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iPhone X RESOLVED AppleCare necessary with Platinum Amex or similar?

dmaxdmax

dmaxdmax

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 26, 2006
773
175
I’m asking in case someone has already done the analysis, saving me the trouble!

I’m considering getting an Amex Platinum for the travel benefits but can’t quite talk myself into the humongous annual fee! If it obviates the need for $199 AppleCare it makes changes the math.

Has anyone looked at this?
[doublepost=1525644913][/doublepost]I believe Platinum coverage is better than gold/green.
[doublepost=1525645481][/doublepost]Coverage diff is only related to limits which wouldn’t be an issue with a phone.
 
Damage coverage through Amex in any of their cards is only good for 90 days after you purchase an item. I wouldn’t rely on this for protection for a lifelong guarantee against damage to your device. Amex Platinum cards get $10k damage protection vs. $1k of lower tier cards, but the 90 day policy still stands.

“When an American Express Card Member charges a covered purchase with their Card account, Purchase Protection can help protect your purchases for up to 90 days from the date of purchase if it is stolen or accidentally damaged.

For Platinum Card®, Delta Reserve®, Premier Rewards Gold, Gold Card, Ameriprise Gold and Fidelity Gold Card Members, Purchase Protection can provide coverage up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year and any amount over that will not be reimbursed or covered. You will only be reimbursed for the amount charged to your eligible Card.”
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/...enefits/policies/purchase-protection/faq.html
 
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I have a gold and they're pushing the platinum. I'm trying to figure out if the benefits are worth it. Probably most likely to pay off in a year that will include a lot of traveling.
 
dmaxdmax said:
I’m asking in case someone has already done the analysis, saving me the trouble!

I’m considering getting an Amex Platinum for the travel benefits but can’t quite talk myself into the humongous annual fee! If it obviates the need for $199 AppleCare it makes changes the math.

Has anyone looked at this?
Click to expand...

Downgraded my Plat to a Gold years ago. Plat is great IF you travel a lot. A lot. Otherwise the benefits don't pay for themselves. The Gold is just as good when it comes to lost/damaged/ext. warranty. Used these features a few times, on Apple products and others. I never buy Apple Care or other ext. warranties because of it. I "self insure" for non-covered items. In fact, you'd have to crack your iPhone screen a couple times for Apple Care to pay for itself when you factor in the deductible.
 
If you have a Costco membership and have the Costco/Citibank Visa, the Extended Warranty is very nice. It's two years on top of the standard warranty. So without any additional outlay, you get three years off the bat.

I think (could be mistaken) that if you purchase an extended warranty, the Costco warranty doesn't start until the extended warranty ends. So in theory, I buy an iPhone and AC+ with the Costco card. I end up with 5 years of warranty coverage.

If you buy enough stuff at Costco, the credit card and cash back and other goodies more than pay for the annual fee.

Now I will say that using the Amex Extended Warranty is a very pleasant experience. The service is top notch. I haven't had to use the Costco warranty, so who knows how good the service is.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Downgraded my Plat to a Gold years ago. Plat is great IF you travel a lot. A lot. Otherwise the benefits don't pay for themselves. The Gold is just as good when it comes to lost/damaged/ext. warranty. Used these features a few times, on Apple products and others. I never buy Apple Care or other ext. warranties because of it. I "self insure" for non-covered items. In fact, you'd have to crack your iPhone screen a couple times for Apple Care to pay for itself when you factor in the deductible.
Click to expand...


How was the process when you did the claims through Amex?
 
Dodgeman said:
How was the process when you did the claims through Amex?
Click to expand...

It's always very smooth. For ext. warranty I file a claim online then take my device to Apple and get a repair estimate. Forward estimate to AMEX online. In a week or two I have a statement credit for the repair amount. Depending on the repair cost, sometimes I won't have the repair done and use the money to buy a new device. It's nice to have that flexibility.

My A/V receiver went belly up a couple years ago. That was more painful as the "official" Denon repair shop in my area is a mom and pop. Their normal estimate turn around time is 2 weeks. Did not want to wait that long for just an estimate -- another 2 weeks for repair -- so I ponied up $50 for a "rush estimate." AMEX paid for the repair but not the "rush" fee.

With the lost/damaged (up to 90 days after purchase) I've only made one claim for my running watch. I tripped on uneven sidewalk and it scratched up the casing on my 2 mo. old running watch. Filed a claim w/ receipt (bought online so easy to track down, though I always keep big ticket receipts.) About a week later I got a statement credit for my purchase price. They did not request the watch back. I was actually surprised as I thought they would either 1) reimburse me for repair or 2) refund entire price but request I send them the watch. Since it was a running watch, not a dress watch I did not think I needed to replace the watch as it was still functional.
 
There is a huge advantage of being able to walk into an Apple store with a dead or dying phone and walking out with a new/refurb.
 
Be careful as Amex or any card has variations in their warranty policy
AppleCare + is cut and dry and you know what it covers
Call AMEX to see what their coverage on an An iPhone X would be
 
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