AppleCare+ Can Now be Purchased Up to One Year After Buying an iPhone

[Channan]

Don't be salty, This is just completely untrue. Someone who is prone to dropping their device would benefit from having two screen repairs for $29 each instead of 169 each time. Or how about getting those cables or headphones replaced when they start to wear? I'm not usually big on warranties, but this is Good coverage here and has helped MANY people.

He said in the long run, meaning you might drop your phone and break it now, and AC+ would save you money this time, but you probably wouldn't need it next time or even the time after that, and then you wind up spending more on warranties than the actual repairs are worth.

Someone cracking the screen of every iPhone they own twice could save a whole lot more money even over AC+ by just getting a good case.

 

[ACG12]

In the long run, it's always cheaper to pay WHEN something breaks, not IF something breaks. There's a reason these warranties exist, and it's not to help you.

You would be incorrect. One replacement cost without AC+ is more than AC+ and the deductible.

If I break my iPad Pro 9.7 twice with AC+, I'm out $200 total. Without it, $758. My iPhone, $329 vs $619.

It's just like your home and auto insurance, hoping you never have to use it, but there when needed.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Confirmed yesterday with a phone purchase, indeed up to 1 year!

 

[BenTrovato]

You would be incorrect. One replacement cost without AC+ is more than AC+ and the deductible.

If I break my iPad Pro 9.7 twice with AC+, I'm out $200 total. Without it, $758. My iPhone, $329 vs $619.

It's just like your home and auto insurance, hoping you never have to use it, but there when needed.

Exactly you proved the other persons point. Insurance is always calculated to benefit the company not the consumer. Apple calculated how to turn this into another revenue stream and settled on these figures to profit from it. Mathematically, the consumer never profits from insurance. As others have said, in the long run, you come out ahead paying WHEN it breaks, not paying in advance for IF it breaks.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Confirmed yesterday with a phone purchase, indeed up to 1 year!

What's so good about paying for two years of coverage but only getting one?

 

[p3ncil]

Not until you actually select to buy the AppleCare+ and select your country. Then you will be ineligible.

Yea, you're right.

 

[NRubino]

I don't know if I'm the only one but every time I try to purchase online I get to a spot and just a blank screen, I check eligibility, click buy, verify, and then nothing, just goes to a link and blank...

Can anyone help ?!

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

What's so good about paying for two years of coverage but only getting one?

You never paid for 2 you only ever paid for 1 extra. You get one with original purchase and another with the purchase of AppleCare+.

 

[NRubino]

Has anyone successfully purchased AppleCare+ for iPhone 7 Plus outside the 60 day window? I purchased mine in September last year. I went to checkcoverage.apple.com, which shows a yellow exclamation mark next to "Eligible for AppleCare+." I clicked "Learn more and buy now," which takes me to the AppleCare+ purchase page. I clicked Buy, which redirects me to https://agreements.apple.com/us/en/sales/purchase?d=0 but that page is blank.

I just chatted with Apple and asked about this, and the rep said I can't purchase because I bought the phone more than 60 days ago. I pointed him to this MacRumors page, and he told me this is not an Apple website (duh..) and that the policy hasn't changed.

I, too, have had this same experience, not sure what the issue is... no one has been able to give me a definitive answer...

 

[0924487]

I'm not sure. Is there a way they can test the resistance? I'm not a techie, my thought is complete undamaged screen=certain resistance vs. damaged screen=different resistance.

The Apple diagnostics report uses accelerometer history data for shock detection. If your phone is dropped, the log is permanent. Apple also knows the severity of impact to distinguish a light drop on the bed and a hard drop on the floor. So... if your screen is cracked, they'll know for sure. If they let you through, it's their curtesy not inability of detection.

 

[jforsander]

Is there any measure in place to prevent people from buying AppleCare+ after accidental damage happened?

Edit: Should have read the article until the end...

[doublepost=1489855606][/doublepost]

Is there any measure in place to prevent people from buying AppleCare+ after accidental damage happened?

Edit: Should have read the article until the end...

I've done that before. The software diagnostic tool doesn't know if your screen is cracked.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Exactly you proved the other persons point. Insurance is always calculated to benefit the company not the consumer. Apple calculated how to turn this into another revenue stream and settled on these figures to profit from it. Mathematically, the consumer never profits from insurance. As others have said, in the long run, you come out ahead paying WHEN it breaks, not paying in advance for IF it breaks.

Regardless of the type of insurance... Self-insurance works very well for those who have the financial resources, not so well for those who don't. You could argue, "If you can't afford to repair/replace it, you shouldn't buy it," but you'd be holding humanity to a standard that few could match.

One may as well also say, "Pay cash for everything, it's cheaper than paying interest," or "Make it yourself, it's cheaper than paying someone else to make it."

When the dollar amounts get larger, it's easier to appreciate the potential benefits. Pay $20,000 cash for a car today, it gets destroyed in a crash a few months later, pay another $20,000 cash to replace it. And that's assuming there are no deaths or physical injuries. Very scary proposition. Insuring a smartphone seems silly by comparison.

I'd ask the self-insurers in the audience, do you also self-insure your healthcare, vehicles, and homestead? Or is this just a matter of degree?

Insurance is a risk-mitigation pool. Something bad is going to happen to someone, that bad thing may have devastating consequences, so everyone chips in a bit against the chance that they may be the person to whom the bad thing happens. It also helps to have the attitude that, "If it benefits my neighbor rather than myself, that's OK, too." But the current fashion in the U.S. is to care nothing for ones neighbors, or the common good in general. Losers get what they deserve (as if losing was a character flaw, as if bad things never happened to good people).

Like most other endeavors, insurance can be run as either a profit-making enterprise, or on a non-profit, mutual basis. Since it's the fashion to run everything for private profit and nothing for mutual benefit, why single out any one business for doing what society seems to demand?

 

[AppleScruff1]

You never paid for 2 you only ever paid for 1 extra. You get one with original purchase and another with the purchase of AppleCare+.

You also paid for the chance to have accidental damage coverage for two years. Without AppleCare you get none.

 

[ACG12]

Exactly you proved the other persons point. Insurance is always calculated to benefit the company not the consumer. Apple calculated how to turn this into another revenue stream and settled on these figures to profit from it. Mathematically, the consumer never profits from insurance. As others have said, in the long run, you come out ahead paying WHEN it breaks, not paying in advance for IF it breaks.

He proved me right, it has happened to me and each time it was never my fault.

AC+ isn't just about damages either, it extends coverage for an additional year for defects which would have saved me a huge headache with Apple and my old 6+ (and the reason why I now get AC+)

 

[BenTrovato]

He proved me right, it has happened to me and each time it was never my fault.

AC+ isn't just about damages either, it extends coverage for an additional year for defects which would have saved me a huge headache with Apple and my old 6+ (and the reason why I now get AC+)

Just ball parking.. If I purchased AC for only my Apple products since 2007, it would cost me over $2000. My out of warranty repairs in that time period have been under $500. It's a no brainer for me not to buy it but I understand how insurance works having studied it and know it does not pay in the long term. Others may have had different experiences.

 

[bufffilm]

About time!

 

[joueboy]

This sounds awesome especially if you really need just like any insurance very beneficial in the time you need it. But obviously Apple wants more money one way or the other they want your $129. I used to hear stories when Apple doesn't make as much money as now when fewer people owns Apple products. Their customer service is top notch I heard stories from friends Apple fixed their problem for free. Now that's not gonna happen and the wait for repair is now days to just to make reservation, I remember when I can just walk-in and they just take care of me. Funny how not only Apple when companies start asking more money and services start to get suck pretty bad.

 

[LoliS]

Insurance is always calculated to benefit the company

If insurance companies didn't make a profit, they wouldn't be in business.
[doublepost=1489866518][/doublepost]

Mathematically, the consumer never profits from insurance.

If by mathematically you mean on average, then yes the average consumer pays more in insurance than they ever get paid back to them. That's the whole reason the system works.
[doublepost=1489866648][/doublepost]

What's so good about paying for two years of coverage but only getting one?

No matter when you buy, you are only getting an additional 1 year of warranty. As for the accidental damage coverage, if you buy at the time you purchase, you get 2 claims in a 2 year period. If you buy at the 1 year mark, you get 2 claims in a 1 year period. You get 2 claims either way.
[doublepost=1489867069][/doublepost]

The Apple diagnostics report uses accelerometer history data for shock detection. If your phone is dropped, the log is permanent. Apple also knows the severity of impact to distinguish a light drop on the bed and a hard drop on the floor. So... if your screen is cracked, they'll know for sure. If they let you through, it's their curtesy not inability of detection.

That's interesting. I turn off "send diagnostics to apple" but you are saying they store the logs locally on the device. Correct?
[doublepost=1489867160][/doublepost]

Regardless of the type of insurance... Self-insurance works very well for those who have the financial resources, not so well for those who don't.

Exactly, insurance is a forced savings account to cover future losses that may never occur.
[doublepost=1489867301][/doublepost]

I'd ask the self-insurers in the audience, do you also self-insure your healthcare, vehicles, and homestead? Or is this just a matter of degree?

For most it is not only a matter of degree but of also being required to carry the insurance. HO insurance is required if you have a mortgage and technically health insurance is required too although the penalties are small if you don't carry it.

With AC+, the other thing people are missing is that you get tech support from apple for 2 years too. That may not be a big deal to many people but I certainly use it.
[doublepost=1489867418][/doublepost]

You also paid for the chance to have accidental damage coverage for two years. Without AppleCare you get none.

Correct but no matter when you purchase the AC+, you get 2 claims. If you buy AC+ when you purchase the device, you get 2 claims in 2 years. If you buy AC+ at the 1 year mark, you get 2 claims in 1 year.
[doublepost=1489867576][/doublepost]

AC+ isn't just about damages either, it extends coverage for an additional year for defects which would have saved me a huge headache with Apple and my old 6+ (and the reason why I now get AC+)

I buy AC+ too but I wanted to point out that Apple will sell you an out of warranty replacement device. It's pricey though.

https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/pricing
[doublepost=1489867629][/doublepost]

Just ball parking.. If I purchased AC for only my Apple products since 2007, it would cost me over $2000. My out of warranty repairs in that time period have been under $500.

You are both lucky and careful with your devices.

 

[justperry]

I just checked the Amsterdam Apple site - a 32GB iPhone 7 with the VAT in your country is 879 euros. That is $945. An 32GB iPhone 7 is $690 with sales tax where I live.

So you see, that 3 year warranty isn't free.

This is not the whole story, there's much more to it than just comparing prices and VAT.
For instance:

1. Where I am from I (Actually Apple) have to pay import Tax.(Which is transferred to the consumer)

2. Healthcare insurance is mandatory in most EU countries, it's makes wages higher, ergo higher electronics costs.

3. You make $40.000, I make €40.000, a bottle of coke is 1$ or €1 in the US-EU, so in this case an iPhone is $879 instead of $945, don't take the exchange rate into consideration, many people fall into this trap.

4. 3 years is still more than the 2 years you get if you get Applecare.

5. Plenty more reasons.........

If insurance companies didn't make a profit, they wouldn't be in business.

Not if they are mutual non profit.

 

[LoliS]

This is not the whole story, there's much more to it than just comparing prices and VAT.
For instance:

1. Where I am from I (Actually Apple) have to pay import Tax.(Which is transferred to the consumer)

2. Healthcare insurance is mandatory in most EU countries, it's makes wages higher, ergo higher electronics costs.

Yep, all of that means goods are more expensive in your country.


And it isn't mandatory health insurance that you have, it is socialized medicine, big difference. Not to mention the free riding the socialist countries do on the drug industry R&D paid for by US healthcare consumers.

3. You make $40.000

I make a helluva a lot more than that.

I make €40.000

While there is a larger income gap in the US between the lower and upper socioeconomic classes compared to Europe, the fact that goods are cheaper in the US means that the lower income people in the US have a higher standard of living. You can't go simply by income, you have to go by disposable income after you factor in tax credits and other public assistance.

3 years is still more than the 2 years you get if you get Applecare.

$945 - $690 = $255 savings. I can afford to buy new iPhones more often because they are cheaper in the US.

And remember, the 3 years of warranty that you get doesn't include accidental damage. The 2 years of AC+ does with deductibles of $29/$99. You are ignoring that very valuable difference. I will take 2 years of warranty + 2 accidental damage claims and cheaper devices over your 3 year warranty. I like my toys all shiny and new.
[doublepost=1489870177][/doublepost]

Not if they are mutual non profit.

Not too many of those in the US. There used to be more.

 

[AppleScruff1]

If insurance companies didn't make a profit, they wouldn't be in business.
[doublepost=1489866518][/doublepost]If by mathematically you mean on average, then yes the average consumer pays more in insurance than they ever get paid back to them. That's the whole reason the system works.
[doublepost=1489866648][/doublepost]No matter when you buy, you are only getting an additional 1 year of warranty. As for the accidental damage coverage, if you buy at the time you purchase, you get 2 claims in a 2 year period. If you buy at the 1 year mark, you get 2 claims in a 1 year period. You get 2 claims either way.
[doublepost=1489867069][/doublepost]That's interesting. I turn off "send diagnostics to apple" but you are saying they store the logs locally on the device. Correct?
[doublepost=1489867160][/doublepost]Exactly, insurance is a forced savings account to cover future losses that may never occur.
[doublepost=1489867301][/doublepost]For most it is not only a matter of degree but of also being required to carry the insurance. HO insurance is required if you have a mortgage and technically health insurance is required too although the penalties are small if you don't carry it.

With AC+, the other thing people are missing is that you get tech support from apple for 2 years too. That may not be a big deal to many people but I certainly use it.
[doublepost=1489867418][/doublepost]
Correct but no matter when you purchase the AC+, you get 2 claims. If you buy AC+ when you purchase the device, you get 2 claims in 2 years. If you buy AC+ at the 1 year mark, you get 2 claims in 1 year.
[doublepost=1489867576][/doublepost]I buy AC+ too but I wanted to point out that Apple will sell you an out of warranty replacement device. It's pricey though.

https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/pricing
[doublepost=1489867629][/doublepost]You are both lucky and careful with your devices.

So please tell me why it's such a fantastic idea to buy coverage a year later.

 

[LoliS]

So please tell me why it's such a fantastic idea to buy coverage a year later.

It just gives people who are on the fence longer to decide if they want it. Of course if they have accidental damage during that first year, they can't get it after that or if they had to get a warranty replacement. That's a risk they take by waiting.

 

[garya73]

It just gives people who are on the fence longer to decide if they want it. Of course if they have accidental damage during that first year, they can't get it after that or if they had to get a warranty replacement. That's a risk they take by waiting.

Because Apple figured out they can offer half a warranty and charge the same amount of money and people will buy it.

 

[cardfan]

The only applecare I ever buy is on an imac or 15" MBP. It has to be 2k+. To each their own though if you enjoy paying out more.

 

[LoliS]

Because Apple figured out they can offer half a warranty and charge the same amount of money and people will buy it.

It's not half a warranty for the reasons I explained before. No matter when you buy, you get the same 1 additional year of warranty. And no matter when you buy, you get 2 accidental damage claims. Same.
[doublepost=1489893763][/doublepost]

if you enjoy paying out more.

As if you get nothing in return for paying for AC+, lol!