AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac

Hexley said:

1) Can I buy it anytime within the 12 month warranty of my iMac?

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Yes.

Hexley said:

2) Does it matter that I buy the Protection Plan outside of the country?

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No.

Hexley said:

3) How do I tie the Protection Plan to my iMac?

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Call AppleCare and give them your serial number.

AppleCare
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

• You can buy AppleCare any time during the first year warranty period, so you don't have to buy it at time of purchase.
• You can check your remaining warranty and/or AppleCare coverage here
• AppleCare will extend the 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years, for a total of 3 years coverage from the date of your Mac purchase.
  It also extends telephone support from 90 days, which is included with your original warranty, to a total of 3 years.
• You cannot buy AppleCare again or renew it once it expires.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover damage from accidents, spills, etc. They only cover manufacturing defects.
• AppleCare+ provides some coverage for accidental damage, but is only available for the iPad and iPhone, not for Apple computers.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover batteries that have worn out. They only cover defective batteries.
• You can buy AppleCare from Apple or from other sources, such as Amazon, B&H Photo Video, L.A. Computer Company and others. Exercise caution when buying from sites such as eBay, as some AppleCare offers have been scams.
• For more detailed questions, read the AppleCare Protection Plan (pdf) agreement.

I have a dumb question: AppleCare Plan goes into effect after one year when the purchase was made, or when the iMac was shipped or received?

How do you transfer AppleCare with a device? Seems like it will be automatically registered because I ordered with AppleCare, but it's a gift so I want the recipient to be able to go to the Apple Store and deal with them themselves.

Hexley said:

I am about to get an iMac. I worry that it may break down once the 12 month warranty lapses. I have some question about this product that I hope you can answer.

1) Can I buy it anytime within the 12 month warranty of my iMac?

2) Does it matter that I buy the Protection Plan outside of the country?

3) How do I tie the Protection Plan to my iMac?

Many thanks!

I see on eBay a number of great deals on this product.

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Do not buy AppleCare on E-Bay. Only from authorized sellers like B&H or Amazon. B&H has Applecare for the iMac right now for $122: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/582538-REG/Apple_MC245LL_B_3_Year_AppleCare_for_iMac.html

If you live in the UK don't worry about this nonsense. You have the Sale of Goods Act. The iMac must be of satisfactory quality- that is what the 'reasonable' person would expect. I would expect a £1500 minimum computer to last 5 years.
In the UK at least Apple is making a fortune out of selling needless insurance policies to people who are naive (sorry not being rude) about their statutory rights.

GGJstudios said:

Call AppleCare and give them your serial number.

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Or, more easily, go to the website stated in the box, and type in your serial number there.

Wakeywarrior said:

If you live in the UK don't worry about this nonsense. You have the Sale of Goods Act. The iMac must be of satisfactory quality- that is what the 'reasonable' person would expect. I would expect a £1500 minimum computer to last 5 years.
In the UK at least Apple is making a fortune out of selling needless insurance policies to people who are naive (sorry not being rude) about their statutory rights.

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Not quite true and can be a real hassle in proving the fault was inherrent when orginally purchased. Plus Applecare also covers phone support for the full 3 years, I have found this invaluable since owning an early 24imac, they will answer pretty much anything (if they can) and have in the past taken the time to help me resolve what ever it maybe, even if the issues connected to another piece of equipment such as a Windows PC, or router etc.. Not only that I have found apple to be very reasonable when dealing with faulty items, even out side the warranty period. I think the Applecare is worth it on some of their products.

Chris Blount said:

Do not buy AppleCare on E-Bay. Only from authorized sellers like B&H or Amazon. B&H has Applecare for the iMac right now for $122: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/582538-REG/Apple_MC245LL_B_3_Year_AppleCare_for_iMac.html

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That is a rather blanket statement!!
I purchased and received last week apple care for my 21.5" late 2011 iMac from an ebay seller for $100.00 and it registered no problems...

Every purchase at ebay is a risk, life is full of risk so if you are not paranoid you can probably get a decent deal there. But I agree that I would not pay more than what you can get it for at bhphoto...

Lucianrider said:

That is a rather blanket statement!!
I purchased and received last week apple care for my 21.5" late 2011 iMac from an ebay seller for $100.00 and it registered no problems...

Every purchase at ebay is a risk, life is full of risk so if you are not paranoid you can probably get a decent deal there. But I agree that I would not pay more than what you can get it for at bhphoto...

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I've been around in circles with this argument several time now so I'm going to be brief. You buy on E-Bay you take risks of the Applecare not being honored by Apple. Even if the Applecare registers without a problem does not mean that Apple will fix your iMac when you bring it to the Apple store. Most likely the iMac will get fixed but there is the chance it won't. When you purchase Applecare from an authorized dealer, you are eliminating any risks. Period.

If you can afford to buy a Mac, then you really shouldn't be wasting money on insurance.

Chris Blount said:

I've been around in circles with this argument several time now so I'm going to be brief. You buy on E-Bay you take risks of the Applecare not being honored by Apple. Even if the Applecare registers without a problem does not mean that Apple will fix your iMac when you bring it to the Apple store. Most likely the iMac will get fixed but there is the chance it won't. When you purchase Applecare from an authorized dealer, you are eliminating any risks. Period.

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Good point.
For me Apple Care is something I hope never having to use as it will cost me at least $200.00 US to ship my mac back to the US (no way to get it serviced here in St. Lucia) and then pay a similar if slightly less amount to get it back. Depending on how old it is by the time I need it, it might be better to put that money towards a new mac. Any savings on what I paid for the Apple Care makes it more affordable for me to ship it off if it comes to it...

hacke said:

I have a dumb question: AppleCare Plan goes into effect after one year when the purchase was made, or when the iMac was shipped or received?

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It's based on the purchase date of the Mac, not the purhcase date of the AppleCare.

Lucianrider said:

That is a rather blanket statement!!
I purchased and received last week apple care for my 21.5" late 2011 iMac from an ebay seller for $100.00 and it registered no problems...

Every purchase at ebay is a risk, life is full of risk so if you are not paranoid you can probably get a decent deal there. But I agree that I would not pay more than what you can get it for at bhphoto...

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I'm not sure if you've seen any of the threads on here from when eBay sellers cracked the code that Apple uses for AppleCare registration numbers.

Anyhow, the fake codes those eBay sellers would register fine. No problems until a legit Apple Customer, having purchased an AppleCare box from a legitimate reseller that contained an activation number that had previously been registered by a customer on eBay, purchased from a seller that waas using cracked codes.

In those cases, if you cannot provide AppleCare a physical copy of your box, plus a receipt specifically from an authorized reseller, they will void your AppleCare.

HurtinMinorKey said:

If you can afford to buy a Mac, then you really shouldn't be wasting money on insurance.

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Huh? What does being able to afford to buy an iMac have to do with buying AppleCare? Care to explain your logic?

HurtinMinorKey said:

If you can afford to buy a Mac, then you really shouldn't be wasting money on insurance.

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that doesn't make any sense. If you have the money, why not also pay for insurance? Or is that what you meant?

hacke said:

I have a dumb question: AppleCare Plan goes into effect after one year when the purchase was made, or when the iMac was shipped or received?

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It's based on the purchase date. Use this link to determine when your coverage expires.

MetzoPaino said:

How do you transfer AppleCare with a device?

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You don't have to do anything, as AppleCare is tied to and automatically follows the device, not the owner.

HurtinMinorKey said:

If you can afford to buy a Mac, then you really shouldn't be wasting money on insurance.

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AppleCare isn't insurance; it's an extended warranty. There's a significant difference. Whether it's a waste is a matter of opinion, as many have benefitted from having AppleCare.

aristobrat said:

I'm not sure if you've seen any of the threads on here from when eBay sellers cracked the code that Apple uses for AppleCare registration numbers.

Anyhow, the fake codes those eBay sellers would register fine. No problems until a legit Apple Customer, having purchased an AppleCare box from a legitimate reseller that contained an activation number that had previously been registered by a customer on eBay, purchased from a seller that waas using cracked codes.

In those cases, if you cannot provide AppleCare a physical copy of your box, plus a receipt specifically from an authorized reseller, they will void your AppleCare.

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Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. I have seen this happen which is why I stopped buying on E-Bay.

GGJstudios said:

AppleCare isn't insurance; it's an extended warranty. There's a significant difference. Whether it's a waste is a matter of opinion, as many have benefitted from having AppleCare.

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If you don't understand why an extended warranty IS insurance than I doubt I can help you understand my point.

HurtinMinorKey said:

If you don't understand why an extended warranty IS insurance than I doubt I can help you understand my point.

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Apple warranties cover manufacturing defects only. Insurance covers things like theft, damage from accidents, etc. They are completely different.

medi.freak said:

that doesn't make any sense. If you have the money, why not also pay for insurance? Or is that what you meant?

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Because if you have the money, you can insure yourself. The only reason Apple offers you insurance is because in expectation, you lose money on it. That's how insurance works, you pay a premium to avoid risk.

But with most people buying apple products, there is no real risk. You can afford to replace you computer if something bad happens to it. And over time you will save a lot of money by avoiding insurance premiums.

On the other hand, health insurance is meant to avoid catastrophic risk. Most people cannot afford to pay $100K, out of pocket to pay for open heart surgery. You still lose money in expectation, but it's worth it to avoid catastrophic risk.

HurtinMinorKey said:

Because if you have the money, you can insure yourself.

You can afford to replace you computer if something bad happens to it.

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You're making a big assumption that someone who can afford to buy a Mac can also afford to buy a 2nd Mac to replace it, which isn't always true.

GGJstudios said:

Apple warranties cover manufacturing defects only. Insurance covers things like theft, damage from accidents, etc. They are completely different.

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All you are saying is that different insurance policies cover different things.

"In business and legal transactions, a warranty is an assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen"


source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warranty

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GGJstudios said:

You're making a big assumption that someone who can afford to buy a Mac can also afford to buy a 2nd Mac to replace it, which isn't always true.

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100% agree, there are some people, probably a minority though, who can't afford to replace a Mac, but still buy them. However, I think if you can't afford to replace a Mac, then you should consider cheaper computing solutions.

HurtinMinorKey said:

However, I think if you can't afford to replace a Mac, then you should consider cheaper computing solutions.

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That's obviously only your opinion. A computer is a significant purchase for many, one that may have to last them 3-5 years. Being able to afford a replacement as a requirement for initial purchase is as difficult to many as being able to afford a replacement car. It's simply not realistic. While that may be your personal criteria, it obviously doesn't apply to everyone. Also, from a budgeting standpoint, it is preferable to many to have a smaller, predictable expense (AppleCare) rather than the possibility of a larger, unscheduled expense (replace a logic board).

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, it's purely a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. There are dozens, if not hundreds of threads asking "is AppleCare worth it?" The overall consensus seems to be about 75% in favor of it.

HurtinMinorKey said:

Because if you have the money, you can insure yourself. The only reason Apple offers you insurance is because in expectation, you lose money on it. That's how insurance works, you pay a premium to avoid risk.

But with most people buying apple products, there is no real risk. You can afford to replace you computer if something bad happens to it. And over time you will save a lot of money by avoiding insurance premiums.

On the other hand, health insurance is meant to avoid catastrophic risk. Most people cannot afford to pay $100K, out of pocket to pay for open heart surgery. You still lose money in expectation, but it's worth it to avoid catastrophic risk.

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Not everyone who buys a mac also has the money to buy a new one if it breaks (or pay for repair = price of new mac). I had the money to spend on the iMac 27", but I won't have that money again for another 3 years at least, so I need to make sure that when anything happens with the machine Apple will take care of it.


I do see your point though, don't get me wrong. I paid for Apple Care for both my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 (which I sold), and never needed it...

All the Apple Care I bought would buy me at least a new ipad mini... And Apple obviously is making money with that system.

On the other hand, I had to replace a 15" MBP Antiglare screen once under Apple Care which would have been about 500€... so go figure.

I'd still say, if you have the money to buy Apple Care, do it. Especially for your macs which extends coverage to another 2 years (Not like the iOs devices which extend only another year)