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AppleCare Protection Plan

yusukeaoki

yusukeaoki

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 22, 2011
2,550
6
Tokyo, Japan
Hi guys.

So its 2 months before February. The launch date of Early 2011 MacBook Pro.
I came to a point to decide whether I need my Protection plan or not.

Anybody see manufacture defects with Early 2011 MBP?
I mean, I dont want to waste $350 on a insurance and nothing is going to happen.

I know that AppleCare covers all manufacture defects and not accidental which is bit disappointing.
And if there is a manufacture defect and Apple cant fix it, I dont want a refurbished one but rather a new one. Can you choose?

People said you can mess with the internals or power port a bit and cry for a new one but thats probably the stupidest idea people can ever have so that would be a no.

Anybody benefited from this Plan?

Thanks and Happy Holiday/Merry Christmas to you all!
 
AppleCare
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, that's a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. You really need to decide if it's worth it to you.
  • You can buy AppleCare any time during the first year warranty period, so you don't have to buy it at time of purchase.
  • You can check your remaining warranty and/or AppleCare coverage here
  • AppleCare will extend the 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years, for a total of 3 years coverage from the date of your Mac purchase.
    It also extends telephone support from 90 days, which is included with your original warranty, to a total of 3 years.
  • You cannot buy AppleCare again or renew it once it expires.
  • Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover damage from accidents, spills, etc. They only cover manufacturing defects.
  • Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover batteries that have worn out. They only cover defective batteries.
  • For more detailed questions, read the AppleCare Protection Plan (pdf) agreement.
If you want more information, you can search the forum, where you'll find dozens, if not hundreds of threads asking "is AppleCare worth it?" The overall consensus seems to be about 75% in favor of it.

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GGJstudios said:
AppleCare
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, that's a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. You really need to decide if it's worth it to you.
  • You can buy AppleCare any time during the first year warranty period, so you don't have to buy it at time of purchase.
  • You can check your remaining warranty and/or AppleCare coverage here
  • AppleCare will extend the 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years, for a total of 3 years coverage from the date of your Mac purchase.
    It also extends telephone support from 90 days, which is included with your original warranty, to a total of 3 years.
  • You cannot buy AppleCare again or renew it once it expires.
  • Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover damage from accidents, spills, etc. They only cover manufacturing defects.
  • Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover batteries that have worn out. They only cover defective batteries.
  • For more detailed questions, read the AppleCare Protection Plan (pdf) agreement.
If you want more information, you can search the forum, where you'll find dozens, if not hundreds of threads asking "is AppleCare worth it?" The overall consensus seems to be about 75% in favor of it.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply.
I understand the terms but yeah, my point was if its worth it or not.
I guess its up to me.

Also, Apple claims battery to hold 80% charge with 1000 cycles.
If this fails, would it be treated as a defect and can be replaced?

Thanks!

Oh, and the reason why Im in a rush is because i bought it on the launch date :p
 
One time I bought a macbook from craigslist. It was a 2010 White Unibody MacBook; the last one ever made. I paid $200 for it thinking I got a good deal. I was too naive to test it beyond normal functioning. It had the following problems:

1) Fried logic board
2) Cracks in the hinges
3) Half the keyboard didn't work
4) The trackpad was jammed and was not clickable (I never click it anyway, but I mean this is a problem lol)
5) There was one chip near the charging port (I knew of this, this is why it was only $200)
6) THE BOTTOM was missing. I mean, like, the whole bottom plate...

Yeah, I bought it in a hurry. It was only $200 and it was not even a year old. Needless to say Apple fixed my entire computer, $900 worth of repairs (which would make it more than a new machine), for free. All because I had AppleCare. I have all the receipts to prove it too. I'd get the plan. Also, be smart when buying from craigslist :cool:
 
I have Applecare on my early 2011 15" MBP. For me the piece of mind knowing that it's covered for another 2 years is worth the cost.
 
yusukeaoki said:
I mean, I dont want to waste $350 on a insurance and nothing is going to happen.
Click to expand...

But, that's exactly how insurance works. That's why you can insure $50k of property for $100 a year... because nothing is going to happen, for 999 out of 1000 insured people.

Like Michael383 said, you're not paying $200 towards possible future repair costs... you're paying for peace of mind. Only you can decide whether that is worth $200 for you.
 
thundersteele said:
But, that's exactly how insurance works. That's why you can insure $50k of property for $100 a year... because nothing is going to happen, for 999 out of 1000 insured people.

Like Michael383 said, you're not paying $200 towards possible future repair costs... you're paying for peace of mind. Only you can decide whether that is worth $200 for you.
Click to expand...

Haha true true.
I mean my house has Fire Insurance.
It doesnt mean I get my house burned down every year lol
 
yusukeaoki said:
I mean, I dont want to waste $350 on a insurance and nothing is going to happen.
Click to expand...

thundersteele said:
But, that's exactly how insurance works. That's why you can insure $50k of property for $100 a year... because nothing is going to happen, for 999 out of 1000 insured people.
Click to expand...

Just so we're clear here, AppleCare is NOT insurance, it's an extended warranty. Insurance is generally to specifically cover accidental damage and, as often as not, DOESN'T cover manufacturing defects. If you DO want to insure your laptop, make sure it's registered in your home insurance. But if the GPU craps out in 2 years, insurance won't cover it, but AppleCare will. And if your house burns down and you lose your computer, insurance will cover it and AppleCare won't.

boston44 said:
One time I bought a macbook from craigslist. It was a 2010 White Unibody MacBook; the last one ever made. I paid $200 for it thinking I got a good deal. I was too naive to test it beyond normal functioning.

[...]

6) THE BOTTOM was missing. I mean, like, the whole bottom plate...
Click to expand...

I just have to ask... in testing it for "normal usage", you had to pick it up... how did you not notice that THE BOTTOM WAS MISSING?! Seems a somewhat significant part of the computer...
 
LOL, well it's that unibody white macbook with the cheapish bottom that is known to...fall off. In fact, I think they replace them whether in warranty or not. But I never turned the computer over, and when I did after buying I noticed it was just metal...
 
I thought that the APP for the MBP covered up to three cases of accidental damage, after paying Apple a $50 fine, just like the iPhone APP?
 
Think of it this way...

A friend of mine just recently had the HD replaced on her early 2011 MBP. The cost Apple would've charged her had it not been under warranty was about $160 or $180 I can't remember, and that was for the part alone not including the labour.

We don't like to think our computers will break, but all it takes is that one time 3 days after your original warranty expires for you to realise you should've bought the Apple Care.

And no they will not give you a new one, they will fix your current computer if it can be fixed. If not, well then you get a refurbished.

Sometimes getting a refurb can be beneficial as they will try to match your specs as closely as possibly, and sometimes give you more. As when I bought mine refurbed I got double the ram and the high res screen which I did not pay for but assumed it was closest to what I paid for that they gave it to me.
 
onlycopunk said:
A friend of mine just recently had the HD replaced on her early 2011 MBP. The cost Apple would've charged her had it not been under warranty was about $160 or $180 I can't remember, and that was for the part alone not including the labour.
Click to expand...

Poor example. The HDD is a user-replaceable part and she could have done it herself for half the price and not paid any labor on top of it. All you have to do is remove the screws of the bottom cover and then switch the HDDs.
 
Since I'm always pushing my MBP to the max, I figured I'm more likely to fry something so it'd be better to be safe than sorry with a $2500 machine :D
 
Financially, buying AppleCare is a lot like buying insurance. I don't buy it, because I believe the probability of the cumulative cost of AppleCare for all the Apple products I buy within the next 30 years or more will be greater than the out of pocket costs I may incur for repair of those products over the 30 or more years. The greater the time period, the more likely this will be true.

This is consistent with my assumption that Apple is betting that over time, their revenue from AppleCare will exceed their costs of repair or replacement.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
Poor example. The HDD is a user-replaceable part and she could have done it herself for half the price and not paid any labor on top of it. All you have to do is remove the screws of the bottom cover and then switch the HDDs.
Click to expand...

yeah but with applecare, the cost would have been nothing. the hdd is just one component of many that can go bad and since it's so easy to replace, it's not exactly the best example of why one should get applecare. what if the lcd screen goes out? usb port sparks up? optical drive dies? all of which have either happened to me or people i know. then it become crystal clear why applecare is necessary.
 
Apple makes a lot of money from AppleCare. So on average, it's not worth it. However, since an individual user is not "average", and can not have 0.01 logic board failures, it can make sense to buy it, since it gives peace of mind.

For my old 17'' MBP I did not buy AppleCare. The first technical problem occurred after 38 month, logic board failure. Would have been $310 to get it fixed, but then it was free because of the nvidia problem.

For the new machine, I'm not sure yet, but most likely I won't buy AppleCare.
 
thundersteele said:
Apple makes a lot of money from AppleCare. So on average, it's not worth it. However, since an individual user is not "average", and can not have 0.01 logic board failures, it can make sense to buy it, since it gives peace of mind.

For my old 17'' MBP I did not buy AppleCare. The first technical problem occurred after 38 month, logic board failure. Would have been $310 to get it fixed, but then it was free because of the nvidia problem.

For the new machine, I'm not sure yet, but most likely I won't buy AppleCare.
Click to expand...

I just bought a refurbished 15" early 2011 MBP from Applestore. I'm assuming that refurbished means that someone had an issue with this unit that Apple didn't want to repair for the customer, but accepted it as a return. With the large number of refurbished units that are available through Apple, I'm thinking there are a fair percentage that are having problems. Sign me up for Applecare at $244 at B&H.
 
Bluedog54 said:
I just bought a refurbished 15" early 2011 MBP from Applestore. I'm assuming that refurbished means that someone had an issue with this unit that Apple didn't want to repair for the customer, but accepted it as a return. With the large number of refurbished units that are available through Apple, I'm thinking there are a fair percentage that are having problems. Sign me up for Applecare at $244 at B&H.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't really judge computer quality based on the number of refurbs in the Apple store. People return computers for all different reasons. Refurbs are anything that was returned to Apple, for any reason. It doesn't necessarily mean that something was wrong with the computer. For example, if someone decides they want a matte screen instead of glossy and return it within the 14-day return window, it still has to be sold as a refurb. Once the box has been opened it can no longer be sold as new.
 
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