As it has been known to do for recent Apple product launches, Walmart announced last week that it would be offering a $20 discount on Apple’s new entry-level 16GB iPad Air starting as soon as the device launches tomorrow on November 1. Now, on launch day of the device in the US, we’ve confirmed that both Apple and Best Buy will be price matching the $479 deal in at least its retail stores. Staples has also decided to join in the day-one iPad Air discount and is currently listing the $479 price point on its website.
RadioShack let us know that it will be offering the new iPad Air starting tomorrow alongside increase trade-in values for old iPads and the new $299 iPad mini price point. It won’t be matching the $479 deal however, and instead will sell the Air for Apple’s suggested $499.
While most Apple Stores in the U.S. are expected to have a significant amount of supply for tomorrow morning, we’ve discovered that Apple will be holding back a certain amount of inventory in at least some stores to ensure enough stock for personal pick-up and customers arriving to the store in the afternoon.
Apple and Best Buy are still charging the suggested $499 price tag for the entry iPad Air through their online stores, so you’ll have to head to a physical retail location for the $20 discount. Typically, Apple and Best Buy stores will require you to show proof of the lower price from a retailer that’s eligible for price matching, in this case Walmart. Walmart’s announcement or an ad should suffice.
Following a launch of the iPad Air in Australia, Hong Kong and many other countries yesterday, the device is currently shipping in some countries, such as Australia, within 24 hours, and sold out in others such as Hong Kong. In the US, all models of the device are listed as shipping by November 4th.
Update: Commenters are letting us know that some Apple locations aren’t honoring the discount so we’re advising readers to go to Staples, Best Buy, Walmart or Target if they get turned down at Apple.
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Be warned, Best Buy will NOT price match unless your local Walmart has them in stock. They checked the Walmart website and saw none of the Walmarts within 25 miles has them in stock yet. I called corporate and was told the same thing. I’m guessing I can wait a few days and go back for the price match when Walmart have them available.
Well, that’s not legal.
Can you please cite the law that they violated because I think you’re full of you-know-what.
Good for you. Explain how it’s legal for a company to have a competitor price matching policy ONLY IF the competitor has it in stock locally.
Restated: How can it be legal for Best Buy to selectively apply their policies when said policy has no terms to dictate selective application?
You are the person who made the claim that what they are doing is illegal so the burden of evidence is on you to cite laws that they are breaking and explain exactly how this violates said laws. Hint: you won’t find laws about Price Matching because they don’t exist.
>>you won’t find laws about Price Matching because they don’t exist.
Funny. BEST BUY HAS PERSONALLY BEEN SUED OVER THIS VERY THING.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/03/best-buys-anti-price-matching-policy-revealed-in-lawsuit/
I agree with Karmaroque. Price matching is not law. It’s their own policy. They can always change their policy however they want….. they even can say “no we don’t price matching”. It’s their own product. It’s their decision to sell it at matched price or not.
What they cannot do, and over which they’re being sued, is selectively price match.
True, there is no law stating Price Matching; however, there is something called “false advertising.”
Oh, you were serious.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Payment-Pricing/Best-Buy-Low-Price-Guarantee/pcmcat297300050000.c?id=pcmcat297300050000
“At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, *immediately available* products from a local retail competitor’s store…”
“Guarantee does not apply to coupon offers, competitors’ service prices, items that are advertised as limited-quantity, *out of stock*, open-box, clearance, refurbished/used items…”
False advertising only applies to the offering of goods or service with the pretense of deceiving customers. That’s why Target didn’t get sued when they listed 55″ TVs for 12.99 instead of 1299 in their ad; no bad faith pretense. The word you’re looking for is ‘unfortunate’, as in it’s unfortunate for you that there are limits on their policies.
So you missed the lawsuit, then.
tallestskil, lawsuits and whether some is legal or illegal are two separate things. Any moron can file a lawsuit. And if there’s a moronic jury, that person might get a million dollars for spilling hot coffee on themselves because the cup wasn’t properly labeled ” contents are hot.” McDonalds wasn’t breaking any laws when it lost that lawsuit. Nor was best buy when it lost that suit. There aren’t ANY price matching laws, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t challenge a company with a lawsuit.
You should definitely double check that policy with someone because I just called my local best buy and questioned this and they said they have just been looking up the price from Walmart and not checking availability.
Yes, they’ve always done exactly that when I’ve price matched things, but today the manager said no. He pointed out that its in the policy that local stores must have it in stock. I looked it up and it says this:
“At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor’s store”
So I guess it IS in the fine print, “immediately available”, but seems that its per store if they want to enforce that. I’m going to bring in my receipt to my other local (who has much better customer service) and see if they will issue the $20 credit. Either way I’m super happy with the purchase, this new iPad is stunning!
For one they can set whatever the hell price match policy they want to, price matching is not a legal requirement. They can match them if the store has only more than 3, less than 3, if they only have purple ones, if you only like cats and not dogs, or you only prefer corn dogs. It is a store policy as you noted… read that “STORE POLICY” not a law.
Local Walmart stock should not matter according to Best Buy’s “Low Price Guarantee.” If you read past the first sentence, Best Buy says it will price match items “shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com.” Local stock does not matter according to Best Buy’s own published policy. The manager at Best Buy told me no at first, but all I had to do was show him his very own policy stating that local stock did not matter and I received the discount. I also price matched my Smart Cover which was $10 less at apple.com.
Lame. I called Apple and verified I could get it price matched after buying the iPad Air a few days ago. They said I’d just need to bring in proof. I went to the Apple Store (a different one) and they said they don’t price match new products. I know it’s bogus since people here have been able to. But I can just return the whole thing and get it elsewhere. Thanks for the tips about Target – I think I’ll try my luck there if I can borrow someone’s Target card.
Glad I did not buy it at midnight.
For $20, I’m sure either place will do a price adjustment when you go pick it up (if you had ordered midnight). If not, you can just return and re-purchase the iPad at the lower cost.
I was just bummed that they didn’t have a similar break on other models than the 16GB… so it goes.
I went to Target this morning and the 16gb was $479. Plus used my Target red card which gave me an extra 5% off that price, so befoee tax it was $455.
Did you confirm this with Apple? Just got off the phone with customer support and was told only 2% price match. That means NO $20 off but rather a small $9.98.
Please update this post with new info.
I’m going into store in a hours, with reply with my experience at the Apple store.
Target is also selling them for $479, so you wouldn’t even need to mess with a price match there.
So do places like Walmart discount Apple products to be competitive against Apple Stores? Maybe that’s why they discounted iPhones and iPads?
LIES!!!! Apple store just told me no. Back to Walmart it is.
Like George, me too don’t buy this one i think.
Just went to the University Village Apple Store and they refused to price match.
No go on the price match – Went to apple store to try to price match. The Apple store required a local Walmart to have the air in stock at the local store (not through online shipping). The apple store employee called the closest Walmart who said they wouldn’t have any Air’s in stock until Friday, Nov 8. Thus, no go on the price match.
I went to the Apple Store to buy it. 30 Min after I bought it I found this article and since I was still at the Mall, I went back to the Apple Store. Once at the Apple Store I mentioned that I wanted Apple to match the price Walmart has, the Apple Specialist look in the computer if it was true that Walmart had it for $479 and after verifying he issued a $20 refund to my account, to be applied against the credit card I used to pay for it. Thanks Jordan very much for this article.
Apple store refused to match in Somerset Store, MI.
Apple DOES NOT price match. Target does have them for $479.00 and if you have a target card you also get the 5% off for a cost of $455 plus tax.
To add to this – Target is offering a $200 gift card for ANY, i mean ANY ipad – that includes the iPad 1 (the original, doesn’t even support ios6, let alone ios7). This might not mean much to some, but gazelle only offers $70 for my ipad 1. Target is doing this until Saturday, Nov. 9