AppleCare+ Policy Change Coming to Apple Stores

[FlyingDutch]

AKA a price increase. Just don't buy it. You don't need extended warranties.

… until the day you drop your iPhone, or a cup of coffee spills over your keyboard.

No problem!

This fully eliminates me from being an AC+ customer

Well done Tim!

Considering the content of almost all of your posts here, you are opting out of Apple ecosystem anyway, so it shouldn’t be a big deal for you.

You can extend the one time purchase also, it becomes a monthly charge.

So what’s the problem in having it like a subscription since the beginning?

 

[Cody0001]

Companies are getting better at ****ing us day by day. When will it end?

 

[ifxf]

Never purchased AppleCare, cheaper to self insure. Over the years and more than a 20 Apple devices, this strategy has more then paid for itself.

 

[Biro]

Companies are getting better at ****ing us day by day. When will it end?

It will not end. This is late-stage capitalism. And I’m not a socialist. But I did spend nearly 20 years in financial news. It will probably get worse.

 

[Realityck]

So what’s the problem in having it like a subscription since the beginning?

No issue likely save some money paying for 3 years vs monthy. For me it’s $6.91 a month for a 3 year $249 AppleCare + on a 14” MBP.

 

[wellander1]

How will this affect the airpods? As only a two year plan is available for it.

 

[kid1230]

okay costco

 

[F23]

can i buy Apple Care+ monthly & indefinitely for AirPods Max finally now or what? TIM?

 

[drrich2]

So what’s the problem in having it like a subscription since the beginning?

The advantages with paying up front were lower total cost and automatic termination.

One of these days when I die, I wonder how many subscriptions will milk my wife's bank account for how long, because she's not accustomed to, nor temperamentally as suited to, staying on top of these mess as I am.

 

[CarpalMac]

Taking away the $199 one-time payment option forces people to the $9.99/mo option. How many people forget to cancel subscriptions they no longer want/need/use? According to one study, 42 percent.

$9.99/mo is also a lot easier on peoples wallets than paying $199 up front. That's how monthly payments for pricey iPhones became so popular. If people had to pay $1,000 up front for an iPhone 16 Pro, Apple would see less iPhone sales. Letting people pay $42/mo makes it more attainable.

For any and all monthly subscriptions, the first thing I do is x12. That is the nunber I am thinking of, not the monthly. I refuse to fall for the faux "look, it is cheap" marketing.

Before long companies like Adobe will be doing the "same price as a cup of coffee a day" type of sales pitch...

 

[JonYo]

The fact that they're removing the one-time purchase version from the stores but you can still get it online tells me this might be a test run to see how customers in stores react, in anticipation of removing the one-time purchase option from online as well, and therefore getting rid of it entirely.

I really despise open-ended subscriptions of all stripes, and avoid them whenever possible. (Yes, I'm aware that power/water/etc bills are essentially service "subscriptions", and no, you're not clever by saying that.) This change does make me rethink my AC+ usage entirely. I used to always get it on my MacBooks and my iPhone, since they're portable, but in reality I don't lug my MacBook around with me everyday like I do my phone. Plus, I'm pretty naturally careful with my phone, and have dropped it pretty infrequently and never broken one, going all the way back to my first iPhone 4.

So, I'm thinking my next Mac or iPhone purchase (probably an iPhone 17 or 18) will do without AppleCare.

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

At first I thought social media would be the downfall of humanity. Then I was sure it would be A.I. Now I’m convinced that the removal of one-time purchases in favor of mandatory subscriptions is what will really be the death of us all.

 

[Apple$]

Might as well get the 3 year warranty ASAP on my new M2 MBA.

 

[Naraxus]

**** this subscription ********. I am so sick of it.

 

[breenmask]

Monthly can be cheaper.

I bought a 2 year Apple care plan. I broke the iPhone. Got a replacement via AppleCare+ for $99. I upgraded my phone a year later. Could not request a refund because if you use AppleCare, you are no longer eligible for a refund for the remainder of the plan.

With a monthly plan, you can simply cancel the month you upgrade.

 

[AppleofyourI]

This is why I shifted to using credit cards that cover replacements. I'm not paying for this insurance twice...

 

[turbineseaplane]

At first I thought social media would be the downfall of humanity. Then I was sure it would be A.I. Now I’m convinced that the removal of one-time purchases in favor of mandatory subscriptions is what will really be the death of us all.

Sort of makes me wonder if, eventually, one day, there I'll be listening to my curated for decades music off an old laptop running Linux

I'll do that before I tolerate mandatory "subscriptions" to every bloody possible thing

It's part of why I've never stopped buying music and movies and keeping my own copies

 

[Tomasulu]

Just hate it when a trillion dollar company tries to squeeze ever more money from their customers. As it is Apple push for AppleCare by charging crazy money for repairs. My last visit to the genius bar I was told it will be more expensive to repair my AirPods Pro than it’s to get a new pair. They also made it hard for customers to use third party repair services until right to repair forced them to behave better. All that for customers who already paid for some the most expensive products in the world.

 

[webkit]

I also figure that people won't, or will forget to unsubscribe after two years.

While I'm not necessarily a fan of subscriptions or certainly options being taken away, people need to take more responsibility in managing their finances. Anyone who "forgets" to unsubscribe to something deserves to be charged the extra monthly payments.

 

[turbineseaplane]

While I'm not necessarily a fan of subscriptions or certainly options being taken away, people need to take more responsibility in managing their finances. Anyone who "forgets" to unsubscribe to something deserves to be charged the extra monthly payments.

I agree

It's why I avoid subscriptions as entirely as possible, up front

 

[mosesvii]

That's a HUGE change. The one time $199 was $40 cheaper than doing it monthly. I also figure that people won't, or will forget to unsubscribe after two years. Someone keeps their phone three years, that's another $120 of revenue.

I hate how seemingly everything in life is becoming a subscription.

I'd hardly call a $40 difference over 2 years a "HUGE" difference. Were you being sarcastic?
I do agree though re the subscription stuff.

 

[mosesvii]

No problem!

This fully eliminates me from being an AC+ customer

Well done Tim!

Sorry, what? The extra $40 over 2 years eliminates you from wanting the coverage it provides?

 

[mosesvii]

AKA a price increase. Just don't buy it. You don't need extended warranties.

It's not just an extended warranty. Warranty doesn't cover physical damage at all. Apple Care+ is great for those who tend to break their phones.

 

[mosesvii]

WOW! Damn subscriptions. So, the nudists, those that go caseless, are running the repair costs up? 🤣

Can you buy your device in store then add AC+ from home or do you need to buy it all online?

Good thing the retail employees aren't on commission.

#otterboxdefenderFTW

All phones come with a week of AC+ when you buy it. Then from the phone, or whatever the device is, you can indeed sign up for it.

 

[webkit]

Apple is evil. First they charge those ridiculously high repair fees and then they give you the option to pay $199 up front or $9.99 per month to make those repairs cheaper or free. That is pure blacklmail.

Pure blackmail? Seriously? You must have a very unusual definition of blackmail.