Applecare+ Expires in 1 Month

[jwzimm]

Hey all,

The Applecare+ coverage on my Series 2 SBSS Watch expires in less than one month. The condition of the watch is pretty good but there are a couple very small scratches in the case. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile/a good idea to get the watch replaced under Applecare before the coverage expires. The service fee is only $69 which seems like a good deal to get a new watch. I am also a little worried about the age of the battery given that the watch is 2 years old now.

Has anyone done this? Would they give me any grief for requesting a replacement without any obvious catastrophic damage?

 

[Bballrob]

Has anyone done this? Would they give me any grief for requesting a replacement without any obvious catastrophic damage?

Read the policy to see what’s covered. I’m guessing you will find that normal wear and tear is not, which is what a few small scratches on the case are.

And what indications do you have that the battery is failing??

 

[jwzimm]

Read the policy to see what’s covered. I’m guessing you will find that normal wear and tear is not, which is what a few small scratches on the case are.

And what indications do you have that the battery is failing??

You may be right, I am having a tough time finding the details of the policy on the website though.

As for the battery, I have not seen any specific indications of it failing but it is, by Apple's own admission, a wear item (see the iPhone Battery Debacle of 2018). After 2 years it is very likely it has lost at least some percentage of its original capacity. As an example; I use an App called "Paddle Logger" to record my workouts in a canoe and unless I have the watch fully charged prior to going out it will not last 2 hours. I realize that the GPS does drain the battery but I am unsure if that is simply normal or a sign the battery is not fully up to snuff.

 

[44267547]

Hey all,

The Applecare+ coverage on my Series 2 SBSS Watch expires in less than one month. The condition of the watch is pretty good but there are a couple very small scratches in the case. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile/a good idea to get the watch replaced under Applecare before the coverage expires. The service fee is only $69 which seems like a good deal to get a new watch. I am also a little worried about the age of the battery given that the watch is 2 years old now.

Has anyone done this? Would they give me any grief for requesting a replacement without any obvious catastrophic damage?

Not exactly related to all your questions, but if you’re concerned about the battery life for your Series 2, you could have Apple conduct a free battery test in store or over the phone for your Apple Watch. Which then they can tell you the overall health.

 

[batting1000]

Someone on Reddit suggested that even if cosmetic stuff isn't covered, you can do an express replacement, so they send you a new watch, and then by the time you send back your watch for them to do tests on, etc, you already have the new watch so they can't do anything about it. Is this the "right" way to go about it, I don't know, but I thought it was interesting.

https://support.apple.com/watch/repair/service/express-replacement

 

[ricktat]

Are you having any issues like random shutdowns? I had one replaced for this reason with no deductible before it ran out

 

[matrix07]

Someone on Reddit suggested that even if cosmetic stuff isn't covered, you can do an express replacement, so they send you a new watch, and then by the time you send back your watch for them to do tests on, etc, you already have the new watch so they can't do anything about it. Is this the "right" way to go about it, I don't know, but I thought it was interesting.

https://support.apple.com/watch/repair/service/express-replacement

If enough people doing that Apple will change policy of express replacement and makes it harder. People with genuine issue will suffer because of those people who did. Bravo to modern society where principle and honor are lost words and can’t have good things because it’s cool to abuse it.

 

[batting1000]

If enough people doing that Apple will change policy of express replacement and makes it harder. People with genuine issue will suffer because of those people who did. Bravo to modern society where principle and honor are lost words and can’t have good things because it’s cool to abuse it.

Can't accidental damage be considerd cosmetic? Scratches and nicks aren't considered damage? In the grand scheme of things they may be cosmetic, but if I pay the AppleCare+ fee and then the $69 replacement fee, what am I doing wrong? I'm sure it's something Apple is aware is possible and they probably don't see it as a big deal if I had to guess.

 

[matrix07]

Can't accidental damage be considerd cosmetic? Scratches and nicks aren't considered damage? In the grand scheme of things they may be cosmetic, but if I pay the AppleCare+ fee and then the $69 replacement fee, what am I doing wrong? I'm sure it's something Apple is aware is possible and they probably don't see it as a big deal if I had to guess.

Can’t say if it’s right or wrong. It’s only Apple to say but I’m sure I myself won’t be entitled just because I paid for AppleCare+ and replacement fee to get replacement for any condition I’d like. I’m not talking about going through the right channel. I’m talking about “you already have the new watch so they can't do anything about it.”

If you are valued customer I’m sure Apple will take care of you but if enough people think they’re entitled to whatever that isn’t in the agreement I’m also sure in the end Apple will find a way to prevent that and makes it harder for someone, maybe even you yourself in the future, to get taken care of as quickly and as easily. Because trust me, even if Apple “can't do anything about it” they sure can mark your name down.

 

[Julien]

Can't accidental damage be considerd cosmetic? Scratches and nicks aren't considered damage?...

It is up to Apple but it seems like (and what I would consider) that "damage" refers to the operation of the device. So scratched screen would be cosmetic and a cracked screen would be damaged.

 

[bbeagle]

Scratches and nicks are not considered damage according to Apple Care +, unless those nicks and scratches cause the screen to not respond correctly.

 

[jwzimm]

Well I was just curious if folks have done this. Not trying to start an ethics war.

As one poster said, the Applecare+ was bought and paid for. It covers up to qty (2) replacements of the device due to accidental damage at a cost of $69+tax. I am just wondering if it would be worthwhile to use one of those replacements before the agreement expires.

Out of curiosity as well; since Apple no longer sells the Series 2 are they able to replace it with a Series 2? I would assume they would have warranty stock on hand but I am not sure. I have heard of folks with Series 0 watches receiving Series 1's as replacements.

 

[kohlson]

If an Apple Store is close by, I would just take it in and see what your options are. I've had things that I clearly considered "their fault" be denied. When I go back the next week it's resolved no problem. So some amount of subjectivity.

I have an AW S0 and the battery is clearly not what it once was. This got pretty noticeably sometime into the 3rd year.

 

[Freakonomics101]

Are you having any issues like random shutdowns? I had one replaced for this reason with no deductible before it ran out

I was getting that with the latest OS 4 update but it has completely stopped with OS 5 beta 10. I was about to get mine replaced but the update fixed it when I thought it was a hardware issue after doing a clean install.

 

[Bballrob]

Well I was just curious if folks have done this. Not trying to start an ethics war.

As one poster said, the Applecare+ was bought and paid for. It covers up to qty (2) replacements of the device due to accidental damage at a cost of $69+tax. I am just wondering if it would be worthwhile to use one of those replacements before the agreement expires.

Out of curiosity as well; since Apple no longer sells the Series 2 are they able to replace it with a Series 2? I would assume they would have warranty stock on hand but I am not sure. I have heard of folks with Series 0 watches receiving Series 1's as replacements.

Your first line seems like that is exactly what you’re asking about. What you are suggesting seems to be completely unethical. According to your original post, you have a watch that is a couple years old with a few minor scratches on it as a result of normal usage. And you think that just because you paid for the insurance and are willing to pay the deductible, you should be entitled to swap it out for a new, or at least refurbished which is what they usually send on insurance claims, watch. That is not what AppleCare is for.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Hey all,

The Applecare+ coverage on my Series 2 SBSS Watch expires in less than one month. The condition of the watch is pretty good but there are a couple very small scratches in the case. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile/a good idea to get the watch replaced under Applecare before the coverage expires. The service fee is only $69 which seems like a good deal to get a new watch. I am also a little worried about the age of the battery given that the watch is 2 years old now.

Has anyone done this? Would they give me any grief for requesting a replacement without any obvious catastrophic damage?

Apple will NOT replace a device under any warranty coverage for "cosmetic" flaws... including scratched screens, nicks or scratches on the body of the device.

 

[mavis]

Apple will NOT replace a device under any warranty coverage for "cosmetic" flaws... including scratched screens, nicks or scratches on the body of the device.

So take a hammer to it. If you bought AppleCare+ and it covers user-caused damage to the device, there ya go.

 

[Julien]

So take a hammer to it. If you bought AppleCare+ and it covers user-caused damage to the device, there ya go.

This is (insurance) fraud and is a crime. AppleCare+ does NOT cover "user-caused damage". It covers accidental damage.

 

[44267547]

So take a hammer to it. If you bought AppleCare+ and it covers user-caused damage to the device, there ya go.

Some members have made this suggestion when it comes to utilizing AppleCare, and I can’t say I agree with this advice being ethical, And I certainly don’t believe Apple would condone this behavior from my perspective.

 

[mavis]

This is (insurance) fraud and is a crime. AppleCare+ does NOT cover "user-caused damage". It covers accidental damage.

Right, except for accidental cosmetic damage ... I suppose one could simply be extremely careless for a day or two, and 'accidentally' damage the watch to the degree that Apple will actually cover it. Honestly, I thought that AppleCare+ entitled you to two unit replacements for any reason (not free, of course) ...

 

[AZhappyjack]

So take a hammer to it. If you bought AppleCare+ and it covers user-caused damage to the device, there ya go.

That's an ethical approach.

 

[Julien]

Right, except for accidental cosmetic damage ... I suppose one could simply be extremely careless for a day or two, and 'accidentally' damage the watch to the degree that Apple will actually cover it. Honestly, I thought that AppleCare+ entitled you to two unit replacements for any reason (not free, of course) ...

 

[matrix07]

View attachment 780648

View attachment 780647

You forget to underline “reckless, abusive”.