Apple Education Store/AppleCare query

[JamesHP]

Hi Guys,

My last HP laptop died about two months ago now having only lasted me about 17 months from purchase, which really isn't long and I'm probably going to ditch Windows and get a MBP this time as an investment which will last me right through University, which I start in a couple of weeks time. I've heard you can get the AppleCare protection for about £48 on top, but I've also heard that you do get a standard 3 year warranty (minus phone support) regardless of whether you purchase AppleCare or not. So my query is this; is the 3 year warranty without AppleCare available if I bought the MacBook in person at the Apple Store, or would I have to purchase the AppleCare as an extra to do that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bigjobby]

You have to buy online to get the 'complimentary' 3-year warranty. If you buy instore you only get the standard 12-months and you'll have to pay the full whack for AC (unless they offer it slightly cheaper for students ).

If I were you, and you were me, I'd buy online and forget the full AC top-up if you're pretty close to an Apple store.

Edit: Purchase has to be made through Apple's higher education discount pages that's associated with your uni. But you already knew that.

 

[ct2k7]

I'd do it online

 

[JD92]

If you purchase your Mac through the Higher Education store you get 3 years labour and repairs for free. You'll get an email a few weeks after your purchase with details of your 3 year warranty - no idea why it takes so long to come through but it's a great deal especially on the laptops.

 

[Kentochan]

AppleCare is cheaper via the Apple Online Education Store. For the 13" MBP, its down to $183 from the original $249, and for the 15"/17" MBP, its $239 compared with the original $349. I'd buy the AppleCare just be on the safe side.

 

[pingfan59]

I purchased my MBP from the higher education store online and only got 1 year warranty and can get applecare to extend to 3 years for $240. How are you getting the 3 year warranty free?

 

[ct2k7]

I purchased my MBP from the higher education store online and only got 1 year warranty and can get applecare to extend to 3 years for $240. How are you getting the 3 year warranty free?

That's what we get in the UK at least.

 

[swedefish]

That's what we get in the UK at least.

I don't think it's free though, is it? As far as I can tell from my university's Apple Store page the cost is £48 for MBP 13 and £60 for MBP 15/17. This is the AppleCare plan which applies across the world. Any consumer protection regulations that effectively work the same way as AppleCare in terms of covering hardware failure are limited to the UK and do not apply internationally and have nothing to do with Apple.

 

[ct2k7]

I don't think it's free though, is it? As far as I can tell from my university's Apple Store page the cost is £48 for MBP 13 and £60 for MBP 15/17. This is the AppleCare plan which applies across the world. Any consumer protection regulations that effectively work the same way as AppleCare in terms of covering hardware failure are limited to the UK and do not apply internationally and have nothing to do with Apple.

I was going to purchase AppleCare a few days after, then I got the email. Let me find it.

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Here we go:

It's credited as base warranty but a few days later, I got the AppleCare email.

 

[tootall]

is this a UK only thing?!??

 

[swedefish]

Yeah, I retract everything I said above, I just googled around for this and it is indeed the case that all online and phone sales are covered due to some collective agreement between tertiary institutions and Apple. The AppleCare in the HE store basically only adds two more years of phone support--the hardware support is three years regardless.

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is this a UK only thing?!??

Yes. UK higher education only.

 

[ct2k7]

So, what the heck is the difference between AppleCare and HE Base Warrenty? The AppleCare advisor I spoke to didn't know :/

 

[swedefish]

So, what the heck is the difference between AppleCare and HE Base Warrenty? The AppleCare advisor I spoke to didn't know :/

AppleCare provides three years of full phone support; the HE Base Warranty only provides one year.

 

[ct2k7]

AppleCare provides three years of full phone support; the HE Base Warranty only provides one year.

So I'm paying about £60 for an extra 2 years worth of telephone support...

 

[swedefish]

So I'm paying about £60 for an extra 2 years worth of telephone support...

Yes. If you want to clarify, go to About This Mac > more info > support. There you will see what your coverage is.

Edit: wait, did you buy the £60 AppleCare?

 

[ct2k7]

Yes. If you want to clarify, go to About This Mac > more info > support. There you will see what your coverage is.

Edit: wait, did you buy the £60 AppleCare?

The support page doesn't tell me much

Nope, glad I didn't though lol.

 

[Specklez]

When you select the item, it tells you down the side for us in the UK about AppleCare (if ordering from the HE store).

Extend your telephone technical support — Get extended telephone technical support to up to three years from the original purchase date of your Mac. You get direct access to Apple's own experts for questions on a wide range of Mac topics, including video chatting, connecting to Wi-Fi, using Mac OS X operating system, how-to questions about iLife and iWork and more.

Doesn't...really seem worth it does it? xD

What it normally is.

So there's also longer telephone support as started :3

 

[JamesHP]

When you select the item, it tells you down the side for us in the UK about AppleCare (if ordering from the HE store).

Extend your telephone technical support — Get extended telephone technical support to up to three years from the original purchase date of your Mac. You get direct access to Apple's own experts for questions on a wide range of Mac topics, including video chatting, connecting to Wi-Fi, using Mac OS X operating system, how-to questions about iLife and iWork and more.
Image
Doesn't...really seem worth it does it? xD

What it normally is.
Image
So there's also longer telephone support as started :3

Yeah, this is what I'm referring to. Last time I went to the Apple Store in Manchester I was told I could get the AppleCare as a £48 extra if I bought as a student (as it shows up on the online store) but didn't know at the time there was a standard 3 year warranty if bought through the HE store regardless of whether you bought AppleCare. Was just wondering if anyone had bought their Mac in person at an Apple Store and got the same warranty, that's all. If that's not the case I'll just buy online; just that I like buying things in person!

 

[ct2k7]

Yeah, this is what I'm referring to. Last time I went to the Apple Store in Manchester I was told I could get the AppleCare as a £48 extra if I bought as a student (as it shows up on the online store) but didn't know at the time there was a standard 3 year warranty if bought through the HE store regardless of whether you bought AppleCare. Was just wondering if anyone had bought their Mac in person at an Apple Store and got the same warranty, that's all. If that's not the case I'll just buy online; just that I like buying things in person!

I purchased an iMac a long time ago, with student ID, (NUS/ISIC) and was offered HE AppleCare as well.

 

[realchimera]

All the models sold at Apple and warranty are overpriced. There's no reason to waste money on the computers with the best CPU models. It's better to buy an old model at local stores.

 

[JamesHP]

All the models sold at Apple and warranty are overpriced. There's no reason to waste money on the computers with the best CPU models. It's better to buy an old model at local stores.

The whole point of me buying a Mac is so I can get something that will last me throughout Uni, without me having to fork out for another laptop while I'm there. Hence why the warranty is important to me. When you compare the base spec MBP on HE discount to other 13.3" laptops of a similar spec it's not particularly overpriced when you take into account the 3 year warranty which costs circa £200 itself at most retailers.

 

[realchimera]

The whole point of me buying a Mac is so I can get something that will last me throughout Uni, without me having to fork out for another laptop while I'm there. Hence why the warranty is important to me. When you compare the base spec MBP on HE discount to other 13.3" laptops of a similar spec it's not particularly overpriced when you take into account the 3 year warranty which costs circa £200 itself at most retailers.

You really don't need the super expensive latest model and warranty in apple store for you computer to last 4 years. Even a core 2 duo computer is good enough for a college kid for gaming for a few years.

I bought my old thinkpad with the required warranty when I got admitte to MIT. I've been using it till I got my phd (5years) and it's still amazing now. And I just bought a 15" Macbook Pro i5 2.5GHz at a local store (Micro center Cambridge) for only $1400 after tax. If you buy it from apple with warranty, since they only sell i7 core models, you may have to pay $1000 more. Seriously that's a waste of money. $1000 is enough to build a monster gaming PC these days...or buy a LV bag for your girlfriend

 

[ct2k7]

I'll be getting the highest range 15" MacBook Pro, and I'm not technically in education... Or am I?

I'll hopefully be doing aviation studies, where I will pretty much need X-Plane to perform with excellence.