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Apple care on ebay legit?
- Thread starter brian4610
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+1 on the box
I have purchased 3 Applecare plans on eBay without a box (and 1 with a box) and have had no issues, but there have been reports by some who have had a problem. Maybe the problems are made up by competing vendors, but they seem plausible. The story is that you buy Applecare and are sent the enrollment ID. I works fine, and your device shows up online. However, a couple of months later the seller uses enrollment ID and the Applecare serial number (not the device serial number) to unregister your device so he can resell the ID to another person. When you try to use Applecare, you find out your device is no longer registered, and you do not know the Applecare serial number (which is on the box), so Apple will not reinstate protection. It is well past the eBay statute of limitations for a complaint, so you have no recourse.
I repeat, that I have had no issues with mine, and the concern may just be urban legend. But you can get around it by purchasing from someone who provides a box with the serial number for the Applecare. If you can't get a box, find a seller with at least a few years of good feedback.
Good luck.
I have purchased 3 Applecare plans on eBay without a box (and 1 with a box) and have had no issues, but there have been reports by some who have had a problem. Maybe the problems are made up by competing vendors, but they seem plausible. The story is that you buy Applecare and are sent the enrollment ID. I works fine, and your device shows up online. However, a couple of months later the seller uses enrollment ID and the Applecare serial number (not the device serial number) to unregister your device so he can resell the ID to another person. When you try to use Applecare, you find out your device is no longer registered, and you do not know the Applecare serial number (which is on the box), so Apple will not reinstate protection. It is well past the eBay statute of limitations for a complaint, so you have no recourse.
I repeat, that I have had no issues with mine, and the concern may just be urban legend. But you can get around it by purchasing from someone who provides a box with the serial number for the Applecare. If you can't get a box, find a seller with at least a few years of good feedback.
Good luck.
I bought AppleCare on ebay on my old MBP a few years back, only received the registration #. When the time came that I sold the MBP on craigslist and tried to transfer the AppleCare to the new owner, Apple said they were not able to transfer without the original receipt/UPC from the box. Seems like these guys on ebay will buy up AppleCare boxes from apple, sell the registration codes on ebay, then take them back to Apple for a refund a few weeks later, leaving your Apple product unprotected without you knowing until you have to use AppleCare.
If it is cheaper than what Apple sells it for, there is a reason for it, just like $200 iTunes cards for $50. Most likely, if you find more than an empty box, you will find what was stated above -- the number was used twice, and when contesting it, the seller will accuse the buyer of using the number and then returning it. A similar scam happens all the time with WoW game time cards.
Actually, the $200 iTunes card phenomenon is real. Those days are long gone now. I miss those days
As for the AppleCare, most likely a scam.
I agree. Both my phones are covered. I have a registration number for both and a copy of the certificate that Apple sent me when I registered.
I just checked with Apple and both phones are covered.
This!
was able to sell my GS to a 300+ 100% feedback. Set a high reserve and used to "2nd chance offer" to sell to the bidder of my choice.
Blonde Buddhist
Yes, I purchased 2 of them from eBay now, and both times were 100% legit, from two different sellers. I got two Apple Care plans, for a total savings of at least $75.00. Look for a seller with 98% Pos. feedback, and one who has sold them in the past, and you should be fine.
I see it as a gamble, like anything else that might seem too good to be true.
I feel like eBay AppleCare is perfect for the people on the fence about buying AppleCare. If you KNOW you want it, like REALLY want it, just do yourself a favor and buy it from the Apple Store or Amazon or something. If you aren't too sure you want it or need it, but think it might be a good thing just in case, but seriously are just not committed either way, eBay AppleCare might be a good choice. Fortunately, mathematics is on your side, in that, statistically, it's most likely that you won't need to use it. If you do end up needing to use it, there's that gamble.
I feel like eBay AppleCare is perfect for the people on the fence about buying AppleCare. If you KNOW you want it, like REALLY want it, just do yourself a favor and buy it from the Apple Store or Amazon or something. If you aren't too sure you want it or need it, but think it might be a good thing just in case, but seriously are just not committed either way, eBay AppleCare might be a good choice. Fortunately, mathematics is on your side, in that, statistically, it's most likely that you won't need to use it. If you do end up needing to use it, there's that gamble.
I bought plenty of applecare from ebay for great prices.
They mailed me the unopened shrink wrapped box and I registered the warranty to my device.
Dont believe everything on ebay is a scam like some people posted above.
You do get great deals and you can save about 30-40% of what Apple sells them for.
They mailed me the unopened shrink wrapped box and I registered the warranty to my device.
Dont believe everything on ebay is a scam like some people posted above.
You do get great deals and you can save about 30-40% of what Apple sells them for.
I bought Applecare for my MBP off of Ebay for $85 (retail $250). Had no problem getting it registered with Apple. Just make sure you buy from a reputable seller.
This is the seller I bought my MBP plan from.
http://shop.ebay.com/headoverheel29/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686
This is the seller I bought my MBP plan from.
http://shop.ebay.com/headoverheel29/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)
I bought my MacBook air apple care on eBay and it was legit. Paid half the price.
I bought my MacBook air apple care on eBay and it was legit. Paid half the price.
It's definitely a scam if they don't send you the box/UPC, no matter what anyone else here thinks. I'm saying this from experience.
OP how about searching the forums next time. There are quite a few threads already on this subject
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/690859/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/965056/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/971191/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/976996/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/961599/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/961109/
As you can see its really not hard to use the search function, and especially sincee you have been a member for 5 YEARS !!!
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/690859/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/965056/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/971191/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/976996/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/961599/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/961109/
As you can see its really not hard to use the search function, and especially sincee you have been a member for 5 YEARS !!!
Re: Apple care on ebay legit?
Yes, I have purchased Applecare multiple times with no problems. Make sure you buy from a seller that has 100% good feedback and has been a member of eBay for a longtime.
Yes, I have purchased Applecare multiple times with no problems. Make sure you buy from a seller that has 100% good feedback and has been a member of eBay for a longtime.
I got it on eBay for my MBP. No box. They emailed me the code. Worked fine. Used it when my laptop went faulty. They nearly replaced every component!
Wish I could remember the seller. Maybe it's in my eBay history. I'll look into it.
Wish I could remember the seller. Maybe it's in my eBay history. I'll look into it.
Buying from E-Bay is risky even if you get the box. Apple will sometimes ask for the serial number and receipt of the Applecare purchase. I got hosed once when I was trying to get my iMac fixed. They wouldn't honor the Applecare because I couldn't produce the receipt even though I had the box. Never again will I buy from E-Bay. Directly from Apple or Amazon from now on.
Why would they ask for the receipt?
As long as you added and activated the applecare warranty correctly they dont ask for your receipt or your box. Never happened to me.
You keep thinking that but all the people that did buy them and activate them and use with no problems will dissagree.
All those sellers do is open the box and send you the code to activate it yourself online without having to wait or pay for shipping.
I agree. I registered both phones and Apple emailed me two warranty certificates with starting and ending dates. I printed them up and put them in the box with the phone receipts. I just checked them online again on Apple's site.
Same as anything on eBay, check the seller. If the rep is high, you're good. Same for Mobile Me subscriptions. I buy mine yearly on eBay for $50 or so and never had a problem at all.