Applecare has become a joke

[NOD]

That also brings another "real" question

if you have a maid come 3 times a week, $50,000 dollars in tv entertainment system...

Dont sweat the small stuff! (3 year old mbp) 😕


in all seriousness i hope you get it resolved 🙂

It's a fair enough question.🙂

But, frankly, it's the principle. I've recruited numerous colleagues and family members into the world of mac, and a big part of that was the expectation that, if there were problems that were not of their own doing, Apple would treat them fairly. I was always incredibly impressed w/ their promptness and understanding in the past. This was just such a 180...

 

[mAc-warrior]

It seems to me that this thread has nothing to do with Applecare itself, since it does not seem as though you're even dealing with Applecare representatives directly.

If the person you talked to was from "Flextronics", which does the repair services for Apple, then you were never dealing with Applecare at all. Instead of taking the computer to the Apple store, I suggest you contact Applecare directly, by phone.

Explain to them the GPU issue without even referencing the other problems you've had and described in this thread. They'll grant you the logic board replacement, no questions asked. Get a case # from them at this point. They'll have you take it into the store, where there will be no problems because the repair had already been granted. If you experience the same problems again, get the name and title of the person who spoke with you from the "service depot" and call Applecare back directly. Reference the case #, and give them the name and title of the person who denied the already granted repair. If, for some reason, things don't work out, ask to speak with a product specialist, or customer relations.

They will take care of you, you just have to give them a chance. There is no reason why the machine should not be fixed under Applecare.

--mAc

 

[NOD]

It seems to me that this thread has nothing to do with Applecare itself, since it does not seem as though you're even dealing with Applecare representatives directly.

If the person you talked to was from "Flextronics", which does the repair services for Apple, then you were never dealing with Applecare at all. Instead of taking the computer to the Apple store, I suggest you contact Applecare directly, by phone.

Explain to them the GPU issue without even referencing the other problems you've had and described in this thread. They'll grant you the logic board replacement, no questions asked. Get a case # from them at this point. They'll have you take it into the store, where there will be no problems because the repair had already been granted. If you experience the same problems again, get the name and title of the person who spoke with you from the "service depot" and call Applecare back directly. Reference the case #, and give them the name and title of the person who denied the already granted repair. If, for some reason, things don't work out, ask to speak with a product specialist, or customer relations.

They will take care of you, you just have to give them a chance. There is no reason why the machine should not be fixed under Applecare.

--mAc

Well, to be fair, there's a certain blurring of the lines, considering the fact that, before I took it in to the Apple Store, I spoke w/ an Apple Care representative who was the one who told me to take it to the store (to decrease turnaround time). The caller today certainly didn't identify herself as being from 'Flextronics.' (nor did the caller ID, which said 'Apple.') Hell, the Apple store folks sent it there. How exactly should I have known that this call was from a company that wasn't in fact Apple, though they identified themselves as such? The vagaries of Apple's relationship and subcontracting w/ another company seems to me something that is not in any way straightforward, and that company most certainly is acting as the arm of Apple Care.

I dunno -- just seems like a bit a splitting hairs to say that the title is particularly inaccurate. Apple Care doesn't begin and end w/ a phone consultation.

 

[Schicksal]

Applecare is $400? Man it has been a long time since I've bought one of these! 😱

 

[Transporteur]

Apple Care is no different then any other extended warranty - it is a rip off. All extended warranties take advantage of people's fear. The fact is that most products, if they are going to fail, will fail in the standard warranty period. If you added up all the money spent on Apple Care over the years and instead used that money for repairs, you'd have money left.

That's your opinion. In fact I saved thousands of money units over the last years because I bought AppleCare!

I had the same issue as the OP with my 2007 MBP, Apple replaced the logic board and the SuperDrive. Repair cost was about 1000€. AppleCare was about 150€.

Recently my 30" Cinema Display failed (almost three years old). Apple replaced the entire unit with a brand new one. Replacement cost was exactly 1800€. AppleCare was 100€.

So, lets sum this up:
Both units were close to three years old, AppleCare cost me 250€, the repairs or replacements are worth 2800€, so I saved exactly 2550€ (~$3300US).
Not the worst deal if you ask me! 😀

This I why I always did, and always will buy AppleCare. All machines I've got at the moment are covered with AppleCare, and thanks to the HE discount I paid almost nothing for the coverage.

But I have to say, I always take my units directly to an AASP instead of sending them in and talk with the Apple people over phone.
They generally won't deny a repair if you're standing directly in front of them. On the phone line, all those underpaid Apple service people think they can do what they want.

 

[C64]

Applecare is $400? Man it has been a long time since I've bought one of these! 😱

Depends on the product. Usually $250-350 for MacBook family:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/applecare

But you can get the same through eBay resellers for about $150,-.

 

[scaredpoet]

Depends on the product. Usually $250-350 for MacBook family:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/applecare

The education discount, if you qualify for that, shaves about $100 off the cost of Applecare for the MacBook Pro.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Apple Care is no different then any other extended warranty - it is a rip off. All extended warranties take advantage of people's fear. The fact is that most products, if they are going to fail, will fail in the standard warranty period. If you added up all the money spent on Apple Care over the years and instead used that money for repairs, you'd have money left.

All of my prior Mac issues occurred starting in year 2 of ownership. $300 for 3 years of Apple care was more than worth it for me. I wish I could buy Applecare for my car.

I'm still a little confused by this whole thing. When I had my GPU replaced, the logic board replacement WAS the fix for that. I was told that they didn't open the machine, yank the GPU and stick a new one on there but rather just replaced the whole logic board. And like the OP, in my case, the GPU replacement would have been covered with or without Applecare as that was considered a "quality defect" issue. So why are they treating the logic board replacement and the GPU replacement as two separate issues here?

 

[slu]

That's your opinion. In fact I saved thousands of money units over the last years because I bought AppleCare!

I had the same issue as the OP with my 2007 MBP, Apple replaced the logic board and the SuperDrive. Repair cost was about 1000€. AppleCare was about 150€.

Recently my 30" Cinema Display failed (almost three years old). Apple replaced the entire unit with a brand new one. Replacement cost was exactly 1800€. AppleCare was 100€.

So, lets sum this up:
Both units were close to three years old, AppleCare cost me 250€, the repairs or replacements are worth 2800€, so I saved exactly 2550€ (~$3300US).
Not the worst deal if you ask me! 😀

This I why I always did, and always will buy AppleCare. All machines I've got at the moment are covered with AppleCare, and thanks to the HE discount I paid almost nothing for the coverage.

But I have to say, I always take my units directly to an AASP instead of sending them in and talk with the Apple people over phone.
They generally won't deny a repair if you're standing directly in front of them. On the phone line, all those underpaid Apple service people think they can do what they want.

I am glad it worked out for you, but your anecdotal evidence aside, extended warranties statistically do not benefit the customer.

I can just as easily refute your story with one of my own: I have never had a single failure of an Apple product outside of the standard warranty period. That covers an iMac G5 Rev A., Powerbook G4, Macbook, Macbook Pro, an ACD, 3 iPods, 2 iPhones, 2 Airport Expresses, an Airport Extreme Base Station, and an AppleTV. The money I would have spent on AppleCare would more than cover any problems I have with these (or new) devices going forward. So I guess my story cancels your story out 😀

If the piece of mind is worth it to you, then buy AppleCare. But financially, it is not worth it overall.

 

[gwsat]

Applecare is $400? Man it has been a long time since I've bought one of these! 😱

First, AppleCare is $250, not $400. Second, the situation with which the OP is dealing smells of some funny business going on at the repair center. I have had AppleCare coverage on one Apple product or another for 7 years and my experience with them has been uniformly outstanding -- as had been the OP's up until now. I should add that my 2007 model Santa Rosa MBP, the same model as the OP's, had its logic board replaced under AppleCare last February. Whether to buy AppleCare or not is a personal decision, so I won't go "😱" at you for not buying it. Nevertheless, if the $800 logic board in your 2 year old MBP fails, tell us what you think about not having AppleCare then.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

I've had plenty of failures. But

A) i'm picky
B) i work my machines to the bones. My MBP is on atleast 9 hours of the day.

Extended warranties are a great buy. Most people get ripped off because they either fail to read the fine print (and throw away the receipt or contract, nullifying their ability to get service), or they don't utilize the service. Seriously people here will talk about how their superdrive is busted, display is hosed and the hard drive is making a giant "KILL ME!" noise and they come here and ask how to diagnose instead of taking it to Apple while its still in the warranty period.

Extended warranties generally work out for me, and I don't really buy low end devices. I've had devices break on me one day before the end of the warranty, reach in the drawer for the receipt , call the company and get a brand new updated model free of charge. All you gotta do is play by the rules.

Now, do I wish my Apple (for instance) hardware would stop breaking down? Well...of course! But I use mine alot so I'll cut them some slack. Especially given Apple's history of upgrading machines after a certain number of repairs (i'm on number 7 right now...just waiting for one more logic board/screen fubar).

Besides Applecare for desktops/laptops is designed to reward the loyal Apple buyer. The price of Applecare for a standalone product might be a bit high, but if you pile on the extras; An Apple display, wireless keyboard, mighty mouse, airport extreme etc etc, these are covered under any machine that has a current Applecare agreement (except the display). Infact, I purchased my apple Wireless keyboard before I purchased my current MBP. About a year and a half later it wasn't working quite right so I brought it in along with my new machines serial and I was off with a brand new keyboard in about five minutes.

too ez.

 

[Transporteur]

If the piece of mind is worth it to you, then buy AppleCare. But financially, it is not worth it overall.

I see it more like a possible failure prevention and I don't buy AppleCare for low priced products like the iPhone, that I don't expect to use longer than a year anyway.
The price of AppleCare has to stand in a relation to the value of the product it covers.

Lets take the Mac Pro for example, which I intend to use for 3 years. That machine cost me more than $4000, AppleCare for it was 50 bucks, which apparently doesn't make any difference at all.
In case that anything in the Pro fails (which may very well happen) a repair can easily cost $1000.
If the machine doesn't fail within the three years, fine, I wasted 50 bucks.
If anything in it fails, no matter what, the AppleCare was already worth it because there is not a single part in that machine that costs less than 50 bucks.
Of course AppleCare is expensive if you buy it directly from Apple (in case that you can't get a HE discount) but there are other ways to get it way cheaper.

But again, the AC price hast do match the product. I won't buy it for my iPhone because it costs 20% of a new phone and doesn't even cover a broken screen.

 

[mstrze]

I am glad it worked out for you, but your anecdotal evidence aside, extended warranties statistically do not benefit the customer.

I can just as easily refute your story with one of my own: I have never had a single failure of an Apple product outside of the standard warranty period. That covers an iMac G5 Rev A., Powerbook G4, Macbook, Macbook Pro, an ACD, 3 iPods, 2 iPhones, 2 Airport Expresses, an Airport Extreme Base Station, and an AppleTV. The money I would have spent on AppleCare would more than cover any problems I have with these (or new) devices going forward. So I guess my story cancels your story out 😀

Add me to the mix too with Apple computers since 1996. Only failure I had was a problem with my iPhone...bottom half of touch screen not working. It was past warranty period as far as I recall (more than a year after I bought it) and they replaced it...no questions asked.

I never buy extended warranties...even though my parents always did. I always thought that the extra expense wasn't worth it.

 

[definitive]

i wouldn't consider giving apple any more money if that happened to me. don't settle for that. if the system is still under warranty, then i don't see why you should give up so easily when one person blames the problem on a natural occurrence which every corner of the world has to deal with. give applecare a call, or that number posted earlier, and talk to them about the problem you're having.

 

[scaredpoet]

I am glad it worked out for you, but your anecdotal evidence aside, extended warranties statistically do not benefit the customer.

Of course they don't! If they statistically benefitted the customer in all cases (or even a majority), then Apple wouldn't offer them because they'd be losing money.

The same of course, could also be said about buying insurance for your house. If you base your decision purely on cold, hard statistics, then you might conclude that you'd be "better off" not getting insurance since such plans are structured to statistically benefit the insurance company (that is how they stay in business after all), and the majority of policyholders will pay in more than they get out. On the other hand, if you end up being the statistic that suffers a loss and didn't get insurance, you'd be hard pressed to really say that you were better off without it.

While not on the same dramatic scale, AppleCare is still a piece-of-mind situation. People pay a lot of money for their hardware, and some of those people prefer a "safe" bet over a not-so-safe bet, even if it means that the "safe" bet may result in them paying into a plan that in the end they may not use. But again, if you end up getting unlucky, the out-of-plan repair costs are often more than AppleCare would have cost you.

Ultimately, the choice rests on the user and the level of risk they are comfortable with. If you don't want to get AppleCare, that's respectable. Best of luck to you. But I don't blame anyone who wants to get it either, nor will I tell them it's a "rip off," simply because I don't know how lucky or unlucky they are. 🙂

One thing I *do* tell to people to consider is that you can get AppleCare at any time during their original warranty, so it might make more sense to wait until the last month or so before deciding whether you want it or not. If you plan on selling and upgrading soon, then there's little point.

 

[Monkey Magic]

First, AppleCare is $250, not $400.

For a 15" or 17" MBP, AppleCare is $349 and closer to $400 with tax included. It is $249 for a 13" MBP however.

There will always be people who have had bad experiences, with or without AppleCare.

I choose not to purchase AppleCare, or any additional warranties for any products for that matter, since the failure rate is so low. I would only consider AppleCare if my MBP acts up within the first year and I suspect a 'lemon'.

Statistically speaking, you are better off not paying for AppleCare. However, there will always be cases where it is beneficial to have the extra protection.

 

[pricej636]

To the OP, any updates? I would hope that you would have been on the phone with apple this morning trying to get this resolved. I cant imagine them not taking care of you.

 

[Plutonius]

Statistically speaking, you are better off not paying for AppleCare. However, there will always be cases where it is beneficial to have the extra protection.

Yep, it's like car insurance. Apple has to be at least breaking even to offer it.

I would never buy it at the same time I purchased an Apple product. Apple has a one year warranty and you can purchase the Applecare anytime during the first year if you decide you want it (i.e. you are covered for the first year anyhow)

 

[NOD]

To the OP, any updates? I would hope that you would have been on the phone with apple this morning trying to get this resolved. I cant imagine them not taking care of you.

Haven't called yet, unfortunately. I've been dealing w/ emergencies since about 6 this morning. Hopefully will get some time this afternoon. Right now, my focus is on finding lunch. Priorities...😀

 

[gwsat]

For a 15" or 17" MBP, AppleCare is $349 and closer to $400 with tax included. It is $249 for a 13" MBP however.

Without searching very hard for very long, I found AppleCare for 15 and 17 inch MBP's here for $286.79, delivered. There would be no sales tax on the transaction. It does appear, however that, AppleCare coverage for 15 and 17 inch MBPs has gone up most places. Nevertheless, I didn't see it advertised anywhere on the Web for more than $350.00, delivered, with no sales tax at any of them but the AppleStore.

Those who use as an excuse not to buy AppleCare the rationale that the cost of AppleCare coverage will likely excede the likely cost of repairs during the first three years misapprehend the purpose of extended warranties. The only reason for buying such coverage is to avoid the risk of a huge repair bill and for peace of mind. Of course, with AppleCare, you also get unlimited telephone support for your covered product. It's still a matter of personal choice, of course, but I have always bought AppleCare although I never, ever, buy extended warranties on anything else.

 

[bafonso]

Without searching very hard for very long, I found AppleCare for 15 and 17 inch MBP's here for $286.79, delivered. There would be no sales tax on the transaction. It does appear, however that, AppleCare coverage for 15 and 17 inch MBPs has gone up most places. Nevertheless, I didn't see it advertised anywhere on the Web for more than $350.00, delivered, with no sales tax at any of them but the AppleStore.

Those who use as an excuse not to buy AppleCare the rationale that the cost of AppleCare coverage will likely excede the likely cost of repairs during the first three years misapprehend the purpose of extended warranties. The only reason for buying such coverage is to avoid the risk of a huge repair bill and for peace of mind. Of course, with AppleCare, you also get unlimited telephone support for your covered product. It's still a matter of personal choice, of course, but I have always bought AppleCare although I never, ever, buy extended warranties on anything else.

239$us educational price for 15 and 17"

 

[Monkey Magic]

239$us educational price for 15 and 17"

That's all well and good if you are still in school or teach.

 

[bafonso]

That's all well and good if you are still in school or teach.

just pointing out that it is a much better deal @ educational store. I find 350$ very steep indeed.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Without searching very hard for very long, I found AppleCare for 15 and 17 inch MBP's here for $286.79, delivered. There would be no sales tax on the transaction. It does appear, however that, AppleCare coverage for 15 and 17 inch MBPs has gone up most places. Nevertheless, I didn't see it advertised anywhere on the Web for more than $350.00, delivered, with no sales tax at any of them but the AppleStore.

Those who use as an excuse not to buy AppleCare the rationale that the cost of AppleCare coverage will likely excede the likely cost of repairs during the first three years misapprehend the purpose of extended warranties. The only reason for buying such coverage is to avoid the risk of a huge repair bill and for peace of mind. Of course, with AppleCare, you also get unlimited telephone support for your covered product. It's still a matter of personal choice, of course, but I have always bought AppleCare although I never, ever, buy extended warranties on anything else.

Thank you for the link for those looking to purchase AppleCare at a cheaper rate.

Do you mind if I ask why you buy the extended warranty for Apple products but not for anything else? For example, repairs to a HD TV can be very expensive, but you are saying you would not require the peace of mind for such a purchase?

Are Apple products more likely to fail between 1 and 3 years old? I am just curious since I only own 2 Apple computers and the oldest one is 15 months.

 

[TxMacAddict]

Applecare is pointless if you like to update your laptop every year when the new one comes out.