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How good is AppleCare
- Thread starter canes960
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I've bought AppleCare for all eight of the Macs I've owned from now back to 1992 for a total of roughly $1200. The two machines that I've had trouble with are a Quicksilver PowerMac G4 and a Core Duo MacBook. This particular lemon of a G4 went in four times for repairs and had every component except the Superdrive replaced, which now does not completely work. 🙄 Estimated total: $2000. The MacBook has gone in for repairs three times so far, and had the inverter board, the logic board, the top case twice, the bezel, the hard drive and the power adaptor, all for free (not necessarily in that order). Estimated cost: $780. Between the two of them, that's $2780 of repairs to $1200 of AppleCare. For every $1 worth of AppleCare, I've saved $2 of repairs. Yes, AppleCare is probably one of the best investments for a MacBook and is highly recommended.
Luba
macrumors 68000
Is this your first time filing a claim with AmEx? If no, how has your experience been in the past? Paying up front is ok (not the best way to go), if there's confidence AmEx won't hassle/fight with you, and make you jump through hoops.
I don't buy extended warranties because they are usually a bad deal, and it's a tremendous hassle, much worst than filing for rebates, then deny your claim on some obscure fine print.
I am considering Apple Care because I would get it at the Educator's discount price plus I hear filing a claim/using Apple Care is not too bad. If I hear of stories in which the geniuses deny coverage and fight to deny like many insurance companies do then I think it's better to take your chances. Besides, it's a good excuse then you upgrade to the newest better/faster model. 🙂
I don't buy extended warranties because they are usually a bad deal, and it's a tremendous hassle, much worst than filing for rebates, then deny your claim on some obscure fine print.
I am considering Apple Care because I would get it at the Educator's discount price plus I hear filing a claim/using Apple Care is not too bad. If I hear of stories in which the geniuses deny coverage and fight to deny like many insurance companies do then I think it's better to take your chances. Besides, it's a good excuse then you upgrade to the newest better/faster model. 🙂
Jesus, in your case, the question is not whether or not to buy Apple Care ... it is whether or not to buy Apple at all.
I would not have the time to trot my computer back and forth to the shop so often for so many failures.
From What I Am Reading Here ...
The consensus seems to be:
Get Apple Care because Apple makes god awful hardware that appears to fail early and fail often.
Seriously, if people are getting DOA machines with which they have to wait two weeks to get a replacement without Apple Care, something is horribly wrong with Apple Inc.
Dell will give you 3 years plus accidental coverage for less.
How much worse can their hardware be if they stand behind their accidents and yours?
It sounds like Apple tries so hard to make things "thin", that the failure rates are quite high.
What happened to all the claims of hardware superiority?
All I see is people petrified to use their machines without paying Apple extortion to fix it's own manufacturer defects.
Yikes!
The consensus seems to be:
Get Apple Care because Apple makes god awful hardware that appears to fail early and fail often.
Seriously, if people are getting DOA machines with which they have to wait two weeks to get a replacement without Apple Care, something is horribly wrong with Apple Inc.
Dell will give you 3 years plus accidental coverage for less.
How much worse can their hardware be if they stand behind their accidents and yours?
It sounds like Apple tries so hard to make things "thin", that the failure rates are quite high.
What happened to all the claims of hardware superiority?
All I see is people petrified to use their machines without paying Apple extortion to fix it's own manufacturer defects.
Yikes!
...I find it ironic that most people (myself included) wouldn't buy extended warranties but applecare is "just another option" we happily pay for😱
I nearly always get extended warranties, and so I would always say get AppleCare.
However I object to Victor Odin's idea that you'll need AppleCare because of the poor quality. In my experience Apples don't break any more or less often than other computers.
It's only been a couple of years since I've become a Mac convert so I've had some experience with other computer brands. I used to have a Toshiba notebook with no warranty. The hard drive died on it, but was easy to replace. Yet the cost of the hard-drive was similar to the warranty cost, so I probably came out even. However there were a number of other things that if covered by a warranty I would have had fixed, but learned to live with.
Then I got a Dell notebook, and as mentioned already their warranty service is pretty good. I did have to make use of it a couple of times though, so got my money's worth out of it.
I built a desktop PC myself, which obviously had no warranty apart from that on the individual parts. The power supply failed a couple of days out of the warranty and not much later the processor died. This was the point I switched to Apples. Fortunately I managed to sell most of the PC's parts on eBay.
My first Mac was an iMac, which I got AppleCare on. That was late 2006, and I have not had any problems with it at all; it's still running great. But the peace of mind alone was worth the cost.
Next I got a MacBook, and AppleCare has more than paid for itself. I got one that evidently was from a batch with a problem with the logicboard. After a bit of an ordeal they eventually replaced the entire MacBook with the next model. Since then I've also had a hard-drive replaced in the MacBook. I should add that I originally bought the MacBook in the USA but have been living in Australia, and have not had any trouble with AppleCare due to that.
One thing to keep in mind when comparing to other brands is that with the exception of brands like Dell, most computer brands will only have a single certified repairer in your city (in Australia anyway, might be different elsewhere) but due to their popularity Apples will often have a couple of repairers. So you won't have to rely on one guy eventually getting around to looking at your computer. At least that has been my experience.
So I would definitely get AppleCare again.
However I object to Victor Odin's idea that you'll need AppleCare because of the poor quality. In my experience Apples don't break any more or less often than other computers.
It's only been a couple of years since I've become a Mac convert so I've had some experience with other computer brands. I used to have a Toshiba notebook with no warranty. The hard drive died on it, but was easy to replace. Yet the cost of the hard-drive was similar to the warranty cost, so I probably came out even. However there were a number of other things that if covered by a warranty I would have had fixed, but learned to live with.
Then I got a Dell notebook, and as mentioned already their warranty service is pretty good. I did have to make use of it a couple of times though, so got my money's worth out of it.
I built a desktop PC myself, which obviously had no warranty apart from that on the individual parts. The power supply failed a couple of days out of the warranty and not much later the processor died. This was the point I switched to Apples. Fortunately I managed to sell most of the PC's parts on eBay.
My first Mac was an iMac, which I got AppleCare on. That was late 2006, and I have not had any problems with it at all; it's still running great. But the peace of mind alone was worth the cost.
Next I got a MacBook, and AppleCare has more than paid for itself. I got one that evidently was from a batch with a problem with the logicboard. After a bit of an ordeal they eventually replaced the entire MacBook with the next model. Since then I've also had a hard-drive replaced in the MacBook. I should add that I originally bought the MacBook in the USA but have been living in Australia, and have not had any trouble with AppleCare due to that.
One thing to keep in mind when comparing to other brands is that with the exception of brands like Dell, most computer brands will only have a single certified repairer in your city (in Australia anyway, might be different elsewhere) but due to their popularity Apples will often have a couple of repairers. So you won't have to rely on one guy eventually getting around to looking at your computer. At least that has been my experience.
So I would definitely get AppleCare again.
I'm still in the process of waiting for the claim to be approved (or denied). But I don't it should be a problem as long as you submit all the proper documents. The documents I had to submit were Sales Receipt, Billing Statement showing the purchase, Copy of factory warranty, and a copy of estimated repairs from the source.
Luba
macrumors 68000
I wonder if AmEx would accept scanned documents, if yes, would be easy to store and not lose. 🙂 They want billing statement from Amex too? AmEx should have that . . . oh well.
Well, I bought my MacBook in March of 08. About 5 months ago, I knocked over a can of soda, which emptied INTO my MacBook. About 3 minutes later it was unusable. 20 hours later, I turned it on for giggles. Guess what happened? It worked! Guess what else? It STILL works. I finally had to bring it in to have the HD replaced (a part that Apple DOES NOT make themselves) because it crashed.
Surviving a can of soda spilling onto the logic board is not something a poorly manufactured/designed machine can handle.......
As far as your Dell comment, okay, you get their service for free, but at what cost? We have nothing but Dells where I work and they always, ALWAYS break. There are ALWAYS at least 4 computers waiting on parts/repairs.
Apples failure rates are not high. You go to the Apple forums and you will see a lot of questions regarding problems because that's what the forums are for. Just like when you go to the mustang forums, you will find a lot of "what does this noise mean" and "how do I replace this part," but that does not mean the failure rate is high, just the people theat go there are experiencing problems. Therefore it will SEEM as if there is a huge problem with <insert product name here>.
Now, I will be paying about $230 within the next 2 days for the repairs (replacing my HD and reinstalling the OS), $30 ($55 w/student discount) more then AC would have cost me. I don't regret not getting AC, but could have saved a few bucks on my repairs.
I will buy it on my next Apple purchase and I will continue to purchase Apple products because I am pleased with the way they work and how great the customer service experience is.
Original posters question: Is AC worth it?
Answer: Even if you don't have to use it: Yes.
RunnyCustard
macrumors member
Hi all
I'm just thinking about getting the apple care protection for my iMac.
I brought my iMac in the beginning of October 2008 and the Hard drive failed recently so I did manage to get it fixed by apple (took a week to get fixed though - they did replace the glass front too as it had some 'smoke in the corner' I never noticed this and I'm not sure exactly what was meant' by it it.. but hey it was free!)
I just want to check that I can add the apple care to my iMac despite it being nearly 10 months old - I've heard that you have to get the apple care before the one year warranty is up?
I guess that I will only get two years extra warranty rather than three as it's from the date of the iMac's purchase, right?
I'm new to owning a mac - recently done the whole switch over - got a macbook and iphone too!!
I wont get the warranty for the macbook as I did get that cheap and the cost is too much - if it breaks then I can do without or buy a cheap laptop etc. (the iphone was free!)
I love my iMac too much for it to break and there is no way I could afford another one - I'm a mature full time student and I'm having to pay for contents insurance this month too!
It works out a lot of money for 'air' (that's what it feels like anyway 🙂)
I'm also hoping to AC for £99 from here: (student price) http://www.one4uni.com/product-info/41996-Apple-Protection-Plan-for-iMac
I'm just thinking about getting the apple care protection for my iMac.
I brought my iMac in the beginning of October 2008 and the Hard drive failed recently so I did manage to get it fixed by apple (took a week to get fixed though - they did replace the glass front too as it had some 'smoke in the corner' I never noticed this and I'm not sure exactly what was meant' by it it.. but hey it was free!)
I just want to check that I can add the apple care to my iMac despite it being nearly 10 months old - I've heard that you have to get the apple care before the one year warranty is up?
I guess that I will only get two years extra warranty rather than three as it's from the date of the iMac's purchase, right?
I'm new to owning a mac - recently done the whole switch over - got a macbook and iphone too!!
I wont get the warranty for the macbook as I did get that cheap and the cost is too much - if it breaks then I can do without or buy a cheap laptop etc. (the iphone was free!)
I love my iMac too much for it to break and there is no way I could afford another one - I'm a mature full time student and I'm having to pay for contents insurance this month too!
It works out a lot of money for 'air' (that's what it feels like anyway 🙂)
I'm also hoping to AC for £99 from here: (student price) http://www.one4uni.com/product-info/41996-Apple-Protection-Plan-for-iMac
Yes, you need to buy it within one year.
You aren't getting any more or less than other people who bought the AppleCare at the time of purchse. Everyone else who bought earlier are just extending the time period by 2 years. The only difference (some claim) is that in the first year if something breaks, you might get better in-store service when you tell them that you have bought AppleCare.
clyde2801
macrumors 601
1. Can't really say whether its anymore god awful than any other hardware. Crap happens to pc's and macs alike.
2. Agreed. But I think the problem is with bto machines. Stock systems should be able to be trucked down to the apple store or 3rd party authorized repair shop.
3. I have no comment other than to say the dell's coverage sounds good, and that you can buy accidental coverage if you buy a mac from best buy.
4. I'm not sure I understand your question (or statement?).
5. I have wondered the same; apple designers are like fashion designers who love 85 lb. models.
6. I don't think claims of hardware superiority were ever made, correct me if I'm wrong. OS supremacy, sure, design and feature attractions, yes. Apple uses commodity hard drives, ram, processors, etc., like everyone else now. Everything comes out the same factories in Asia.
7. Kind of agree with you, to a point. It's rumored that Apple has extended its replacement of defective 8600 video cards to three years after purchase. But that's after a lot a bad press and a bunch of people reporting the defect.
I think the more valid point is that it costs so damned much to repair the machines, possibly due to the thin, thin, sleek and svelte designs. If it only cost $400 to repair a blown logicboard out of warranty, some people would grumble but most would fork it over. Considering it costs almost as much to cover major repairs on macs than it does to buy new models is where we're paranoid about buying applecare.
Again, I'm not sure if it really does cost that much to repair a laptop or apple's encouraging people to buy applecare and/or new systems, but their repair costs seem high to me. Does it cost hundreds of dollars to replace a video card on top end ibm lenovo or sony laptop?
RunnyCustard
macrumors member
yes, that's true - for some reason it makes it feel like I've lost a year but of course it's still 3 years from the date of purchase!
I think the deal I saw is pretty good... works out at £50 a year.
😀
I agree that it seems, and was the case for me, that you get better/faster service if you have AC.
My GF essentially got $1500 worth of work done for $200 by paying in advance and, aside from the logic board, everything was replaced in >2 hours.
Flipside:
I didn't have AC, brought my laptop in to have the HD replaced and the software installed (neglected to keep backups, which I have been good about now). The HD was in store, although the genius didn't say the "had or didn't have" the HD. I did see the box with my paperwork rubber-banded to it. Dropped my lappy off Friday at about 3:15 pm. Didn't get a call till Sunday night at 5:15 pm that it was done. Granted Saturday was a holiday, but I'm sure it didn't take a full 2 days to fix. Aside from the fact that the $232 and change I paid was actual revenue for the company, compared to the 1300 of free parts my gf got (saying the first of three HD's was covered by the initial cost of AC).
Better still, $85 for "labor."
As a mechanic, I can say 85/hr for labor is actual labor, but I dont know how you get $85 for 5 minutes to R&R the HD and another 5 to hook up a travel drive, press 2 buttons while powering on and walk away while it installs the OS on it's own. I'm far from computer literate, and even I can figure out how to do that. Doesn't exactly take a "genius" to do.
I will be getting a spare HD and instaling my current backup onto it, just in case this ever happens again. I am, however, still worried about the logic board after spilling the soda on it, but I'll cross that bridge when the time comes.
The long and short of it, I still agree that AC is worth the piece of mind, even if you never have to use it.
My GF essentially got $1500 worth of work done for $200 by paying in advance and, aside from the logic board, everything was replaced in >2 hours.
Flipside:
I didn't have AC, brought my laptop in to have the HD replaced and the software installed (neglected to keep backups, which I have been good about now). The HD was in store, although the genius didn't say the "had or didn't have" the HD. I did see the box with my paperwork rubber-banded to it. Dropped my lappy off Friday at about 3:15 pm. Didn't get a call till Sunday night at 5:15 pm that it was done. Granted Saturday was a holiday, but I'm sure it didn't take a full 2 days to fix. Aside from the fact that the $232 and change I paid was actual revenue for the company, compared to the 1300 of free parts my gf got (saying the first of three HD's was covered by the initial cost of AC).
Better still, $85 for "labor."
As a mechanic, I can say 85/hr for labor is actual labor, but I dont know how you get $85 for 5 minutes to R&R the HD and another 5 to hook up a travel drive, press 2 buttons while powering on and walk away while it installs the OS on it's own. I'm far from computer literate, and even I can figure out how to do that. Doesn't exactly take a "genius" to do.
I will be getting a spare HD and instaling my current backup onto it, just in case this ever happens again. I am, however, still worried about the logic board after spilling the soda on it, but I'll cross that bridge when the time comes.
The long and short of it, I still agree that AC is worth the piece of mind, even if you never have to use it.