AppleCare+ vs. VZW Warranty vs. Geek Squad. vs. SquareTrade

[Fusion79]

man you guys are wasting money. with any insurance plan.

This. There is a reason all of these companies push these plans so hard, and it is not because they are trying to do you a favor, they print money for whoever sells them.

If you are really prone to breaking things, put a case on it or put $10 a month in a jar. If you don't break it, after two years you have $240 saved up for a new phone.

Especially if Apple continues to offer $199 replacements through the Genius Bar.

 

[Kazakaz]

Best buy plan takes 3 days to get a new phone and you have to leave your broken one there for them to ship out. They offer loaners for $150 and reimburse you when you bring it back. Im switching to apple care+

When I had them send my iPhone 4 out in March it was only a $50 deposit for the loaner.

 

[Jill1228]

Also going with AC+. Not much difference IME, other than 2 more incidents with ST.




You can call Apple on friday and they have said they will add it on over the phone. Just make sure to call when you first get the phone.




Yes that is correct.

YAY! Thanks I will do this! It will save me a trip when I DO have to go to Des Moines in 2.5 weeks

 

[LoloBond]

Applecare+ way easier to deal with... make an appointment get your phone replaced on the spot, if they dont have it they order one for you next day.

 

[ace198]

Anybody have any experience with Protect Your Bubble? Seems like they have theft insurance for $143.99(That's my quote in New Jersey) for two years or $7.99 a month($7.99 x 24= $191.76). $100 deductible

http://us.protectyourbubble.com/

 

[LoloBond]

Anybody have any experience with Protect Your Bubble? Seems like they have theft insurance for $143.99(That's my quote in New Jersey) for two years or $7.99 a month($7.99 x 24= $191.76). $100 deductible

http://us.protectyourbubble.com/

Best Buy is better... $169 no deductible.

 

[ace198]

Best Buy is better... $169 no deductible.

Theft might be the only thing but I probably won't lose it anyway but it would be nice to have some security just in case.

 

[VDubb]

I got AppleCare+ on my iPhone 4S and iPad and SquareTrade on my MacBook Air. hat I learned is this.

AppleCare+
+ Geniuses seem to treat you better when you use AppleCare
- Doesn't extend to peripherals like with Macs (My smart cover fell apart and Apple refused to cover)
- No prorated refund (Using iPhone 4S w AC+ for trade in to 5 but it just goes to waste since they value it as $0)


SquareTrade
+ Cheaper, more incidents
+ Prorated refund. Sold my Air after 6mo and got most of my SquareTrade cost back
- I'm always scared of reimbursements. What if they deny it?

I'm not sure which I'll do with the iPhone 5 but I'm leaning on going SquareTrade.

AppleCare+ does give you a prorated refund. It's in the terms and conditions. I canceled my AppleCare+ on my iPhone 4S I sold and got about ~$50 coming back to me.

- VDubb

 

[Armeniandave]

Best Buy is better... $169 no deductible.

Not sure if there is different policies at Best Buy but I had there warranty on my daughters iPod touch. When it broke they sent it off for repairs and a week later I got it back. They had used aftermarket parts and not genuine apple parts. Needless to say it only lasted a few months longer before completely dying. Wasn't impressed at all with there service.

I'll go with Applecare+ this time.

 

[lorenwade]

If ST is offering the same as Apple Care plus more replacements, and you can trade it into the Apple store and they'll pay for it... I see no reason why Apple Care is worth it.

 

[willmtaylor]

Any of you guys experienced Square Trade? I'm wondering is better since they give 4 accidental repairs whereas AppleCare only gives 2. This is pretty much the only difference. Both of them give refunds if you get a new phone and wants your $ pro-rated and put it towards your new protection plan.

I started this thread a while back about the same thing: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1411857/

Thanks,
will

 

[jclardy]

Unless you replace your phone 2 times in your 2 year coverage, aren't these all a bad deal?

Square trade is both cost $150 to walk out with a replacement if you drop your phone in the toilet, but you can just get and "out of warranty" replacement from Apple for only $200 anyways...assuming it is the same as the 4S currently. And any power or home button defects are covered for the first year as well.

So if you have 0 replacements, you lose $100. 1 replacement saves you $50 and two replacements saves you $200.

In the end it is essentially betting $100 against yourself...If you "win" by breaking your phone then you only win $50.

People do know the phone comes with a 1 year warranty against defects, right?

 

[willmtaylor]

...In the end it is essentially betting $100 against yourself...If you "win" by breaking your phone then you only win $50....

And I'll take that bet any day of the week. I'm a clumsy mo-fo & I have my money saved up to spend right now, so for me, it's worth it.

 

[christyn]

YAY! Thanks I will do this! It will save me a trip when I DO have to go to Des Moines in 2.5 weeks

Yay! Used to live in dsm.. miss Iowa

 

[3rd Rock]

Anybody have any experience with Protect Your Bubble? Seems like they have theft insurance for $143.99(That's my quote in New Jersey) for two years or $7.99 a month($7.99 x 24= $191.76). $100 deductible

http://us.protectyourbubble.com/

Do a google search for reviews. Some good, many bad.


Edited: Here you go.... http://www.metareviews.co.uk/protect-your-bubble-review/

 

[LoloBond]

Not sure if there is different policies at Best Buy but I had there warranty on my daughters iPod touch. When it broke they sent it off for repairs and a week later I got it back. They had used aftermarket parts and not genuine apple parts. Needless to say it only lasted a few months longer before completely dying. Wasn't impressed at all with there service.

I'll go with Applecare+ this time.

I agree with you. I also went with Applecare+...

 

[STiNG Operation]

That is a good point I tend to forget that. How about adding to renters insurance

I wonder what kind of deductible, would be applied if something happened to your phone. (Possibly depends on you ins. co.? And would you have an amendment in the policy or would it be covered under the dollar amount you've allotted for your belongings?)

 

[armoredsaint]

I am getting Apple Care +. As I understand, you have to head to an Apple Store to get it set up though? WTF? I live 145 miles away from the closest one

reason is because so they can see your phone hasn't been stomped on by your issues with anger management as evident from your post

 

[bueller1]

When I had them send my iPhone 4 out in March it was only a $50 deposit for the loaner.

Up until this year it was free. Now they put a $150 hold in case you break the loaner. The non smartphones are $50

 

[3rd Rock]

reason is because so they can see your phone hasn't been stomped on by your issues with anger management as evident from your post

Correction......One can call AppleCare + sales, and if you live a good distance they will sell you the AppleCare + over the phone once its activated. Already checked on this.... Twice now.

 

[OneMike]

I wouldn't pay for any warranty service, but of the above AppleCare+ is the way I'd go if I did.

 

[lorenwade]

I wouldn't pay for any warranty service, but of the above AppleCare+ is the way I'd go if I did.

Why? Other services offer the same and more for equal (or less) price.

 

[treyjustice]

"Doesn't cover water damage..."
That is incorrect. It does cover water and most other types of accidental damage.

"AC+ can't be cancelled..."
Also, incorrect. One can also cancel AC+ at any time for a refund.

2 claims versus 4 claims was the tipping point for me.


PLEASE be more careful & get your facts straight before posting to avoid the proliferation of misinformation.

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The co-pay is for accidental damage. Other hardware issues will be repaired/replaced without charge at the discretion of Apple's Geniuses.

Be careful I talked to squaretrade today and while you get up to 4 claims once you use more than the phone is worth your coverage is up. For example if it is unfixable and they have to reimburse you the full 649 or whatever full price is then that is it. Or if the first repair is 300 it will be 649-300= 349 coverage left. Apple replaces 2 no matter what with apple refurbished phones

 

[Gjwilly]

Be careful I talked to squaretrade today and while you get up to 4 claims once you use more than the phone is worth your coverage is up. For example if it is unfixable and they have to reimburse you the full 649 or whatever full price is then that is it. Or if the first repair is 300 it will be 649-300= 349 coverage left. Apple replaces 2 no matter what with apple refurbished phones

Exactly right.

 

[willmtaylor]

Be careful I talked to squaretrade today and while you get up to 4 claims once you use more than the phone is worth your coverage is up. For example if it is unfixable and they have to reimburse you the full 649 or whatever full price is then that is it. Or if the first repair is 300 it will be 649-300= 349 coverage left. Apple replaces 2 no matter what with apple refurbished phones

Exactly right.

With Apple an out of warranty replacement is $200. How exactly is a repair going to run $300?