My new Mac Pro through Apple store or Best Buy

drprudence said:

Alrighty. My macpro took a nose dive and now I need to get a new one asap. Last time I bought only and got the ed discount. But bc I cracked my screen on the fall my friend is recommending I purchase this new one through bestbuy so I can do geek squad. Opinions? Does geeksquad cover breaks in screen and water damage? Other than that is it worth it? Is it worth it if I buy geek AND applecare? I personally would rather go to mac bc I still get ed discount. But what do u guys think...

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You only need one thread. Perhaps you hit Post twice by mistake. (It looks like a Mod already took care of this as when I finished typing I got "no such thread")...

I prefer Apple customer service to Best Buy. I have found that (on occasion) Apple behaves as if AppleCare includes accidental damage. I have also found that some Apple geniuses are overzealous with trying to weed out customers who are trying to cheat. I have found those boneheads to be a tiny minority. If it's a choice between Geek Squad and AppleCare, take AppleCare.

I know BB or other retailers might advertise that their policy includes accidental damage, but frankly I'd rather deal with Apple than BB for a repair. Also you can buy AC for up to a year after you purchase your device so for a high cost item like a Macbook Pro, you can save up for another 11 months and buy AC and you are covered. One down side to waiting that long is you don't get free phone support after 90 days so if that's important to you, pick up AC within 90 days of buying your new MBP.

I bought a PC laptop from BB with the geek squad service. TOTAL waste of money! Anything I wanted to do (not even replacing anything) was meet with "that's an additional fee". What did I pay for then?
Stay with AppleCare. You can find AC on the net cheaper than Apple sells it and it is the same thing!

r0k said:

you can buy AC for up to a year after you purchase your device so for a high cost item like a Macbook Pro, you can save up for another 11 months and buy AC and you are covered.

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That policy changed. You have to purchase at the time of the device purchase. It seriously sucks but that's how they want to play it. I wonder if BB is putting more pressure on purchasers because of this. I have a Mac Mini that I can't get covered because I waited... Pisses me off...

PinkyMacGodess said:

That policy changed. You have to purchase at the time of the device purchase. It seriously sucks but that's how they want to play it. I wonder if BB is putting more pressure on purchasers because of this. I have a Mac Mini that I can't get covered because I waited... Pisses me off...

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Not so sure. Quote from Applecare page.

Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime?
You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime within the one-year limited warranty period. Your eligibility for coverage under the AppleCare Protection Plan starts from your hardware purchase date. Apple strongly recommends that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple product to maximize the additional benefits provided under the plan.

Knoodles said:

Not so sure. Quote from Applecare page.

Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime?
You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime within the one-year limited warranty period. Your eligibility for coverage under the AppleCare Protection Plan starts from your hardware purchase date. Apple strongly recommends that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple product to maximize the additional benefits provided under the plan.

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I tried two different stores, and no dice. Happened with an iPad too.

While researching my issue with syncing an iPad 1 with Windows 7, I kept finding articles referring to the earlier versions of iTunes. I found that very surprising as usually Apple is right on top of things... Odd. The website isn't a focus of attention anymore? Well, except for launching new products I guess...

PinkyMacGodess said:

That policy changed. You have to purchase at the time of the device purchase. It seriously sucks but that's how they want to play it. I wonder if BB is putting more pressure on purchasers because of this. I have a Mac Mini that I can't get covered because I waited... Pisses me off...

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Not true. Yes that policy has changed for iPad and iPhone because Apple added accidental damage. If you want AC on iPad and iPhone, you have to bring your device in to an Apple Store for them to look at before they will activate it. As for computers, nothing has changed. More info is available on Apple's FAQ page.

Important Note

The AppleCare Protection Plan can be purchased only while your Mac is still covered under the standard one-year limited warranty. See AppleCare Protection Plan Terms and Conditions for complete product details.
For more information, read frequently asked questions.

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r0k said:

Not true. Yes that policy has changed for iPad and iPhone because Apple added accidental damage. If you want AC on iPad and iPhone, you have to bring your device in to an Apple Store for them to look at before they will activate it. As for computers, nothing has changed. More info is available on Apple's FAQ page.

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You don't always have to take your phone to an Apple store to check it out. I bought mine from a Verizon store and called AppleCare to order it and they had me run a diagnostic that sent status back to them. Got coverage with no store visit. You have to be more than 50 miles from an Apple store to take advantage of this.

glenthompson said:

You don't always have to take your phone to an Apple store to check it out. I bought mine from a Verizon store and called AppleCare to order it and they had me run a diagnostic that sent status back to them. Got coverage with no store visit. You have to be more than 50 miles from an Apple store to take advantage of this.

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I have 4 Apple stores within 50 miles. Perhaps this is why I've never heard of this.

I've only had one mediocre experience at an Apple store so I'd rather have one (or more) Apple stores around than benefit from the ability to add AC without showing them my device.

glenthompson said:

You don't always have to take your phone to an Apple store to check it out. I bought mine from a Verizon store and called AppleCare to order it and they had me run a diagnostic that sent status back to them. Got coverage with no store visit. You have to be more than 50 miles from an Apple store to take advantage of this.

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Oh, that's good. I'd hate to have to haul my iMac or Mac Pro in to get it 'inspected' for AppleCare coverage. I did get the runaround when I tried to cover two iPads and my iPhone, and I'm over 2 hours from the 'nearest' Apple Store. No one would help me over the phone at AppleCare support. No mention of a diagnostic test or anything. Since 'accidental damage' could include physical damage, I don't know what purpose the diag was as it would not show physical damage at all. (BTW: What was the process they used? I've always been curious about the hidden diag codes.)

I stand (well, sit) corrected...

PinkyMacGodess said:

Oh, that's good. I'd hate to have to haul my iMac or Mac Pro in to get it 'inspected' for AppleCare coverage. I did get the runaround when I tried to cover two iPads and my iPhone, and I'm over 2 hours from the 'nearest' Apple Store. No one would help me over the phone at AppleCare support. No mention of a diagnostic test or anything. Since 'accidental damage' could include physical damage, I don't know what purpose the diag was as it would not show physical damage at all. (BTW: What was the process they used? I've always been curious about the hidden diag codes.)

I stand (well, sit) corrected...

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They sent me a text message with a link. Tapping on the link ran the diagnostic and sent something back to them (after asking me if it was ok). Doubt that it could detect a cracked screen or slight water damage but it had to work well enough to read and act on the message and pass the test.

I would go with applecare I work at a computer store and the computers that I have seen that best buy/geek squad had just "fixed" and given back saying everything is fine is quite sad.

geek squad is more like "$7 an hour kids that know how to screw with computers some crew".


Don't pay them tech rates for the same level of service any moron (myself included) at home does for friends and family for free.

Get coverage from the manufacturer not those noodles.