It Will Cost $699 to Repair a Broken 12.9-Inch M1 iPad Pro Without AppleCare+

[Abazigal]

They aren’t doing you any favours though as they charge you for a replacement iPad and you have essentially bought two devices. They benefit because they keep and refurb your broken iPad at minimal cost to them and sell on for hundreds. You walk away with a £699 iPad that you’ve paid a total of £1398 for on a ‘buy 2 walk away with 1’ deal lol.

Applecare is kinda weird, in that it costs the same regardless of the cost of the device. This means that it may not be that worth it if I am just getting the base model iPad (may as well just save on the warranty and self-insure), but if I opt for the maxed out version, the amount is so small compared to the overall cost that it seems like a no-brainer.

It would seem that I am essentially paying for convenience at the end of the day. Apple replaces the device right away for me, so I walk away with a functioning device, rather than having to wait the 1-2 weeks it would take to repair it. My old iPad stays with them and whatever they do with it from then on is their business.

I guess that's why AppleCare has been profitable for them overall.

 

[JippaLippa]

Oof...

 

[D-a-a-n]

It’s especially great now with monthly payments.

You know in the end you've still paid the full amount, right?

 

[MVMNT]

Applecare is a no brainer on anything Apple. It’s especially great now with monthly payments.

Lack of r2r has conditioned this attitude

 

[twistedpixel8]

A lot of people don’t realize that for around £10 extra a year on your home insurance, you can add accidental damage to such devices - even if taken out of the home. We also have a 5 year statutory warranty this side of the pond, against products failing prematurely. If a product fails and there are no signs of damage, you will be successful. I speak from several accounts of personal experience with Apple on this. Consumer Law is one of the best benefits of living in the UK.

In the UK, we call people who purchase AppleCare/+ “complete mugs”.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

A lot of people don’t realize that for around £10 extra a year on your home insurance, you can add accidental damage to such devices - even if taken out of the home. We also have a 5 year statutory warranty this side of the pond, against products failing prematurely. If a product fails and there are no signs of damage, you will be successful. I speak from several accounts of personal experience with Apple on this. Consumer Law is one of the best benefits of living in the UK.

In the UK, we call people who purchase AppleCare/+ “complete mugs”.

I think it was an additional £10 on my home contents insurance to cover mine and my wife’s iPhones against accidental damage and loss. It might be that in other countries Applecare a the best option but certain not here.

 

[mansplains]

The thing to remember is an iPad 'repair' with Apple is an exchange for a new iPad. Any sort of repairing or recycling is done after the customer interaction. Apple defines iPads as 'sealed units' as well as Apple Watch, and some other products.
AC+ has been handy as a monthly option for me personally since I can get a replacement device for cheap to sell as new and make more than I would the used item. It's a no-brainer for certain Macs and Apple Watch, I've never broken an iPhone by accident. I had it on my first HomePod but it was totally unnecessary so I didn't opt for it on my HomePod Minis.

 

[saudor]

You know in the end you've still paid the full amount, right?

shhhh. You'll ruin subscriptions !
But yeah, that's the reason why subs work. Paying $3000 over 3 years but still not keeping the product seems to be far more attractive than paying 2k up front and keeping it forever.

Same with credit cards. Just pay the minimum payment and live like Tim Cook (kinda). No wonder so many people are in debt.

 

[Maconplasma]

I’m sorry but you have misunderstood how the laws work both in UK or EU.

within the first 6 months the manufacturer is required to prove the consumer is responsible for the defect.

I never said anything otherwise. Besides it doesn't matter anyway the product is still under warranty during the first 6 months, so what you're saying is pointless.

6months to 2-6 years the consumer must prove the defect is caused by the manufacturer and that they aren’t responsible for it.

I already said that. Perhaps you failed to read it when calling me out? 🙄

You can have the screen delaminate 4 times the second year, the GPU can fail the second year twice, the butterfly keyboard can fail the first 6 months or in the 4th year.

No. I read the UK consumer law terms. Did you? It states that the issue must be the same issue found within the first 6 months of ownership unless all you listed were a problem from the start, then yes they are covered. Multiple issues outside the 1 year warranty that were not reported and attempted to be repaired by Apple within the first 6 months are not covered. Bringing up the butterfly keyboard is useless. Apple has a repair program for it so once again what you stated is simply pointless.

the screen can fail from a broken flex cable after 2 years and the CPU can fail two weeks later.

Apple has a 4 year repair program for the flex cable and it depends on the model. Outside of listed covered models the burden is put on the consumer to prove their unlisted model had the defect from the original date of purchase or within the first 6 months after original purchase. Sure the CPU can fail after 2 years. So? It has to be reported to Apple with an attempt to repair within the first 6 months, (or proven that it was defective since the original purchase date) and of course it depends if the Consumer law allows up to 2 years or longer. What you're stating is warranty coverage. UK Consumer Law is not a warranty.

They will all be forced to be repaired or replaced for 0€ as long as the consumer can prove the first time the fault happens is a manufacturer defect.

Yes, correct but only within the first 6 months unless the consumer can prove 2 years later that a non-widespread or unknown issue was the fault of Apples, and I doubt the consumer can do that easily.😉. And yes if that is the case then Apple must attempt to repair or replace or offer a suitable solution. Just telling Apple and no official work being done is not part of the UK Consumer law. For example, people complaining on forums is not proof of a defect.

when the failure happens have no impact if it’s covered under the warranty period.

Well duh. What was your point here? That's normal. If something fails within the warranty period Apple will fix it.

how do you prove it? By showing it’s a common or reacuring problem. Forum posts of MacBook pros with delaminaton problems from failure in the application process .

BTW there's no such word as "delaminaton". The issue with the screen delaminate was a problem Apple discovered and created a repair program for it and they are still taking care of some customers about it. Forums are NOT official proof. I would love for you to show me where it states on an official UK Consumer Law document that complaining forums are proof enough to force Apple to repair. Another pointless comment from you.

Post of how the screen backlight fails from a flex cable breaking for being too short, GPU being shown to delaminate from problems with the wider being used etc etc

Another Apple repair program that was put in place. You make no sense bringing up existing repair programs.
Also you seem to be confusing what a WARRANTY is in comparison to Lemon Laws. Lemon Laws are not warranties. They are to protect the consumer from getting a lemon right out of the box, not to repair issues that weren't reported to Apple for repair during the first 6 months nor without proof of defect from the consumer.

If you're going to quote me and tell me I'm wrong then please post an official document of the UK Consumer Law backing up every single word you stated. The U.S has a lemon law as well. This isn't some special consumer protection the UK has only. Lemon laws vary from country to country but relatively work the same to protect the consumer, but they are NOT warranties.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple is essentially issuing you a new replacement iPad, so it makes sense that they would charge you the price of a new iPad.

AND since they’re forcing you to return the one to get the other they’re making it worth folks time to recycle! LOL

 

[HVDynamo]

You may not like what I am about to say but you have to understand that Apple (like any other company offering warranties) is running a business and if it was so simple as to offering customers an extended warranty for far cheaper than the repair cost and the customer used the warranty consistently then companies would run out of business. Of course the house has to win in the end. You think casinos are setup for the customer playing the games to break the house?
In terms of warranties it's a per consumer basis. You're looking at it as a whole in terms of the house winning. There are a few times I've had my MacBook hinges break. My iMac's screen needed to replaced a few times due to clusters of bad pixels accumulating and the Applecare warranty came through because these issues happened after the first year of Apple's included warranty. I am the one that came out the winner in the end.

I'm not disputing anything you are saying, but if the house wins it's a poor deal for the consumer. Always. Now if that extra cost is worth it to you for the peace of mind, then that's fine. I did buy an extended warranty on a used car once, but that was only because the factory warranty was basically out and I had no history with the car. I did so for peace of mind. But in general, if you just put that money you would spend on an extended warranty in a bank account, and just add to it each time you would have bought one, in the end, that is your repair budget and the total cost will be cheaper to you. Even in your example, how much would the repair have cost vs all the warranties you have bought on things? Unless it was your first warranty purchase and luck just worked out that way, there is a great chance that you've spent more on warranties than you would have spent paying to fix whatever broke. It's not about the one time event, but the total cost over time.

 

[cmaier]

I'm not disputing anything you are saying, but if the house wins it's a poor deal for the consumer. Always.

Weird how, as a consumer, I’ve saved myself $3600 in repairs by spending around $500 on applecare.

 

[Maconplasma]

I'm not disputing anything you are saying, but if the house wins it's a poor deal for the consumer. Always.

I don't think you understand how a business is run. That's why products have markups. That's why service repairs for cars, computers and various other things may appear overpriced to consumers. The house HAS to win in order to continue running their business. You've got this notion that in order for the consumer to win the house has to lose. With that line of thinking every business would go down under. That's the nature of it. The consumer has to recognize if the pros outweigh the cons before buying service.

But in general, if you just put that money you would spend on an extended warranty in a bank account, and just add to it each time you would have bought one, in the end, that is your repair budget and the total cost will be cheaper to you. Even in your example, how much would the repair have cost vs all the warranties you have bought on things? Unless it was your first warranty purchase and luck just worked out that way, there is a great chance that you've spent more on warranties than you would have spent paying to fix whatever broke. It's not about the one time event, but the total cost over time.

There's absolutely no logic in what you're saying here.

 

[Docsta80]

Apple care is a simple no brainer. If you don’t get it you are just playin with fire. Eventually you’ll get burned.

 

[rui no onna]

My aunt broke her 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 (purchased for $650 brand new on clearance in 2019) on April 2. She didn't get AC+ so OOW repair is $599 which she felt was too high. She can't do without an iPad so she just bought a new 2020 12.9 at full price same day (she got AC+ this time). She was very annoyed to learn that new iPad Pros had just been announced late April and would be released in May.

Personally, I would absolutely hate to be in the same situation as my aunt. If $3.49-7.99 per month on AC+ buys me peace of mind, then so be it. Apart from peace of mind, AC+ has the additional benefit of Express Replacement Service which I've found very useful when all the Apple Stores in my area closed due to COVID.

 

[HVDynamo]

I don't think you understand how a business is run. That's why products have markups. That's why service repairs for cars, computers and various other things may appear overpriced to consumers. The house HAS to win in order to continue running their business. You've got this notion that in order for the consumer to win the house has to lose. With that line of thinking every business would go down under. That's the nature of it. The consumer has to recognize if the pros outweigh the cons before buying service.

There's absolutely no logic in what you're saying here.

I don't think you are understanding my point at all. I understand exactly how business works... My point is that extended warranties are not worth it for a consumer in most cases. The reason it's that way is because of how businesses work (IE working in profit on the warranty itself). Just because a business offers a service doesn't mean the service is a good value for the consumer. It's purely the math I'm referencing here. Yes, the product will have a markup, and you don't get any benefit of the product if you don't pay the markup to support the business. But the warranty is ONLY buying you peace of mind against a surprise cost. You don't NEED the extended warranty product to enjoy the core product the same way. It's a bad financial decision to buy extended warranties. Period. Companies offer them because people will buy them anyways and they can rake in more money.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Expensive repair bills on expensive products that scare consumers into purchasing additional expensive insurance policies. Hmmm, I can’t help but think it’s a bit of a scam but an aboveboard well marketed scam by a hugely successful company.

Thankfully my devices are covered by my bank, my home contents insurance and strangely with my car breakdown assistant policy lol. It may not be as convenient when getting a replacement but i’ll take my chances as I haven’t broken a device in all these years.

I wouldn't call it a scam because Apple is informing people ahead of time what is and isn't covered, and then follows through with adhering to the insurance.

It is good business for Apple and it is also easy profit for them. Nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is careful with their devices. And even when you are, accidents can happen and or problems can arise (and often do) after purchase, that would otherwise be overly expensive for those without AC+.

 

[HVDynamo]

Weird how, as a consumer, I’ve saved myself $3600 in repairs by spending around $500 on applecare.

You aren't looking at the big enough picture then... OR, you are one of the outliers. The math is on my side here dude...

 

[Apple_Robert]

My aunt broke her 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 (purchased for $650 brand new on clearance in 2019) on April 2. She didn't get AC+ so OOW repair is $599 which she felt was too high. She can't do without an iPad so she just bought a new 2020 12.9 at full price same day (she got AC+ this time). She was very annoyed to learn that new iPad Pros had just been announced late April and would be released in May.

Personally, I would absolutely hate to be in the same situation as my aunt. If $3.49-7.99 per month on AC+ buys me peace of mind, then so be it. Apart from peace of mind, AC+ has the additional benefit of Express Replacement Service which I've found very useful when all the Apple Stores in my area closed due to COVID.

Good point about the Express Replacement option. I wish it was offered for Macs as well.

 

[Apple_Robert]

You aren't looking at the big enough picture then... OR, you are one of the outliers. The math is on my side here dude...

Over time it is, if you are careful, and don't end up having problems after the initial warranty.

 

[BigPotatoLobbyist]

It’s definitely worth it on macs. They break a lot out of warranty. Usually there ends up being a repair program, but I always seem to have to get my repairs before Apple realizes they have a design flaw.

Me, liking this, knowing I still haven't added it to my M1book seeing 5-7 hours of heavy usage daily

 

[HVDynamo]

Over time it is, if you are careful, and don't end up having problems after the initial warranty.

Even with the problems most people will spend more on warranties themselves than actual fixes covered by warranty. That's my whole point. Every time you think about buying an extended warranty, just save that money somewhere. Then if/when it breaks you dip into that fund to fix it or replace it. In the long run you will come out ahead. So far for me, I've spent around $3500 on warranties over the last 20 years. I needed them once and just replacing that product entirely would have only cost me $800. I've stopped buying warranties now all together. Haven't yet had to have anything repaired since I stopped buying them, but I've saved about $1000 by not buying the warranties over the last 5 years, so at the moment any fix under $1000 is a win.

 

[cmaier]

You aren't looking at the big enough picture then... OR, you are one of the outliers. The math is on my side here dude...

But you are misapplying the math. The math says that, taken together, the sum of money paid by all consumers for apple care is less than the money saved on repairs. But it’s a mathematical fallacy to apply that observation to a particular consumer. Any given consumer, based on personal circumstances, may find the tradeoff well worth it (for example, if the $10 per month is affordable but a $1300 motherboard replacement is out of the question and would result in killing their business; or if they have a history where they know that they’ve seen a particular failure rate with particular product categories such that they calculate that they will save money by investing in apple care. Or where they intend to sell the product after a certain amount of time, with its apple care, and recoup part of that investment.

Hell, in my experience, when I need a repair that is going to otherwise take a long time, and I have apple care, apple just hands me a new device. That, alone, is worth it in terms of resale, time savings, ability to continue working, etc.

 

[cmaier]

Even with the problems most people will spend more on warranties themselves than actual fixes covered by warranty. That's my whole point. Every time you think about buying an extended warranty, just save that money somewhere. Then if/when it breaks you dip into that fund to fix it or replace it. In the long run you will come out ahead. So far for me, I've spent around $3500 on warranties over the last 20 years. I needed them once and just replacing that product entirely would have only cost me $800. I've stopped buying warranties now all together. Haven't yet had to have anything repaired since I stopped buying them, but I've saved about $1000 by not buying the warranties over the last 5 years, so at the moment any fix under $1000 is a win.

I bought an extended warranty on my Porsche, and with 9 days remaining in that extended warranty the engine block literally cracked. I spent $2000 for the warranty and the new motor would have been $13,500 plus labor.

Anecdotes are just anecdotes. People can make their own decisions based on their tolerance for risk, the value of their time, and their own circumstances.

 

[Td1970]

And because I tend to opt for the higher-end models.

Funnily enough, if my Apple products do develop issues, it’s typically within a year of ownership, which the default applecare plan covers.

Here’s my history:
First imac - dead screen that was replaced by AppleCare. The guys actually came to my house to collect and return it after it was fixed. Pretty cool.
iphone 6S+ - dead motherboard. Replaced FOC by Apple.
Apple Watch Series 2 - problem with paint peeling. Replaced by Apple (but it took me 3 tries).
AirPods - replaced twice because one side died and ended up draining the case battery along with it. The first time, only the AirPod was replaced. The 2nd time - Apple replaced everything.
Magic Keyboard (imac) - sticky key problem, but Apple replaced it as it was within the 3-year warranty of my 2017 imac.
Smart Keyboard - had issues which was recognised and replaced by Apple.

So am I lucky or unlucky here?

If that was my experience with apple products I would have been gone ages ago. What has worked for you with no problems