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need to get the skinny on AppleCare

johnee

johnee

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 12, 2007
790
1
well, i'm not from the UK, but people will like me
(I know I could get the info from apple, but user experience is ALWAYS a good thing to gather)

I want to get a macbook pro, but i don't think i can afford the applecare for it right now. I had heard that I have until the one year limited warranty ends to purchase it.

1) is this true?

2) I assume the 1 year warranty will cover anything applecare would for that first year, true?

3) is there any reduced coverage as a result of purchasing it "at the last minute" ?

4) does the price change if you buy it "at the last minute"?

thanks!
 
johnee said:
(I know I could get the info from apple, but user experience is ALWAYS a good thing to gather)

I want to get a macbook pro, but i don't think i can afford the applecare for it right now. I had heard that I have until the one year limited warranty ends to purchase it.

1) is this true?

2) I assume the 1 year warranty will cover anything applecare would for that first year, true?

3) is there any reduced coverage as a result of purchasing it "at the last minute" ?

4) does the price change if you buy it "at the last minute"?

thanks!
Click to expand...

Your "one-year" warranty covers everything except phone support. You only get phone support for 90 days. With Applecare, you get phone support for the entire covered time period (up to 3 years).

Apart from that, there is no "reduced coverage" if you choose to wait till the last minute. The price doesn't change either. However -- it's better not to wait until the absolute last minute... at least give yourself a couple weeks of time before the warranty expires, because it will take that long for your Applecare confirmation to arrive in the mail.
 
johnee said:
(I know I could get the info from apple, but user experience is ALWAYS a good thing to gather)

I want to get a macbook pro, but i don't think i can afford the applecare for it right now. I had heard that I have until the one year limited warranty ends to purchase it.

1) is this true?

2) I assume the 1 year warranty will cover anything applecare would for that first year, true?

3) is there any reduced coverage as a result of purchasing it "at the last minute" ?

4) does the price change if you buy it "at the last minute"?

thanks!
Click to expand...

Here's the quick version:

1 - Yes.
2 - Yes.
3 - No.
4 - No.
 
From what I remember, Apple sent me a reminder about a month before my year was up after purchasing my Powerbook. I certainly would have forgotten, and I am grateful that I had purchased AppleCare because I had to send the Powerbook in for an LCD problem which Apple subsequently replaced. With the shrinking of components, the excessive heat, and the very nature of the portability of laptops, it's almost a must to get the extended coverage. Who knows, it could more than pay for itself. When your finances permit, as the old addage says, "better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it".
 
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation as you, and I'm waiting until the last possible minute to get AppleCare for my MacBook. It's weird, most consumer electronics, and PC's in particular, lose value so quickly that extended warranties rarely make sense. But Macs hold their value to well that it's almost silly not to get AppleCare.
 
livingfortoday said:
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation as you, and I'm waiting until the last possible minute to get AppleCare for my MacBook. It's weird, most consumer electronics, and PC's in particular, lose value so quickly that extended warranties rarely make sense. But Macs hold their value to well that it's almost silly not to get AppleCare.
Click to expand...

I agree.

I also think it's great apple offers this up to one year after purchase. Obviously they are making money from it, but as long as they honor their end of the bargain, that's ok with me.

thanks everybody!
 
Some things (which you should not rely upon) Apple will extend their coverage past the one-year anyway (design defects). So, if you miss the deadline, it still good to make sure that it's not something that Apple is seeing systemic problems in and has decided to replace across the board.

Apple will often try to contact you before it (the one-year warranty) runs out and offer you apple care at a reduced price. Of course, it still may be a better deal to by it elsewhere for even less.
 
livingfortoday said:
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation as you, and I'm waiting until the last possible minute to get AppleCare for my MacBook. It's weird, most consumer electronics, and PC's in particular, lose value so quickly that extended warranties rarely make sense. But Macs hold their value to well that it's almost silly not to get AppleCare.
Click to expand...

Apple is a stickler about the last minute, if your late even by one day no matter what they won't let you apply applecare to your laptop.

Just to be safe wait till the last 2 weeks. :D
 
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