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Are you planning on buying AppleCare / Squaretrade?

  • Applecare only

    Votes: 41 39.8%
  • Squaretrade 2 year

    Votes: 10 9.7%
  • Squaretrade 3 year

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Squaretrade + Applecare

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Nothing, I'll take my chances

    Votes: 47 45.6%

  • Total voters
    103

melman101

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
Are you planning on buying AppleCare and/or the Squaretrade warranty? I'm thinking maybe I should get an accidental damage policy, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
 

r0k

macrumors 68040
Mar 3, 2008
3,611
75
Detroit
Applecare on my Macbook was one of my better investments. I get to talk to a human at Apple support without dealing with any pay per incident issues. I got my Time Capsule replaced simply because one of the machines backing up to it was under Applecare. For me to consider Applecare for the iPad, it can't be priced like Applecare for a Macbook Pro but I'm sure it will be more than Applecare for an iPod would cost.
 

JZ Wire

macrumors regular
Dec 18, 2003
248
1
Miami, FL
You better believe it! I take very good care of my things but at the same time I have bad luck, so things tend to break at no fault of my own.
Ex. I have a Powerbook 12'' that ive owned for years and it was in perfect condition. Lend it to my sister for two days, she dropped it, and screwed it up. :(

So anyway, I still think its a good idea for anyone to have when making this kind of investment.
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
FWIW many credit cards extend the warranty of items bought with it for up to an an additional year for free. One of the many reasons I rarely buy extended warranties. You might want to check the features of your CC to see if this is offered with yours. (And yes, it works, and yes, you can take it to Apple for repair).

The iPad is going to be an annual upgrade item for me for a couple years at least -- kinda like the iPods were in the mid '00s, so ext. warranty is useless and unnecessary expense. Hard to believe any iPad early adopter doesn't plan on upgrading to 2.0.
 

melman101

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
FWIW many credit cards extend the warranty of items bought with it for up to an an additional year for free. One of the many reasons I rarely buy extended warranties. You might want to check the features of your CC to see if this is offered with yours. (And yes, it works, and yes, you can take it to Apple for repair).

The iPad is going to be an annual upgrade item for me for a couple years at least -- kinda like the iPods were in the mid '00s, so ext. warranty is useless and unnecessary expense. Hard to believe any iPad early adopter doesn't plan on upgrading to 2.0.

I don't plan on buying the 2.0 model. 2 iPhones + iPad every year becomes very expensive. LOL.

Hopefully I can wait to 3.0 or 4.0 model. Although I'm very weak when it comes to Apple.
 

JZ Wire

macrumors regular
Dec 18, 2003
248
1
Miami, FL
The iPad is going to be an annual upgrade item for me for a couple years at least -- kinda like the iPods were in the mid '00s, so ext. warranty is useless and unnecessary expense. Hard to believe any iPad early adopter doesn't plan on upgrading to 2.0.

True. But just like the iPods back then, when I upgrade to iPad vers. 2, id like to be able to hand it down to someone in the family. Just like I did with some of my iPods. The extended warranty would be great because if something happens to it while its out of my hands at least I know im covered.

Everyones situation is different of course and it all depends on how you plan on using the iPad and your plans for when you upgrade to the next best thing.
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
I don't plan on buying the 2.0 model. 2 iPhones + iPad every year becomes very expensive. LOL.


Yes, but the beauty of the annual upgrade is that you can get decent money for the old version so the cost of the upgrade is minimal. In fact, probably not much more than the cost of AppleCare itself. This is especially true if you sell just as Apple announces the new model b/c it takes a day or two for word to circulate to the non-Apple obsessed world.

This is S.O.P. with my laptops. I use to do it w/ my PM and MPs but it got to be to big of a PITA with having to remove all the HDs and cards and reinstall the OEM junk. Also use to do it with iPods until I stopped needing them after the iPhone came out. Works like a charm if you keep all the original packing and stuff.
 

melman101

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
Yes, but the beauty of the annual upgrade is that you can get decent money for the old version so the cost of the upgrade is minimal. In fact, probably not much more than the cost of AppleCare itself. This is especially true if you sell just as Apple announces the new model b/c it takes a day or two for word to circulate to the non-Apple obsessed world.

This is S.O.P. with my laptops. I use to do it w/ my PM and MPs but it got to be to big of a PITA with having to remove all the HDs and cards and reinstall the OEM junk. Also use to do it with iPods until I stopped needing them after the iPhone came out. Works like a charm if you keep all the original packing and stuff.

That's true, but I am always weary of selling stuff. Feel like I'm gonna get robbed or something. It's just irrational paranoia.
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
That's true, but I am always weary of selling stuff. Feel like I'm gonna get robbed or something. It's just irrational paranoia.

Literally or figuratively? I understand the former, but the latter is completely avoidable. 99% of the stuff I sell is online, usually eBay. You set the min bid so whatever price you end up w/ you'll be happy with. Plenty of recent sales history on eBay to know what similar items sold for to base an opening price.

I have sold some on Craigslist like larger TVs, copiers, etc., that are too big to ship. Never had a problem on that end either -- just a PITA having to schedule an appt. It's def. not my preferred selling method but better that warehousing unloved former toys. A used iPad is def. eBay material though.
 

SchneiderMan

macrumors G3
May 25, 2008
8,332
202
I never got Applecare for my first gen iphone and after more then a year when my touch screen stopped working the Apple store gave me a new replacement free of charge :D i guess it was because i kept it in mint condition..
 

Gregintosh

macrumors 68000
Jan 29, 2008
1,914
533
Chicago
Given that the parts on this thing don't total more than $200 some odd dollars, I would venture to say it'd almost be the same (if not cheaper) to just buy a new screen should you drop and crack yours than buy an extended warranty.

As far as regular defects, I think the manufacturer's warranty should be sufficient. I have plenty of Apple stores nearby (living in Chicago) so it shouldn't be hard to get it replaced or fixed on the spot.

By running some numbers on extended warranties on Best Buy's site, it looks like a 2 year plan that would cover accidental damage will run around 30-35% of the cost of the unit.

So paying $150-$175 for 2 year coverage is just insane, especially since the thing has no more than $200 worth of parts in it. I bet it would be significantly cheaper to just get a screen or battery or whatever other part you need and put it in yourself (there are plenty of online guides how to do that stuff for Apple products).

The added bonus of this approach is that if nothing goes wrong, the money stays in your pocket until you need it, where as with the warranty you MUST spend it and if you don't use it, you still lose it.

From my experience in selling stuff on ebay/Craigslist, having an extended warranty does not significantly boost the resale value either (even though in theory it should), so you don't win out there either.
 

GoKyu

macrumors 65816
Feb 15, 2007
1,169
23
New Orleans
I tend to read a lot in the tub, so accidental coverage is a good idea for me. I'll be getting 2 years of Squaretrade (I already have a few warranties through them, including my iPhone.)
 

Vernexto

macrumors newbie
Jun 25, 2007
25
0
I tend to read a lot in the tub, so accidental coverage is a good idea for me. I'll be getting 2 years of Squaretrade (I already have a few warranties through them, including my iPhone.)

Somehow I see a lot of people going into the Apple Store saying "I dropped my iPad in the tub accidentally." Please don't use your iPad in the tub. For your own safety.
 

melman101

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
What? Im not sure i understand, why would you do that? You will probably just lose money that way.

Some people can afford it. :). I buy a new iPhone every year. However, I'm hoping to have the iPad last as 2 iPhones + and iPad every year gets expensive :)
 
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