AppleCare+ vs. SquareTrade

[carrako]

Is there a difference now? Both are $99 for 2 years right? and cover Accidental Damage... Is one better than the other?

I have always insured my apple products (iPad 1, iPad2, iPhone 3G, iPhone4) with Squaretrade in the past, but if AppleCare+ covers the same thing at the same cost, I would much rather have Apple repair my stuff at a local store and shipping it to ST.

 

[Goldinboy17]

AppleCare+ has a $49 deductible. Squaretrade's is $50. They're both pretty much on par. At least with AppleCare+ you can stop by a Genius Bar next day for very a quick replacement. It covers up to two incidents as well compared to the one offered by Squaretrade.

 

[benjamintm]

AppleCare+ has a $49 deductible. Squaretrade's is $50. They're both pretty much on par. At least with AppleCare+ you can stop by a Genius Bar next day for very a quick replacement. It covers up to two incidents as well compared to the one offered by Squaretrade.

Yes, but SquareTrade will reimburse you the full cost of a phone if it's totaled (minus the $50 deductible), which you can then go out and buy a new iPhone (or any other phone) and you can then buy a new SquareTrade warranty. With AppleCare+, you get two replacements and that's it.

So the cost breakdown is this:

AppleCare+
$99 initial cost = AppleCare + two accidents

• First accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Second accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Third incident: nothing (other then mocking your clumsiness

Misc Benefits: Get all the benefits of regular AppleCare, In store replacement is pretty quick.
Misc Cons: Reading the AC+ license, transfers appear complex.
Total costs: $197

SquareTrade
$99 initial cost = $849 in coverage (cost of a new iPhone 4s 64GB)

• Each accident: $50 deductible, cost of repair deducted from $849; or $849 check (minus previous repairs) if phone is totaled.

Misc Benefits: Can cash out warranty or transfer it. Transfers are relativly easy. Turn around time is quick (though not Apple store quick)
Misc Cons: You can't just take it into the store and get a replacement w/o out of pocket expense. Turn around time can take up to 5 days.
Total costs: $148

Both plans do not cover lost phones.

Ben

 

[haticK]

if Apple wont let me get AppleCare+ then im probably getting squaretrade, seems to be decent

 

[benjamin9876]

Yes, but SquareTrade will reimburse you the full cost of a phone if it's totaled (minus the $50 deductible), which you can then go out and buy a new iPhone (or any other phone) and you can then buy a new SquareTrade warranty. With AppleCare+, you get two replacements and that's it.

So the cost breakdown is this:

AppleCare+
$99 initial cost = AppleCare + two accidents

• First accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Second accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Third incident: nothing (other then mocking your clumsiness

Misc Benefits: Get all the benefits of regular AppleCare, In store replacement is pretty quick.
Misc Cons: Reading the AC+ license, transfers appear complex.
Total costs: $197

SquareTrade
$99 initial cost = $849 in coverage (cost of a new iPhone 4s 64GB)

• Each accident: $50 deductible, cost of repair deducted from $849; or $849 check (minus previous repairs) if phone is totaled.

Misc Benefits: Can cash out warranty or transfer it. Transfers are relativly easy. Turn around time is quick (though not Apple store quick)
Misc Cons: You can't just take it into the store and get a replacement w/o out of pocket expense. Turn around time can take up to 5 days.
Total costs: $148

Both plans do not cover lost phones.

Ben

how do you know squaretrade cover at $849 and not $399?

In ST option, if my phone cant be repair, need a replace one. How they goona replace it? they just send you a replacement phone or ask you to get it from apple store and reimburse you ? ....

never buy a insurance. seems confuse to me

 

[haticK]

how do you know squaretrade cover at $849 and not $399?

In ST option, if my phone cant be repair, need a replace one. How they goona replace it? they just send you a replacement phone or ask you to get it from apple store and reimburse you ? ....

never buy a insurance. seems confuse to me

think they send you a refurbished one then you send them your broken one

 

[shortys408]

I ordered my 4S through verizon and I was told because I did not order from apple I can not add applecare+. Looks like I will be going square trade.

edit: I called again and was told I can bring my unopened iphone to a store and purchase applecare+. Does apple cover water damage?

 

[nuckinfutz]

I ordered my 4S through verizon and I was told because I did not order from apple I can not add applecare+. Looks like I will be going square trade.

edit: I called again and was told I can bring my unopened iphone to a store and purchase applecare+. Does apple cover water damage?

Water damage is accidental

 

[yAak]

AppleCare+ Transfer + Fineprint:
http://images.apple.com/legal/applecare/docs/AppleCarePlus.pdf

Here's MY summaries of the contents. My summaries are obviously not legal advice and should only be used for the sake of discussion:

- Transfer Details: Contact Apple, give them new owners address/info + proof of purchase + Plan # + Phone serial# (Stuff they need to provide warranty coverage for new owner and prevent fraud/theft of warranty.)


- Covered Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH):
"ADH coverage only applies to operational or mechanical failure caused by an accident from handling that is the result of an unexpected and unintentional external event (e.g., drops and liquid contact) that arises from your normal daily usage of the Covered Equipment as intended for such Covered Equipment." (Dark blue text = copy-paste from the agreement.)

- What's not Covered:
Basically anything not explicitly stated above. Here's some details...
"ADH coverage does not include (a) protection against normal wear and tear, theft, misplacement, reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of the Covered Equipment, ... "

- My Summaries of the other cases NOT covered:
- "Act of God" situations: (your phone gets damaged by earthquake, tornado, etc.)
- "Cosmetic" damage that doesn't prevent phone from working right. This is a gray area you can argue, of course. A scratch across the front screen or camera lens can obviously affect the phone's functionality.
- Normal use "wear and tear" and aging.
- Theft/Loss
- Typical warranty voiding things like removing the serial #, modifying the hardware, etc.
- Anything their lawyers might have forgotten to list. (Seriously.)

----
All of the "Not Covered" stuff is what you'll find is typically the same for ALL electronics warranties. Without reading SquareTrade's agreement, I'd say its safe to assume they have the same exceptions as AppleCare+ does. Also, I'm not a lawyer, nor have any work experience with claims, so take my summaries as opinion, not fact.

 

[sweetbrat]

how do you know squaretrade cover at $849 and not $399?

This is the thing that makes me VERY leery of Squaretrade. Their contract says: "The total value of your Care Plan is in most cases equal to the purchase price of your item." So, the purchase price of my iPhone 4S 32GB was $299. So that means they'll cover $299? So I pay $99 for the policy, plus $50 for the accidental damage deductible, totaling $149, and they're saying their coverage limit is $299. Once they reach that limit, the policy is fulfilled, I have no more coverage, and I still don't have enough to cover the cost of a replacement phone. How is that useful?

I'd much rather go with Applecare+. They'll cover 2 accidental damage issues (with a $49 deductible for each). The cost of the repairs/replacements isn't a factor. Sounds much more reasonable to me.

 

[nippyjun]

I've always gotten squaretrade but this time i got applecare+. I want to be able to go to the local apple store(we have 5 in the area) and get it fixed/replaced the same day. I can't really afford to wait a couple days and not have my phone.

 

[mjoshi123]

Yes, but SquareTrade will reimburse you the full cost of a phone if it's totaled (minus the $50 deductible), which you can then go out and buy a new iPhone (or any other phone) and you can then buy a new SquareTrade warranty. With AppleCare+, you get two replacements and that's it.

So the cost breakdown is this:

AppleCare+
$99 initial cost = AppleCare + two accidents

• First accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Second accident: $49 = replaced with same iPhone model
• Third incident: nothing (other then mocking your clumsiness

Misc Benefits: Get all the benefits of regular AppleCare, In store replacement is pretty quick.
Misc Cons: Reading the AC+ license, transfers appear complex.
Total costs: $197

SquareTrade
$99 initial cost = $849 in coverage (cost of a new iPhone 4s 64GB)

• Each accident: $50 deductible, cost of repair deducted from $849; or $849 check (minus previous repairs) if phone is totaled.

Misc Benefits: Can cash out warranty or transfer it. Transfers are relativly easy. Turn around time is quick (though not Apple store quick)
Misc Cons: You can't just take it into the store and get a replacement w/o out of pocket expense. Turn around time can take up to 5 days.
Total costs: $148

Both plans do not cover lost phones.

Ben

Are you sure about $849 coverage from ST ? Some places are reporting that they will cover only price you paid so that would be $199 for 16GB 4s.

 

[benjamintm]

how do you know squaretrade cover at $849 and not $399?

In ST option, if my phone cant be repair, need a replace one. How they goona replace it? they just send you a replacement phone or ask you to get it from apple store and reimburse you ? ....

never buy a insurance. seems confuse to me

This is inferred from past conversations with them. Basically when you pay them $99, it gives you $849 (iPhone 4s 64GB) in insurance.

Here are some examples:

• If you break your phone and the repair is less then the $849, they will repair it for the lesser amount and then deduct it from the $849 (plus your deductable). So if it costs $100 to fix the screen because you dropped it, you will have $699 in insurance ($100 repair + $50 deductible). If you broke it again and it was $700 in damage, they would write you a check for $649 (the remaining $699 of insurance minus $50 deductible).
  
• If you dropped your phone just once and it would cost $850 to repair, they would write you a check for $799 ($849 - $50 deductable).
  
• If your phone died through no fault of your own and it cost $850 to repair, they would write you a check for $849 as there is no deductible if you didn't cause the problem.

Now compare that to AppleCare+:

• If you drop and break your phone once, you get a replacement. Drop and break it a second time, you get a replacement. Drop and break it a third time, no replacement.
• If it dies 10 times because of faulty hardware, they will replace it 10 times.

Overall, I think AppleCare+ is a better deal, but I'll find out as I now have an iPhone with SquareTrade and will have one with AppleCare+.

Ben

 

[mjoshi123]

okay I checked ST as well as Applecare+, It looks like ST charges you more money to insure 64GB Iphone4S compared to Applecare+, Applecare+ is $99 for any iPhone whereas ST costs $128 for 64GB ST.
Is Applecare cheaper from education store for Students or it is same price ?

 

[pavelbure]

I ordered my 4S through verizon and I was told because I did not order from apple I can not add applecare+. Looks like I will be going square trade.

edit: I called again and was told I can bring my unopened iphone to a store and purchase applecare+. Does apple cover water damage?

Who did you call ?

Since I ordered through att I'm in the same boat as you and will probably have to drive out to a store.

 

[benjamintm]

okay I checked ST as well as Applecare+, It looks like ST charges you more money to insure 64GB Iphone4S compared to Applecare+, Applecare+ is $99 for any iPhone whereas ST costs $128 for 64GB ST.?

SquareTrade is currently offering iPhone 4S warranties for $99 regardless of the capacity via a $25 discount. If you search twitter for #squaretrade you can get an additional $5 off discount codes. Or you can ping me with your email and I can send you a "Tell-A-Friend" discount. Twitter is faster though .

Ben

 

[mackmgg]

okay I checked ST as well as Applecare+, It looks like ST charges you more money to insure 64GB Iphone4S compared to Applecare+, Applecare+ is $99 for any iPhone whereas ST costs $128 for 64GB ST.
Is Applecare cheaper from education store for Students or it is same price ?

Just checked the Educational store, it's still $99 for students.

 

[auero]

Squaretrade is sounding more appealing right now since it covers water damage. It can also be cancelled after a year and be prorated the difference back.

The coupon for 25% + 5% is WIZARD25 FYI.

Debating on canceling my applecare+ now since its basically good for drops. Everything else that happens after a year my AMEX can take care of.

Edit: The only thing I find confusing is the website https://www.squaretrade.com/pages/learn-more-warranty-buyer states:

Coverage Amount
For replacement payments: You are covered up to the maximum value you paid for the item. Once we pay out that amount, your Care Plan is considered fulfilled. If you would like coverage on your new item, you need to purchase a new warranty for it.

For Repairs: The Care Plan is good for multiple repairs, up to the maximum value of your item. Once the cost of repairs meets the full purchase price of the item, your Care Plan is considered fulfilled.

 

[shortys408]

applecare+ does not cover water?

 

[auero]

applecare+ does not cover water?

edit: according to the top posts, yes.

 

[shortys408]

I also ordered my 4S with an AMEX, what protection does that get me?

 

[balwx]

I am also debating my insurance options. I purchased two iphones from the verizon site this morning with my AMEX card.

Auero can you please elaborate on our coverage using AMEX.

thx

 

[benjamintm]

No. Not according to the terms which is stupid since I could say I dropped my phone off a building, smash it into pieces and get it replaced.

According to the AppleCare+ T&Cs, water damage is covered. Section 3.2 (my emphisis):

ADH coverage only applies to operational or mechanical failure caused by an accident from handling that is the result of an unexpected and unintentional external event (e.g., drops and liquid contact) that arises from your normal daily usage of the Covered Equipment as intended for such Covered Equipment.

Ben

 

[auero]

According to the AppleCare+ T&Cs, water damage is covered. Section 3.2 (my emphisis):


Ben

Caught me before I could correct myself.

----------

I am also debating my insurance options. I purchased two iphones from the verizon site this morning with my AMEX card.

Auero can you please elaborate on our coverage using AMEX.

thx

Depending on your AMEX card (Visa Signature as well) AMEX will match your manufactures warranty.

For example, my iPhone 4's home button stopped working a week after my warranty ran up and I filed a claim. Within 3-4 days I received a letter and credit to my account for the price I paid for the phone.

 

[benjamintm]

I am also debating my insurance options. I purchased two iphones from the verizon site this morning with my AMEX card.

Auero can you please elaborate on our coverage using AMEX.

thx

American Express basically adds another year onto the warranties of items purchased with an AMEX card. I don't have the exact details, but I believe it also covers loss, theft, or damage (I could be wrong). Here is the FAQ.

As always, check the Terms and Conditions.

I started the process when I though my water sensors had been tripped on the iPhone. I submitted a claim, they called me, we talked about the problem, they said they needed an Apple quote before processing the claim. When I took it into the Apple store, they looked at the strips and said they were fine. Overall the process with AMEX is more cumbersome, but it's also free.

Ben