Isn't Applecare a huge rip-off for consumers?

[yoyoma1992]

Ok so please correct me if I am misunderstanding AppleCare...but it only covers manufacture defects right for an extended 2 years? Isn't that a huge rip-off for macbook air owners like us who pay 1000+ for laptop? From my point of view, if we are paying that much money for a premium laptop...there should be at least a guarantee that there is no manufacture defects and if there is (which is probably rare?), it should be replaced for free considering we are paying so much for a laptop...

I feel like AppleCare is basically saying: If we screw up our product, we are gonna make you pay more...

I mean I would understand if it it's for like up to 5 years or something...but three years....like seriously I feel like I shouldn't have to worry about a $1000+ laptop of having manufacture defects within the first three years.

Anyways this is just my opinion and whether AppleCare is worth it or not is a different discussion, I am just saying that Apple is totally ripping us off...

 

[Lance-AR]

The forum is full of people who have used it to their advantage. Especially with the new models being I repairable I think anyone who has a problem will get a new, current model. With that said, I have never purchased it myself.

 

[yoyoma1992]

The forum is full of people who have used it to their advantage. Especially with the new models being I repairable I think anyone who has a problem will get a new, current model. With that said, I have never purchased it myself.

Really? Like how? (not being sarcastic)

 

[LYFK]

For a portable device, 'normal' wear and tear can be quite subjective. For me, AppleCare has always proven to be good thing to have.

 

[SoIsays]

It is a rip off to consumers. It preys on psychological thoughts of uncertainly for the average consumer.

 

[Kurwenal]

I buy extended warranties only on electronic products I carry around. My MBA developed an annoying habit of rebooting, on its own and with no warning at all (and no kernel panic, just -- off, then on), during the AppleCare period. Walked into an Apple Store and walked out with a new MBA. Would that have happened without AC? Dunno, but I doubt it. Does Apple make money off it? Certainly, yes. Was it a rip-off in my case? No. Did other consumers waste money buying it? Certainly. Make your choice and take your chances.

 

[throAU]

It depends on how much not having to worry about stuff is worth to you.

I know plenty of people who have used applecare, in the form of walking into any apple store, saying words to the effect of "this is broken" and walking out with a brand new device, no questions asked.

Do i have applecare? no, because I'm willing to diagnose stuff myself, like failed ram, failed disks, etc and act appropriately. Having dealt with PC hardware since the late 80s, i'll accept the (low) risk of a defect occurring after 12 months vs getting a DOA machine, and pocket the cash.

But for those who want stuff to "just work" and don't want to root around trying to figure out why something is broken for the usable life of their machine (typically replace desktops/notebooks after 3 yr anwyay - especially if it is a business, this is how long they are depreciated over), applecare is awesome.

 

[Acorn]

I will be purchasing applecare for my macbook air. with everything soldered on the mb it just seems like a good idea to get the applecare.

I may consider square trade for drops and spills as well. maybe get the square trade first then 6 months down the road get the applecare.

I havent decided which first.

 

[Nychot]

i've had applecare over the years for a number of mac computers. when i've had problems they fixed it. but i was never given a NEW machine. they put in motherboards, ram, hard drives etc. but never a new replacement. that would probably happen in the first few months of there one year warranty. but you never buy applecare until just before the one year apple warranty is about to expire. at least i don't. i don't care about the phone support after 90 days because i'm 15 minutes from the geniuses.

 

[Knightimer]

How comparable is square trade to apple care? I know square trade has a damage warranty which would be good. Since portable means good chance of getting damaged..lol

 

[NewbieCanada]

I didn't buy Applecare on my MBA, since I knew I'd be keeping it less than a year.

But six months in the main logic board failed. The replacement cost shown on the invoice (free, of course) was $500.

I've also had two iPads and one iPhone replaced in warranty. My rMBP will likely be my first Apple product to be with me more than a year and I think history favours buying Applecare.

That said, I've never bought or believed in extended warrantees on other products.

 

[Mak47]

There is no such thing as a 100% perfect and flawless electronics product. I don't care if you spend $500 or $5,000. There are lots of components and sometimes they go bad. Nobody has any control over that. Apple covers you for a year no matter what, an extra two if you're willing to share the cost by purchasing AppleCare.

Beyond that, what other computer manufacturer offers a superior factory warranty? Any time I've bought a non Apple computer the warranty has been for a year as well. Half the time I didn't even have the option to buy an extended warranty.

Personally, I don't buy Applecare. But that's because I have a tendency to sell my old model and upgrade every year. It doesn't make much sense to buy an extra two years of coverage for a product I'll no longer have. You're case may be different.

 

[foidulus]

Depends on the model

For the MBA and mac mini, unequivocally yes, the cost of the warranty compared to a new machine is just way too high, you would be better off setting the money aside for your next machine, which will obviously be faster than your current model anyway.

For the rest its a little murkier, iMac is probably a rip-off, esp. for the lower-end models as wear and tear on those machines tends to be pretty minimal.

For the pro line I personally would recommend it, but thats just me.

 

[urkel]

Ok so please correct me if I am misunderstanding AppleCare...but it only covers manufacture defects right for an extended 2 years? Isn't that a huge rip-off for macbook air owners like us who pay 1000+ for laptop? From my point of view, if we are paying that much money for a premium laptop...there should be at least a guarantee that there is no manufacture defects and if there is (which is probably rare?), it should be replaced for free considering we are paying so much for a laptop...

Please name some electronics products that guarantee "no defects" beyond that first year for no additional cost because all I can think of is hard drives.

I feel extended warranties are a rip off to most people and I dont regularly buy applecare because I tend to sell every year, but with the iPhone/iPad then i think its definitely not a rip off due to the fact that it also covers accidental damage.

Anyways this is just my opinion and whether AppleCare is worth it or not is a different discussion, I am just saying that Apple is totally ripping us off...

Its interesting you start off with a question and then go on to a definitive rant where people aren't supposed to discuss your topic? How is Apple ripping us off? They have a lower defect rate than its competitors, they offer FREE genius bar support beyond the manufacturers warranty and buying applecare is simply an OPTION.

 

[DribbleCastle]

Edu discounts make it easier to swallow

AppleCare in my opinion is completely worth it. Keep in mind I've always paid the educational price which is discounted considerably. Look around, most people know a college student or teacher.

I am a seasoned Mac user and used to work for Apple. I don't even factor in the phone service and remote repair options and I still think it has great value for two reasons.

1. For most Macs if almost anything breaks (especially now with the few repairable parts, ie Air and rMBP) the cost of the repair will be equal to or greater than what you payed for AppleCare.

I am completely capable of repairing any Mac. Go ahead and try repairing a 27' iMac. Have fun taking the glass off and removing the screen, then trying to put it back on without getting any dust on the inside. You have to factor the labor/time and the connivence of an easy repair. Also the repairs are covered in warranty for at least another 90 days (even if your AppleCare is about to expire).

2. Resell value. I sell my Mac in between year 2 and 3. Basically at least 6 months before my AppleCare runs out. It is a lot easier to sell a Mac with some AppleCare included, especially on Craigslist. People know that they still have a little coverage and that your not selling them a lemon. I would say having AppleCare increases my sale price by at least half of the original price of the AppleCare plan.

Apple's quality is great compared to other electronic companies but no matter who makes them they will never be perfect. To me the things that are more expensive in life are the things you want to consider insuring. For example, a house, car, your health.

Of course, if you have enough wealth to self insure you have a completely different set of options. If paying a fluke $500-700 repair isn't going to crush your bank account then take the risk. Either way if you don't have AppleCare you are going to be mad and blame Apple like everyone does.

 

[backwardsrain]

I've bought an extended warranty on almost every expensive electronic I've ever bought, and except for 1 ipod nano they ALL broke at least once within 2 years. And I take care of my stuff. Best Buy has lost so much money on me over the years. I'll be buying Applecare before my Air's 1 year is up.

 

[DribbleCastle]

AppleCare in my opinion is completely worth it. Keep in mind I've always paid the educational price which is discounted considerably. Look around, most people know a college student or teacher.

I am a seasoned Mac user and used to work for Apple. I don't even factor in the phone service and remote repair options and I still think it has great value for two reasons.

1. For most Macs if almost anything breaks (especially now with the few repairable parts, ie Air and rMBP) the cost of the repair will be equal to or greater than what you payed for AppleCare.

I am completely capable of repairing any Mac. Go ahead and try repairing a 27' iMac. Have fun taking the glass off and removing the screen, then trying to put it back on without getting any dust on the inside. You have to factor the labor/time and the connivence of an easy repair. Also the repairs are covered in warranty for at least another 90 days (even if your AppleCare is about to expire).

2. Resell value. I sell my Mac in between year 2 and 3. Basically at least 6 months before my AppleCare runs out. It is a lot easier to sell a Mac with some AppleCare included, especially on Craigslist. People know that they still have a little coverage and that your not selling them a lemon. I would say having AppleCare increases my sale price by at least half of the original price of the AppleCare plan.

Apple's quality is great compared to other electronic companies but no matter who makes them they will never be perfect. To me the things that are more expensive in life are the things you want to consider insuring. For example, a house, car, your health.

Of course, if you have enough wealth to self insure you have a completely different set of options. If paying a fluke $500-700 repair isn't going to crush your bank account then take the risk. Either way if you don't have AppleCare you are going to be mad and blame Apple like everyone does.

Keep in mind this is opinion is for Macs only. I never buy AppleCare for my iPhone/iPad because I tend to flip them each year. iPhones and iPads are so easy to sell that I don't think AppleCare adds enough resale value.

 

[throAU]

Really does depend on what you do with your mac.

If you use it for work and bill out a few hundred bucks per day using it, then it pays for itself after 1 failure quite easily, even on an MBA.


Personal machine? No business? On an MBA? I wouldn't bother. Just accept the risk that you may need to replace out of your own pocket after 12 months.

 

[KPOM]

Statistically, extended warranties are all a bad deal for customers. Otherwise, manufacturers and retailers wouldn't sell them. That said, for peace of mind, some people might find them worth it. Given Apple's pricing, I'd be far less likely to pay $250 for AppleCare on a $1000 base MacBook Air. However,$349 for AppleCare on a $3799 top-of-the-line MacBook Pro with Retina Display may be worthwhile.

 

[firewood]

All insurance and paid warranties are a rip-off. On average the insurance companies make a pretty nice profit offering you these deals ...

.. unless you are unlucky, and you total your car, your house burns down, you need major surgery, or your iDevice or MacBook is one of the few stinker lemons, and you can't afford a quick full replacement out of your own petty cash.

Then, even an on-average losing bet pays off.

 

[mattopotamus]

Keep in mind this is opinion is for Macs only. I never buy AppleCare for my iPhone/iPad because I tend to flip them each year. iPhones and iPads are so easy to sell that I don't think AppleCare adds enough resale value.

if you have damage to your phone and have applecare+, you could just pay $50 for a brand new one and then resell it for top dollar vs selling a dinged up one for half the price.

 

[erialvzz805]

Use your Credit Card!

I just bought a MBA 13" and I too thought about getting AC. Then I realized that if you use your credit card, you get an extra year of the manufacturer warranty through Visa.

The way I see it, the first full year is covered through Apple Warranty. The second year will be covered through Visa. It would totally suck if something happens on that last year though as it would have to be an out of pocket expense.

For me, and anyone else who pays with a Visa/Amex, we are gambling on that last year (and the years after that) to be problem free with our MBA's.

 

[dukebound85]

I just bought a MBA 13" and I too thought about getting AC. Then I realized that if you use your credit card, you get an extra year of the manufacturer warranty through Visa.

The way I see it, the first full year is covered through Apple Warranty. The second year will be covered through Visa. It would totally suck if something happens on that last year though as it would have to be an out of pocket expense.

For me, and anyone else who pays with a Visa/Amex, we are gambling on that last year (and the years after that) to be problem free with our MBA's.

Exactly. Most CC, if used to pay for the product in full either double or extend by a year the original manu warranty

 

[mattopotamus]

I just bought a MBA 13" and I too thought about getting AC. Then I realized that if you use your credit card, you get an extra year of the manufacturer warranty through Visa.

The way I see it, the first full year is covered through Apple Warranty. The second year will be covered through Visa. It would totally suck if something happens on that last year though as it would have to be an out of pocket expense.

For me, and anyone else who pays with a Visa/Amex, we are gambling on that last year (and the years after that) to be problem free with our MBA's.

Can you link me to something about using a visa and getting an extra year?

 

[greg555]

I just bought a MBA 13" and I too thought about getting AC. Then I realized that if you use your credit card, you get an extra year of the manufacturer warranty through Visa.

The way I see it, the first full year is covered through Apple Warranty. The second year will be covered through Visa. It would totally suck if something happens on that last year though as it would have to be an out of pocket expense.

For me, and anyone else who pays with a Visa/Amex, we are gambling on that last year (and the years after that) to be problem free with our MBA's.

That's my method (Visa card) and logic too.