Apple Drops Free AppleCare, Lowers Discount on Macs for U.K. Students

[MacRumors]

Along with expanding its free Beats promotion to Europe, Apple has quietly changed its education incentives for students in the United Kingdom.

As of this week, Apple's online higher education store in the U.K. now offers up to 10 percent off Macs and other qualifying purchases, whereas the discount was previously up to 15 percent off. The base model 13-inch MacBook Pro now costs £898.80 for students and £999 otherwise, amounting to roughly 10 percent off.

Apple also no longer includes three years of complimentary AppleCare with Macs, with one year of phone support, and instead offers students 50 percent off the protection plan. AppleCare for the MacBook, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro, for example, is now £99.63 for students and £199 otherwise.

The changes mean that a student purchasing a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with AppleCare, for example, will now be required to pay £150 or more extra. The free Beats Solo2 Wireless On-Ear Headphones included with a qualifying Mac purchase retail for £269.95, so the difference amounts to around £100 to £120.

Apple's higher education store in the U.K. is now closer in line with the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, where Apple has offered students up to 10 percent off with no AppleCare included for several years. It remains unclear if the changes are permanent, or only for the duration of the free Beats promotion in Europe.

Update: To clarify, Apple only offered three years of complimentary AppleCare for Mac purchases made through its online higher education store in the U.K. Physical retail stores only offered AppleCare at a discount of up to 75 percent off.

Article Link: Apple Drops Free AppleCare, Lowers Discount on Macs for U.K. Students

 

[markfc]

Hopefully they're saving money to bring back the 12 days of Xmas app this year

 

[SSD-GUY]

Stingy b******s.

 

[AdrianMK]

#Greed instead of customer orientation. Oh well, can't really blame Apple. It's what businesses do, somewhat unfortunate though, plus the image of the company takes a hit.

 

[Sneakz]

UK had free AppleCare?

 

[pat500000]

You guys could always buy "apple don't care" program.

On the real talk: it appears europe ain't getting love from Apple.

 

[Mr.C]

UK had free AppleCare?

The Higher Education student discount here included three years of AppleCare plus one year of phone support as standard.

 

[L T]

Free Apple Care in the UK? Didn't get that with either of my 3 Macs, bought on education discount at the apple store

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Free Apple Care in the UK? Didn't get that with either of my 3 Macs, bought on education discount at the apple store

Based on my understanding, it was only free when purchased through Apple's online higher education store in the UK. Not physical retail stores, where AppleCare was discounted for students but not free.

 

[Mr.C]

Free Apple Care in the UK? Didn't get that with either of my 3 Macs, bought on education discount at the apple store

It applied only to online purchases officially although I have heard the odd person here and there managed to have it included in in store purchases. I tried my self to get the AppleCare included in store but was told I had to buy online so that's what I did with my last two MacBook Pro's.

 

[thedon1]

UK had free AppleCare?

I remember buying my first Mac with a student discount in 2010. Free iPod, discount on a printer, 15% off and 3 years Applecare.

Seems like it was quite a bargain compared to the student offers in other countries.

 

[Kaspersky]

With Dell XPS 15 out there... nah

 

[L T]

Based on my understanding, it was only free when purchased through Apple's online higher education store in the UK. Not physical retail stores, where AppleCare was discounted for students but not free.

Ahh, ok, only for the Higher Education Store rather than the standard Education store, I feel less hard done by now!

Not going to shell out for the discounted apple care but if I had missed it for free that would've annoyed me!

 

[AFEPPL]

Well thats for the local importers to decide
It was due to the higher price in the UK vs US, so it was never "free", you were paying for it as part of the deal

 

[Kebabselector]

The discount and extra warranty was nice to have, but loads of people abused it by getting students to purchase a mac for them or by changing the university url (until Apple changed it).

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Greed. It's not as if they're running tight margins...

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

Can't complain, at least we all get free Beats!
I mean c'mon people stop asking for freebies as Apple is barely able to run with these razor thin margins.

/s

 

[6836838]

Offering AppleCare in the UK means nothing since consumer law here already covers devices for up to 5/7 years.

Apple knows this only too well. I've claimed several times under this law.

 

[robotica]

That's a real shame. Apple care was such a nice perk when buying through your uni.

 

[Hustler1337]

As if students don't have enough debt as it is with higher tuition fees. Though not Apple's fault, you would expect some sympathy from them. Apple are absolute savages.

 

[Kaibelf]

Stingy b******s.

Oh how awful that someone doesn't give you something you think you deserve for free.

 

[MillieWales]

Offering AppleCare in the UK means nothing since consumer law here already covers devices for up to 5/7 years.

Apple knows this only too well. I've claimed several times under this law.

You have to prove a manufacturing fault - you will know that of course as you've done it several times. This can often takes months, but you will know that too. Having an extended warranty for free means you can walk in to an Apple Store and get a repair started same day or, in 2 experiences I had with it, an instant replacement.

Consumer law is absolutely no replacement for a warranty, you may have got lucky, but for most of they are successful it will have taken considerable correspondence and a lot of time.

 

[Chicane-UK]

Oh how awful that someone doesn't give you something you think you deserve for free.

Come on. That's a lousy attempt at defending a dick move by Apple. Sure, UK education customers have been lucky now for years to get decent discounts on Apple hardware (though only on laptops and desktops - iPods, iPhones, iPads have always been exempt at least as long as I can remember) but it just boggles the brain why they would begin to erode this discount when they're as large and wealthy a company now as they ever have been.

It is greed, pure and simple. I've bought several systems with this discount (I'm typing on my MacBook Air which was purchased this way) but honestly if the discounts are shrinking now, then it'll be enough to put the final nail in the coffin for future purchases of Apple hardware for me.

 

[The Samurai]

Bad news on the reduction on student discount rate.

However, warranty should not be an issue as the Consumer Laws rights act gives the following:

England and Wales: 6 years from date of delivery
Scotland: 5 years from date of delivery

I have claimed from Apple under this in the past without any issue. The advisor put me onto his manager who escalated my query

 

[SSD-GUY]

Bad news on the reduction on student discount rate.

However, warranty should not be an issue as the Consumer Laws rights act gives the following:

England and Wales: 6 years from date of delivery
Scotland: 5 years from date of delivery

I have claimed from Apple under this in the past without any issue. The advisor put me onto his manager who escalated my query

But technically, the onus is on the buyer to prove that the fault existed at the time of purchase if making a claim after 6 months, thus making it more problematic (have to obtain engineers report etc).