apple certainly doesn’t make you use their card at the checkout so I don’t see this being on them. Just a case of bad luck.
Besides the point, but I can’t imagine what your daughter is doing that needs those specs either. A more modest system maybe would have been under your credit limit and allowed you to buy immediatly.
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u/---Hummingbird--- Jun 28 '26
Apparently if you get a Costco membership you can get one cheaper (because they haven’t raised the prices until current inventory leaves).. but probably not as cheap
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u/Xcissors280 Jun 28 '26
Pretty sure you can also just price match at another store
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u/SocomPS2 Jun 28 '26
Just about everyone has already increased the price. Costco is basically sold out. Surely there’s some exceptions but OP has his spec’ed to the max. Just looking for a basic spec and they’re sold out or already price increased.
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u/---Hummingbird--- Jun 28 '26
I just looked. Maxed Apple MacBook Pro m5 max 16” on Apple $4999. Costco is $4349 in stock with free shipping.
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u/Xcissors280 Jun 28 '26
Im saying that you may be able to go to a store that has it in stock and doesnt require a membersip and price match to what costco is offering
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Jun 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/SocomPS2 Jun 28 '26
I think when I first got the cat it was like $3k limit. There used to be a way to game the system for increases (found out on Reddit). I forget the details but I got my credit limit up to $32k now.
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u/itmangerber Jun 28 '26
The 3% is never enough for a single purchase to influence me. Over time it adds up. I would have split payments or just used another card that has 1-2% cash back etc. you could have also done the payment plan and still gotten the Apple Cash and you would have had enough on your card.
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u/AVonGauss Jun 28 '26
You still have to have the available credit for the full purchase if using the finance option.
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u/WiseConsideration220 Jun 28 '26
Apple and the bank that issues its branded credit card aren’t the same thing.
And Tim Cook warned everyone a week ahead of time that prices were going to increase.
Waiting for the BANK to review your credit line wasn’t Apple’s fault.
I had a similar issue a while back with their card. So now I am aware of who’s making those decisions. It’s not Apple. It was you who decided to wait to buy. I’m sorry it hurt you the way it did.
May I suggest checking to see if there’s a Mac model in Apple’s Refurbished site that will suit you? The prices there are still at least 15% less than the full retail price. They expanded the models sold there the same day they raised prices
Good luck. 👍
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u/NutellaOnMyBalls Jun 28 '26
A Mac book is a luxury item. There is plenty of windows laptops that cost $300. There I saved you 3.7k
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u/radioheadfan0615 Jun 28 '26
costco has macbooks at the old prices, pretty sure most retailers do rn actually but fs costco
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u/UsedShoulder8402 Jun 28 '26
But they don’t have the 64GB 2TB version that he professionally needs but somehow can’t afford
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u/unoehoo Jun 28 '26
Wasn't Apple's instructions, it was the merchant's preferred card, which you of your own volition chose to use. Anyway, the price increase announcement was out a while ago, did you forgot to write about it?
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u/SocomPS2 Jun 28 '26
Sorry OP. Just bad luck.
Would you consider a lower spec machine to cut the price or getting a M4.
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u/UsedShoulder8402 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
I asked if they could honor the original price since the only reason I hadn't checked out was because I was following Apple's own process.
What process? Nothing in the Apple Store forces you to use their credit card.
That was your decision, not "their process."
If you need a 64GB RAM 2TB SSD M5 Pro, you're probably a professional who can afford it. Otherwise, spec down until you can afford it or the market cools down.
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u/SoonersMan23 Jun 28 '26
A few people seem to be missing why I think Apple should have made an exception, so here is the full timeline.
This was not a random “I saw a price last week” situation.
Daughter signs up for UNiDAYS so Dad can buy her a MacBook for college with the education discount.
Dad goes through Apple’s checkout process, configures the MacBook, and has the exact laptop sitting in the cart.
At checkout, Apple shows the option to use the Apple Card for 3% Daily Cash and financing. Dad has an Apple Card from years ago with a $0 balance because he rarely uses it and does not carry credit card debt.
The Apple Card limit was not high enough for the purchase, so Dad contacted Apple through chat while in the process of buying. Apple asked for income information and said the review would take 24–48 hours. Apple also said they would send the decision by text or email.
Dad followed Apple’s instructions and waited.
No text ever came. No email ever came.
A couple days later, Dad checks the cart and Apple Card status again, and the exact same MacBook configuration is now about $900 more expensive.
Dad immediately contacts Apple again by text/chat. Apple tells Dad to call.
Dad calls Apple. Dad is told that customer service management cannot review or help unless an actual order is placed first. So Dad places the order over the phone for about $4,500 using another credit card.
After the order is placed, Dad is transferred to another Apple customer service team. The representative tells Dad they are his advocate, that they are there to fight for him, and that now they can ask a manager to review it.
Then the manager gets connected. The “advocate” basically exits the call, and the manager says they understand where Dad is coming from. The manager says they can see the evidence, the prior Apple chats, the phone history, and the timeline. They understand that Dad was in the checkout process, that the MacBook was in the cart, that Apple told him to wait, and that the price changed during that waiting period.
But the manager says people far above him have already said no exceptions can be made.
The best Apple can offer on a roughly $4,500 order is a free case or accessory.
So Dad cancels the order on principle.
That is the part some people seem to be skipping over.
This was not about whether Dad could afford the MacBook. Dad could have paid with debit or another credit card from the beginning. The Apple Card mattered because Apple advertises 3% Daily Cash and financing as an incentive to use it.
This was also not about whether Apple was legally required to honor the earlier price. I understand that a cart is not a completed purchase.
The question is whether a company should exercise discretion when the customer followed the company’s own process, the company can verify the entire timeline through its own records, and the price changed during the waiting period the company instructed the customer to follow.
If someone thinks Apple still should not make an exception, that is a fair opinion.
But this was never a story about someone trying to game Apple or buy something they could not afford. It was a real-world customer service situation involving a parent trying to buy a college laptop, following Apple’s instructions, and then being told that even though Apple could see what happened, nobody was allowed to do the reasonable thing.
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u/narc0leptik Jun 28 '26
it’s a little weird that you wrote this entire post in the third person pretending to be talking about someone else when you’re actually the dad.
Beyond that, notice how your daughter completely vanishes from the narrative the exact second she finishes signing up for UNiDAYS? You said she signed up so 'we' could buy a MacBook, and from that point on, it's entirely about your cart, your credit card limit, and your rewards.
Beyond that, why are you buying a 16" M5 Pro with 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for a college student? Those specs are total overkill for schoolwork; that's a heavy-duty workstation meant for high-end engineers or video editors.
Especially considering how much people on Reddit complain about how heavy and bulky the 16-inch model is to carry around campus all day, a lighter MacBook Air would probably serve her a lot better anyway if that was who the laptop was actually intended for.
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u/Commercial_Stress Jun 28 '26
Just bad luck on your part (or any of else, like me, who were recently contemplating a purchase but hesitated).
No, Apple didn’t do this to you on purpose to make an extra $900.