i would have to agree with Phillnator...people get duped into paying for applecare thinking it is an "insurance policy" its not really. and when they blatantly lie about coverage, i think that is reprehensible.
as for his story being fake, one day i opened my TiBook in a normal manner and pop...the lower left corner of my screen casing had popped open along the seem. I didnt do anything to it, just opened it like normal. The torque of opening and closing it apparently puts stress on those lower corners as was evidences by my opening and closing it with the screen casing popped open and watching the screen casing move apart.
Either way, apple fixed it and didnt charge me, though they gave it back to me at the apple store, gave me attitude because i pointed out they had scratched my computer (only 1 month old at the time) and told me it really shouldnt have been covered anyway! if apples little BS "insurance policy" (applecare) doesnt even include cheap defective plastic snaps breaking, what the he!! is it good for?
i have no doubt that what happened to this guys computer is possible...though not common. I also believe applecare is crap, i just have my computer covered by my insurance.