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Did you buy AppleCare+

S

sjn419

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 4, 2010
272
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I think I want to get it since it covers accidental damage but I read online you have to purchase it at the same time as your phone. Anyone know if this is true? I'm hoping they give you a 30 day window
 
sjn419 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

I think I want to get it since it covers accidental damage but I read online you have to purchase it at the same time as your phone. Anyone know if this is true? I'm hoping they give you a 30 day window
Click to expand...

I wanted to but nowhere on Verizon was it! :confused:
 
It is true, and there is no 30 day window. it has to be purchased at the same time as the phone. You can read the details on their support page for AppleCare+ to see more.

They don't allow the usual 1 year window because of the accidental damage component. If they did, then a lot of people would wait until they broke their phone to buy it. And of course most people never break their phone, so Apple would not get their money. That's how insurance works. You have to have it to have the coverage.
 
You can purchase AppleCare at any time during the original warranty period (1 year).
I did this on my 4 when it was 11 months old. Went to the apple store, bought it, done.
You can also do this online as well.
 
I almost purchased it for my wife, but decided not too, since I hope to be able to upgrade in a year, and don't think the cost would be worth it for that short a time period.
 
@iceterminal: AppleCare and AppleCare+ are two different things. Your statement is 100% correct, but refers to a different product.


@arichmann: All well and true, but show me how to buy AppleCare+ on the online store without a new phone in your cart... When I messed with it yesterday playing around, it could only be added in concert with a phone -- and if you then deleted the phone from your cart it auto-deleted the AppleCare+ as well. :D

Whether in-store or over-the-phone will be different I guess we'll find out next week. :cool:

@macbd: I know the T&C states you can transfer the remainder to a new owner when you sell the phone, and I'm nearly positive it also says you may cancel with prorated refund as well. Just food for thought.
 
I had heard, at least about Applecare+ through Verizon, that it will be offered when the phone launches on the 14th, and pre-orders will be able to buy it when it becomes available. Haven't heard anything official, this was posted in another thread last night.
 
I pre ordered the iPhone 4s online early this morning and there was no option for me to add AppleCare+ or regular AppleCare when I finished. I just got off the phone with apple and after talking with the AppleCare section and customer service this is what I found out. The AppleCare people cannot add this on after you make your preorder, it has to be done at the same time. He was aware that customers have been reporting that there was no option so he handed me off to customer service. The person I spoke with added a note to my order requesting the AppleCare+. He also said that if I do not get an email telling me that it was added then I will have to go to my local apple store (or call back) after I get my new iPhone as I need the serial number of the device. He did say to me that I have the year to go to the store to add the service. I for one will be making the trip ASAP if it isn't added to my order. Hope this helps.

@deeddawg good point about transferring the service, I read that as well and didn't really think about doing so!
 
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Yes, I have kids in the house, it's a no-brainer for me, I know it's gonna get dropped and will probably shatter. I had my 3GS for 18 months and it slipped out of my hands and shattered just a month ago - luckily Apple Store replaced the glass for free, I don't think they would have if I hadn't had AppleCare on that unit.
 
Applecare+ isn't a very good value. At $99 plus a $50 per incident deductible you are actually spending $150 for a replacement. Out of warranty replacements are $230.

For an $80 difference, I'll just try and not drop or dunk the new phone. Spending $100 to try and save $80 doesn't seem like a good value.
 
jalpert said:
Applecare+ isn't a very good value. At $99 plus a $50 per incident deductible you are actually spending $150 for a replacement. Out of warranty replacements are $230.

For an $80 difference, I'll just try and not drop or dunk the new phone. Spending $100 to try and save $80 doesn't seem like a good value.
Click to expand...

Where did you find that out of warranty replacements are $230?
 
sddabrow said:
Where did you find that out of warranty replacements are $230?
Click to expand...

They always have been. If you walk into an apple store with a cracked screen or water damage, they will offer you a replacement phone for "out of warranty damage" for $200

I also did not buy AppleCare+. I have a personal property insurance plan that is ~$66 a year that covers all items on my person with a $25 deductible up to $2000. This is a better deal IMO because it also covers if the phone is stolen or I lose it which applecare does not cover.
 
mastercheif91 said:
They always have been. If you walk into an apple store with a cracked screen or water damage, they will offer you a replacement phone for "out of warranty damage" for $200
Click to expand...

Wow, I did not know that. AppleCare+ doesn't make too much sense then...
 
Also if you pay with an American Express credit card (I did), you get extended warrenty for up to a year beyond when Apple's ends, basically giving you the full 2 years of Apple Care. And Amex has accidental damage or theft for the first 90 days you have it. The only thing I wasn't sure about what how it works with repairing or replacing a phone after they pick up with the extended warrenty. I presume you have to go thru Amex, and not the convenience of walking into an Apple Store.
 
mastercheif91 said:
They always have been. If you walk into an apple store with a cracked screen or water damage, they will offer you a replacement phone for "out of warranty damage" for $200
Click to expand...

What we don't know is whether Apple will continue this practice. They may continue, they may change it up. AFAIK there hasn't been an accidental damage coverage plan before, so this AppleCare+ may rewrite the "rules".

In the end, its a personal decision each must make.
 
jalpert said:
Applecare+ isn't a very good value. At $99 plus a $50 per incident deductible you are actually spending $150 for a replacement. Out of warranty replacements are $230.

For an $80 difference, I'll just try and not drop or dunk the new phone. Spending $100 to try and save $80 doesn't seem like a good value.
Click to expand...

+1 for you sir. I was kicking myself this morning when I was ordering my 4S without AppleCare+ from Apple online.

Never mind, i'll take the risk, and if I do break it, i'll just shell out the additional $230. I think of it as a $80 gamble. I've lost way more money then that at my recent casino trip lol
 
deeddawg said:
What we don't know is whether Apple will continue this practice. They may continue, they may change it up. AFAIK there hasn't been an accidental damage coverage plan before, so this AppleCare+ may rewrite the "rules".

In the end, its a personal decision each must make.
Click to expand...

Right, but I think they will use this as a sales tactic. "Hey, you should buy AppleCare+ because if you broke your device at least once, you'd save $80"
 
I completely screwed things over by missing the fineprint on Applecare+.

You MUST buy it with your phone, but I made the mistake of preordering at Best Buy. Best Buy has their own warranty so they dont offer AppleCare+ and when I cancelled my preorder so I can just buy it at Sprint or Apple then now my eligibiity for discount is in limbo because Sprint takes "up to 7 days" to reset it which means I can't preorder anywhere.
 
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I think I will get the AT&T insurance in case I lose my phone.
 
I called Apple earlier today to ask about Applecare+, because I didn't see the option to order it when I preordered my phone, either. I asked if they could add it on to my order now, but she said no. But she said I would be able to get it once I activate my phone. I think she said I would have to call them with my serial # and they could set it up for me then. Sorry I can't remember the exact details...I had to go through a couple different people to get an answer. But I told her I wanted to make sure I could get it and she said yes, absolutely I could get it once I get the phone.

You won't, however, be able to purchase it anytime within the first year, as you've been able to in the past.
 
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