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Is applecare fairly priced?

S

sharky05

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 9, 2007
120
0
Been debating applecare for my MBP as warranty will run out in 2 months...

I've always been a bit confused as to the price of applecare - for a macbook pro they'll charge $350 for applecare, when the average price of a macbook pro is around $3500.
Does this mean that the chances of a macbook being written off in 3 years are 1 in 10? - I'm sure macs are a lot more reliable than that. Remember this doesn't cover accidental damage - just faulty components.

When you consider the fact most laptops don't fully die and need only cheaper partial replacements, and that apple gets a cheaper price on its components, it seems a very high price to set. Either they're making an extortionate amount on applecare, or lots of macs are blowing up that we don't hear about.
 
sharky05 said:
the average price of a macbook pro is around $3500
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I don't know where you got that information but that is wrong. Saying that average selling price for a MacBook Pro is $3500 would mean that many people pay more that that for it to be an average. I find that highly unlikely. Most people do not purchase their MacBook Pros CTO.

Right now Apple offers two different 15" MacBook Pros at $1999 and $2499. They also offer a 17" MacBook Pro at $2799.
 
I always found the Macbook Pro AppleCare to be unfairly higher than the Macbook AppleCare. But education pricing/Amazon helps lessen the difference.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Wow. You've been talking to Dell fanboys.

The MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 without student or developer pricing. A maxed-out 17" can only get to $3,749.
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I'm sure he meant average price around the world as a whole. Apple's machines are generally much cheaper in the US. ;)

As for whether Applecare is fairly priced, as with all insurance policies you'll only know once you need to put a claim in. Sometimes cheapest isn't always the best.
 
With the OP's logic and the responders numbers, it makes the ratio even worse, like 1 in ~7. To the fairly priced question, I paid for it for my MBP and was glad I did. When my video card died and they had to replace the whole board since it's soldered on there, I was happy I didn't have to buy a new board and pay a tech to fix it. Then a fan crapped out, and again, it was taken care of. When my superdrive wasn't acting right, they put in a new one, no additional charge. I gambled and I think I came out on top this time. I don't think I could've gotten all those parts plus labor costs for $350 if I'd done it on my own. But most of the time those things don't happen. I got "lucky", but the majority of the time nothing happens to the computer within those 3 years, and Apple gets 350 dollars for doing nothing. Bottom line, the percentage of Apple computers "blowing up" or whatever is much, much less than 1 in 10. They don't sell the warranty to break even. They usually make money hand over fist (like most warranties). It's up to you to pay money you may not get any services for.
 
cawesjmu said:
With the OP's logic and the responders numbers, it makes the ratio even worse, like 1 in ~7. To the fairly priced question, I paid for it for my MBP and was glad I did. When my video card died and they had to replace the whole board since it's soldered on there, I was happy I didn't have to buy a new board and pay a tech to fix it. Then a fan crapped out, and again, it was taken care of. When my superdrive wasn't acting right, they put in a new one, no additional charge. I gambled and I think I came out on top this time. I don't think I could've gotten all those parts plus labor costs for $350 if I'd done it on my own. But most of the time those things don't happen. I got "lucky", but the majority of the time nothing happens to the computer within those 3 years, and Apple gets 350 dollars for doing nothing. Bottom line, the percentage of Apple computers "blowing up" or whatever is much, much less than 1 in 10. They don't sell the warranty to break even. They usually make money hand over fist (like most warranties). It's up to you to pay money you may not get any services for.
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Perfect analogy,in addition you can buy it on e-Bay for a little over $100, like I did for my BMB.:cool:very:cool:
 
Nobody can accurately answer the "fairly priced" question based entirely on their own experiences. Just about the only thing you really need to know about extended warranties is that they are very profitable for the sellers -- which is why they push them so hard. Apple knows the repair/failure rate of their products during year two and three of ownership, and prices AppleCare accordingly -- to make lots of money. The bottom line is you should not buy AppleCare because you think it's "fairly priced," you should buy it only if you know that you could not afford to repair or replace your Mac should it fail in the second or third year of ownership. Otherwise Apple makes sure that their extended warranty is a good bet for them.
 
One thing that has always perplexed me about the topic of Applecare is how much everybody raves about it. Like it's an absolutely must when buying a Mac. In other words, it's almost a certainty that your computer is going to fail and need costly repairs in 2 years or so. And that's supposed to say something good about Apple? :confused:
 
Buy it from eBay, where it can be had for under $190. Only buy it from Power Sellers, though, if you don't feel like testing your luck. Here's one for $187, for example. AppleCare is often bought so a computer has a higher resale value. If you plan to sell yours before the AppleCare would run out, you can get a better price for it. If that extra money would cover for the price of AppleCare, though, remains to be seen.
 
These warranties are always extra profit for those you buy them from.

So you can say they really aren't worth it unless you actually use it for a serious repair.

If you only plan on keeping the machine a year, then flipping it in 10 months and giving the new buyer a chance to buy it is likely going to make Applecare not worth it for you.

If the machine breaks and you don't have it, you'll cry.
 
The 75% student discount you get for being enrolled at a participating institution makes it bearable, but really, there are so many other manufacturers out there offering 3 year warranties as standard that it pales in comparison.
 
Check your statutory rights and how easy it is to enforce them. Not enough cover, too much hassle ...

For those yet to purchase a Mac - A store other than Apple - is there a reputable store that gives a guarantee covering more than one year?

AppleCare - as mentioned, discount programs offered by Apple, discounted by other reputable online stores ...

I'm with the '3 years should be a given' party, not just for Apple.

Cheers,
OW
 
Seeing as this is an applecare thread, can someone please explain to me what it actually is?

It sounds like its an extended warranty, but im confused that you can buy it from 3rd parties, and for cheaper.

I really am just confused.
 
neiltc13 said:
The 75% student discount you get for being enrolled at a participating institution makes it bearable, but really, there are so many other manufacturers out there offering 3 year warranties as standard that it pales in comparison.
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Unfortunately I think that discount only applies to UK students who can purchase through the HE segment. In the US Apple Care is still subsidized for students, albeit by roughly 33% for the MBP (349 vs. 239$). I think the reason that the UK discount is so much is because by default all systems purchased through HE get a 3 yr parts and labor warranty, and the 50 pounds or spent on Apple Care is only for the extension of the complementary phone support.
 
NT1440 said:
Seeing as this is an applecare thread, can someone please explain to me what it actually is?

It sounds like its an extended warranty, but im confused that you can buy it from 3rd parties, and for cheaper.

I really am just confused.
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it is an extended warranty but it is a box literally a cardboard box u buy with a paper slip in it that has a number on it you give to apple proving you bought the box. SO u can re sell a unopened box that u did not register but if you buy online or in the apple sore at the same time as ur mac it will be pre registered
 
Fonzijr1964 said:
it is an extended warranty but it is a box literally a cardboard box u buy with a paper slip in it that has a number on it you give to apple proving you bought the box. SO u can re sell a unopened box that u did not register but if you buy online or in the apple sore at the same time as ur mac it will be pre registered
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I assume that leads to a fair amount of scamming?

Once I get my macbook, what would be a good place to buy applecare for cheaper without being scammed?
 
Is $350 worth the peace-of-mind of knowing that if your Macbook dies in the next 2 years it'll be fully covered and won't cost you $1,200 to fix it?

Insurance is a gamble. Sometimes you might need it, often not. When you do need it, however, you'll be glad you have it.
 
socco said:
One thing that has always perplexed me about the topic of Applecare is how much everybody raves about it. Like it's an absolutely must when buying a Mac. In other words, it's almost a certainty that your computer is going to fail and need costly repairs in 2 years or so. And that's supposed to say something good about Apple? :confused:
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No-ones any more certain their Mac is going to crap out in a given time than they are about their Dell or HP taking a dive.

Options:
  1. Take deep breathe, pay a few hundred bucks now and R-E-L-A-X for three years.
  2. Smirk about saving a few bucks now by declining AppleCare, go Totally BESERK if/when the Mac dies at 366 days old!
  3. Go "Oh Well I didn't need it but the peace of mind was/wasn't worth it." after three years.

My personal experience dictates that I will APP my macs at any cost.

  1. New iBook $2,400. Screen Replacement $1430, Logic Board replacement $1200
  2. New MBP HiRes 17 $4,399. Sound Board replacement $550, 18 months left on APP.

Yes, it is a bitter pill to swallow, that you must pay extra to get the value of something which would work properly and survive it's intended working life unhindered, but the alternative can be much harder to digest.

Sun Baked said:
also look at the free warranty extensions you get with your credit cards.
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I would be surprised if any other companies warranty will get you into the World Class On-Line Help, where the operators speak your language and are evaluated based on successful outcomes for customers rather than call turnover and low cost outcomes for sellers. I can honestly say I have never been given the Bum's Rush by these people.
 
rijiMacDij said:
WHO?
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I was speaking more generally of electronics, but there is a store in the UK called John Lewis that will give you a 2 year warranty on all of their computer hardware sold free of charge, including Apple's.

Also, if you buy computer components individually, many of them will have a long warranty period, much longer than you might get if you pay a company like Dell or Apple to assemble it for you.

My £100 Seagate Freeagent Desk has a five year warranty.
 
NT1440 said:
I assume that leads to a fair amount of scamming?

Once I get my macbook, what would be a good place to buy applecare for cheaper without being scammed?
Click to expand...

If you're a student, get the student discount (like I did). Otherwise, eBay is the cheapest.
 
I got it for my MacBook on ebay for around $130. I think it is definitely worth the money. One logic board failure and you could be out $800 if your warranty is up.
 
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