Should purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan before my one year warranty expires?

[MacMan988]

My macbook pro has a one year warranty which is about to expire. Should I buy the AppleCare plan before it expires? Can I still buy AppleCare even after my one year warranty period expires?

Thanks.

[Apple fanboy]

You have to buy before the year is up. I bought it for peace of mind on my iMac but it's up to you. If you live in Europe you will still have a limited warrantee after a year.

[OllyW]

You must buy and register the AppleCare before the 12 months standard warranty ends.

[Spink10]

I recommend purchasing AppleCare - especially if you plan on selling the machine in the next two years.

[phoenixsan]

buy in the year. And definitely worth it, in case any problems show up or you want to sell the machine later

[cheezeit]

I'd say wait if your on the fence till its almost the end of the year then decide if you want to keep or sell to upgrade. Often times the amount to get the warranty will be almost the amount lost if you sell then buy the newer model .

[MacMan988]

Thank you for all answers. Does that means if the one year warranty gets expired, theres no way I could ever extend the warranty (buy apple care) ?

[thleeal]

Yes YES YES.

one of my good friends, mbp's logic board refused to accept one of his ram modules, the modules tested fine, it was one of the slots that was done for.

just over a year old and he took it to apple, who promptly told him S* out of luck £400 please... This is the Leicester branch UK.

get the warranty.... or (for future ref) buy as a student, you get a 3 year domestic warranty for free.

[VPrime]

Only if you have an apple store near you which is not incompetent... Or a good authorized repair shop.

I have had a terrible experience over the summer with an iMac, and will never buy AppleCare again.
long story short, took an iMac in for repair (had purchased additional apple care), they damage it. Couldn't fix it, after a fee lies from managers and geniuses they refused to fix it after complaining and kicked me out of the store. after many calls and emails to apple head quarters I got the computer replaced over a month later.

So I can not recommend AppleCare to anyone ever again.

[Spink10]

Originally Posted by MacMan988

Thank you for all answers. Does that means if the one year warranty gets expired, theres no way I could ever extend the warranty (buy apple care) ?

Apple could make an exemption to allow you to purchase after 1 year - but it is not required from them.

[tshrimp]

I too am looking to see if I should buy Applecare for my Macbook Pro. I have never purchased a computer warranty, and have never even considered it until recently as I just because a Mac user about 1 year ago. Have a Mac Mini Mid 2011 and a Macbook Pro Mid 2012.

Reading these boards most say to get it, but from what I hear Macs are of the best quality. I was a PC tech in the past and have replaced most laptop parts myself. Motherboards, LCD screens, hard drives, keyboards, palm rests, etc. Also I usually research issues, post on forums, or just figure out issues myself.

Also I plan on adding more ram and maybe an SSD. Would this void Applecare?

I guess I should say, if macs are so reliable why do so many people say to get applecare?

Thanks for the help.

[RUGERMAN]

Originally Posted by tshrimp

I too am looking to see if I should buy Applecare for my Macbook Pro. I have never purchased a computer warranty, and have never even considered it until recently as I just because a Mac user about 1 year ago. Have a Mac Mini Mid 2011 and a Macbook Pro Mid 2012.

Reading these boards most say to get it, but from what I hear Macs are of the best quality. I was a PC tech in the past and have replaced most laptop parts myself. Motherboards, LCD screens, hard drives, keyboards, palm rests, etc. Also I usually research issues, post on forums, or just figure out issues myself.

Also I plan on adding more ram and maybe an SSD. Would this void Applecare?

I guess I should say, if macs are so reliable why do so many people say to get applecare?

Thanks for the help.

I've had 11 Macs begining with the 128k and have never had Apple Care and no problem. For some people it may be worth it for the phone support alone, but I've rolled the dice. There were a few times when I would have liked the phone support, but if you're fairly close to an Apple store you can get most things resolved for free there. As far as hardware goes, only one problem and that was outside the 3 years anyway.

[blesscheese]

My rule of thumb is:
1. For a laptop, always buy it, and
2. don't bother getting it with a desktop.

Laptops are meant to be taken around and used (not abused). There is just too much of a chance of something mechanical wearing.

Having said that, I have never had to use the AppleCare for anything other than a defective product, which was covered out of warranty anyway (the old iBook G3 800 lemon, the old Powerbook 5300).

Note again, the warranty won't cover abuse, such as drops or spills.

[Scepticalscribe]

For what it is worth, I have had Applecare on both of my Apple laptops - a MBP and currently, a MBA, and I have needed to use it on both (HDD failure on the MBP, and a Magsafe failure and keyboard replacement on the MBA).

To my way of thinking, Applecare offers peace of mind for three years, as the warranty expires after one. It also allows for a slightly better resale value, and it means that when I buy a computer, I can now think in terms of a two and a half, or three year cycle before I begin to think of the need to replace it.

ReApplecare itself, you can buy it at any time in the first year after you bought the computer, but not one minute after that. In other words, you cannot retrospectively try to buy it 13 or 14 months after you buy the computer - it must be in the first year of purchase.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by tshrimp

...
Reading these boards most say to get it, but from what I hear Macs are of the best quality. I was a PC tech in the past and have replaced most laptop parts myself. ...

My wife and I each own multiple Macs (we both work from home, and both need a desktop and a mobile system) that over the years we have upgraded as needed. In our experience Macs are generally reliable. And Apple coverage is very good. My wife's MBA had a wonky hinge that was replaced out of warranty due to an special extended warranty on that part. The hinge replacement meant a whole new lid, screen and all, and they didn't care that one lid corner was bashed in due to a fall.

That said.... when a Mac goes bad, it is almost always an expensive repair. Many parts can only be sourced from Apple - not 3rd party vendors. My rule of thumb is that an Apple repair costs about $1000.... sometimes more and sometimes less.

Originally Posted by tshrimp

.....
I guess I should say, if macs are so reliable why do so many people say to get applecare?

Thanks for the help.

One of the things that rarely gets mentioned in these debates is the additional feature of AppleCare. Standard warranty is 1 year hardware coverage, and 90 days of software support by telephone. Buy AppleCare and the software support is extended to from 90 days to 3 years. You can call Apple and ask questions about any Apple software, currently released or not. If you have a bad OS upgrade, for example, ..... if you have AppleCare you can call them. If you decide to purchase Aperture X, you can call them if you can't figure out a feature. It is a great service to offer, and to take advantage of.

[31 Flavas]

Originally Posted by VPrime

Only if you have an apple store near you which is not incompetent... Or a good authorized repair shop.

I have had a terrible experience over the summer with an iMac, and will never buy AppleCare again.
long story short, took an iMac in for repair (had purchased additional apple care), they damage it. Couldn't fix it, after a fee lies from managers and geniuses they refused to fix it after complaining and kicked me out of the store. after many calls and emails to apple head quarters I got the computer replaced over a month later.

So I can not recommend AppleCare to anyone ever again.

Opposite experience for me.

I took in a 2009 CTO 24" iMac for a loose monitor hinge. I was told the monitor hinge itself wasn't covered under warranty. Explanation being that it isn't an item that can fail. However, the labor to replace it would be covered.

$34.95 wasn't a bad price to me -- even if I thought it should be covered. But, I asked for the manager and he decided to cover it. So awesome. So +1 internets to AppleCare.

Took 2 days for the part to arrive. They called back and I expected them to say it was ready to pick up, but stated they damaged a mainboard connector in the process of disassembly. I asked, what does that mean for me?

This was July 2012. They said, come on in and they'd replace it with a new 27" on the spot (the current, at the time, 2011 model).

The CTO 24" iMac that I bought in 2009, cost me $1,499. They gave me $1,700 for it -- cost of the base model 27" iMac -- and let me purchase the $1,999 upgraded model. So, +1,700 internets to AppleCare.

Where else could I get $1,700 for a (nearly) 3 year old Mac?

I suppose my case could have been different had I taken the repair work to a different Apple store. However, in my case, I highly recommend AppleCare -- at least for their PC/Laptops.

(i've not purchased it for my iPhone, iPad, or AppleTV. They've been entirely reliable.)

[Lark.Landon]

I work for AppleCare. You NEED the AppleCare Protection Plan. Trust me, worth every penny. Screw the tech support, the extended warranty pays for itself.

[GGJstudios]

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.
• AppleCare follows the device, not the owner. When a Mac changes hands, the AppleCare coverage still applies to the computer. There is no need to "register" the new owner in order to receive coverage.
• 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.

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, that's a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. You really need to decide if it's worth it to you. If you want more information, you can search the forum, where you'll find dozens, if not hundreds of threads asking "is AppleCare worth it?" The overall consensus seems to be about 75% in favor of it.

[designs216]

Originally Posted by MacMan988

My macbook pro has a one year warranty which is about to expire. Should I buy the AppleCare plan before it expires? Can I still buy AppleCare even after my one year warranty period expires?

Thanks.

A laptop by definition travels and is subject to rougher treatment than a workstation, so if you want a little extra peace of mind, get the warranty before the year's out.