So far away from an Apple store....?

[eejits]

I am considering moving away from Windows and buying my first 27" iMac and would do so online as the nearest Apple store is over 250 miles away (I live in a remote part of the Highlands of Scotland).

My worry is that if my new computer develops a fault, my only option would be to send it away by courier to get fixed. With it being such an expensive machine, I wouldn't be too impressed if it came back damaged or scratched....

Do any of you guys live sooooo far from any Apple store that have had any problems with getting things fixed? Is AppleCare a sure fire thing in my circumstance?

Thanks,

George

 

[TEG]

AppleCare is great, and you get 1-year of hardware coverage by default. You only get 90-days of phone support (which in the US means, they will charge you $40 for diagnosis, then if it is a hardware issue, the $40 will be refunded). Apple usually provides over-night shipping for their devices for repair. They will send you a box to pack your device in, and ship it back. They will repair it and send it back to you.

For the extra AppleCare Charge, you get 3 years of phone support and 3 years of hardware coverage, which makes life easier, and they will troubleshoot anything wrong with the machine, so you don't have to pull your hair out.

TEG

 

[boy-better-know]

I am considering moving away from Windows and buying my first 27" iMac and would do so online as the nearest Apple store is over 250 miles away (I live in a remote part of the Highlands of Scotland).

My worry is that if my new computer develops a fault, my only option would be to send it away by courier to get fixed. With it being such an expensive machine, I wouldn't be too impressed if it came back damaged or scratched....

Do any of you guys live sooooo far from any Apple store that have had any problems with getting things fixed? Is AppleCare a sure fire thing in my circumstance?

Thanks,

George

Always keep the original box for any Apple product you buy, then you'll always have a safe way of shipping things, and it can add value when the time comes to sell it on.
I wouldn't let it put you off getting a mac. Plus, I am sure you can insure the contents of any parcel for a small fee.

 

[Commy1]

I don't think the distance should hinder your decision. Mac's are very reliable when bought new, with the odd exception. Apple won't leave you high and dry if you have to ship it back, they'll send you a box and within the week you should have your computer back.
Get it

 

[seroposi]

I think Applecare is worth having anyway if not for the telephone support alone.

You can buy Applecare on Amazon for around £69-£79 which is not a lot when considering the overall intended spend. I paid £47 or thereabouts on Amazon earlier in the year and the registration etc all went through ok. It does not have to be purchased from Apple.

 

[Fifteen20s]

My closest Apple store is a 2.5 hour drive. I did recently have to have my iMac repaired using AppleCare and I come to find there were 2 Apple authorized repair shops in town.

 

[eejits]

Thanks guys.....

I'll definitely keep the box when I get it, because you never know.

I didn't realise that you could buy AppleCare somewhere else. I'll definitely be looking into that option (where ever I can save some ££'s the better).

Cheers,

George

 

[Chippy99]

Just a quick note to say that Apple in the UK use UPS for shipping iMacs - just about the best courier imho if you value expensive items arriving in one piece.

 

[Mr Rabbit]

In the US AppleCare for iMac includes onsite service, meaning Apple will send a technician to the location of the iMac to perform necessary hardware repairs. The turn around time for such repairs is typically 2-3 repairs. The technicians are ACMT (Apple Certified Macintosh Technician) certified and are either consultants or employees of Apple Authorized Service Providers. I don't know of any particular range limits in regards to how far they will actually travel to support someone but I do know that one town I supported fairly regularly, when this was my main job, was about 215 miles away from our shop, so it seems as though 250 miles (or closer if one such provider is closer) isn't outside the realm of possibility.

I would call AppleCare or check the localized AppleCare for Mac desktops page to see if the same service is available in the UK.

 

[eejits]

I'm not sure what courier is used to ship stuff up through the highlands of Scotland, some of them can be useless, others great. I'll have to wait and see....

George

 

[FreakinEurekan]

In the US AppleCare for iMac includes onsite service, meaning Apple will send a technician to the location of the iMac to perform necessary hardware repairs.

Appears to apply to UK too, but service radius of 50 miles/80km - from http://images.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/docs/appmacuk.pdf

Onsite service is available for many desktop computers if the location of the Covered Equipment is within 50 miles (80 kilometers) radius of an Apple Authorized Onsite Service Provider.

 

[Fatboy71]

I am considering moving away from Windows and buying my first 27" iMac and would do so online as the nearest Apple store is over 250 miles away (I live in a remote part of the Highlands of Scotland).

My worry is that if my new computer develops a fault, my only option would be to send it away by courier to get fixed. With it being such an expensive machine, I wouldn't be too impressed if it came back damaged or scratched....

Do any of you guys live sooooo far from any Apple store that have had any problems with getting things fixed? Is AppleCare a sure fire thing in my circumstance?

Thanks,

George

Like you, I was wanting to move away from Windows and purchase my first Mac (iMac), and I too had to order my iMac through Apple's website. I live in Cumbria, and my nearest Apple Store is 90 miles away.

I took out the Apple Care cover for my iMac. But I purchased my Apple Care cover from Amazon and saved a heap of money (around £60 cheaper than Apple for the same thing).

Here's where I got my Apple Care from:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004SMS5H6/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With Apple Care, Apple will send you out a pre paid shipping box to ship your iMac back to them.

If you were unfortunate enough to have you iMac damaged either on route to Apple or been returned to you, Apple's customer service would sort the issue out quickly and in a fairly painless manner. Their customer service is superb in my experience.