Apple Care?

kuntryklucker said:

Hi All,

I was wondering, do I need to purchase the Apple Care at the time I purchase
the product? Or, can I purchase it anytime before the manufacture warranty expires?

I purchased an iPad Mini, I did not buy the Apple Care because it only got me another year of coverage. I am now wondering if that was a wise decision. I got it for my MacBook Pro because I felt that it covered a little bit more.

I also bought an iPod nano and also did not get the Apple Care on that item. I am not even sure if they had it for the Nano's anyway.

Thanks

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If you are going to buy Apple Care, you must buy it before the end of the one year warranty in order to be able to avail of it. Any time before that initial one year warranty expires will be adequate, but make sure that you register it. However, if you wait longer than a year, - even by a few weeks - you will not be able to buy Apple Care.

Personally, I usually buy it when I buy a computer, and I always get Apple Care for a computer. Moreover, I'll usually get it for an iPad, as well; however, I don't generally buy it for iPods.

kuntryklucker said:

Ok, thanks!! This may sound like a stupid question. But how do I register the Apple Care when I purchase it for my iPad at a later date?

Thanks again

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When I bought my AC from Amazon I received a box with a serial code & Web registration instructions. You just go to the Apple website & fill out an online form with your iPad's serial number and then receive an email confirmation. You also have to submit proof of purchase & date of purchase.

kuntryklucker said:

Ok, thanks!! This may sound like a stupid question. But how do I register the Apple Care when I purchase it for my iPad at a later date?

Thanks again

Click to expand...

And, you've only got only 30 days from the date of its purchase to buy and register AppleCare+ for an iPad. Look up AppleCare+ for an iPad and read the Notes - I just did this for an iPad Air I bought several weeks ago. If you've past 30 days, you might be SOL...

kuntryklucker said:

really, so I don't have before the manufactures warranty expires. Ok, thanks for the heads up.

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Ok, I tried to by the Apple Care for iPad from the Apple Online store and it would not let me add it to the cart. I already purchased the iPad so I don't want to buy another one just the get he Apple Care. Given that, how do I purchase it if I have already bought the iPad?

thanks

Click to expand...

Like I wrote above, read the Notes section on Apple's web page for AC+ for an iPad. Basically, you'll either need to bring it in for an inspection (just like an iPhone) or have Apple Support run a diagnostic. I brought it in to a local Apple Store for an inspection, on the 30th day. You can buy AC+ from other sources (like Amazon) but you'll need to adhere to the two Notes requirements.

campyguy said:

And, you've only got only 30 days from the date of its purchase to buy and register AppleCare+ for an iPad. Look up AppleCare+ for an iPad and read the Notes - I just did this for an iPad Air I bought several weeks ago. If you've past 30 days, you might be SOL...

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AppleCare+ for iPad includes accidental damage coverage. You're correct, that must be purchased in the first 30 days of ownership.

AppleCare (without the plus) is available anytime within the first year of ownership, and is cheaper, since it doesn't include the accidental damage coverage.

You can phone AppleCare to add the AppleCare plan to your equipment.
.

Yes, the AppleCare (regular not the +) is for all iPads, including the iPad Mini with Retina. I see it's $56ish on Amazon.

I bought a refurbed iPad 1 which was built like a tank and I never got AppleCare for it. I keep it in a case which has helped, because although I'm pretty careful there have been a few times it's slipped from my hands. No great distance & on a rug, fortunately. However, a couple of my friends are forever dropping their iPhones and iPads or splashing them with water or dropping them in trash bags. They definitely need AppleCare. Although they don't think so....

kuntryklucker said:

Ok, thanks. In your opinion, what is better the Apple Care Plus or the regular AC? I do not plan on taking my iPad outside of the house much. I am a stay at home mom, I purchased the iPad mainly as a kindle to read books. So the odds of me dropping it are slim to none. But it is a good idea to have the battery and the other hardware covered.

On Amazon, I saw where you could get the AC, I am just not sure if it the right type for the new iPad Mini's. Do you know if the AC sold on Amazon covers the new iPad's?

sorry for all the questions, Thanks.

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Accident insurance is always a gamble, based on the premise that bad things can happen to good people, no matter what precautions they take.

In the U.S., Apple charges $30 more for AppleCare+ (which is only available for iOS gear) than it charges for regular AppleCare. So, there's a finite price on accidental damage coverage - $30, plus the $79 per incident charge if you actually use it. So, $109 if you break a screen or drop it in the bathtub/sink, $30 if you don't. The repair charge for an iPad Mini would otherwise be $219. So, you break it once in two years, you're ahead $110 with AppleCare+.

I have an original iPad. I did not get AppleCare, it's now well over two years old, and it hasn't needed a repair or tech support (but I am a techie). It's in a protective case that cost me $49. That $49 "policy" remains in effect. So, the "no AppleCare" gamble paid off for me. But, there's a bit of a dent in one corner of that iPad that, had the drop been a touch more severe, could have cost me big time.

I can toss out some stories I've heard about the accidents that can happen - iPad left on Mom and Dad's bed, kid jumps on the bed... People whose OtterBoxes still weren't enough to prevent damage (drop anything from a sufficient height onto a hard surface like a ceramic tiled kitchen floor...). That's how insurance is sold. There will always be unexpected disasters. If you can easily afford to pay out of pocket to replace something then you may save some money by self-insuring. After all, long term, the insurance company collects more than it pays out.

I have two friends with newer iPads. Both have kids. One bought AC+ and the other one didn't. Both iPads were handled - poorly - by their kids. One has a new iPad and the other has an expensive paperweight.

I thought I'd point out the key "buy by date" for AC+ above, since a few of my friends have missed the 30-day deadline. My Air has an LTE radio in it and I do take it with me, and the extra $20 premium was a no-brainer for me.