Mac Damage Tier System?

[Unprocessed1]

Here's the reference link https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/698972/

Basically the first time I went into Apple Care I recieved a quote for Tier 4 accidental damage at $800.

Went to a different Apple Store and got quoted for Tier 2 damage at only $430.

The question is, what exactly is the difference between the 4 tiers, and will they cover (or not cover) different things on the notebook?

 

[ziggyonice]

Tier 1:
Minor parts... for example, reseating, cables, screws, feet, I/O door. Or things like structural components (stiffeners, brackets).

Tier 2:
Minor boards and assemblies... for example, power supply board, inverter assembly, interconnect board. Also enclosure parts, CD drive, or LCD polarizer.

Tier 3:
Any replacement to a DVD drive, or a combo drive, or a hard drive.

Tier 4:
(The big ones): Main logic board, SuperDrive replacement, or an LCD replacement.

Note that if more than three parts are necessary for a repair that are all on the same tier, the tier level may be upgraded to the next highest level. Meaning that, if you had to get three things fixed under Tier 1, they'd upgrade that to Tier 2 pricing. Perhaps that’s the reason why you had two quotes.

 

[Unprocessed1]

Tier 1:
Minor parts... for example, reseating, cables, screws, feet, I/O door. Or things like structural components (stiffeners, brackets).

Tier 2:
Minor boards and assemblies... for example, power supply board, inverter assembly, interconnect board. Also enclosure parts, CD drive, or LCD polarizer.

Tier 3:
Any replacement to a DVD drive, or a combo drive, or a hard drive.

Tier 4:
(The big ones): Main logic board, SuperDrive replacement, or an LCD replacement.

Note that if more than three parts are necessary for a repair that are all on the same tier, the tier level may be upgraded to the next highest level. Meaning that, if you had to get three things fixed under Tier 1, they'd upgrade that to Tier 2 pricing. Perhaps that’s the reason why you had two quotes.

so does it essentially refer to pricing more than anything?
My macbook air was quoted for a Tier 2 and Tier 4 repair at 2 different Apple stores, despite the problem (broken hinge) being the same.