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Should I risk not buying applecare for my Macbook?

V

vega07

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 7, 2006
1,269
18
Next Tuesday will be the end of my first year of warranty. I haven't had any problems so far. After I purchased my Macbook, I swore to myself I would buy applecare. But I've been having second thoughts about it because I'm a bit tight on money (college). If my Macbook has been working perfectly for this past year, what are the chances that it will fail on me later?

Also, I've been reading a lot of people saying "applecare was a lifesaver for me...blah blah." But is there anyone who has bought applecare but never used it on a laptop?

Lastly, I hear that credit card companies usually double the warranties provided by the manufacturer. I think I used an AMEX card. Perhaps this second year provided by my credit card company is enough?

So what should I do? All help is greatly appreciated. :)
 
I'd check to see about the credit card thing. Although bear in mind even if that is true, you won't be able to buy Applecare when that runs out, the applecare has to be bought before the original manufacturer's warranty expires.

I'd get the Applecare, I haven't had to use mine yet, but sod's law says even though your macbook has been fine so far, the instant it's out of warranty something will go wrong ;)
 
A few years ago I'd have said you'd be pretty safe without it. But now, I'm not so sure. Out of the 7 Macs I own none have had Applecare but my next one will.
 
You would want to be very very sure about the credit card thing, perhaps call up AMEX to check...

Do you have medical insurance? If you do, then get applecare, if not, no need =D
 
vega07 said:
Also, I've been reading a lot of people saying "applecare was a lifesaver for me...blah blah." But is there anyone who has bought applecare but never used it on a laptop?
Click to expand...

Plenty of people. But they don't post here :D

This is all about risk management. AppleCare costs money, and it can save you money. Certain things could happen that AppleCare would pay for, but that you can live with, like if the case changes color. Some things are reasonably cheap. If your harddisk dies, you get a huge replacement disk for much less than the cost of AppleCare. But some stuff is expensive.

Check these numbers: If your MacBook dies one day out of warranty, what does it cost to buy an equivalent refurbished MacBook from the AppleStore, minus the money you can get for a broken MacBook on eBay (some people will buy broken equipment for parts, or because they feel they can fix it). Compare that to the cost of AppleCare.

And in a years time you will say to yourself "I would gladly pay x dollars to swap my MacBook for a current one". Take that amount x, add the cost of AppleCare, and you may be quite close to the cost of a new one.
 
I read up and discovered that AMEX does provide a "buyer protection" service which does double apple's warranty to two years. cool huh? but DAMN, I cannot find the receipt of my macbook purchase.
 
The best way to answer this question is to consider how you use the laptop.

If it is stationery, never leaves your dorm room, and has little or no chance of falling off your desk, then buying AppleCare could be a waste of money.

A second consideration is how well you treat your belongings in general. If you have occasional accidents, then purchasing AppleCare is a good idea.

I personally would never buy any extended warranty because I take very good care of everything I own. In more than 20 years of being offered these plans I have declined them every time. Not once have I ever had a reason to have something repaired or replaced due to failure or accident.
 
DrAtheist said:
You can often get it cheap off eBay. (I got mine 1/2 price) Personally I think it's worth it to garuntee your mac against failure for anoher 2 years.
Click to expand...

how much did you get it for? for me, it will be $183 + tax. and that's after the education discount.

hum..$183 can provide me with 1-2 months of fooooood. :D
 
MK2007 said:
The best way to answer this question is to consider how you use the laptop.

If it is stationery, never leaves your dorm room, and has little or no chance of falling off your desk, then buying AppleCare could be a waste of money.

A second consideration is how well you treat your belongings in general. If you have occasional accidents, then purchasing AppleCare is a good idea.

I personally would never buy any extended warranty because I take very good care of everything I own. In more than 20 years of being offered these plans I have declined them every time. Not once have I ever had a reason to have something repaired or replaced due to failure or accident.
Click to expand...

I go to UCLA and go home (Orange County) every week but I'm extremely careful with my electronics. now that I think about it, perhaps I should buy it because I travel with it so often.
sorry for my complaining.
 
Ill be purchasing Apple care for my Macbook from eBay as well. 3 years is about the life cycle of a computer (IMO) so it will be nice to have some peace of mind during this time.
 
The current lowest price on eBay is $166 with shipping. Completed sales show that sometimes AppleCare for a MacBook can be purchased for less cost nearer to $150.
 
MK2007 said:
The current lowest price on eBay is $166 with shipping. Completed sales show that sometimes AppleCare for a MacBook can be purchased for less cost nearer to $150.
Click to expand...

can you link me to that auction please? thank you! I can't seem to find it.
 
vega07 said:
But is there anyone who has bought applecare but never used it on a laptop?
Click to expand...
The AppleCare on my PowerBook ran out in May and I'd never had to use it, but it's nice to have the peace of mind, but if frivolous things like eating are more important to you...;)
 
Southernboy said:
The AppleCare on my PowerBook ran out in May and I'd never had to use it, but it's nice to have the peace of mind, but if frivolous things like eating are more important to you...;)
Click to expand...

the cost of applecare = 1,000,000 bags of ramen. :p enough ramen to last me the entire school year!

anyone here have any experience with AMEX buyer protection?
 
the ol' half a glass question, full or empty?

an optimist doesn't need Applecare, their macs won't have a problem.

a pessimist better buy Applecare because there's nothing surer than their mac needing some attention.

It's basically a bet, either you bet your mac will or wont have a problem.
Do you bet on sports, horses, visit Vegas ?

Ever needed credit card insurance or cell phone insurance ?
 
so if I buy applecare, that means I bet my macbook will fail? :p

haha...that means we all think apple quality sucks then. hahaha!

my IBM thinkpad, now that I think about it, has been serving me faithfully for 3-4 years. but I think the thinkpad's build quality surpasses that of the macbook.

sigh...only if I were rich.
 
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