I am looking for a (new) 2021 MacBook Pro from a REPUTABLE computer dealer

[WaveHunter]

I am looking for a REPUTABLE computer store in Thailand that is still stocked with the 2021 Macbook Pro (14 or 16).  Apple has discontinued selling the 2021 models on their website but is still selling existing inventory through dealers at greatly reduced prices.

 

I can buy on Amazon but would rather buy here in Thailand to avoid shipping, VAT, and Customs duties.

 

Any leads to a store here in the Kingdom would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[ozimoron]

Any accredited Apple retailer.

[billd766]

Perhaps you may find what you are looking for here.

 

https://www.advice.co.th/product/apple-product

[Photoguy21]

There are a lot of Apple stores around, shouldnt be hard to find one and buy from them

[WaveHunter]

30 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Any accredited Apple retailer.

Brick & Mortar Apple stores are not selling 2021 models anymore;.  Only thier Amazon store in the US or third-party vendors with existing inventories are.

[WaveHunter]

12 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Perhaps you may find what you are looking for here.

 

https://www.advice.co.th/product/apple-product

Thanks but only 2022 models listed.

[ozimoron]

Just now, WaveHunter said:

Thanks but only 2022 models listed.

Why would you want an intel chip instead of M1?

[WaveHunter]

14 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Why would you want an intel chip instead of M1?

2021 IS an M1 chip, and reviews of the 2021 model show it is essentially no different than the brand new 2022 models, except for the fact that Apple has dropped the price a LOT on the 2021 models.  Configured the way I want, the 2021 model is $1599 USD compared to the 2022 mode which is $1999.

Edited November 19, 2022 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

Sometimes living here in the Magic Kingdom is such a pain in the butt!  If it weren't for how sleazy Customs and courier companies are, I would happily buy it the USA and have it shipped.

Edited November 19, 2022 by WaveHunter

[billd766]

22 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Thanks but only 2022 models listed.

OK

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

I am looking for a REPUTABLE computer store in Thailand that is still stocked with the 2021 Macbook Pro (14 or 16).  Apple has discontinued selling the 2021 models on their website but is still selling existing inventory through dealers at greatly reduced prices.

You really need to give the specifications of the model you want, there are a lot of variables virtually all of them are fixed during production so without knowing exactly what you want the chance of finding it is small.

virtually no shop will have more than 1 or 2 variations and since there are about 50 possible your options are rather limited, aren’t they?

Edited November 19, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[WaveHunter]

50 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You really need to give the specifications of the model you want, there are a lot of variables virtually all of them are fixed during production so without knowing exactly what you want the chance of finding it is small.

virtually no shop will have more than 1 or 2 variations and since there are about 50 possible your options are rather limited, aren’t they?

I just need a dealer that has ANY 2021 Macbook Pro models in 14 in or 16 in. (preferably new, but used OK if the warranty is still in effect).  I need 16gB RAM, and at least a 512gB SSD, and will take a credit card  That's it.

Edited November 19, 2022 by WaveHunter

[marin]

2 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

There are a lot of Apple stores around, shouldnt be hard to find one and buy from them

There are only two authorized dealers in Bangkok.

[sometimewoodworker]

13 minutes ago, marin said:

There are only two authorized dealers in Bangkok.

Completely wrong. There are only 2 Apple Stores in Thailand, both In Bangkok however there are many authorized dealers roughly 80 in the Bangkok area

https://locate.apple.com/th/en/sales?pt=4&lat=13.7551908493042&lon=100.50150299072266&address=Bangkok+Thailand

 

and that doesn’t include anything but Mac dealers

Edited November 19, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[marin]

100% confidence in the two regarding service and warranty, the others not so much. Now I dont want to argue with you, just stating the facts that I believe to be true. This is based on problems both before and after these two stores have opened. 

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, marin said:

100% confidence in the two regarding service and warranty, the others not so much. Now I dont want to argue with you, just stating the facts that I believe to be true. This is based on problems both before and after these two stores have opened. 

You may well believe your “facts” that “you say” show that apple service and warranty is different depending on where you purchase your product.

 

Without specific examples of this being true, that you suggest you have, your claims are unbelievable.

 

Give examples and you will get support, don’t and you may fall foul of the Thai deformation law.

[Photoguy21]

20 hours ago, marin said:

There are only two authorized dealers in Bangkok.

Go to Zeer Rangsit they have a large showroom for Apple products

[Liverpool Lou]

23 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I can buy on Amazon but would rather buy here in Thailand to avoid shipping, VAT, and Customs duties.

Laptops are zero-rated for import duty.

[WaveHunter]

15 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You may well believe your “facts” that “you say” show that apple service and warranty is different depending on where you purchase your product.

 

Without specific examples of this being true, that you suggest you have, your claims are unbelievable.

 

Give examples and you will get support, don’t and you may fall foul of the Thai deformation law.

Thanks for your original post!  Somehow I missed that list on Thailand Apple.com and also thought there were only two "authorized" dealers, both located in Bangkok, but since this list is from Apple, and they make the distinction that there are BOTH Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, the list of authorized reseller is exactly what I was looking for!

 

Thanks so much!  I really love it on this forum when someone chimes in with actually useful things to say.  Most appreciated ????

 

Oh and BTW, concerning the other posters comments, I don't really care if I get post-purchase support through an authorized reseller or not. 

 

Truth is I would never even approach them for post-purchase support since I would turn directly to AppleCare in Thailand who I've dealt with before on my Amrican purchased MacBook Pro, and they have always supported me in an excellent fashion.

Edited November 20, 2022 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Laptops are zero-rated for import duty.

Technically that is correct but Customs can still play games with arbitrary valuations that will affect VAT even when a valid invoice is included , and they do this routinely.  I've had it happen to me twice, and one time they set the valuation at 10 times the invoiced valuation just to hold my shipment for ransom, expecting I woud just pay!  It took a month to file a grievance and finally get the shipment.

Edited November 20, 2022 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

Just an update on my quest.  I have fond two resellers, both in Bangkok with shops in MTB Mall.  They are not "authorized" Apple resellers but they both are offering brand new, sealed box laptops with unused Apple warranties.

 

I think I am safe in buying from them since they are sealed boxes and I will have a genuine warranty from Apple.  Can anyone tell me why this might NOT be a good idea?

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by WaveHunter

[sometimewoodworker]

18 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Just an update on my quest.  I have fond two resellers, both in Bangkok with shops in MTB Mall.  They are not "authorized" Apple resellers but they both are offering brand new, sealed box laptops with unused Apple warranties.

 

I think I am safe in buying from them since they are sealed boxes and I will have a genuine warranty from Apple.  Can anyone tell me why this might NOT be a good idea?

As with many things in Thailand you have to be careful.

 

Are the laptops actually being sold at approximately the same price as other “known to be genuine” laptops of the same specifications? If yes it’s a good sign, if much cheaper, beware.

 

Are all the laptop specifications actually ones which were sold by Apple? If yes, it’s a good sign, if no, it’s an indication that there could be problems.
 

Don’t forget to check out the refurbished store prices in the US, it’s possible that you may have refurbished laptops rather than completely new laptops. This doesn’t mean that they are in anyway inferior, just cheaper.

 

Don’t forget that most Apple products have Apple tamper seals on them, if you just have shrink wrapped boxes that doesn’t mean to say they are new and unopened, just that they can use good quality shrink wrap.

 

Unfortunately the genuineness of the laptops can only be checked once opened and they are accepted as new products by apple and that only means that the serial number, (that must be the same on the box and laptop) has not been registered, it does not automatically guarantee that all the components are original.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[WaveHunter]

29 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

As with many things in Thailand you have to be careful.

 

Are the laptops actually being sold at approximately the same price as other “known to be genuine” laptops of the same specifications? If yes it’s a good sign, if much cheaper, beware.

 

Are all the laptop specifications actually ones which were sold by Apple? If yes, it’s a good sign, if no, it’s an indication that there could be problems.
 

Don’t forget to check out the refurbished store prices in the US, it’s possible that you may have refurbished laptops rather than completely new laptops. This doesn’t mean that they are in anyway inferior, just cheaper.

 

Don’t forget that most Apple products have Apple tamper seals on them, if you just have shrink wrapped boxes that doesn’t mean to say they are new and unopened, just that they can use good quality shrink wrap.

 

Unfortunately the genuineness of the laptops can only be checked once opened and they are accepted as new products by apple and that only means that the serial number, (that must be the same on the box and laptop) has not been registered, it does not automatically guarantee that all the components are original.

 

 

I'm always a little wary about being scammed in Thailand but these seem to be genuine Apple MackBook Pro models in un opened, sealed apple packaging.  Of course I will check for the tamper proof seals but they appear to be genuine Apple inventory. 

 

There are some great deals on used MacBook Pros on facebook MarketPlace but I am not even looking at them since it's impossible to know their history even if they are still under warranty. 

 

What's more, it's difficult to know how many previous owners there were.  Apple products will NOT connect to iCloud if more than one previous person has owned the unit, which would be a real nightmare since without iCloud you could not even update the computer.  Most people are not aware of that, but if it happens to you, there is nothing Apple can or will do to help you...your nice shiny macbook pro will eventually turn into a incredibly expensive desk paperweight ????

Edited November 20, 2022 by WaveHunter

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Apple products will NOT connect to iCloud if more than one previous person has owned the unit, which would be a real nightmare since without iCloud you could not even update the computer.  Most people are not aware of that, but if it happens to you, there is nothing Apple can or will do to help you...your nice shiny macbook pro will eventually turn into a incredibly expensive desk paperweight ????

Sorry that is not correct. I have personally had more used Apple computers and devices than the majority of users, from a Fat Mac and many others.

 

The computer will connect to iCloud the OS can be updated, though possibly not the version. The significant problem is if the software suite (pages, numbers, garage band, iMovie & key note) has been registered with an Apple ID as these are licensed to the first Apple ID to register them and you are correct that only that user can update those.

 

There is also the fact that the first Apple ID may have (probably will have) linked that computer to their Apple ID

 

you will have something like this

 

probably fewer, however you can always remove a product from your account 

by going into your AppleID and removing it.

 

So before buying a device make sure it is in-linked

Edited November 20, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I'm always a little wary about being scammed in Thailand but these seem to be genuine Apple MackBook Pro models in un opened, sealed apple packaging. 

With the MacBook Pro I would strongly advise getting AppleCare+ for Mac as it is unbeatable value of 3,167 per year it even includes accidental damage coverage. Personally I’ve had superb service using AppleCare and over the last 15 years have even had two computers completely replaced at no cost.

Edited November 20, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[WaveHunter]

On 11/20/2022 at 5:08 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

...Sorry that is not correct. I have personally had more used Apple computers and devices than the majority of users, from a Fat Mac and many others. ...

I think you may misunderstand what I was saying.  I got my information directly from AppleCare, and from two different reps.

 

The device being discussed was a used iPad that I was looking to buy from a private seller but I assume that what I was told by AppleCare applies to ALL Apple devices.

 

Both Applecare agents told me that Apple has a policy that "throughout the life of an iPhone/iPad, the device can ONLY have three iCloud accounts associated with it".  Even if a device is wiped fresh for a new user, but it has already had three Apple ID's used, the device CANNOT be set up under a new ID.

 

Perhaps if one of the previous owners deletes his/her Apple ID, that would allow a 4th apple ID to be associated with it but I doubt a seller would want to do that, or if that would even fix the problem.

 

I made one error in my post when I said "only one" previous person could own the device and be able to transfer it to another owner.  It is actually two.  So, original buyer can sell it, and then the 2nd owner can sell it, but a third owner can buy it and associate his/her Apple ID to it, but will not be able to sell it since a 4th owner will not be able to associate their Apple ID to it, rendering it essentially useless.

 

This all just means that if you buy a used Apple device you must see a clear paper trail of invoices to assure that you are NOT a 4th buyer.

Edited November 22, 2022 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

On 11/20/2022 at 5:21 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

With the MacBook Pro I would strongly advise getting AppleCare+ for Mac as it is unbeatable value of 3,167 per year it even includes accidental damage coverage. Personally I’ve had superb service using AppleCare and over the last 15 years have even had two computers completely replaced at no cost.

I've had Apple devices for over 10 years now and agree that AppleCare+ is excellent when the device is relatively new but I usually only carry it for a year or two. 

 

With regular (free) AppleCare, you get the same expert help, and I've never had a major issue where the extended coverage would have been worth it.

 

My present Macbook Pro, iPad, and iPhone, have never had any major issues, and local repair shops have been able to address any issues I've had expertly at at low cost (like replacing batteries, and a dimming screen on my iPhone) far less than the cost of having AppleCare+, so I just don't bother with it.  I've just never been a big fan of paying for "extended" warranties.

Edited November 22, 2022 by WaveHunter

[sometimewoodworker]

28 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I think you may misunderstand what I was saying.  I got my information directly from AppleCare, and from two different reps.

 

The device being discussed was a used iPad that I was looking to buy from a private seller but I assume it applies to all Apple devices.

 

Both Applecare agents told me that Apple has a policy that "throughout the life of an iPhone/iPad, the device can ONLY have three iCloud accounts associated with it".  Even if a device is wiped fresh for a new user, but it has already had three Apple ID's used, the device CANNOT be set up under a new ID.

 

Perhaps if one of the previous owners deletes his/her Apple ID, that would allow a 4th apple ID to be associated with it but I doubt a seller would want to do that, or if that would even fix the problem.

I very much suspect that the information you believe you have been given is wrong, as you probably did not give all the context.

 

If an Apple device is currently registered to a an AppleID it can not be registered to another AppleID. (Though I have 2 devices showing on both of my Apple IDs I haven’t checked out the reason for that)

 

Once you use the forget device setting on your Apple ID you can sell or give it away. There is no limit to the number of times this can be done.

 

There is a limit to the number of Apple IDs that can be created on a particular device (it is 5)

however you do not have to create an Apple ID using any device so that is rather esoteric.

[eisfeld]

The opening premise that Apple does not sell the 2021 models anymore is incorrect. There are no 2022 Macbook Pro 14/16 inch models anyways. Go and order directly from Apple:

 

https://www.apple.com/th/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/รุ่น-14-นิ้ว

 

The Macbooks that are sold at resellers pretty much all have Thai keyboards. Not sure if that would be what you want.

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by eisfeld

[sometimewoodworker]

16 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I've had Apple devices for over 10 years now and agree that AppleCare+ is excellent when the device is relatively new but I usually only carry it for a year or two. 

 

With regular (free) AppleCare, you get the same expert help, and I've never had a major issue where the extended coverage would have been worth it.

 

My present Macbook Pro, iPad, and iPhone, have never had any major issues, and local repair shops have been able to address any issues I've had expertly at at low cost (like replacing batteries, and a dimming screen on my iPhone) far less than the cost of having AppleCare+, so I just don't bother with it.  I've just never been a big fan of paying for "extended" warranties.

I understand exactly your position, however it is very much a case of deciding exactly which device to get the AppleCare on.

 

I have over the years had 2 MacBook Pro computers that had several motherboards replaced under AppleCare (the warranty had lapsed on both) each laptop was eventually replaced with a new better one. So AppleCare was an absolute winner.

 

I have multiple iPods I have never got AppleCare for them and never would. I have just bought AirPods Pro 2 I bought AppleCare+ for them as with my usage I am sure I will need the batteries replaced due to degradation in the next 23 months