Applecare+ and the new 6s

[skiltrip]

Anyone with a 6s/6s+ not bothering with Applecare+?

I've spent nearly $800 over time on Applecare for Macs and my iPhone 6 and never needed to use it for anything. I could argue it was wasted money.

I am planning on skipping Applecare+ this time around for my 6s. But I still have time to decide if I end up changing my mind.

The only thing pushing me toward maybe it being a good idea is the increased cost of a screen repair because of the new 3D touch tech. Self repair kits for the 6s are pretty expensive. Self repair kits for the 6 were pretty cheap in comparison.

I'm very careful with my stuff, but an accident is an accident. It happens.

So, anybody just skipping it? $129 + tax is pretty hard to swallow for me, considering me track record of never using my Applecare in the past.

 

[techytammy]

Statistically speaking you will never use it based on your track record & spend less if you need to replace a screen since you still have to pay money. I stopped on AppleCare a few years ago. I've never used it. Invest it in case you need it & buy a good case instead.

 

[eyoungren]

Statistically speaking you will never use it based on your track record & spend less if you need to replace a screen since you still have to pay money. I stopped on AppleCare a few years ago. I've never used it. Invest it in case you need it & buy a good case instead.

Cases. Invest in a case. Buy a good case.

No. I hate cases. Don't want them, don't use them. Just no. I do not care one bit if I "need" it or not. I don't want one.

Anyone with a 6s/6s+ not bothering with Applecare+?

I've spent nearly $800 over time on Applecare for Macs and my iPhone 6 and never needed to use it for anything. I could argue it was wasted money.

I am planning on skipping Applecare+ this time around for my 6s. But I still have time to decide if I end up changing my mind.

The only thing pushing me toward maybe it being a good idea is the increased cost of a screen repair because of the new 3D touch tech. Self repair kits for the 6s are pretty expensive. Self repair kits for the 6 were pretty cheap in comparison.

I'm very careful with my stuff, but an accident is an accident. It happens.

So, anybody just skipping it? $129 + tax is pretty hard to swallow for me, considering me track record of never using my Applecare in the past.

I've skipped it twice, but not because I wanted to. Couldn't afford it at the time.

I much prefer AC+ to my carrier's insurance. ADH, no payment. Versus paying if I have no coverage. And you will pay without AC+.

Typically, carrier insurance has a higher deductible than the cost of repair at Apple. Even if you don't have carrier insurance and use coverage from your credit card you still pay. Sure your credit card company will reimburse you, but what if you don't have $300+ just lying around for a replacement? And can't wait for the reimbursement?

Unfortunately, AC+ just doesn't cover theft or loss. Which is really why I purchase carrier insurance.

PS. When I do get AC+ (when I can afford it) it's because of the people around me, not because of me. Too many of the people around me are accident prone - and it's usually my stuff they break.

 

[The Game 161]

Cost too much for me

£109 not worth it fir my usage and how I handle it

 

[EDH667]

I don't purchase AppleCare+ for any of my family's IOS devices. In 7 years we are probably $2000 ahead by not purchasing the insurance. In 7 years I have had to pay about $250 for screen replacements at Apple. Also most credit cards double the Apple warranty to two years and provide several months of damage and theft ptotection.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Never bought AC+ for any of my iPhones and never needed it. The money I have save would replace my 6S+ so I feel I am ahead of the game. I did make an exception for the Apple Watch and it paid off, twice!

 

[Nolander07]

Also, can't you get an entire new OOW iPhone for about $250-300 (depending on model). That is almost the same cost nowadays as AppleCare+ with deductible on an S model. I used to always get it on iPhones, but it doesn't make sense anymore.

 

[themumu]

Credit card insurance is a much better bet. Sure, you need to pay first and get reimbursed later, but if you can't afford a temporary out of pocket expense of a couple hundred dollars, why are you buying a phone that's almost $1K (for the usable 128 gb model)? Generally I buy AppleCare for my laptops because it covers 3 years instead of credit card's 2, plus at least someone in my household have been studying for last few years and I purchased the AC discounted. With phones I don't bother for the reasons listed above. I've only had issues twice that were not covered by standard warranty and credit card insurance paid for them (only about $400 total). A few times I had issues that Apple covered for free even though the phone was out of warranty (battery problems). Save your money for something else.

 

[skiltrip]

Thanks everyone. All of your input more or less mirrors my thinking. I will definitely pass on the AC+ this time.

 

[Charadis]

Thanks everyone. All of your input more or less mirrors my thinking. I will definitely pass on the AC+ this time.

Just wanted to chime in here. Also got a new 6s, for Christmas, and also skipping AC+. Have never had AC+ for any of the iDevices I've owned, and never needed. Case might be good if you need peace of mind, though I've never needed either (hate cases).

It's an extra expense that I cannot justify when I'm already trying to find ways to lower cost of phone and bill. Congrats on your new phone and happy holiday.

 

[nordique]

It adds up to about 7$ per month in Canada over the 24 months and for me, that peace of mind is worth it

Then again I have had bad luck with my phones. Over all the iPhones I've have, I've needed to use Apple care to replace several of them thankfully. I also had one that got water damaged without Apple care and another one that fell to camera issues without Apple care which was expensive. Also just had an issue on my MacBook Pro retina which is a 700$ replacement and I chose not to get extended coverage. So long story short for me Apple care is always worth it.

I learned my lesson and now I always get it. On the flip side if I never had these experiences, I would probably never get Apple care.

But just a few weeks ago Apple replaced my display due to a home button and Touch ID issue. this was on my 5s which would have been out of warranty were it not for Apple care plus.

 

[eyoungren]

Also, can't you get an entire new OOW iPhone for about $250-300 (depending on model). That is almost the same cost nowadays as AppleCare+ with deductible on an S model. I used to always get it on iPhones, but it doesn't make sense anymore.

Sure. If you have $350~ to spend when it breaks. I'd rather pay $100~ out of the gate and if something happens - nothing when it does.

Credit card insurance is a much better bet. Sure, you need to pay first and get reimbursed later, but if you can't afford a temporary out of pocket expense of a couple hundred dollars, why are you buying a phone that's almost $1K (for the usable 128 gb model)? Generally I buy AppleCare for my laptops because it covers 3 years instead of credit card's 2, plus at least someone in my household have been studying for last few years and I purchased the AC discounted. With phones I don't bother for the reasons listed above. I've only had issues twice that were not covered by standard warranty and credit card insurance paid for them (only about $400 total). A few times I had issues that Apple covered for free even though the phone was out of warranty (battery problems). Save your money for something else.

It is for those who can afford it (CC insurance).

But you mention why buy the iPhone if you can't afford it? Because some people, such as my wife and I, buy once every 2.5 to 3 years with our tax refund (this year was an anomaly). Paying for AC+ up front means we don't have to pay anything if something breaks during those 2.5 to 3 years.

It's an extra expense that I cannot justify when I'm already trying to find ways to lower cost of phone and bill. Congrats on your new phone and happy holiday.

Can you justify $350~ when it does break and you don't have AC+?

That's the situation we'll be in if something happens to our phones. At a minimum we can get away with $175 under insurance. Still a lot for us.

Some costs cannot be immediately justified.

Your situation is not mine of course, but I am speaking in terms of my situation.

 

[themumu]

Sure. If you have $350~ to spend when it breaks. I'd rather pay $100~ out of the gate and if something happens - nothing when it does.


It is for those who can afford it (CC insurance).

But you mention why buy the iPhone if you can't afford it? Because some people, such as my wife and I, buy once every 2.5 to 3 years with our tax refund (this year was an anomaly). Paying for AC+ up front means we don't have to pay anything if something breaks during those 2.5 to 3 years.


Can you justify $350~ when it does break and you don't have AC+?

That's the situation we'll be in if something happens to our phones. At a minimum we can get away with $175 under insurance. Still a lot for us.

Some costs cannot be immediately justified.

Your situation is not mine of course, but I am speaking in terms of my situation.

There is an alternative to paying for AC+ or getting stuck paying full price of repair with no cash handy. It's saving for your own insurance fund. I've started doing this a few years back and it works pretty well.

It goes like this: whenever you are faced with an expensive warranty policy for an electronic device like an iPhone, you take the amount it would cost, and put it into a separate savings account that you don't use for anything else. Unless you are frequently plagued by problems, after a few years using the same account for all household members, you will have saved enough to cover a few repairs. The best part is that the money is still yours should you have an emergency of a different kind and need it. Also, because it's your own money, you never need to worry about deductibles or if your issue is gonna be covered or not

Personally, I combine that account with some other insurances that tend to be expensive when purchased retail, such as pet insurance. It would not work if you just take $130 that AC+ costs and save nothing else, but do it for all your family phones for 3 years, and it becomes a lot more significant.

 

[skiltrip]

Terrific and sensible suggestion above. Thanks.

 

[eyoungren]

There is an alternative to paying for AC+ or getting stuck paying full price of repair with no cash handy. It's saving for your own insurance fund. I've started doing this a few years back and it works pretty well.

It goes like this: whenever you are faced with an expensive warranty policy for an electronic device like an iPhone, you take the amount it would cost, and put it into a separate savings account that you don't use for anything else. Unless you are frequently plagued by problems, after a few years using the same account for all household members, you will have saved enough to cover a few repairs. The best part is that the money is still yours should you have an emergency of a different kind and need it. Also, because it's your own money, you never need to worry about deductibles or if your issue is gonna be covered or not

Personally, I combine that account with some other insurances that tend to be expensive when purchased retail, such as pet insurance. It would not work if you just take $130 that AC+ costs and save nothing else, but do it for all your family phones for 3 years, and it becomes a lot more significant.

That is a thought.

It's much more difficult to do when you live paycheck to paycheck and both paychecks per month only just cover life. But I'm saving what I can. Not specifically with this in mind, but that would be a possibility as well if there's ever enough in there.

 

[Nolander07]

Sure. If you have $350~ to spend when it breaks. I'd rather pay $100~ out of the gate and if something happens - nothing when it does.


It is for those who can afford it (CC insurance).

But you mention why buy the iPhone if you can't afford it? Because some people, such as my wife and I, buy once every 2.5 to 3 years with our tax refund (this year was an anomaly). Paying for AC+ up front means we don't have to pay anything if something breaks during those 2.5 to 3 years.


Can you justify $350~ when it does break and you don't have AC+?

That's the situation we'll be in if something happens to our phones. At a minimum we can get away with $175 under insurance. Still a lot for us.

Some costs cannot be immediately justified.

Your situation is not mine of course, but I am speaking in terms of my situation.

That all makes sense, but with the 6s and 6s plus you have to pay another $100 on top of your initial $129 to get the phone repaired or replaced. That would be $229, almost the same cost as replacing the phone (6s $299) and about $100 more than the cost of replacing the screen ($129).

When AppleCare+ was $80 with $50 deductible it was totally worth it, but with the new prices I'll take my chances. If I don't break my phone I'll be ahead $129, if I do, I'll be out $70 more than with AppleCare+ (or ahead $100 if I only need a screen replacement).

 

[Charadis]

Can you justify $350~ when it does break and you don't have AC+?

That's the situation we'll be in if something happens to our phones. At a minimum we can get away with $175 under insurance. Still a lot for us.

Some costs cannot be immediately justified.

Your situation is not mine of course, but I am speaking in terms of my situation.

I think if I had to spend $350 on repairs, I'd rather repair the phone myself with cheaper parts. So far, I've been fortunate with not having to deal with that, and while you have a good point, I'm more worried about losing my phone which isn't covered under AC+

 

[eyoungren]

I think if I had to spend $350 on repairs, I'd rather repair the phone myself with cheaper parts. So far, I've been fortunate with not having to deal with that, and while you have a good point, I'm more worried about losing my phone which isn't covered under AC+

When I had my iPhone 5 I paid for the carrier insurance AND AC+. Apple covered me for damage and if there wasn't anything they would cover I still had the carrier insurance. And the carrier insurance covered me for theft/loss.

Now it's just the carrier insurance because we couldn't afford AC+ up front this time.

 

[doxielover]

Sure. If you have $350~ to spend when it breaks. I'd rather pay $100~ out of the gate and if something happens - nothing when it does.


It is for those who can afford it (CC insurance).

But you mention why buy the iPhone if you can't afford it? Because some people, such as my wife and I, buy once every 2.5 to 3 years with our tax refund (this year was an anomaly). Paying for AC+ up front means we don't have to pay anything if something breaks during those 2.5 to 3 years.


Can you justify $350~ when it does break and you don't have AC+?

That's the situation we'll be in if something happens to our phones. At a minimum we can get away with $175 under insurance. Still a lot for us.

Some costs cannot be immediately justified.

Your situation is not mine of course, but I am speaking in terms of my situation.

But If you drop it and your screen breaks even with AC+ you still have to pay for screen replacement but at a lower cost right?

 

[chrfr]

But If you drop it and your screen breaks even with AC+ you still have to pay for screen replacement but at a lower cost right?

Yes, as mentioned further up the thread, it's $129 up front, then $99 for each of two repairs. Beyond those 2 repairs, nothing is covered aside from defects.

 

[doxielover]

Tomorrow is the last day I have to get AC+ (60 days) I have the 6s plus 128gb I paid full price for unlocked. I'm having a hard time deciding if I should get it. I purchased it on my Amex but not sure if I should get this or not. I do live close to an Apple Store. I had my 4s for 3 years before I purchased this one. I heard I can get free battery replacements with AC+. Decisions ugh.

 

[Charadis]

Tomorrow is the last day I have to get AC+ (60 days) I have the 6s plus 128gb I paid full price for unlocked. I'm having a hard time deciding if I should get it. I purchased it on my Amex but not sure if I should get this or not. I do live close to an Apple Store. I had my 4s for 3 years before I purchased this one. I heard I can get free battery replacements with AC+. Decisions ugh.

Nooooooooo don't do it! I didn't, and it worked out pretty well for me

When I had my iPhone 5 I paid for the carrier insurance AND AC+. Apple covered me for damage and if there wasn't anything they would cover I still had the carrier insurance. And the carrier insurance covered me for theft/loss.

Now it's just the carrier insurance because we couldn't afford AC+ up front this time.

I never buy carrier insurance or AppleCare. Im sure it's good for peace of mind tho, but I havent broken anything in a while. I don't use cases, but I do use skins and glass screen protectors... That's my insurance ((

 

[aneftp]

Wife ruined her 6th iPhone tonight Thought I had escaped with a cracked screen glass protector after a drop at children school this morning.

Literally just put a new glass protector on at 7pm and she went to take a bath and next thing I know is she tried to answer phone from bath tub and ruined phone in water.

Phone submerged in water. It works. But now it won't charge.

I have square trade so will give them a call tomorrow.

So warranty depends on the person. If reckless like my wife. Than get warranty.

I don't even know if a life proof water proof is effective. Cause they cost $80 themsleves and u lose a lot of the screen sensitivity.

Sucks also since phone is about 100 days old. Too late for Amex accidental protection that covers first 90 days.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

Applecare doesn't make sense for the iPhone because most manufacture defects will occur within the first 3 months of ownership. If you get to the 1 year mark aka past the standard warranty then it'll most likely keep working.

Replacement screen costs 130 without AC+ or 130 for just AC+ + 99 for screen. So it makes no sense to buy AC+ because it's more expensive than just replacing the screen.

 

[doxielover]

Wife ruined her 6th iPhone tonight Thought I had escaped with a cracked screen glass protector after a drop at children school this morning.

Literally just put a new glass protector on at 7pm and she went to take a bath and next thing I know is she tried to answer phone from bath tub and ruined phone in water.

Phone submerged in water. It works. But now it won't charge.

I have square trade so will give them a call tomorrow.

So warranty depends on the person. If reckless like my wife. Than get warranty.

I don't even know if a life proof water proof is effective. Cause they cost $80 themsleves and u lose a lot of the screen sensitivity.

Sucks also since phone is about 100 days old. Too late for Amex accidental protection that covers first 90 days.

Wow talk about bad luck. I guess without AppleCare plus it would be over $300 for replacement.