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Apple Care 249 Worth it?
- Thread starter AndyDandy1
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In my opinion, I’m not paying over 20% sales tax for coverage, plus the additional cost to use it. It depends on your past. I have had Apple laptops since 2009, I have never had an accident with one. If you have a Manufacturing defect out of the 1 year warranty, they are pretty good at making it right.
Just had a 2018 MBP15 with a swollen battery and f’d touchbar fixed under AppleCare.
If you went to university try ordering through your campus store - both my undergrad and grad schools allow alumni to order stuff at EDU prices. Even many years since attending. I paid $183 for AC+ for my 2020 MBA.
Also look at whether your credit card offers extended warranty. My Citi Doublecash extends by a two years after AC+ expires. Not accidental coverage of course.
If you went to university try ordering through your campus store - both my undergrad and grad schools allow alumni to order stuff at EDU prices. Even many years since attending. I paid $183 for AC+ for my 2020 MBA.
Also look at whether your credit card offers extended warranty. My Citi Doublecash extends by a two years after AC+ expires. Not accidental coverage of course.
Apple sells it for a profit. Whether peace of mind is worth $249 is up to you. But see if you qualify for a corporate discount. Also see if your insurance company offers a personal articles policy.
I had Mac's since 1986 (MacPlus). I had the floppy drive fixed mainly it had to be used so much. I have never bought AppleCare in all these years. I have had at least 4 laptops plus many desktops in the beginning. My current laptop 2012 retina 15in MBP is been the best one so far. I am probably going to upgrade to a 16 when the stores open. Because of all issues documented on this site I am considering AppleCare for the first time.
That does not sound like just cause to purchase apple care. A better reason would be you only keep it for a max of 3 years or less and want full coverage during that time, also it will aide in resale if you sell it less than 3 years.
For a $1,000 laptop and add $229 for Apple plus care, is close to 25% additional cost of the laptop.
You are better off getting a rider on an existing insurance policy or using a credit card that extends the warranty, etc. It is really a poor choice to pick Apple insurance for the MBA.
It is over priced for the MBA, it should be $129 like the new iPad pro. That is more reasonable and would fetch most buyers.
Every Mac comes with a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support. AppleCare+ for Mac extends your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage, plus applicable tax.(1)
On the other hand, with a $1379 laptop (edu price i5/16/512 MBA) with $183 AppleCare+ (campus store price available to alumni), that's only a 13% additional cost.
Ideally yes, AC+ for the MBA should be less expensive than it is - and it'd be nice to still be able to buy the regular AC without the accidental damage protection)
Each needs to assess their options. It's an insurance policy is all it is.
(edited to fix a typo)
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Can you still by regular apple care for three years? I thought the only plan you could get for three years apple care +.
That what I thought. Guess it would too complicated to offer two plans. Or maybe they only wanted to give one choice.
Apple can keep up with making sixty three different iphone model/color/capacity options...
Pretty sure they could handle offering AC and AC+ at the same time.
My guess is they figure they make more money by offering just the one choice.
If you get it at Costco, it comes with a 2nd year.
Some credit cards I think still offer a 2nd year
if you aren interested in accidental damage or even that 3rd year of warranty, there are better options
Some credit cards I think still offer a 2nd year
if you aren interested in accidental damage or even that 3rd year of warranty, there are better options
FWIW here's how to get five years coverage.
Citi Doublecash card extends warranty 24 months beyond the end of a purchased manufacturer extended warranty.
Net effect is five years coverage. First three includes accidental (AC+), then two years via Citi.
... and 2% cash back doesn't hurt either.
Link
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Just because it hadn’t happened to you yet, doesn’t mean it will never happen. I had Macs for the last 15 years, my 2010 MBP had no issues for 7+ years, probably still works fine (sold it in excellent condition). For my 2017 MBP, Apple had to replace they keyboard and the display, they quoted 1k Euro, but it was free under AC+. Now I have display glitches on that machine, and I know they will repair it for free again.
So just like any insurance, it’s better you never need it, but if you do, you’ll be very glad to have one.
Like all insurance, it’s only good value if you need it.
If your product doesn’t develop a fault, then it could be argued you shouldn’t have purchased AC.
I’ve purchased something like 12 iPhones, 8 iPads and 6 Apple laptops over the space of the last 12 years or so. This is for family, not just me. Never bought or needed Apple Care once, so with the money saved I can have one 100% fail, replace it and still be better off.
the next person could buy their first apple device and it go bang on them.
It’s a question of if it’s worth it to you. If you take the risk and you know you could rustle up the cash for a replacement if needed, then don’t bother. If this device is how you earn your living, or you’d be stuck without it, then maybe it is worth it.
either luck is on your side or it’s not.
If your product doesn’t develop a fault, then it could be argued you shouldn’t have purchased AC.
I’ve purchased something like 12 iPhones, 8 iPads and 6 Apple laptops over the space of the last 12 years or so. This is for family, not just me. Never bought or needed Apple Care once, so with the money saved I can have one 100% fail, replace it and still be better off.
the next person could buy their first apple device and it go bang on them.
It’s a question of if it’s worth it to you. If you take the risk and you know you could rustle up the cash for a replacement if needed, then don’t bother. If this device is how you earn your living, or you’d be stuck without it, then maybe it is worth it.
either luck is on your side or it’s not.