Is Applecare a rip-off?

[gnasher729]

Was it like that little girl whose iPod caught fire and Apple asked her to sign a NDA?! That request backfired hugely and caused a PR problem!

All we know that someone _claimed_ that an iPod caught fire and _claimed_ that Apple asked them to sign an NDA. Now assuming that Apple didn't feel that anything happened that they were responsible for, and that they at most would have paid her for being quiet, not for any actual damage, asking for an NDA would be the sensible thing to do. I heard of the PR problem; I didn't hear of her getting any money out of it, so you can draw your own conclusions.

And the strange thing is that things like iPods catching fire, exploding screens, cars that accelerate suddenly and cannot be stopped, these things always come in waves and then nothing. So it seems to me that this is not actually anything wrong with the products, but with people.

 

[MyTwistedSister]

Let's buy a $2000 computer but screw the $180 applecare???????

In all seriousness, yes, its worth every penny, to save some money go to the educational store and you could save $50 on it. t A lot of things can go wrong, and for an all in one computer, its definitely worth it.

I'm unfamiliar with the educational store? How do I get there? I have an Imac that i got about August 2010 when my previous Imac was stolen. I had the extended warranty on my old Imac but it had run out. I had a lot of problems with my old machine and they never would replace it i was just forever needing help with it. They told me some line about everybody loves the Apple computers and i was the sole holdout who was unhappy.

 

[nightwolf]

Applecare is A RIPOFF

I spend 300 bucks and when I took in a 27 inch lap top. I was told I was at fault. They said it got wet. There may have been condensation but I never knew that? So I ended up without a computer. Now I just buy used apple as I almost bought a windows machine. The lesser of two evils.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

But they are not anywhere close to equal footing even here in the USA. When was the last time that you were able to walk into congress and leverage anything in your favor? Companies do it all the time to get what they want and we, the tax payers, pay the price in the long run. In a perfect world I would totally understand but sadly that world does not exist. So, if you have laws that protect you then you should be able to leverage when you need to. Besides, Apple knows those laws going into the country and they have a choice to sell or not sell there so clearly they aren't bothered by them. I see nothing wrong with their consumer laws as they work well to protect people and as I posted, we have them here as well The difference? Theirs work and ours do not.

Except that you should realize that you cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that was responsible for its creation in the first place. The other thing that should be realized is that companies are profit seeking and that, as a result, any additional expense gets passed back to the customer. So, this would seem to perfectly illustrate the futility of this exercise of swinging back at the corporation because there are unjustifiable laws favoring the corporation. If Apple could not turn a profit, they would shut their doors tomorrow. If they are forced to have X years of warranty on their products, all of those customers are going to have to pay for it whether they would have sufficed with less warranty. It is an inescapable fact. Please at least acknowledge it.

 

[wpotere]

Except that you should realize that you cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that was responsible for its creation in the first place. The other thing that should be realized is that companies are profit seeking and that, as a result, any additional expense gets passed back to the customer. So, this would seem to perfectly illustrate the futility of this exercise of swinging back at the corporation because there are unjustifiable laws favoring the corporation. If Apple could not turn a profit, they would shut their doors tomorrow. If they are forced to have X years of warranty on their products, all of those customers are going to have to pay for it whether they would have sufficed with less warranty. It is an inescapable fact. Please at least acknowledge it.

Then we agree to disagree. You are clearly seeing this as an only an American and I hate to say it but we are not the only culture or government out there. They choose to protect their people over a company and as I said, Apple has a choice. They can easily pull out of the EU and UK if they like but they have accepted the fact that they will have to honor the laws that are in place there and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with that. As I also mentioned, we have a similar law here in the USA, it is just weakly enforced. Pricing is also compared and if the company was selling it for a lot higher than in other countries they would also intervene. So, wether or no the cost is passed on is irrelevant as we are really talking about buying an extended warranty. I will say that in general consumers in the UK do pay a bit more than we do but that is also because most items are an import.

Here is a nice link that, if you choose to read, will give you some understanding of what it does.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/index.htm

 

[Mactrillionaire]

Then we agree to disagree. You are clearly seeing this as an only an American and I hate to say it but we are not the only culture or government out there. They choose to protect their people over a company and as I said, Apple has a choice. They can easily pull out of the EU and UK if they like but they have accepted the fact that they will have to honor the laws that are in place there and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with that. As I also mentioned, we have a similar law here in the USA, it is just weakly enforced. Pricing is also compared and if the company was selling it for a lot higher than in other countries they would also intervene. So, wether or no the cost is passed on is irrelevant as we are really talking about buying an extended warranty. I will say that in general consumers in the UK do pay a bit more than we do but that is also because most items are an import.

Here is a nice link that, if you choose to read, will give you some understanding of what it does.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/index.htm

No, unfortunately, we don't agree to disagree because I presented certain facts and those facts were countered with opinions. Facts are not interchangeable with opinions or beliefs. Countering a fact with an opinion is essentially of no use.

As far as force goes, I've stated that the important thing is that it is RIGHT. I made no statement about regional interpretations, but the fact that there may not be a plural interpretation should clue you into the nature of things (i.e., that the correctness of force is NOT determined by regional interpretation). So, then, as an exercise, how can we determine what kind of force is justified? Certainly, it is not desire. So, what acceptable excuse do all of these legislative desiring governments have for themselves?

 

[wpotere]

No, unfortunately, we don't agree to disagree because I presented certain facts and those facts were countered with opinions. Facts are not interchangeable with opinions or beliefs. Countering a fact with an opinion is essentially of no use.

As far as force goes, I've stated that the important thing is that it is RIGHT. I made no statement about regional interpretations, but the fact that there may not be a plural interpretation should clue you into the nature of things (i.e., that the correctness of force is NOT determined by regional interpretation). So, then, as an exercise, how can we determine what kind of force is justified? Certainly, it is not desire. So, what acceptable excuse do all of these legislative desiring governments have for themselves?

Then I disagree with you and the "facts" you provided are an American point of view (I have lived is several different countries over the years).

Lastly, I presented you with a link that has facts, not opinions. It isn't my fault if you choose not to read it.

Argue it all you want, I am moving on

 

[t0rr3s]

I spend 300 bucks and when I took in a 27 inch lap top.

Some lap you've got there mate.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

Then I disagree with you and the "facts" you provided are an American point of view (I have lived is several different countries over the years).

Lastly, I presented you with a link that has facts, not opinions. It isn't my fault if you choose not to read it.

Argue it all you want, I am moving on

I'll read it later, but the relevant aspect of this is that I was trying to make some points that obviously eluded the readers. Please do however give us an example where "egotistical thinking" created some problems that were later solved by additional "egotistical thinking". At least if you would challenge the foundation of the claimed facts then I feel we would at least be making progress here. Who knows, maybe there are some examples that limit its application that I haven't thought of, but what I do know is that this "me, me, me" mentality of corporations to make "greater profits" while opting to "screw customers" out of promises made is no better than the "I'll make you replace it" mentality of customers. Both actions are "me, me, me" type actions that are harmful to the greater issue of "we". The proper solution is for BOTH buyers and sellers to realize that they need each other to get what they want and to respect that fact, working with one another instead of against one another.

That said, I will make the concession in stating that corporations today are nowhere near being on equal footing when it comes to their power and egotistical motivations as compared to the customer. Products are intentionally designed so that they fail sooner than expected and other methods and gimmicks are designed to maximize profit while minimizing provided value. So, on that account, you won't hear me really feeling bad for companies like that. However, the point should be that if you are committing a kind of action that falls in the same category than you are no less culpable for what is happening. We cannot endorse a solution that we know doesn't solve a problem and expect the problem to be solved. That approach doesn't even begin to make sense.

 

[iStudentUK]

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Whilst companies and consumers need each other, there is a fundamental difference in their interests. It would be great to think we could all sit together and reach an understanding, but that is a fairy tale.

US consumers get screwed much worse than EU ones. Despite this there has been no great civilised meetin of the minds. UK consumer rights have been strong for many years, and companies do fine here. With the EU and a 500 million person market the balance of power has shifted away slightly more from companies, as the market is too big to pull out of.

This tug of war between business and the consumer may not be ideal, but it is the unavoidable reality. If something I own breaks I'll use the law to try to get it fixed, I'm not waisting money on extended warranties and such like over an idealised dream.

 

[chrismacguy]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Whilst companies and consumers need each other, there is a fundamental difference in their interests. It would be great to think we could all sit together and reach an understanding, but that is a fairy tale.

US consumers get screwed much worse than EU ones. Despite this there has been no great civilised meetin of the minds. UK consumer rights have been strong for many years, and companies do fine here. With the EU and a 500 million person market the balance of power has shifted away slightly more from companies, as the market is too big to pull out of.

This tug of war between business and the consumer may not be ideal, but it is the unavoidable reality. If something I own breaks I'll use the law to try to get it fixed, I'm not waisting money on extended warranties and such like over an idealised dream.

The reason we have great consumer rights in the UK is because we're British. And we know darn well we won't let the varmints get away with that ol' chap. No no no. We demand consumer rights, what.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Whilst companies and consumers need each other, there is a fundamental difference in their interests. It would be great to think we could all sit together and reach an understanding, but that is a fairy tale.

US consumers get screwed much worse than EU ones. Despite this there has been no great civilised meetin of the minds. UK consumer rights have been strong for many years, and companies do fine here. With the EU and a 500 million person market the balance of power has shifted away slightly more from companies, as the market is too big to pull out of.

This tug of war between business and the consumer may not be ideal, but it is the unavoidable reality. If something I own breaks I'll use the law to try to get it fixed, I'm not waisting money on extended warranties and such like over an idealised dream.

It isn't an "idealised dream", however. You are responsible for the force you initiate. If it is incorrect, you have to answer for the consequences of that force. If you won't accept responsibility for your own actions then I guess that is the start of another sad story, but it does seem to be a common theme...

Furthermore, no customer can get what he wants unless a business provides it or unless he figures out how to provide it for himself nor can any business endure which sufficiently alienates its customers into not doing business with it.

 

[iStudentUK]

It isn't an "idealised dream", however. You are responsible for the force you initiate. If it is incorrect, you have to answer for the consequences of that force.

It is a dream, without legislation big companies and consumers will battle it out. Big companies will exploit consumers.

The consequence of this force/legislation is better protection for average joe public. I'm happy with that.

 

[Duvall1105]

APPLE CARE--1st Posting

To All:

Two days ago__4/19/2011, at 5:15 PM, PDT, I spoke in length with a senior (con artist) at Apple__in Austin Tx. Who informed me that from now on ALL calls will be routed to Manilla !!! I reminded him, my speech was difficult for them to understand, he laughed, then stated, "that is the way life goes." Then I reminded him of the Federal Law the handicapped were protected ____ergo___ramps on buildings, etc. ( To back track____in Jan 2011__Apple replaced my de-faulty 24" with a new 27"__I had to purchase Apple Care yet again.
BTW: the best price beats out Apple by $50.00 at B&H photo in New York. At only $119.00. For Apple OEM Memory go to OtherWorldComputing.com___purchased 8GB for only $145.
Since Jan. All my calls were routed to a computer inquiring ___"is this about the same case" __I would say, "Yes". Then right to a Apple Care person in the States.(that ended 3 weeks ago) NO LONGER AVAILABLE he stated, AND like other companies, we are now going to be routed to the great old country of downtown __INDIA ___just like dell-junk did years ago.
We have been to India many times, but would NEVER wish to live there.
They speak almost perfect English like the Queen in England.____BUT they are difficult to understand also. (FACT: they are 12 Times Zones away) and light years from true progress. But Apple has now found out it IS CHEAPER TO GO OFF SHORE !!! The telephone connections are at best, early 20th century! Yes they have cell, but Apple will Not be using it. This senior person, I'll call him "Dan Huff " who kept changing his stories regarding his education an military service who phoned from (512)-674-2500 -ext. 40194 --he works for you too!! He professed his love of all things Apple since he was a small boy. I inquired, "will you too have to phone Manilla for help ?" He laughed and said "well I guess so".

By chance Dan has been run through NCIC and might receive a letter from your friends and theirs___the friends of everybody__IRS. Everybody needs more friends in life, right? Hope Dan has paid his taxes every year in full.

Adieu and Danke !

 

[alexxn]

My opinion is it's cheap insurance for a not so cheap purchase - when you don't have it is when you'll need it.

 

[TallManNY]

I love not having to spend £200 on AppleCare to get a product to last how long it should.

Your "free" applecare is built into the price you pay for the goods. That is one of the reasons why Apple products are more expensive in the UK than they are in the U.S. Just in the U.K. everyone has to take AppleCare because it is the law.

No judgement is intended about which is better. Just understand that this warranty isn't "free" even if there isn't a line item on your receipt for it.

 

[iStudentUK]

Your "free" applecare is built into the price you pay for the goods.

I doubt that. Few people in the UK know how good the law is, and even fewer actually know how to use it. It is sad to have such strong consumer rights, and people to know so little about (some) of them.

I'd say Apple equipment is more expensive in the UK due to VAT/taxes as well as the high cost of employing in the UK (worker's rights).

I agree each system has advantages and disadvantages. However, many UK citizens buy more expensive Apple computers and then AppleCare on top!

 

[mr.steevo]

I had Apple Care and used it to replace a hdd. The thing was the hdd failed 2.5 years into the Apple Care and by that time the size of hdd in my computer was worth $30 new. So I paid over $250 at the time for Apple Care to get a $30 replaced.

Meanwhile a buddy of mine bought a G5 iMac and had constant issues with it. He didn't buy Apple Care. Unbelievably Apple replaced the computer 18 months ago with a new Intel iMac even though the G5 computer was years out of warranty.

Keep in mind that your credit card may have a warranty doubler on any purchase you make. That makes it even harder to consider Apple Care for only one more year of coverage.

 

[TallManNY]

You generally should buy insurance only for things that are large costs that would be prohibitive for you to cover. Good examples are insuring your house, your car and medical expenses (which can be nearly limitlessly high). Bad examples are insuring an iPod Nano.

A Mac Pro is probably getting close to the "car" size where if it totally broke you would be really stretched to replace it. But that depends on your wealth. Obviously Bill Gates doesn't buy insurance for products that he can rebuy out of the loose change in his couch cushions. I think the question about where a $2,000 iMac is in that range is really up to you.

 

[thermodynamic]

I spend 300 bucks and when I took in a 27 inch lap top. I was told I was at fault. They said it got wet. There may have been condensation but I never knew that? So I ended up without a computer. Now I just buy used apple as I almost bought a windows machine. The lesser of two evils.

27" laptop?!! (Maybe 17" )

Why did you bring in the MBP? What made them think it got wet?

 

[thermodynamic]

You generally should buy insurance only for things that are large costs that would be prohibitive for you to cover. Good examples are insuring your house, your car and medical expenses (which can be nearly limitlessly high). Bad examples are insuring an iPod Nano.

A Mac Pro is probably getting close to the "car" size where if it totally broke you would be really stretched to replace it. But that depends on your wealth. Obviously Bill Gates doesn't buy insurance for products that he can rebuy out of the loose change in his couch cushions. I think the question about where a $2,000 iMac is in that range is really up to you.

If it has a LCD screen, it should get the extra coverage. Especially as iMacs are all-in-ones. IMHO, of course, but it can be worth it. Especially as no PC vendor I've come across puts out displays that come close to Apple's (apart from Dell via mail order but those are for standalone monitors only; their laptops are still rubbish.)

 

[ratzzo]

Look at it this way, you are paying 180$ for two full years of 'protection' of an iMac, which is, after all, both a monitor and a computer all-in-one. It seems extremely cheap to me, because even if the smallest thing goes bad inside the iMac, that's about the smallest price you will pay for a repair (if off warranty). After having paid so much for such a nice computer, knowing that only 180$ will last me two years more of complete protection of pretty much anything that should happen is really reassuring. All computers, be it Apple or not, tend to have eventual hardware failures. IF anything goes wrong, you will be paying much more than 180$ for a repair.

 

[brvtvs]

It depends on your warranty

It all depends. If you live in the US you might consider it after 1 year. In some states its 2 and even 4 year warranty on elecronic equipment (? someone mentioned Maine).

If you for instance live in Norway, where i live btw. You have a 5 year warranty. Your electronic device (ipad, laptop, iphone, 50$ mp3 player) is supposed to function for a minimum of 5 years. If it breaks down before the day it turns 5 you are entitled a new device or have your device repaired.

The outlet might just give you a new device if repair cost is too much.

They still sell apple care in Norway though. But its not worth it within the 5 year warranty. Its worth it though if your device is having its 5 year warranty expired. If i still use my MacBook Pro by then i will consider it.

 

[dcmachead]

Depends on what you call a ripoff

I dodged an almost $800 repair after 13 months of ownership of my first iMac. For me, paying ~$150ish up front was a better deal than paying $800 later. Chances are you won't use the AppleCare, but if you do it'll pay for itself in one instance. I believe the AppleCare is tied to the machine, so it would probably help with resale value when you do upgrade.

 

[michealwillard]

My parents have been Mac users since our IIGS color. Outside of hand-me-downs, I have purchased a G4 iMac and a 17" MBP. The only time I/we ever had to take a machine in was my MBP. The battery had warped, twice. Once at about 2 years and again at about 3.5 years. Both were replaced for free, with no Apple care.

In general I was raised to believe that extended warranties on anything are rip-offs. I worked for a brief time at Circuit City in college. The hardest part was having to force those protection plans down people's throats. I forget the exact number, but it had to have been over 95% pure profit for the company.