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Is Purchasing Applecare for MacBook Pro 2011 Worth It?

So far no; I have never bought Applecare, and I have never had a case were I would have made a valid claim, which I have to say is a testament to Apple`s quality.

Given the number of Mac`s I have had over the years this is not a bad record, so I tend to look at it if I do get a lemon or a machine I am not confident in I will pickup Applecare at around the 10 month mark. I would also consider Applecare for a high value CTO, large capacity SSD etc. For a machine with standard configuration that is working well I personally dont bother.

I tend to buy my Mac`s close to the end of the update cycle, so all the bug`s & gremlin`s are generally worked out so to speak, maybe something, maybe nothing equally I have never had a Mac fail on me :apple:
 
It has 'served me well'..

Well, in general, I am NOT a big fan of Extended Warranty at all.. IF you take care of your equipment.. Just like extra Auto Insurance, if you are a 'good driver' you likely do not require it, as long as The Other Guy is covered well!!

That being said, I have had three (3) MBP's since Apr-06, this is my third.. On both of the previous models "I got my money's worth" out of Applecare by getting 2x Battery Replacement WELL AFTER the usual time of Warranty, as well as a '2nd Graphics Card Replacement' after the Original Fix (in the first 6 months) failed about 3 1/2 yrs after I bought the computer.. This essentially was a New Screen/Lid and made my selling of the computer VERY easy after that!! :apple:

I think if you USE and MOVE it as a 'portable computer is' it may well be a good investment.. mine is almost always moved in-out of my Backpack EVERY day.. and I DO baby it..

** I know some retailers (as B&H) seem to offer a Cheap Package, even by the time a Canadian buys and ships it!! Best $200 I have spent.. THREE times over.. So far I haven't needed on my latest MBP, it is 8 months old now.. ;)
 
DJKEWU said:
Hey Everyone,

The warranty for my MacBook Pro 2011 is just about up....haven't had any issuses during this first year.....should I pay $250 for 2 more years of warranty or let it go? The hubby says let it go.....what say Apple peeps?
Click to expand...

Insurance is never worth it. Else the companies behind it wouldn't sell it.
 
salacious said:
...........however in england we have a law stating that laptops must be free from fault for at least 5 years from purchase date.....
Click to expand...

I have not heard about this...can supply anymore info or links?

Is the law you mention just for laptops?
 
I agree with your husband on this one.

$250 plus resale value of the current MBP goes a long way toward an improved later MBP.

The best combination of reasons for AppleCare are

-The model make & year is particularly unreliable (not the case for 2011MBP)
-You don't like changing models and plan to keep this one a long time
-You have the high end version of the model
-You use this machine intensively
-There's very low risk for theft of the machine (No coverage for theft)
-You have no access to troubleshooting via DIY, family & friends
-Peace of mind going through Apple compared with independent authorized repair folks

Extended warranties are rarely a good idea. I agree that Apple service is much better than many companies. But my experience with Apple service under warranty has been mixed.

http://news.consumerreports.org/hom...d-warranty-sales-pitches-as-reveled-to-t.html

" Appliances usually don't break during their warranty period, typically three years....
When breakdowns occur within the extended-warranty period, the average cost of repairing the appliance is not much more than the average price paid for the warranty."
 
Yes. I got my AC using Education Discount (£60 -> ±$80) and would have paid much more for repairs during the 2 years- 2 replacement chargers and HDD cable. There are a couple less grave issues I noticed recently and will have examined soon.

MBPs have at best average reliability (from my experience! If yours is better- happy you), hence pre-emptive measures are helpful.
 
Mike Boreham said:
I have not heard about this...can supply anymore info or links?

Is the law you mention just for laptops?
Click to expand...

It was infact on this morning (ITV 1) martin lewis did a cover of this subject last year, and im not sure if its only for laptops though could cover other electronics..

havent read through this link, but SOGA is the term you are looking for (sales of goods act)

http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file25486.pdf
 
I recently bought a Macbook Pro and this was the first time I've bought an extended warranty. I paid $239. I figure I'll just buy cheaper scotch for the next 2 months to make up for the cost.
 
If you think you might sell it within the next two years many people look for AppleCare when they buy used so it will raise the resell value.

If you think you might keep it within the next two years then it might be worth it for peace of mind.

Next time you buy a new macbook, however, if you think you will end up buying AppleCare buy it from day 1 since you end up losing a year if you buy it at the end of the first year like you're thinking of doing this time.
 
Definitely not. If your Mac has a problem, maybe a scratch on the sides, or any unrelated problem to the issue you want the geniuses to deal with, Applecare is void. It's really insane.
 
iAppleseed said:
Definitely not. If your Mac has a problem, maybe a scratch on the sides, or any unrelated problem to the issue you want the geniuses to deal with, Applecare is void. It's really insane.
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That's hyperbole. If you drop your macbook and there's a sizeable dent in it or water damage then they *might* not cover something that's wrong...but even then it's discretionary.

They have always required separate appointments for different issues whenever I've gone in but for the most part they squeeze me in asap. I assume it's how the ticketing system works in their system and I've never had the impression there was anything malicious about it.

I just bought a pro today and the deciding factor for why I didn't question the asking price was the fact it still had two years of apple care on it. My roommate bought one off craigslist this morning, too, and his starting criteria was that it had apple care. He paid full boat for one still boxed.

Apple Care follows the device and it's one of the few instances (perhaps the only one I know of) where the warranty doesn't end with the original owner. It also tends to signal something about the previous owner in terms of caring for one's devices. These are just things I'm pointing out based on a few years of buying and selling used apple devices.
 
In the past, I have signed up for Applecare but I have purchase it through someone on ebay and it is much cheaper. Yes, I verify it is legit.

The experts though will tell you that extended warranty contracts are a waste of money. But tell that to the person who has a broken Mac.
 
You have to be careful to buy LEGIT Applecare for the US if that's what you need. I remember a few years back a few people purchased UK Applecare (see Above) and registered it. However the UK version only extended the call in support not hardware coverage, as UK law required Apple to stand behind the product.

I kind of hate extended warranty sales, especially when companies like Asus give you 1 year accidental damage and 3 years total coverage on laptops that only cost $50 more than Applecare. Apple, selling a premium priced product should include this.

However, I did buy and use Applecare on the MacPro that I use in my audio recording rig. It had a problem where once a month it would spontaneously reboot for no reason. It happened during a recording session and I was not pleased. Apple couldn't find any problems during a 3 day stress test of the system, but after a few phone calls they replaced the system. Also being that it was not the current model, they replaced it with a new model, even though they still sold the model I had. So, for my troubles I got an upgrade. They said that was their policy, I don't know if it still is, but they replaced my quad 2.66 with an 8 core 2.8, as they were considered equivalent level within the new line. That was nice.

This was the only time I've ever used Applecare, but it was worth it. When I buy my new laptop this summer, which I will take to school every day, I will buy Applecare. (I hope I don't need to use it).
 
Oldschoolwax said:
You have to be careful to buy LEGIT Applecare for the US if that's what you need. I remember a few years back a few people purchased UK Applecare (see Above) and registered it. However the UK version only extended the call in support not hardware coverage, as UK law required Apple to stand behind the product.
Click to expand...

This is plain wrong (that UK Applecare only covers phone-in support.)

I have had Applecare on four Apple laptops in the UK during the last twelve years. I have only used it twice. First time they gave me a complete new machine (11years ago) and the second time they replaced a fan (four years ago).

Who in their right mind would pay £279 for extended phone in support?

I do agree about being careful buying it. One time I bought from Amazon. High ratings, sealed box, everything seemed fine. But Apple said the number had already been registered. I had no trouble getting the refund, but I have only bought from Apple or Apple Resellers since then.

EDIT: The way the UK Sale of Goods Act is being described in this thread makes it sound like all products have an automatic five year warranty. Good luck to anyone who relies on that. It only applies to faults you can prove were present at the time of sale.
 
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Mike Boreham said:
This is plain wrong (that UK Applecare only covers phone in support.)

I have had Applecare on four MacBook Pros in the UK during the last twelve years. I have only used it twice. First time they gave me a complete new machine (11years ago) and the second time they replaced a fan (four years ago).

Who in their right mind would pay £279 for extended phone in support?

I do agree about being careful buying it. One time I bought from Amazon. High ratings, sealed box, everything seemed fine. But Apple said the number had already been registered. I had no trouble getting the refund, but I have only bought from Apple or Apple Resellers since then.
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Ah, OK, must be regional differences in law then, what people had posted was that it was a low cost phone extension of service, in the $49US range that people were flipping for a profit. So where you live in the UK you don't get the consumer protection others do it seems. (Unless everyone reporting this including the people saying they got scammed were nuts, which is possible, it is the internet! =) and I'm certainly a bit of a nut myself!) In any case AppleCare should be doing the same job, it's just that some have reported not needing it, and others have said they were told by Apple it was for UK phone support only. £279, I'd most likely skip it then, yikes!
 
Oldschoolwax said:
Ah, OK, must be regional differences in law then, what people had posted was that it was a low cost phone extension of service, in the $49US range that people were flipping for a profit. So where you live in the UK you don't get the consumer protection others do it seems. (Unless everyone reporting this including the people saying they got scammed were nuts, which is possible, it is the internet! =) and I'm certainly a bit of a nut myself!) In any case AppleCare should be doing the same job, it's just that some have reported not needing it, and others have said they were told by Apple it was for UK phone support only. £279, I'd most likely skip it then, yikes!
Click to expand...

There isn't any regional difference in consumer protection in the UK. There are no equivalents in the UK of US State laws for matters of consumer protection. The Sale of Goods Act in the earlier link is a UK law, and that earlier link is where it states about the fault being present at the time of sale. In all my twelve years of Apple forum activity I have never heard of a cheap phone-in only Applecare, but as you say this is the internet, so I try to correct misinformation when I find it.
 
Ah, OK, good to know, I was seeing this in 2007, so who knows, It could have even been Apple trying to scare people away from FleaBay! Thanks for the correction!
 
Oldschoolwax said:
£279, I'd most likely skip it then, yikes!
Click to expand...

Yes I think it is tough call, and very much down to personal attitudes.

In my twelve years of Applecare on four machines I have probably paid as much for Applecare as the repairs would have cost.

I doubt whether having Applecare adds anything like its cost to the secondhand value, so if you change your mac between one and three years you are losing money, so I would say don't do Applecare. I probably won't do it again, because I find myself upgrading more frequently in recent years.

My experience is that Apple take a very no-quibble attitude to people who have purchased Applecare

However Apple have also been pretty good about handling faults for everyone if the fault was present from new. I have had three examples of complete replacement or refund by Apple for products well outside warranty where a latent fault was later discovered and recognised:

1. Motherboard of MacBook pro replaced because of the NVIDIA graphics card issue.
2. Time Capsule due overheating.
3. ATI 1900 XT graphics card in my Mac Pro.

These replacements were nothing to with Applecare. Apple recognised the problems years later and did special schemes to cover them. The fact that Apple did them is another argument for not buying Applecare.

----------
Oldschoolwax said:
Ah, OK, good to know, I was seeing this in 2007, so who knows, It could have even been Apple trying to scare people away from FleaBay! Thanks for the correction!
Click to expand...

No problem, but I think I had better correct myself before someone else does! Scotland is part of the UK at the moment, but has some of its own laws which are different from the rest of the UK.

(Tried to post the last bit about Scotland as a separate reply, but it keeps coming back as an edit, even though the preview shows it separate !?)
 
Mike Boreham said:
(Tried to post the last bit about Scotland as a separate reply, but it keeps coming back as an edit, even though the preview shows it separate !?)
Click to expand...

Yeah, Scotland is trying to keep the whole secession move quiet, their operatives have infiltrated the interebs and joined that post in at the end to keep people from noticing. Looks like it's based on the US secrecy model.
 
Oldschoolwax said:
Yeah, Scotland is trying to keep the whole secession move quiet, their operatives have infiltrated the interebs and joined that post in at the end to keep people from noticing. Looks like it's based on the US secrecy model.
Click to expand...

LOL! thought there must be an sensible explanation....but never thought of that one.:D
 
Best thing I bought for my MBP.

In my three years, AppleCare covered three batteries.

If you have any connection to a college, you can usually get them there for cheaper. I know that I picked up my AppleCare for 10% off at my old college and when I bought my nephew a Macbook at the Stanford bookstore, I got it as well as the AppleCare at a discount (forget what %).
 
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