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Applecare+ weirdness

W

WILLDOGS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 15, 2007
153
0
So I was at the apple store the other day purchasing the camera kit for my new iPad and while I was there I decided I wanted to add applecare+ before the 30 days are up. I asked the guy and he says that I need to see a genius so they can inspect the unit before I can get coverage, but they had no appointments left.

I left...

Today (about an hour ago) I decided to call Apple and see if I can purchase coverage over the phone without too much hastle. After about a 10 minute wait, the gentleman took my info and payment over the phone and I received my applecare+ agreement in my email about 20 minutes later. My iPad is now covered and now have one less worry.

Then the thought popped in my head, what if I were a dishonest person and had just cracked my screen without any coverage? I could call apple, but coverage and make a claim tomorrow, couldn't I? Is this a loop hole that apple is just betting not many people will do? also, if they will sell me applecare+ over the phone sight unseen, why couldn't they just sell it to me in store without having to see a genius?

I don't get it...
 
Yeah, I don't get it either. I bought AppleCare + for both my iPads today, and all they did at the store was verify the serial numbers. No inspection whatsoever.

Sigh.
 
WILLDOGS said:
So I was at the apple store the other day purchasing the camera kit for my new iPad and while I was there I decided I wanted to add applecare+ before the 30 days are up. I asked the guy and he says that I need to see a genius so they can inspect the unit before I can get coverage, but they had no appointments left.

I left...

Today (about an hour ago) I decided to call Apple and see if I can purchase coverage over the phone without too much hastle. After about a 10 minute wait, the gentleman took my info and payment over the phone and I received my applecare+ agreement in my email about 20 minutes later. My iPad is now covered and now have one less worry.

Then the thought popped in my head, what if I were a dishonest person and had just cracked my screen without any coverage? I could call apple, but coverage and make a claim tomorrow, couldn't I? Is this a loop hole that apple is just betting not many people will do? also, if they will sell me applecare+ over the phone sight unseen, why couldn't they just sell it to me in store without having to see a genius?

I don't get it...
Click to expand...

Its not a loop hole if apple offers it - but i guess some may consider that a loop hole - to each his own - in this situation

This is copied from apple website:

How to get AppleCare+

You must buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of your iPad purchase.
There are three ways to buy:

From the Apple Online Store: When you order the new iPad or iPad 2, you’ll have the option to add AppleCare+ to your cart before you check out.

At an Apple Retail Store (requires a Genius Bar appointment, inspection of the iPad, and proof of purchase).

By calling 1-800-275-2273 (requires proof of purchase).

http://store.apple.com/us/product/S4689
 
Spink10 said:
Its not a loop hole if apple offers it - but i guess some may consider that a loop hole - to each his own - in this situation

This is copied from apple website:

How to get AppleCare+

You must buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of your iPad purchase.
There are three ways to buy:

From the Apple Online Store: When you order the new iPad or iPad 2, you’ll have the option to add AppleCare+ to your cart before you check out.

At an Apple Retail Store (requires a Genius Bar appointment, inspection of the iPad, and proof of purchase).

By calling 1-800-275-2273 (requires proof of purchase).
Click to expand...

LOL, then if they know I guess they planned it this way.

By the way, when I called, I wasn't asked to provide proof of purchase.
 
iMacC2D said:
I would take a guess that this is the reason you can only purchase AppleCare+ within the first 30 days. It's a compromise between offering a reasonable time frame to purchase the coverage, without being burned by fraudulent claims as the iPads begin to get damaged in their second, third, fourth, etc months.
Click to expand...

Im right with you - but if there policy was within the first 60 days or 90 - then it would not be fraudulent to purchase Apple Care+ and then file a claim.
 
WILLDOGS said:
Then the thought popped in my head, what if I were a dishonest person and had just cracked my screen without any coverage? I could call apple, but coverage and make a claim tomorrow, couldn't I? Is this a loop hole that apple is just betting not many people will do? also, if they will sell me applecare+ over the phone sight unseen, why couldn't they just sell it to me in store without having to see a genius?

I don't get it...
Click to expand...

Think about it. It can only happen during the first 30 days. After that you can't get it at all and who knows, if you called even after that they might still cover you.

What real difference would there be if (during the first 30 days):

You bought Applecare on day 10 THEN broke it on day 20.
or
You broke it on day 10 and bought Applecare on day 11?

Really no big deal. You can only "take advantage" of this loophole for the first 30 days. It cost you the same and cost Apple the same.

I'm sure they thought about it which is why you can't buy it up to 1 year as you could with the old Applecare. If they didn't have it at all like on the 1 & 2 they probably would replace it for nothing anyway. :)

They probably figure that for the few people who break it between days 1 and 30 they still get $150 ($99 + $50 deductible).
 
WILLDOGS said:
LOL, then if they know I guess they planned it this way.

By the way, when I called, I wasn't asked to provide proof of purchase.
Click to expand...

Same here...I purchased over the phone but they didn't even ask for proof of purchase, anyway saved my time of going to the apple store.
 
WILLDOGS said:
LOL, then if they know I guess they planned it this way.

By the way, when I called, I wasn't asked to provide proof of purchase.
Click to expand...

Did they have the serial number? Did you give them your name? Did you buy it from apple? If the answer is yes to all these questions, then they had your proof of purchase.
 
They want you to break it and buy the applecare before or after.
If you do, you'll probably end up buying applecare for the rest of your life.

That combined with the fact that changing a cracked iphone costs 200$, not a big difference from an 80$ applecare + 50$ each change - up to two max.

Selling insurance is a huge money maker and this is exactly what it is. iPad costs them about 300$ to make and probably pennies to get fixed. So that 150$ pretty easily covers their costs. :)
 
Capt T said:
Did they have the serial number? Did you give them your name? Did you buy it from apple? If the answer is yes to all these questions, then they had your proof of purchase.
Click to expand...

- I gave them my S/N over the phone
- I gave them my Name
- I purchased it from Radio Shack
 
Spink10 said:
Its not a loop hole if apple offers it - but i guess some may consider that a loop hole - to each his own - in this situation

This is copied from apple website:

How to get AppleCare+

You must buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of your iPad purchase.
There are three ways to buy:

From the Apple Online Store: When you order the new iPad or iPad 2, you’ll have the option to add AppleCare+ to your cart before you check out.

At an Apple Retail Store (requires a Genius Bar appointment, inspection of the iPad, and proof of purchase).

By calling 1-800-275-2273 (requires proof of purchase).

http://store.apple.com/us/product/S4689
Click to expand...

I did a preorder a week before the release.
Do I have 30 days from the preorder date or from the release date?
 
WILLDOGS said:
Then the thought popped in my head, what if I were a dishonest person and had just cracked my screen without any coverage? I could call apple, but coverage and make a claim tomorrow, couldn't I? Is this a loop hole that apple is just betting not many people will do? also, if they will sell me applecare+ over the phone sight unseen, why couldn't they just sell it to me in store without having to see a genius?

I don't get it...
Click to expand...

Yes, theoretically that can happen - and it's called insurance fraud. However, since you have a 30 day limit between when you buy the iPad and when you buy AppleCare+, this limit's Apple's risk somewhat.

Shenanigans like this are the reason why health insurance companies have pre-existing condition clauses. Otherwise people would wait until they actually got sick before buying insurance.
 
ea9 said:
That combined with the fact that changing a cracked iphone costs 200$, not a big difference from an 80$ applecare + 50$ each change - up to two max.
Click to expand...

True for the iPhone, but the new iPad costs $299 to get fixed from
Apple. That is a bigger difference from the AC+ price than with the iPhone. I am willing to bet a lot less people break iPads though.
 
I did the same, ordered AppleCare+ over the phone and it was all set up without any issues but after I hung up I realized the rep didn't even request a proof of purchase (which is required for over the phone AppleCare+ purchase and activation). IIRC, he only needed my new iPad's S/N and my email for my AppleID, from which he confirmed my personal details/address.

After a few hours I got the email for my AppleCare+ agreement but the coverage date was out by a day so I emailed them my receipt but I haven't heard back yet. Makes me wonder if they know the approximate date of purchase (and proof of purchase too?) by just the S/N? I recall the store did scan the S/N at the POS but it doesn't show on the store receipt (FutureShop).
 
ATC said:
I did the same, ordered AppleCare+ over the phone and it was all set up without any issues but after I hung up I realized the rep didn't even request a proof of purchase (which is required for over the phone AppleCare+ purchase and activation). IIRC, he only needed my new iPad's S/N and my email for my AppleID, from which he confirmed my personal details/address.

After a few hours I got the email for my AppleCare+ agreement but the coverage date was out by a day so I emailed them my receipt but I haven't heard back yet. Makes me wonder if they know the approximate date of purchase (and proof of purchase too?) by just the S/N? I recall the store did scan the S/N at the POS but it doesn't show on the store receipt (FutureShop).
Click to expand...

The point is, it doesn't matter right now. The iPad 3 came out less than 30 days ago, so nobody has owned an iPad 3 for more than 30 days yet. After April 16, they'll be checking for proof of purchase.
 
IllIllIll said:
The point is, it doesn't matter right now. The iPad 3 came out less than 30 days ago, so nobody has owned an iPad 3 for more than 30 days yet. After April 16, they'll be checking for proof of purchase.
Click to expand...

Understood. But they never even asked me the date of purchase, to at least start the coverage on the right day. I just thought that was weird.
 
Last edited:
Same thing happened to me at the store..but I was talking to one of the girl apple people and she just did a quick return and "sold" it back to me with apple care
 
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