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AppleCare+ vs. VZW Warranty vs. Geek Squad. vs. SquareTrade
- Thread starter willmtaylor
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Need a $10 off on your SquareTrade Purchase? Use this link:
[MOD NOTE: Link removed. We do not allow referral/affiliate links.]
SquareTrade Service Agreement Summary
HOW LONG OUR COVERAGE LASTS:
If your item is NEW, this Service Agreement begins on the day you purchased the item, and lasts for the number of years you choose at purchase time.
If your item is USED/REFURBISHED, this Service Agreement begins on the 46th day after your item purchase or after your manufacturer's warranty expires, whichever is longer. The agreement also lasts for the number of years you choose at purchase time.
WHAT WE COVER:
Our standard Care Plan covers Mechanical and Electrical Failures that occur during normal use. Examples include hard drive failures, stuck cell phone keypads, and digital camera sensor failures. Your item is covered your item for up to its full replacement cost, excluding tax & shipping.
ABOUT ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE FROM HANDLING (ADH) COVERAGE:
If you purchase Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) Coverage, the Care Plan includes damage from item drops, liquid spills, or other accidental damage.
If you purchase your Care Plan the same day as the item, your ADH coverage begins one (1) day after your Care Plan purchase.
ADH does not cover willful damage, negligent use, theft, or loss.
HOW OUR COVERAGE WORKS:
For items covered by a Manufacturer’s warranty:
First, we’ll locate the manufacturer’s contact information to help you file a claim.
If the manufacturer replaces or repairs your item, we’ll cover the repaired or replaced item.
If the manufacturer refuses to honor their warranty because they consider your item purchased from an unauthorized retailer, we’ll still cover you.
If we Repair your item:
For shippable items, we send you a pre-paid shipping label.
For Laptops and TVs under 37 inches, we mail you a shipping kit so that your item arrives safely for service. (Laptops receive express shipping to and from our depot.)
Once we receive your item, we repair it within 5 days and then ship it back to you.
Does not cover theft .. However you can get it all online without having to treck to or call AppleCare, which is a pain.
[MOD NOTE: Link removed. We do not allow referral/affiliate links.]
SquareTrade Service Agreement Summary
HOW LONG OUR COVERAGE LASTS:
If your item is NEW, this Service Agreement begins on the day you purchased the item, and lasts for the number of years you choose at purchase time.
If your item is USED/REFURBISHED, this Service Agreement begins on the 46th day after your item purchase or after your manufacturer's warranty expires, whichever is longer. The agreement also lasts for the number of years you choose at purchase time.
WHAT WE COVER:
Our standard Care Plan covers Mechanical and Electrical Failures that occur during normal use. Examples include hard drive failures, stuck cell phone keypads, and digital camera sensor failures. Your item is covered your item for up to its full replacement cost, excluding tax & shipping.
ABOUT ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE FROM HANDLING (ADH) COVERAGE:
If you purchase Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) Coverage, the Care Plan includes damage from item drops, liquid spills, or other accidental damage.
If you purchase your Care Plan the same day as the item, your ADH coverage begins one (1) day after your Care Plan purchase.
ADH does not cover willful damage, negligent use, theft, or loss.
HOW OUR COVERAGE WORKS:
For items covered by a Manufacturer’s warranty:
First, we’ll locate the manufacturer’s contact information to help you file a claim.
If the manufacturer replaces or repairs your item, we’ll cover the repaired or replaced item.
If the manufacturer refuses to honor their warranty because they consider your item purchased from an unauthorized retailer, we’ll still cover you.
If we Repair your item:
For shippable items, we send you a pre-paid shipping label.
For Laptops and TVs under 37 inches, we mail you a shipping kit so that your item arrives safely for service. (Laptops receive express shipping to and from our depot.)
Once we receive your item, we repair it within 5 days and then ship it back to you.
Does not cover theft .. However you can get it all online without having to treck to or call AppleCare, which is a pain.
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Im still on the fence, but I got a prorated refund on both my iPhone 4S (AC+) and iPad (ST) when I sold them at around 11mo.
SquareTrade + iPad Prorated Amount:
-I sold at 11mo. Used coupon to get it at $90 but Prorated refund was based on full price so I got $50+ back
-It was as easy as going to the site, looking at my contract and canceling
-It showed the exact amount I'd get back and sent it to my credit card.
-Lots of coupons to make it about $94 so its slightly cheaper
AppleCare+ and iPhone 4S Prorated Amount:
-I sold at 11mo and my prorated refund was slightly LESS than 50% ($47)
-It required calling Apple and getting transferred to an Applecare Agreement Specialist.
-They put in a request and said within 7-10 days they would get back to me.
-About 5 days later I got an email stating my refund of $47 to be mailed within 2-4weeks.
Now, in terms of simplicity for prorated refunds then SquareTrade wins, but I may still go with AppleCare+ for a few reasons that may not even make sense:
- AC+ said incidents DONT count towards the prorated amount. My iPhone was replaced once but it didnt matter. Not sure how Square Trade is with that.
- Apple Genius Bar workers seem to always give a little bit more service for those with AppleCare. For example, I had a melted plug on my SquareTrade iPad sync cable and they said "thats normal, we cant do anything about it". But I went to the same guy with my iPhone and he GAVE me a new cable and headphones when I gave the same complaint. Maybe it was his mood, or maybe Apple is a little more flexible with AC users.
- First Party over Third Party. I have ST for a few other items, but when it coms to peace of mind then I just prefer dealing directly with Apple rather than working around them and risking rejection on reimbursements if I ever did have to pay anything out of pocket.
Now, I'm leaning towards AC+ but I havent purchased yet so if someone has an incident story that would lead towards SquareTrade then I'd love to hear it.
SquareTrade + iPad Prorated Amount:
-I sold at 11mo. Used coupon to get it at $90 but Prorated refund was based on full price so I got $50+ back
-It was as easy as going to the site, looking at my contract and canceling
-It showed the exact amount I'd get back and sent it to my credit card.
-Lots of coupons to make it about $94 so its slightly cheaper
AppleCare+ and iPhone 4S Prorated Amount:
-I sold at 11mo and my prorated refund was slightly LESS than 50% ($47)
-It required calling Apple and getting transferred to an Applecare Agreement Specialist.
-They put in a request and said within 7-10 days they would get back to me.
-About 5 days later I got an email stating my refund of $47 to be mailed within 2-4weeks.
Now, in terms of simplicity for prorated refunds then SquareTrade wins, but I may still go with AppleCare+ for a few reasons that may not even make sense:
- AC+ said incidents DONT count towards the prorated amount. My iPhone was replaced once but it didnt matter. Not sure how Square Trade is with that.
- Apple Genius Bar workers seem to always give a little bit more service for those with AppleCare. For example, I had a melted plug on my SquareTrade iPad sync cable and they said "thats normal, we cant do anything about it". But I went to the same guy with my iPhone and he GAVE me a new cable and headphones when I gave the same complaint. Maybe it was his mood, or maybe Apple is a little more flexible with AC users.
- First Party over Third Party. I have ST for a few other items, but when it coms to peace of mind then I just prefer dealing directly with Apple rather than working around them and risking rejection on reimbursements if I ever did have to pay anything out of pocket.
Now, I'm leaning towards AC+ but I havent purchased yet so if someone has an incident story that would lead towards SquareTrade then I'd love to hear it.
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If you're going to go through Apple for the replacements and have ST reimburse you then you will never get two additional replacements out of ST.
Especially not now that Apple has raised the OOW cost to $229.
They will never pay out more than the full retail value of the phone.
At $229 each, the ST contract will be maxed out after only two replacements of a 16gb iPhone 5 and after only 3 replacements of a 32gb or a 64gb iPhone 5.
They don't promise 4 replacements -- they promise a maximum of 4 replacements.
There is a difference.
Okay, so you get 2 replacements if you go through Apple with ST. Same as AppleCare+ but you save $10.
Still better.
My comment was in fact pointing out that the comment I was responding to made it sound as though it would cost $200 for the first replacement via AppleCare + and that was incorrect. In addition, my comment stated that there was also a difference in the Square Trade policy as it states it allows 4 replacements, which is different than Apple Cares 2. Whether or not you will actually be able to collect on the 4 through Square Trade is an entirely different story, and not something my comment was discussing but something worth noting for people trying to make the decision between the two.
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Not necessarily better. It depends on what you're looking for.
For $10 additional, AppleCare+ allows you access to Tech Support via the phone and some have said the support they receive in-store with it (as opposed to not having it or using SquareTrade) is better. Frankly, I can see that. I can see Apple store techs providing better service or bending rules for someone who has AppleCare+ since it's part of their own program. Of course you're going to treat your own customers better or for instance give them preferential treatment when it comes to handing out that last available cable or phone, etc.
Additionally, some people would prefer to just pay the extra $10 and not have to worry about paying replacement costs up front and waiting to be reimbursed or in another event, paying up front and then having your claim denied for some reason or another.
It just depends on what experience each customer is looking for and in this instance, what you're willing to trade $10 extra dollars for.
I'm still stuck..
I've read this entire thread and I'm new to the mac world. I just ordered my iphone 5, which will be my first iphone. I should get it in like a month. I was just about to order applecare+ with it when I started doing research and looking into other options. Obviously, I'm stuck between squaretrade and applecare+.
I'm with Sprint, and previously had a Galaxy S phone that I quite liked (When I got it 2 years ago, the iphone wasn't an option for Sprint). I had that phone insured with Sprint/Asurion which was like $9 a month and then $100 deductible for up to 2 replacements.
The thing is, I got that phone in December of 2010 (even though I was somehow eligible for an upgrade before the 2 year mark in October) and I managed to crack the screen by May 2011. Asurion was easy and fast and they sent me a refurb that wasn't as great as a fresh phone, but I got it super quick and just had to send them my old one with the envelope they sent me. Then, I managed to drop my phone again in April 2012 and I was just going to suck it up and deal with the cracks, but then I dropped it again and glass pieces were falling out and it was a mess (plus, I thought I wouldnt be eligible for upgrade till December). I did the Asurion claim again for another $100 and this time I got a new phone instead of a refurb, probably because the phone is now outdated and not being sold or something? I did appreciate how easy and fast it was with Asurion.
Anyways, with my history of breaking phones, even in expensive cases, should I stick to applecare+ or should I go with SquareTrade since they do 4 replacements? I live about 25 minutes from an apple store, but I go to that area to shop often anyways. I know I can have SquareTrade reimburse me if I pay $229 to switch it out, but wont that ultimately limit me to 2 replacements anyways? I like being able to get help right away and not have to send something off. I was leaning really strongly towards SquareTrade, but now I'm rethinking it and leaning towards applecare+
Recommendations from experienced apple owners would be helpful!
I've read this entire thread and I'm new to the mac world. I just ordered my iphone 5, which will be my first iphone. I should get it in like a month. I was just about to order applecare+ with it when I started doing research and looking into other options. Obviously, I'm stuck between squaretrade and applecare+.
I'm with Sprint, and previously had a Galaxy S phone that I quite liked (When I got it 2 years ago, the iphone wasn't an option for Sprint). I had that phone insured with Sprint/Asurion which was like $9 a month and then $100 deductible for up to 2 replacements.
The thing is, I got that phone in December of 2010 (even though I was somehow eligible for an upgrade before the 2 year mark in October) and I managed to crack the screen by May 2011. Asurion was easy and fast and they sent me a refurb that wasn't as great as a fresh phone, but I got it super quick and just had to send them my old one with the envelope they sent me. Then, I managed to drop my phone again in April 2012 and I was just going to suck it up and deal with the cracks, but then I dropped it again and glass pieces were falling out and it was a mess (plus, I thought I wouldnt be eligible for upgrade till December). I did the Asurion claim again for another $100 and this time I got a new phone instead of a refurb, probably because the phone is now outdated and not being sold or something? I did appreciate how easy and fast it was with Asurion.
Anyways, with my history of breaking phones, even in expensive cases, should I stick to applecare+ or should I go with SquareTrade since they do 4 replacements? I live about 25 minutes from an apple store, but I go to that area to shop often anyways. I know I can have SquareTrade reimburse me if I pay $229 to switch it out, but wont that ultimately limit me to 2 replacements anyways? I like being able to get help right away and not have to send something off. I was leaning really strongly towards SquareTrade, but now I'm rethinking it and leaning towards applecare+
Recommendations from experienced apple owners would be helpful!
Anyways, with my history of breaking phones, even in expensive cases, should I stick to applecare+ or should I go with SquareTrade since they do 4 replacements? I live about 25 minutes from an apple store, but I go to that area to shop often anyways. I know I can have SquareTrade reimburse me if I pay $229 to switch it out, but wont that ultimately limit me to 2 replacements anyways? I like being able to get help right away and not have to send something off. I was leaning really strongly towards SquareTrade, but now I'm rethinking it and leaning towards applecare+
Recommendations from experienced apple owners would be helpful!
With a 16gb iPhone 5, the only advantage that ST has is the initial $10-$14 savings.
ST and AC will both get you 2 replacements.
If it's a 32gb or a 64gb then ST will provide 3 replacements to AC's 2 although from the stories I've read, AC seems a lot more lenient when it comes to going above and beyond the terms of their contract.
it's a 16gb. Okay, I think I'm convinced. applecare+ it will be as soon as my phone arrives since I already placed the order. Thank you!
If you drop into the ocean and pull it out, $50. If it sinks into the abyss, the full price of a phone. Neither AC+ nor ST covers lost/stolen phones.
Re: accessories
This thread has been really informative, thank you all! Just wanted to point out that AppleCare+ also seems to cover malfunctioning earphones and accessories. Did not find similar statement in st terms. Also, not really sure if the above is a huge distinction but thought it was with mentioning.
http://www.apple.com/support/products/iphone.html
This thread has been really informative, thank you all! Just wanted to point out that AppleCare+ also seems to cover malfunctioning earphones and accessories. Did not find similar statement in st terms. Also, not really sure if the above is a huge distinction but thought it was with mentioning.
http://www.apple.com/support/products/iphone.html
esurranty.com
I have had them for 2 years. They have always done what they said and when I had a claim it was handled within 2 days. My phone was replaced with a new one not a refurb like I got from AC when I first got it.
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Nope. The only place I found that does is right esurranty.com. Some other say they do but when I read the fine print they make you jump through hoops for every claim.
I have had them for 2 years. They have always done what they said and when I had a claim it was handled within 2 days. My phone was replaced with a new one not a refurb like I got from AC when I first got it.
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Nope. The only place I found that does is right esurranty.com. Some other say they do but when I read the fine print they make you jump through hoops for every claim.
Tech Support with AC+
I just need a little hand holding as I make a final decision between AC+ and ST. (Basically I am asking someone to tell me it is "ok" to go with AC+, I know, I am lame!)
I just upgraded from an iPH4 (my first iPH) that I had for 2.5 years, to an iPH5. I also own an iMac (desktop) and an 1st generation iPad. So, being able to integrate these multiple Apple devices is important to me.
I had AC with my iPH4 and I called them every once in a while for Tech Support. Honestly, the tech support with AC (AC+ wasn't available at that time IIRC) was the main reason I bought AC because I wanted Tech Support beyond the first 90 days. The extended warranty aspect was nice but it wasn't the main selling feature for me.
My iPH4 was in a GelaSkin to keep it from scratching, I never even had a case, and when I did drop it, it was never a super hard fall. When I sold it back to Best Buy the other day they said they thought it was in good condition so I did get a decent amount of gift card credit.
FWIW, I live in a major metro area with a handful of Apple stores nearby. They are easy for me to get to.
ST seems to be more of a warranty/insurance plan to help you out if you break an iPhone...it doesn't sound like they really have Tech Support? AC+ seems to be more of a hybrid of warranty/insurance PLUS Tech Support.
Am I right in my thinking here? It seems that if Tech Support is important to me (and it is) that I am better off wit AC+?
Thoughts?
I just need a little hand holding as I make a final decision between AC+ and ST. (Basically I am asking someone to tell me it is "ok" to go with AC+, I know, I am lame!)
I just upgraded from an iPH4 (my first iPH) that I had for 2.5 years, to an iPH5. I also own an iMac (desktop) and an 1st generation iPad. So, being able to integrate these multiple Apple devices is important to me.
I had AC with my iPH4 and I called them every once in a while for Tech Support. Honestly, the tech support with AC (AC+ wasn't available at that time IIRC) was the main reason I bought AC because I wanted Tech Support beyond the first 90 days. The extended warranty aspect was nice but it wasn't the main selling feature for me.
My iPH4 was in a GelaSkin to keep it from scratching, I never even had a case, and when I did drop it, it was never a super hard fall. When I sold it back to Best Buy the other day they said they thought it was in good condition so I did get a decent amount of gift card credit.
FWIW, I live in a major metro area with a handful of Apple stores nearby. They are easy for me to get to.
ST seems to be more of a warranty/insurance plan to help you out if you break an iPhone...it doesn't sound like they really have Tech Support? AC+ seems to be more of a hybrid of warranty/insurance PLUS Tech Support.
Am I right in my thinking here? It seems that if Tech Support is important to me (and it is) that I am better off wit AC+?
Thoughts?
I read through all 10 pages of this thread looking for the answer, but I didn't see it. AC+ is signed up for when you purchase your iPhone at an Apple store or online. The ST site says that you can purchase coverage "on a retail item within 30 days of item purchase. This applies to warranties both with and without accidental damage coverage."
I already have my iPhone 5 so I think that rules out AC+ (wasn't planning on going that route anyway). But I could still get ST? How do they provide insurance without "examining" the phone first? Seems like that would be risky on their part.
I already have my iPhone 5 so I think that rules out AC+ (wasn't planning on going that route anyway). But I could still get ST? How do they provide insurance without "examining" the phone first? Seems like that would be risky on their part.
I bought my iPhone 5 on release day. At the time I didn't get AppleCare+, since I wasn't up to date on the new plans and didn't realize they had to be purchased within the first 30 days of having the phone. Needless to say, it took me longer than that.
Now I'm looking for a good protection plan. I feel like my battery life is still suffering on it, so I might try to have it replaced down the line. Am I SOL or is there anyone that will take me?
Now I'm looking for a good protection plan. I feel like my battery life is still suffering on it, so I might try to have it replaced down the line. Am I SOL or is there anyone that will take me?
You can purchase the squaretrade warranty through their iOS app. I did this for a used iphone I bought off of ebay a while ago. Dont know if it still works this way, but cant hurt to try.
The app is titled "Protect My Phone - Warranty for iPhone".
SquareTrade will reimburse you for whatever apple carges you. I walked out of the Apple store with a new-refurb iphone (back when i had an iphone 4) and sent the $199+tax invoice to squaretrade, they reimbursed me in full, no deductible. Lots of folks dont know about this option.
Is the $199+tax the amount Apple charges you to replace an iPhone with AppleCare? Or just under the regular warrantee?
I have VZW and Asurion. I've never filed a claim before. Does anyone know if, for the $200 deductible, you get a brand new phone or a refurb?