AppleCare and Formatting

[pixelsinthesky]

I made sure to search the forums beforehand, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Do I lose the AppleCare if I give the Mac to someone else (ie. is it vinculated to the computer's serial number or to my Apple ID?)? Furthermore, if I reinstall the OS, do I lose it? I'll receive a lightly used MBA from a relative and I would like to restore the Mac to factory settings, but I won't do so with that means I'll lose the coverage.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by pixelsinthesky

I made sure to search the forums beforehand, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Do I lose the AppleCare if I give the Mac to someone else (ie. is it vinculated to the computer's serial number or to my Apple ID?)? Furthermore, if I reinstall the OS, do I lose it? I'll receive a lightly used MBA from a relative and I would like to restore the Mac to factory settings, but I won't do so with that means I'll lose the coverage.

AppleCare follows the device, not the owner.

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.

[Orange Crane]

You can reformat and reinstall the os as much as youd like, it will not affect your AppleCare coverage.