Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

KtothaEvin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 19, 2017
15
6
Interested in your guy's thoughts about Apple Care for iMac. I always get on my phone and laptop but not sure if it's necessary for the desktop. Would you recommend?
 
Interested in your guy's thoughts about Apple Care for iMac. I always get on my phone and laptop but not sure if it's necessary for the desktop. Would you recommend?
It is not an option but a MUST HAVE.
If ANYTHING in the iMac breaks you will cry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joeynym
I went with AppleCare. Given that iMac is an all in one it covers the screen and everything. It's not like the old tower cases. It's almost impossible to open these up and work on them yourself. Less than $5 a month for peace of mind.
 
These new iMacs like most of everything else that Apple makes are not really user repairable. The iMac especially is extremely difficult to open up and get into. As far as Apple Care goes for the iMac, check with B&H Photo in New York as they sell Apple Care discounted. (They are an authorized Apple re-seller.)
 
I agree with the others who've already commented. AppleCare is highly recommended. B&H Photo mentioned above and LA Computer still sell the standard AppleCare plan (3 years extended warranty, no accidental damage) for a discount. You will need to call Apple directly to register it over the phone. I got the AppleCare for my 2017 iMac for even cheaper from a third party seller on Amazon.

I personally don't need the accidental coverage in the new AppleCare+. My iMac sits in one place on a desk. Still, even the retail price of $169 is reasonable. You're talking about a little over $7 per month to extend the warranty for two years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: willmtaylor
I concur with everyone here. I bought it Applecare+ for my 2017 and it was $10 cheaper at $159 if you added it to your iMac order through the Education Store. It's great value for the money on top of the fact that you also get unlimited tech support via telephone for 3 entire years vs just 90 day if you did buy AC+/AC.
 
Just do it!

Recently I decided to sell out old 2013 21" iMac. It had dust under the glass in front of the LCD screen in the lower right and left corners. I have read elsewhere this is not uncommon. Wanted the machine clean for sale.

The machine had AppleCare. Free screen replacement at local Apple Store in 24 hours. The bill without AppleCare was almost $500. So yeah, its worth it.
 
Apple Care is good for all devices!

For smaller devices it's of one reason, for larger Macs from another point of view.
It's not comparable as such. Smaller devices we carry around are exposed to one kind of ´threats´and a larger Mac at home isn't. But the convenience to have your Mac picked up and returned when you need to, it's just great.
 
do you have to buy applecare in your own country? i am in canada, can i get the discounted B&H?
 
Just do it!

Recently I decided to sell out old 2013 21" iMac. It had dust under the glass in front of the LCD screen in the lower right and left corners. I have read elsewhere this is not uncommon. Wanted the machine clean for sale.

The machine had AppleCare. Free screen replacement at local Apple Store in 24 hours. The bill without AppleCare was almost $500. So yeah, its worth it.

in Apple UK even screen replacement for MacBook Retina usually takes 5-7 days, looks like they doesn't have even popular parts on storage
 
do you have to buy applecare in your own country? i am in canada, can i get the discounted B&H?

B&H will ship to Canada and even offers free shipping on orders over $99. I think you will need to call them about the Applecare though because their website shows discontinued.

I don't know if L.A. Computer will ship to Canada. You could ask them as well.

You do not need to buy AppleCare in Canada to use it there. I have registered AppleCare in Japan that I purchased at L.A. Computer in the past. I had it shipped to family members in the states who forwarded it to me.
 
Definitely get it. My iBook broke 1.5 years in and I had no Applecare and regretted it deeply. When I got my last iMac I bought AppleCare and it paid off because the HDD broke 3 years into ownership. Apple replaced it for free, simple and easy.

If you aren't reasonably close to an Apple Store or authorized repair center I'm not sure how you would get the machine back to Apple.
 
If you aren't reasonably close to an Apple Store or authorized repair center I'm not sure how you would get the machine back to Apple.

That probably depends on the user's location. Here in Japan Apple sends a courier with a special shipping container and you just hand them the Mac. They overnight it to the service center in Tokyo and then overnight it back after repairs.
 
Here in Japan Apple sends a courier with a special shipping container and you just hand them the Mac. They overnight it to the service center in Tokyo and then overnight it back after repairs.

That's incredible. Here in the NYC area I had to drive over an hour to an Apple Store, lugging my heavy iMac around a mall. Drop off the iMac, wait a week, then go back to pick it up.
 
B&H will ship to Canada and even offers free shipping on orders over $99. I think you will need to call them about the Applecare though because their website shows discontinued.

I don't know if L.A. Computer will ship to Canada. You could ask them as well.

You do not need to buy AppleCare in Canada to use it there. I have registered AppleCare in Japan that I purchased at L.A. Computer in the past. I had it shipped to family members in the states who forwarded it to me.

cant find it at B&H. how much is the discounted apple care? i can get it at 180$CDN directly from apple with corp discount.
 
AppleCare is highly recommended. B&H Photo mentioned above and LA Computer still sell the standard AppleCare plan (3 years extended warranty, no accidental damage) for a discount. You will need to call Apple directly to register it over the phone. I got the AppleCare for my 2017 iMac for even cheaper from a third party seller on Amazon.

Looks like B&H is out - shows Discontinued and no add-to-cart. Unless I've https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/582538-REG/Apple_MC245LL_B_3_Year_AppleCare_for_iMac.html

Also remember that many credit cards offer a one year manufacturer warranty extension.

I would be cautious with third party sellers, not saying completely avoid but just to be cautious. Applcecare fraud has been a big business in the past. http://www.ebay.com/gds/BEWARE-OF-F...RE-PROTECTION-PLANS-/10000000017131815/g.html
 
I didn't opt for it on my mid- '11 and I've had no failures. Consumer Reports show Apple products as the most reliable. That was good enough for me.
 
I didn't opt for it on my mid- '11 and I've had no failures. Consumer Reports show Apple products as the most reliable. That was good enough for me.

AppleCare is insurance. Like any insurance product you have to understand the risks of not having any. IF it works out in your favor, great. In my case the AppleCare paid off because the repair cost was three times the cost of AppleCare.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SaSaSushi
I have paid for AppleCare on all my devices for the past ten years, with the exception of my AppleTV. We have had a few phone issues and computer issues over those ten years. I would say I am at least even on the cost of the policies and the cost of the repairs. Not saying I have had a lot of failures, but spinning hard drives just fail after a lot of hard work over three years. Other than hard drives, no problems. With that being said, if I spend $3K on a new iMac, I am getting AppleCare, just in case, as they are hard, but not impossible, to open up and repair. I have opened up several iPhones and computers over the years, but maybe not anymore with the new ones.
 
If you live in the UK, the AppleCare Protection Plan is really not necessary.

Here's what the law gives you that Apple doesn't:
  • You have up to six years in England and Wales, and five years in Scotland, to make a claim with the retailer if something goes wrong.
  • You can reject the item and ask the retailer for a refund if the first repair fails to fix the problem (only valid on goods purchased on or after 1 October 2015). If you submit a claim after six months from the purchase date, the retailer can deduct some money off the refund amount for the use you've had out of the item. Apple may ask if you want a replacement instead which you may prefer to accept, but you do not need to.
  • These rights also apply to refurbished Macs sold by Apple.
  • The retailer may or may not be Apple - the contract of sale is with the retailer you bought the Mac from, which might be Apple.
In contrast, this is what Apple gives you as part of the AppleCare Protection Plan that the law doesn't:
  • You can make a claim for a repair covered under the terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for up to three years after the purchase date.
  • For desktop Macs, you can ask Apple to send an engineer out to look at your Mac. This does not necessarily guarantee that a repair can be performed on-the-spot, and in some parts of the UK where an Apple Authorised Service Provider isn't nearby, this might not be possible.
  • You can call Apple by phone if you need help using your Mac. Without the AppleCare Protection Plan or after 90 days from the purchase date, you'll need to pay £25 for each incident you need to call Apple about. This does not prevent you from calling Apple over the phone to make a consumer law claim.
  • The rights provided under the AppleCare Protection Plan are valid for up to three years after the purchase date.
Weigh the pros and cons, and decide whether the AppleCare Protection Plan is something you need.
 
Last edited:
I would be cautious with third party sellers, not saying completely avoid but just to be cautious. Applcecare fraud has been a big business in the past.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. When I do buy from a third party seller on Amazon, I only go with sellers with very positive reviews and only buy unused/new/shrink-wrapped. I would urge others to do the same and to never ever buy AppleCare serial numbers on eBay.
 
Last edited:
Bought Applecare for my Mac Pro in 2008. The logic board and video card died 2 months before Applecare expired. Paid nothing for repair. Applecare paid for itself many times over!
 
The real question with this is do the super old ones work for the newer Imac's? Every now and then I see an unopened one for like $50.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.