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SDAVE

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 16, 2007
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AC used to be around $140 on eBay for a 15" MBP, for some reason it's really hard to find it at that price.

I could get a student discount for $239, but is there anywhere else I could get it for cheap?

Cheers
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
You can't find it for cheap on eBay anymore because most of the offerings were scams
There has been a big crackdown on that and you don't see it much anymore

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is
 

yezza

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2008
259
23
I never read or experienced any evidence of eBay-sold AppleCare being a scam, though I did wonder. I ended up purchasing my Mac Pro AppleCare 3 years ago on eBay from a seller called memorymate. It cost $80, activated fine, and I eventually had to use it for a failing optical drive. There were no problems with the AppleCare, and it cost me a fraction of the cost had I have purchased from another source.
 

SDAVE

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 16, 2007
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Yeah, I've bought AppleCare 4-5 times through ebay over the years. Two of them I only received a code. Worked fine at the Apple Store.

I think now Apple Stores might want the box as a proof of purchase, so all the auctions I see are for sealed boxes.
 

Primejimbo

macrumors 68040
Aug 10, 2008
3,295
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Around
Yeah, I've bought AppleCare 4-5 times through ebay over the years. Two of them I only received a code. Worked fine at the Apple Store.

I think now Apple Stores might want the box as a proof of purchase, so all the auctions I see are for sealed boxes.

I got 3 AC's from eBay (got only codes) and never had an issue with any of them.
 

jyhfeei

macrumors newbie
Jun 16, 2012
3
0
Good deal on applecare at B&H. Just got my new 13" MBA with applecare (50% off when you buy with mac, $95) and free parallels 7 for $1294. Since I used an AMEX, the warranty will be bumped to 4 years too.
 
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derrranged

macrumors member
Jun 20, 2012
32
0
Good deal on applecare at B&H. Just got my new 13" MBA with applecare (50% off when you buy with mac, $95) and free parallels 7 for $1294. Since I used an AMEX, the warranty will be bumped to 4 years too.

The box for APP is not serialized. The box is not proof of purchase. The store will never ask to see your original APP box. If your code is valid, its valid.

http://www.apple.com/support/applecare/welcome/
 

charlieegan3

macrumors 68020
Feb 16, 2012
2,394
17
U.K
if you buy it with your Mac on the higher education discount you get it for a vastly reduced price (279>60)
 

scoobydoo99

Cancelled
Mar 11, 2003
1,007
353
Since I used an AMEX, the warranty will be bumped to 4 years too.

Not according to AMEX terms & conditions.

AMEX only extends the "original manufacturer's warranty" (i.e. 1 year). AppleCare is an extended warranty, so AMEX doesn't stack on top of that.

Your choice is AMEX for a total warranty of 2 years, or
AppleCare for a total warranty of 3 years.

So, with AppleCare, you are paying a pretty large premium for just an extra year.
 

jyhfeei

macrumors newbie
Jun 16, 2012
3
0
Not according to AMEX terms & conditions.

AMEX only extends the "original manufacturer's warranty" (i.e. 1 year). AppleCare is an extended warranty, so AMEX doesn't stack on top of that.

Your choice is AMEX for a total warranty of 2 years, or
AppleCare for a total warranty of 3 years.

So, with AppleCare, you are paying a pretty large premium for just an extra year.


Buying an Apple computer and Applecare extends your warranty to 4 years when using AMEX. This is straight from American Express warranty extention department.

Apple is the original manufacturer and Apple warranty's the computer for 3 years if you buy Applecare. AMEX extended warranty would not apply to third party warranty extentions as these are companies are not the original manufacturer.

My computers have started to fall apart, mechanically, at about year 4, so I think this is a pretty useful extention.
 
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scoobydoo99

Cancelled
Mar 11, 2003
1,007
353
Buying an Apple computer and Applecare extends your warranty to 4 years when using AMEX. This is straight from American Express warranty extention department.

Apple is the original manufacturer and Apple warranty's the computer for 3 years if you buy Applecare. AMEX extended warranty would not apply to third party warranty extentions as these are companies are not the original manufacturer.

My computers have started to fall apart, mechanically, at about year 4, so I think this is a pretty useful extention.

OK. I hope that is correct. When you say it is straight from the warranty extension department, I assume you mean someone told you over the phone. That's difficult to enforce. At some later date, they will always fall back to the wording in the terms & conditions. The exact wording from my AMEX terms is
"extend the terms of the original U.S. manufacturer's warranty", so the interpretation comes down to whether they mean the "original" - U.S. manufacturer's warranty (which is one year before AppleCare) or the "original U.S. manufacturer's" (i.e. Apple's) warranty, which, as you state, is 3 years with AppleCare.

I am just always suspect when I need to rely on a corporation's interpretation after the fact. It is hard to enforce something if they decide to deny a claim when the wording is open to interpretation. And that rep you talked to will be long gone, as will any recording of the conversation.

But, like I said, hopefully it works the way you say.
 

SDAVE

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 16, 2007
3,558
580
Nowhere
Buying an Apple computer and Applecare extends your warranty to 4 years when using AMEX. This is straight from American Express warranty extention department.

Apple is the original manufacturer and Apple warranty's the computer for 3 years if you buy Applecare. AMEX extended warranty would not apply to third party warranty extentions as these are companies are not the original manufacturer.

My computers have started to fall apart, mechanically, at about year 4, so I think this is a pretty useful extention.

Do you know if this works for AMEX Prepaid cards?
 

Macky-Mac

macrumors 68040
May 18, 2004
3,480
2,517
OK. I hope that is correct. When you say it is straight from the warranty extension department, I assume you mean someone told you over the phone. That's difficult to enforce. At some later date, they will always fall back to the wording in the terms & conditions. The exact wording from my AMEX terms is
"extend the terms of the original U.S. manufacturer's warranty", so the interpretation comes down to whether they mean the "original" - U.S. manufacturer's warranty (which is one year before AppleCare) or the "original U.S. manufacturer's" (i.e. Apple's) warranty, which, as you state, is 3 years with AppleCare.

I am just always suspect when I need to rely on a corporation's interpretation after the fact. It is hard to enforce something if they decide to deny a claim when the wording is open to interpretation. And that rep you talked to will be long gone, as will any recording of the conversation.

But, like I said, hopefully it works the way you say.

from amex

If the product also is covered by a purchased service contract, this Plan’s extended warranty time period begins at the end of the service contract and extends the original manufacturer’s warranty for a period of time equal to that warranty, up to one (1) additional year.

that would add Amex's 1 year extension onto the end of Applecare for a total of 4 years
 

christolles

macrumors newbie
Jan 23, 2008
2
0
For anyone who has had good experiences on eBay, any tips for finding a reputable seller? Any specific sellers to recommend?

Also, a logistical question.

1. I buy and iPad (new in box) on eBay with my Amex.
2. I buy AppleCare+ for iPad on eBay with my Amex.

Do I get the extra year from Amex? Which would make it three years, since frustratingly AppleCare+ for iPad is only two years instead of three years for Macs...

Thanks,
Chris
 

Slivortal

macrumors 6502
Jun 14, 2012
399
2
This might just be the UK but all Macs bought on the HE discount get 3years hw cover for free, the £60 is to add 3 year phone cover too.

I meant the price of the product overall. I'm sure the AppleCare itself could very well be cheaper.
 
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