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Apple to Update AppleCare with Subscription Service and In-Store Repair Options

Applecare has screwed me over a few times in the past. Sent my Powerbook 5300 (I know, I know..) to have the AC adapter outlet repaired. Broke that day. Then I sent a Powerbook G4 (AluBook models) in for repair when the logic board crapped out on me. Came back without any of the VRAM I paid extra for. Called them up. Sent it back in. Guess what? Came back missing the RAM I put into it.

This was when there were no Apple Stores or repair people in my area. So I had to rely entirely on mailing my stuff in. Then when they finally built a store near me (90 miles away, mind you) they quit offering mail in and said "take it to the store."

Most recently my iMac blew it's headphone port. Evidently when that happens you need an entirely new logic board. Fine. Got it back in a week. Booted it up. There were oily finger prints on the inside of screen's protective cover. I called them up. "Bring it back." Yeah, no...

Giving replacements. Mailing in options. Those all made Apple stand out. They should keep it that way.
 
1080p said:
Apple... Ever heard the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? (No pun intended.)

You have a great system in place. Don't change it.
Click to expand...

They have a great system in place to YOU. How do you know the current system is not creating problems within the company in terms of available stock? Providing parts for everything in the computer, iPod and iPhone would help to resolve this, or are you one of those that was counting on getting a replacement machine each time the fan got too noisy? ;)
 
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the sub service intrigues me; I never buy extra insurance on my items, but if it comes cheaper than individual, the deal might be good!
 
why not just get a credit card that covers every purchase made with it for free?

my "mom" dropped my iPhone once and i had a new one within a week, no need for apple care
 
I think AppleCare+ will remain the same (with the assumption that if you're going to get a new phone, it's totally FUBAR vs. a home button that works intermittently)

I guess for this new AppleCare to work for iPhones, repair turnaround times have to be quick (same day) and it's possible since the iPhone isn't as complex as a Mac. As for Mac's I think it's even better. One, subscription for all Apple devices seems like a no-brainer and much easier to manage and extending the 90-day limited warranty to a full year is just a positive for the consumer.
 
Usually don't post here, ever, but I literally just experienced this about 20min ago. I was getting streaking ghostlike images on my display. Long story short, they replaced the display, took about 30-40min, was pretty painless but I know of was hoping for a fresh device. I hope this is useful, so much for starting that in June...
 
IzzyJG99 said:
Applecare has screwed me over a few times in the past. Sent my Powerbook 5300 (I know, I know..) to have the AC adapter outlet repaired. Broke that day. Then I sent a Powerbook G4 (AluBook models) in for repair when the logic board crapped out on me. Came back without any of the VRAM I paid extra for. Called them up. Sent it back in. Guess what? Came back missing the RAM I put into it.

This was when there were no Apple Stores or repair people in my area. So I had to rely entirely on mailing my stuff in. Then when they finally built a store near me (90 miles away, mind you) they quit offering mail in and said "take it to the store."

Most recently my iMac blew it's headphone port. Evidently when that happens you need an entirely new logic board. Fine. Got it back in a week. Booted it up. There were oily finger prints on the inside of screen's protective cover. I called them up. "Bring it back." Yeah, no...

Giving replacements. Mailing in options. Those all made Apple stand out. They should keep it that way.
Click to expand...

I don't think this new system of repairing everything on-site is going to shut down the idea of replacing non-repairable products. Apple's repair department has actually ruined a couple of my products. What started out as a simple repair turned out to be much worse after they broke more things inside. They ended up replacing.
There are no-lemon laws, Apple can't rule out replacement and just keep on repairing over and over. LOL about the PB 5300. That was actually a great PB but it did have fire issues..
 
I can't say I'm too surprised.
People have been abusing this system for a while, I feel.

I'm not saying that you should ignore a small hairline scratch that's .5mm - Only that it costs them a bunch of money to do it.
 
1080p said:
Apple... Ever heard the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? (No pun intended.)

You have a great system in place. Don't change it.
Click to expand...

Ever heard the phrase "Only fix what's broken"? (Pun intended)

For so long Apple has been "fixing" iPhone, iPad, MBA, and recently rMBP by replacing the bulk parts or whole unit.
That's a lot of waste, inefficient, and expensive for both Apple, environment and owners.

Ever think of when iPhone display get botched, all you want is the screen but you need to buy the whole front assembly? Essentially almost half of your phone?
Not only it's a eff'd up situation for you, it's for Apple too because most of the time you or Apple needs to pay for the entire phone, which is [unnecessary].

You're welcome.
 
Very interesting. People who intend to resell their iPhone 5 had better take extra care to prevent scuffs on their phones as it seems like replacing it before selling it off for top dollars is not an option anymore in the future. :p

Apple probably foresees such scenarios happening in large numbers later on & thus goes ahead to save themselves from unnecessary expenses/losses. :D IMHO, this is a very, very smart move from Apple. :)
 
1080p said:
Apple... Ever heard the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? (No pun intended.)

You have a great system in place. Don't change it.
Click to expand...

Well, evidently it's broke for Apple by about $1 billion.

This move doesn't surprise me a bit. All the whiner-posts here on MR about microscopic nicks, tiny smudges... with users throwing tantrums until their devices are exchanged.

Was bound to happen.
 
I agree that this is not good news for customers in any way, shape, or form.

First and foremost replacement vs repair has always been a big plus when buying an Apple device. I don't care if it's refurbished all the time (which it isn't always, sometimes they're new), getting a replacement device instead makes me feel much more well taken care of when something goes wrong. I know a great many people who would say the same. And yes, since they sell the same devices again as refurbished or are reused as replacements for someone else as refurbs, there's not as much cost lost as you may first think.

Genius Bars are already busy beyond capacity in many many many locations. Adding one more thing for them to do in repairing your device while you wait will definitely not help things in that regard. Hire more help you say? Some stores can't do that. But even if they could you're now adding more cost to the changes.

As far as changes to AppleCare, this is also very very bad. This is another thing that contributes to Apple's premium image. If I buy AppleCare and I sell my device to someone else while still under coverage, it increases my resale value as well as gives the buyer extra confidence that he's not getting a raw deal; if something is actually wrong with the device, he can take it to Apple to get a replacement (see above). This makes buying Apple products a kind of investment--you pay a premium partly because you can sell it in a year or two and make 75%+ of your money back.

Related: Many people take their first step into the Apple world with a used device, being unsure they want to make the full investment. After one or two of these, most eventually begin buying new ones. Taking away the "gateway drug" for these folks can translate into fewer new sales later. Not good either.

Lastly, as a whole, this all does smack of just a penny-pinching move by someone who doesn't understand what has made Apple what they are today. Apple has the money. Even if they could save $1 billion a year, what's that compared to the $40 billion+ they net every year? It brings down their whole image and makes them feel less premium, less white-glove, and less like the infamous Nordstrom they touted comparison to just a few short years ago.

My vote? Don't do it, Apple. You may lose me and many other customers.
 
Okay, the subscription seems good...so far. We still have to wait how much it's going to cost, but knowing Apple, we can expect it to be expensive. :( Now as for the repairing system. WTF! :mad:
 
this could be very bad news when re-selling Macs... One huge benefit of applecare was that it was tied to device, not person... Not sure how subscription will work with education warranty (free)
 
Phones take minutes to assemble. None of these parts needs much to pop them into place once the phone is open. But, aren't they glued together or otherwise not meant to be opened up?
 
I like the idea of a subscription based service (especially with 1 year of support), kinda neutral on the swapping phone out with a refurb part. I hope with a policy like this they start taking ifixit's advice and make their devices easier to service. Most importantly, a device that is easy to service is more likely to be returned without cosmetic damage.

On one hand, it'll definitely solve the problem of people coming in with one problem and leaving with another, but on the other it means there will be more people waiting in the Apple store for their repairs to be completed.

As if Apple stores weren't crowded enough already.
 
To be honest, I really like the way they are doing it now. It's like getting a new iPhone :D
I don't really care about the hardware inside as long as it works!

and yea AppleCare+ in New Zealand would be AWESOME :)
 
SPEEDwithJJ said:
Very interesting. People who intend to resell their iPhone 5 had better take extra care to prevent scuffs on their phones as it seems like replacing it before selling it off for top dollars is not an option anymore in the future. :p

Apple probably foresees such scenarios happening in large numbers later on & thus goes ahead to save themselves from unnecessary expenses/losses. :D IMHO, this is a very, very smart move from Apple. :)
Click to expand...

Too many people abuse this system; my friend is obsessed with keeping his ip5 in pristine condition and if he ever gets a single scratch on it, he takes it in for repair complaining about a non existent problem. It's practically conning apple and is very dishonest and a lot of people abuse apples generosity this way.
 
I don't like it (on the surface). Many people rely on their phones for work / emergencies etc. If customers are made to wait more than a couple of hours, they should be provided with a loan iPhone at least.
 
Solowalker said:
I agree that this is not good news for customers in any way, shape, or form.

First and foremost replacement vs repair has always been a big plus when buying an Apple device. I don't care if it's refurbished all the time (which it isn't always, sometimes they're new), getting a replacement device instead makes me feel much more well taken care of when something goes wrong. I know a great many people who would say the same. And yes, since they sell the same devices again as refurbished or are reused as replacements for someone else as refurbs, there's not as much cost lost as you may first think.

Genius Bars are already busy beyond capacity in many many many locations. Adding one more thing for them to do in repairing your device while you wait will definitely not help things in that regard. Hire more help you say? Some stores can't do that. But even if they could you're now adding more cost to the changes.

As far as changes to AppleCare, this is also very very bad. This is another thing that contributes to Apple's premium image. If I buy AppleCare and I sell my device to someone else while still under coverage, it increases my resale value as well as gives the buyer extra confidence that he's not getting a raw deal; if something is actually wrong with the device, he can take it to Apple to get a replacement (see above). This makes buying Apple products a kind of investment--you pay a premium partly because you can sell it in a year or two and make 75%+ of your money back.

Related: Many people take their first step into the Apple world with a used device, being unsure they want to make the full investment. After one or two of these, most eventually begin buying new ones. Taking away the "gateway drug" for these folks can translate into fewer new sales later. Not good either.

Lastly, as a whole, this all does smack of just a penny-pinching move by someone who doesn't understand what has made Apple what they are today. Apple has the money. Even if they could save $1 billion a year, what's that compared to the $40 billion+ they net every year? It brings down their whole image and makes them feel less premium, less white-glove, and less like the infamous Nordstrom they touted comparison to just a few short years ago.

My vote? Don't do it, Apple. You may lose me and many other customers.
Click to expand...

Totally agree!!!
 
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