Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MN7119

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 7, 2011
504
607
Just ordered a fully loaded 13" Macbook Pro: 2.8Ghz i7, 1TB flash memory and 16gb RAM. AppleCare was $249 so I decided tomhold on that. Used Amex card for payment which should extend my warranty by 1 year over Apple's warranty. Should I add AppleCare?
 
in my opinion, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. with AppleCare they'll basically fix anything that goes wrong with the mac for free in that 3-year window except for obvious accidental damage - and even then they may give you some leeway and fix for free anyway.

I've ALWAYS had things go wrong with every mac I've ever owned beyond the 1-year warranty, so I always felt that it was useful.

I believe you can buy at any time before the 1-year is up, so you do have some time to decide.
 
Still using my 2010 MPB, never had an issue. I purchased AppleCare just before my first year of owning it. I am debating whether or not to get AppleCare for my next Mac.

I realize that if something did go wrong it would likely cost more than the price of AppleCare to fix...but Macs do seem to have low rates of failure and/or problems (despite what you would think reading these forums).

Tough choice, good luck!
 
I had this decision to make when I bought my rMBP and my decision went with a yes.
It's not so much that I think something will go wrong (though looking at the MBA's I wonder) but rather if something does go wrong it's so expensive to fix. Also with non-user replaceable parts (battery, SSD, ram etc etc - not to mention the screen) I viewed it as too much of a risk to not have Applecare.
Just my own view, you understand :)
 
With their current lineup and previous Retinas, getting AppleCare is a no-brainer. All of the "used-to-be" upgradable components are now soldered onto the logic board. If any one of these components were to go bad, the whole logic board would have to be replaced.
 
Just ordered a fully loaded 13" Macbook Pro: 2.8Ghz i7, 1TB flash memory and 16gb RAM. AppleCare was $249 so I decided tomhold on that. Used Amex card for payment which should extend my warranty by 1 year over Apple's warranty. Should I add AppleCare?

Absolutely YES for their laptops. My MBP fried itself 3 months out of my AppleCare warranty.... and they fixed it free of charge (the apple employee did say my laptop was probably the cleanest 3 year old laptop he had ever seen). The repair would have cost around $1400, so completely worth it.
 
AppleCare is totally worth it, but remember you can buy it anytime within the first year of your purchase. Better to do that, in case you accidentally **** up your computer, have it stolen, pour a beverage all over it, something where it would lose warranty. Then, just before the end of the first year you can pay for AppleCare and add the extra 3 years on and have the protection.
 
Absolutely get Applecare. It seems like a lot to put down at the time when you have already shelled out a lot on a new computer, but in a year or so, you will be happy you did when something happens.

I have used Applecare to replace iMac screens, logicboards...even gone through a few Airport Extremes (Applecare also covers any Apple peripherals attached to the computer). When you see how much the repair would have been without Applecare, and the actual cost to you as zero, you'll be thanking yourself.

Besides that, Apple provides outstanding support for its products. I have continually been impressed each time I call for support. I do not buy extended warranties on other products, but Applecare is worth it because they truly do stand by it.
 
Is AppleCare a truly worldwide service? Like, if I'm in Europe or Australia, can I go in and get it serviced?

Also, does AppleCare cover things like accidental damage or theft?
 
Are you saying AppleCare would cover my Airport Extreme router that I use to connect the MacBook to the internet?

Absolutely get Applecare. It seems like a lot to put down at the time when you have already shelled out a lot on a new computer, but in a year or so, you will be happy you did when something happens.

I have used Applecare to replace iMac screens, logicboards...even gone through a few Airport Extremes (Applecare also covers any Apple peripherals attached to the computer). When you see how much the repair would have been without Applecare, and the actual cost to you as zero, you'll be thanking yourself.

Besides that, Apple provides outstanding support for its products. I have continually been impressed each time I call for support. I do not buy extended warranties on other products, but Applecare is worth it because they truly do stand by it.
 
Are you saying AppleCare would cover my Airport Extreme router that I use to connect the MacBook to the internet?

Yes, it does. It also covers any other Apple peripherals you have connected to it, that do not have their own Applecare offerings. I've replaced two Extremes with Applecare.

http://www.apple.com/support/products/mac.html

What’s covered — Mac

Your Mac computer
Included accessories such as the power adapter
Apple memory (RAM)
AirPort2
Apple USB SuperDrive (for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with Retina display, iMac, and Mac mini)
Apple display purchased with your Mac
 
Just don't buy it at full price. BHPhotoVideo.com has the version for 15" MBPs for $244 vs. Apple's $349 price. You will probably also save yourself the sales tax.
 
Just goto put my 2 penny's in... Pondering the same thing. Obviously we are looking at Las Vegas odds, in other words Apple is making money @ $349, so you are gambling that your MBPr is going to be the one to take a dive. Hopefully, you loose and you end up with a perfectly fine MBPr for the 3 years, your $349 will go to fix some other poor chaps MBPr that fried after two-years. There is a comfort in having it..
 
Guys!! Tks for all the replies. I also didn't know BH Photo offered AppleCare at a lower price. I ordered yesterday from their site for $176.19 with free shopping. Wow!!!! That was a saving of almost $100 vs paying $249 + taxes on Apple.com i had no idea I could buy it cheaper at B&H. Now at $176.19 it makes total sense to get AppleCare.
 
I won't be getting AppleCare. My credit card extends the base care to 2 years and I cannot justify one extra year of warranty for the price of AppleCare (this is the case for all Visa Signature cards)
 
I won't be getting AppleCare. My credit card extends the base care to 2 years and I cannot justify one extra year of warranty for the price of AppleCare (this is the case for all Visa Signature cards)

Most credit cards extend the warranty, I don't know if I can justify paying so much for one extra year?
 
Most credit cards extend the warranty, I don't know if I can justify paying so much for one extra year?

Just what I said :)

But do note that the normal Visa (which I'm assuming most people are using to pay for their machines) do not have warranty extension.
 
Agree that most credit cards will extend warranty but when it comes to the main computer at my house I don't want to deal with credit card companies and their third party vendors to approve a claim to then have to ship my computer somewhere to get fixed. If something goes wrong I want to be able to go to the closest Apple Store and get it taken care of right away.

Most credit cards extend the warranty, I don't know if I can justify paying so much for one extra year?
 
Just ordered a fully loaded 13" Macbook Pro: 2.8Ghz i7, 1TB flash memory and 16gb RAM. AppleCare was $249 so I decided tomhold on that. Used Amex card for payment which should extend my warranty by 1 year over Apple's warranty. Should I add AppleCare?

Most defiantly. My old MacBook Pro died on me after 2 years or so. Needed a replacement logic board costing about £400 odd.

Decided to go for the Retina MacBook Pro instead. Warranty is due to expire in February 2014..will extend then ;):apple:
 
AppleCare is totally worth it, but remember you can buy it anytime within the first year of your purchase. Better to do that, in case you accidentally **** up your computer, have it stolen, pour a beverage all over it, something where it would lose warranty. Then, just before the end of the first year you can pay for AppleCare and add the extra 3 years on and have the protection.

AppleCare + does not cover Loss or Theft. Your home owners/renters insurance should cover this or get a rider from the insurance company. Damage caused by you is also not covered.. (USA only. Unknown in UK)

http://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/docs/081811_APP_English_NA_v5.4.pdf
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2013-10-23 at 12.27.37 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-10-23 at 12.27.37 PM.png
    320 KB · Views: 235
Last edited:
I purchased Applecare for my rMBP (2012) and I actually regret it. I haven't run into any issues, but from what I've heard (and I could be mistaken) if you break your screen, you still have to pay for the repair for it.

I wish I had gone with squaretrade because it doesn't matter what happens to my computer, they will fix it. I could drop it, chuck it, spill on it, and they will fix it. Don't buy it full price though. There are always 30% off coupons.

Am I misguided in this though? I'm open to being corrected if this is wrong, but this is what I've heard in regards to Applecare.
 
Most credit cards extend the warranty, I don't know if I can justify paying so much for one extra year?

It is worth reading the fine print of your credit card warranty. Some cards have restrictions and limitations on the amount they are willing to reimburse. For example, one of my cards will cover personal computers only to $1000 maximum - a logic board repair on an MBP can easily cost more than that.
 
If I plan on keeping a Macbook longer than the 1yr, then I will usually get AppleCare at the end of the first year of ownership. There isn't a real need to spend the extra cash upfront, since they let you extend up to 1yr from purchase anyway.
 
I purchased Applecare for my rMBP (2012) and I actually regret it. I haven't run into any issues, but from what I've heard (and I could be mistaken) if you break your screen, you still have to pay for the repair for it.

I wish I had gone with squaretrade because it doesn't matter what happens to my computer, they will fix it. I could drop it, chuck it, spill on it, and they will fix it. Don't buy it full price though. There are always 30% off coupons.

Am I misguided in this though? I'm open to being corrected if this is wrong, but this is what I've heard in regards to Applecare.

Well, there is still plenty of time for something to go wrong. In fact, the chances of issues cropping up increase as the time goes by, as some problems may not show up right away but compound over time. A cracked screen will not be fixed under warranty, but if you start getting any colour changes or stuck pixels - you'll be covered.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.