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iphone 4 applecare question
- Thread starter cubvenam
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as far as I know, it keeps the same warranty terms you already have, and just extends them a year
It can also be purchased up to a year after you buy the phone
so wait. Next year, If you decide to sell yours and upgrade, you obviously wont need it. If you decide to keep it another year, then buy the Apple Care
thats what my plan has always been, but I've upgraded every year
Same Question
I was told when I bought my "iFourne" that the cost for i.e. a broken screen under AppleCare would be a $200 replacement fee (as opposed to an outright new phone which is $600 if you buy it outside of a new 2-year contract).
Based on that, and knowing that services will inevitably pop-up to service iPhone's I am making the gamble that the $70 it would cost for apple care, plus the $200 it would cost if I break something ($270) is more than it would cost to pay a repair service (like mission repair) to fix it. Their price as of 7/14 is $179 for the service (probably add shipping) which saves you about the cost of the apple care in the first place, AND allows you to defer paying to such time at which you need repair.
And the $270 is waaaay more than parts cost (I replaced my 3G glass with parts from ebay for under $30 and a couple hours of my time).
So if it's all about the benjamins, AppleCare doesn't make financial sense. If it's about peace of mind, you may want the Apple Care, but personally I am going to look into insurance from other reputable third parties. That all said, I'm glad they're FINALLY at least giving us the option for some kind of insurance, though it's shady that they dont make it clear on the Apple website where you can buy AppleCare that there is a $200 deductible if you actually need to use it.
I was told when I bought my "iFourne" that the cost for i.e. a broken screen under AppleCare would be a $200 replacement fee (as opposed to an outright new phone which is $600 if you buy it outside of a new 2-year contract).
Based on that, and knowing that services will inevitably pop-up to service iPhone's I am making the gamble that the $70 it would cost for apple care, plus the $200 it would cost if I break something ($270) is more than it would cost to pay a repair service (like mission repair) to fix it. Their price as of 7/14 is $179 for the service (probably add shipping) which saves you about the cost of the apple care in the first place, AND allows you to defer paying to such time at which you need repair.
And the $270 is waaaay more than parts cost (I replaced my 3G glass with parts from ebay for under $30 and a couple hours of my time).
So if it's all about the benjamins, AppleCare doesn't make financial sense. If it's about peace of mind, you may want the Apple Care, but personally I am going to look into insurance from other reputable third parties. That all said, I'm glad they're FINALLY at least giving us the option for some kind of insurance, though it's shady that they dont make it clear on the Apple website where you can buy AppleCare that there is a $200 deductible if you actually need to use it.
Wrong. AppleCare does not cover cracked screens or water damage. ANYONE that is in or OUT of warranty is elegible for the 200$ fix. I can walk in with a 2 year old iPhone 3G and get my water damage fixed for 200 bucks. No need to pay an extra 70 bucks for nothing.
I bought the Apple Care today and here is why.
I called in due to some issues other than the normal ones and they are going to send me a new phone. To do that, they are going to charge me $30 for the next day shipping. I was told that if bought Apple Care for $69.99, they would not charge me for the shipping. They also told me that as a standard, the iPhone comes with 90 days of phone support and 1 year hardware support. Apple Care extends both the phone and hardware support to 2 years.
I never usually buy extended contracts but I rolled the bones and figured this could be 1 of several times they may be sending a replacement with all of the issues going on. If it happens twice, I break even (considering travel costs to get to an apple store) and if not, at least I know I can get a fix for cheaper for the next 2 years.
I called in due to some issues other than the normal ones and they are going to send me a new phone. To do that, they are going to charge me $30 for the next day shipping. I was told that if bought Apple Care for $69.99, they would not charge me for the shipping. They also told me that as a standard, the iPhone comes with 90 days of phone support and 1 year hardware support. Apple Care extends both the phone and hardware support to 2 years.
I never usually buy extended contracts but I rolled the bones and figured this could be 1 of several times they may be sending a replacement with all of the issues going on. If it happens twice, I break even (considering travel costs to get to an apple store) and if not, at least I know I can get a fix for cheaper for the next 2 years.
maddux2005
I believe what you were saying, I guess the salesman & I miscommunicated or he just didn't know what he was talking about.
So can you clarify: What is the policy for a cracked screen (most likely user caused damage) with and without AppleCare? None either way?
If so then all you're buying with AppleCare is 'standard' coverage for workmanship type issues between years 1 and 2. If I haven't seen a workmanship problem during the first year, the likelihood that I'm going to see it in year two is very small, therefore AppleCare is definitely not worth it.
troutspinner: Not sure what phone you have or how long you've had it, but if I buy a device that, due to no fault of my own, goes on the fritz within the standard warranty period I presume they offer standard shipping for no charge, but if not they're ripping you off. Expedited shipping I could see them asking you to pitch in.
It's like when I called ticketmaster to get a refund for a show they changed the date of. They tried to keep the $4 fee for 'Order processing' and I told them that was bullsh|t and got them to refund me the FULL price I paid. It's not my fault the show moved, why should I take a hit? Just like it's not my fault if I go to use my iPhone4 and smoke starts coming out of it.
Does anyone know if there are there other insurance options out there that help offset the cost of broken glass? I still think thats the most likely damage that's going to occur.
I believe what you were saying, I guess the salesman & I miscommunicated or he just didn't know what he was talking about.
So can you clarify: What is the policy for a cracked screen (most likely user caused damage) with and without AppleCare? None either way?
If so then all you're buying with AppleCare is 'standard' coverage for workmanship type issues between years 1 and 2. If I haven't seen a workmanship problem during the first year, the likelihood that I'm going to see it in year two is very small, therefore AppleCare is definitely not worth it.
troutspinner: Not sure what phone you have or how long you've had it, but if I buy a device that, due to no fault of my own, goes on the fritz within the standard warranty period I presume they offer standard shipping for no charge, but if not they're ripping you off. Expedited shipping I could see them asking you to pitch in.
It's like when I called ticketmaster to get a refund for a show they changed the date of. They tried to keep the $4 fee for 'Order processing' and I told them that was bullsh|t and got them to refund me the FULL price I paid. It's not my fault the show moved, why should I take a hit? Just like it's not my fault if I go to use my iPhone4 and smoke starts coming out of it.
Does anyone know if there are there other insurance options out there that help offset the cost of broken glass? I still think thats the most likely damage that's going to occur.
It's the same $199 OOW (out of warranty) policy with or without Applecare, the reason being that user caused damage invalidates Applecare so you pay the $199 OOW price whether your phone is 3 days old with Applecare or 3 years old without Applecare.
Understood, in that case a quick Google search makes this offer for $99 w/$50 deductible look more appealing. They take care of normal workmanship repairs and cover (for $20 more than AppleCare) spills, drops & other accidents and there is no shipping cost other than the deductible.
www.squaretrade.com/pages/iphone-landing24
Has anyone used this? Looks like I have up to 90 days to sign up for their coverage.
www.squaretrade.com/pages/iphone-landing24
Has anyone used this? Looks like I have up to 90 days to sign up for their coverage.
There are many threads on this. I prefer to self-insure with $199 in the bank, especially given that I upgrade yearly. If I never shatter the glass, I'm not out $99 every year. Additionally, I purchase all my iPhones using an Amex card with 90-day accidental damage/theft protection and extended warranty coverage that mirrors Applecare in the 2nd year. I'm at least covered for the first 90 days (when accidents are most likely to happen when everyone wants to see and handle your new iPhone) and for the entire 2nd year as Amex will reimburse me for any $199 OOW work.
I found Applecare on ebay for $34. No problems with it.
I don't get a discounted upgrade every 12 months from AT&T, therefore I prefer to have the Apple warranty for the period of time I own my iphone. With my 3G I used my Applecare twice for an exchange, one of which was 13 months into my 3G ownership.
It's no warranty for dropping or damaging the phone, but the phone is finicky enough to have other things go wrong with it. My first phone (after a month of use) stopped having sound out of the receiver, the second (after owning it for a year) refused to connect to wifi.
Now with my iP4, it spontaneously reboots several times a day. A phone call to Apple has a replacement phone on a Fedex truck to me, arriving overnite. Without Applecare, it would have cost me $29 or I would have to make an appointment with Apple Genius and visit a store (which is around 20 miles away). AppleCare is convenient to me.
I don't get a discounted upgrade every 12 months from AT&T, therefore I prefer to have the Apple warranty for the period of time I own my iphone. With my 3G I used my Applecare twice for an exchange, one of which was 13 months into my 3G ownership.
It's no warranty for dropping or damaging the phone, but the phone is finicky enough to have other things go wrong with it. My first phone (after a month of use) stopped having sound out of the receiver, the second (after owning it for a year) refused to connect to wifi.
Now with my iP4, it spontaneously reboots several times a day. A phone call to Apple has a replacement phone on a Fedex truck to me, arriving overnite. Without Applecare, it would have cost me $29 or I would have to make an appointment with Apple Genius and visit a store (which is around 20 miles away). AppleCare is convenient to me.
Good tip on AppleCare from ebay. But for me, if I'm paying for coverage it has to cover the problem I'm most likely to encounter, and that's broken glass.
Based on the fact I broke my glass twice and have only had the phone about 16 months, it's not a good track record. So the $99 from squaretrade is probably where I'm headed.
I agree though that just saving the money to do the repair is a good idea, I like the rapid turnaround you'll get from having a policy in place. Thats a big factor to me. If I wait to think about it IF something happens, I could be without a phone for a week or two.
Based on the fact I broke my glass twice and have only had the phone about 16 months, it's not a good track record. So the $99 from squaretrade is probably where I'm headed.
I agree though that just saving the money to do the repair is a good idea, I like the rapid turnaround you'll get from having a policy in place. Thats a big factor to me. If I wait to think about it IF something happens, I could be without a phone for a week or two.
If I'm not mistaken, the Squaretrade deal is only good for one occurrence. For that one occurence you save a net of $50. (cost of insurance + 50 deductible) v. 199 if without insurance. For that reason I opted against Squaretrade. If I drop or damage the phone, the $199 ($50 more than having the insurance) is OK for me. (But then again, I'm not that worried about that.)
I understand it differently based on their description of warranty
"Can you be denied coverage due to past insurance claims? No since you're pre-paid for 2 years"
"SquareTrade's iPhone protection plan costs $99 for 2 years with a $50 deductible per claim"
Why state "per claim" unless you could have more than one? Something good to verify before I buy though. And I admire that you're not worried about accidental damage. My buddy had his 3GS in his pocket and while putting on a belt had the buckle shatter the glass through his pants.
"Can you be denied coverage due to past insurance claims? No since you're pre-paid for 2 years"
"SquareTrade's iPhone protection plan costs $99 for 2 years with a $50 deductible per claim"
Why state "per claim" unless you could have more than one? Something good to verify before I buy though. And I admire that you're not worried about accidental damage. My buddy had his 3GS in his pocket and while putting on a belt had the buckle shatter the glass through his pants.
Correct, break it twice and you pay $50 twice.
My buddy had his 3GS in his pocket and while putting on a belt had the buckle shatter the glass through his pants.
Wow, I guess some people are naturally rough.
If you're confident you'll break the glass at least once a year, then go ahead and get squaretrade and you'll come out ahead. But for the rest of us who are not in the habit of breaking our phones and like to upgrade yearly, we come out ahead even if we shatter the glass twice and pay the $199 OOW price. $199 x 2 OOW replacements is cheaper than $99 x 4 iPhones plus $50 deductible x 2 claims.
You're right, I'm not planning to break my phone, but I'm just saying it's more likely than getting a workmanship issue thats OOW. And yes, $50 each time, so I save $50 the first time it happens ($150 vs $200 OOW), and if it happens again, my total repair cost per incident comes down (i.e. 2 repairs = [$99+$50+$50]/2 = $100 each instead of $150 when I just have one).
I just cant plan to upgrade more than once every 2 years, it costs too much. That's why I am upgrading from a 3G and not a 3GS.
Definitely different scenarios for each of us, I can appreciate the different resolutions.
I just cant plan to upgrade more than once every 2 years, it costs too much. That's why I am upgrading from a 3G and not a 3GS.
Definitely different scenarios for each of us, I can appreciate the different resolutions.