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Resolved Best Buy and AppleCare

M

mrjackal

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 5, 2012
27
3
I'll be purchasing my iPad Air at Best Buy, hopefully on Friday, but certainly sometime in the next week or so. Typically I'd buy at an Apple Store, but I have a ton of reward zone certificates to burn through.

In any event, can I buy AppleCare at Best Buy? Am I disqualified from Apple Care by not buying the iPad at an Apple Store?

Thank you for your time.
 
You can buy from best buy then walk into Apple and buy applecare. But at that point I would suggest doing what I did with my macbook. I bought the Bestbuy accidental warranty plan which is not THAT much more than Applecare, BUT you get accidental coverage for drops and spills or normal use accidents. For example, you're computer getting run over by a car is not normal use and will not be covered, but spilling a bottle of water all in your computer will be. The plan is pretty good and is barely more than Applecare, but once again no accidents with applecare only manufacturer defects.
 
mrjackal said:
I'll be purchasing my iPad Air at Best Buy, hopefully on Friday, but certainly sometime in the next week or so. Typically I'd buy at an Apple Store, but I have a ton of reward zone certificates to burn through.

In any event, can I buy AppleCare at Best Buy? Am I disqualified from Apple Care by not buying the iPad at an Apple Store?

Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if you can buy applecare at best buy or not. They will try to push their geek squad warranty first and foremost.

Even if you can't purchase it at best buy, you can purchase it at an apple store. You just have to take your iPad in and have it inspected. I know with the iPhone you have 30 days.
 
BlueGoldAce said:
I am not sure if you can buy applecare at best buy or not. They will try to push their geek squad warranty first and foremost.

Even if you can't purchase it at best buy, you can purchase it at an apple store. You just have to take your iPad in and have it inspected. I know with the iPhone you have 30 days.
Click to expand...
I have Square Trade on all my phones. You get 4 accidents and the 2 year policy is cheaper than best buy and apple care.
 
bbishop93 said:
You can buy from best buy then walk into Apple and buy applecare. But at that point I would suggest doing what I did with my macbook. I bought the Bestbuy accidental warranty plan which is not THAT much more than Applecare, BUT you get accidental coverage for drops and spills or normal use accidents. For example, you're computer getting run over by a car is not normal use and will not be covered, but spilling a bottle of water all in your computer will be. The plan is pretty good and is barely more than Applecare, but once again no accidents with applecare only manufacturer defects.
Click to expand...
iPad and iPhone get AppleCare+, not AppleCare. AC+ covers any damage.
 
Thanks to all for the information and taking the time to reply. This helps!
 
TWO2SEVEN said:
I don't know if it normal for ST, but there was a post here a while back about some one who got their iPad "repaired" by ST. They did not offer a replacement and the repairs looked horrible.

----------

Here is the thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1363333/
Click to expand...

That's always the danger with third-party warranties, that they'll use their own repair centres rather than Apple in order to keep costs down. Personally I want a guarantee that any repairs would be carried out by Apple so I'll be choosing AppleCare.

As said above, you can either buy AC with a new device or else take it in to be inspected within 30 days. The inspection is obviously to prevent people taking it out retrospectively after damaging their device and the 30 days is presumably to stop people taking it out on an older device and then intentionally damaging it in order to get a new one.

Not sure what the deal is with a brand new one purchased from somewhere other than an Apple Store. You could try taking it, still sealed, to the Apple Store and showing them that it's obviously brand new and see if they'll sell you the AC but they may still insist on opening the box and checking it.
 
I ordered my iPhone 5 from Apple and had it shipped. I went in to the store about a week later to add Apple Care. I just had to walk up to one of the people on the floor, he asked for my Apple ID and charged me. Didn't even look at the phone.

As always, different stores and employees may vary. All in all it was a very quick and easy process. I had made a Genius Bar appointment but ended up not needing it. In and out in less than 5 mins.
 
HoosBruce said:
am I missing something? why would you not choose ST then?
Click to expand...

Simple. Apple is my choice always, since they have the best peace of mind return/fix policy. I can go over to them, get the exchange immediately, they will fix it or if something goes wrong, they will stand behind the product. $49 is not much for me to have this peace of mind. I always go to the source not to a third party. You, and others maybe different, but its my decision, and I'm comfortable with it.

;) :)
 
ABC5S said:
Simple. Apple is my choice always, since they have the best peace of mind return/fix policy. I can go over to them, get the exchange immediately, they will fix it or if something goes wrong, they will stand behind the product. $49 is not much for me to have this peace of mind. I always go to the source not to a third party. You, and others maybe different, but its my decision, and I'm comfortable with it.

;) :)
Click to expand...

I've always used apple lol jw about the ST deal
 
ABC5S said:
Simple. Apple is my choice always, since they have the best peace of mind return/fix policy. I can go over to them, get the exchange immediately, they will fix it or if something goes wrong, they will stand behind the product. $49 is not much for me to have this peace of mind. I always go to the source not to a third party. You, and others maybe different, but its my decision, and I'm comfortable with it.

;) :)
Click to expand...

+1 on this. I think the same way. Saving a few bucks is not worth the hassle. At least not to me. Other people have more time on their hands and the few bucks are worth more than their time and aggravation. So, good for them.
 
I briefly gave Best Buy some consideration but my gut is telling me purchase at an Apple store. My gut has never steered me wrong and like others have said, the peace of mind of doing so makes it a no brainer. Plus, since this is my first iPad, if I have any questions, I feel the Apple store is the better way to go in getting it set up. :cool:
 
CNeufeld said:
Interesting... Anyone know if you get a refurb vs. new? Not that there's anything wrong with Apple's refurbs...

Clint
Click to expand...

I was ALWAYS told they just take a new iPad out of the box and give it to you, I've never actually tested it out though. And I was told this same thing at multiple Best Buys too.
 
stephen1108 said:
I was ALWAYS told they just take a new iPad out of the box and give it to you, I've never actually tested it out though. And I was told this same thing at multiple Best Buys too.
Click to expand...
That is interesting.

I'm still purchasing my iPad at an Apple store but do know Best Buy did this for me for an Apple TV 3 I purchased at their store. It stopped working a couple months after purchase when I upgraded the system. The Geek Squad dude didn't even bat an eyelash. Just told me to go pick out a new one. I rarely buy extended service warranties anymore but this was the best $14 bucks I've spent for a 2 year warranty. No questions, just grab a brand new one and I was out the door in 5 minutes.
 
Vertigo1 said:
That's always the danger with third-party warranties, that they'll use their own repair centres rather than Apple in order to keep costs down. Personally I want a guarantee that any repairs would be carried out by Apple so I'll be choosing AppleCare.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, with Squaretrade you can either send it to the repair center or go to the Genius Bar. If you take it to Apple then Squaretrade will reimburse you the cost. Previously the option to take it to Apple wasn't as apparent, and you had to ask. Now that option is made clear on their web site.
 
CNeufeld said:
Interesting... Anyone know if you get a refurb vs. new? Not that there's anything wrong with Apple's refurbs...

Clint
Click to expand...

stephen1108 said:
I was ALWAYS told they just take a new iPad out of the box and give it to you, I've never actually tested it out though. And I was told this same thing at multiple Best Buys too.
Click to expand...

I had to swap out my third gen iPad at Best Buy due to a dead pixel. I gave them mine back in the original box and walked out with a new one sealed in the box. However, this was within the return policy, not with the Geek Squad warranty.
 
I've purchased most of my idevices at Best Buy. I live hours from an Apple store so I just call Apple when I get home and purchase Apple Care + over the phone. I've never had a single problem doing this.
 
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