Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What is the best alternative Warranty for MacBook Pro Retina.. other than Apple Care?

M

mok23

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2012
40
0
Is there any other alternative warranty plans cheaper than Apple Care??

Thanks
 
Considering you can get AC for under $250 ( Retina included ) from BH photo, I'm not sure who'd have anything cheaper. Even SquareTrade is more than the discounted AC.
 
M5RahuL said:
Considering you can get AC for under $250 ( Retina included ) from BH photo, I'm not sure who'd have anything cheaper. Even SquareTrade is more than the discounted AC.
Click to expand...

you can get applecare if you have a friend with a college ID for $183 from apple direct
 
Arnezie said:
For retina ???
Click to expand...

The price is different between the 13" and 15" versions. The $183 educational price is for the 13" version.

Also, consider a personal articles policy from your homeowner/renter's policy. I have one. My policy costs $60 year, and covers theft, loss, accidental damage, and mechanical failure. It came in handy when I lost my MacBook Air last year.
 
You could purchase the device using an American Express or Discover to take advantage of the extra 1 year warranty they say they will add to electronics.
 
the important thing to consider is that Apple Care doesn't cover accidental damage which really bothers me. I wish you could buy Apple Care + for a Mac like you can with an iPhone and iPad.
 
Applecare for Macbook Pro retina

mok23 said:
Is there any other alternative warranty plans cheaper than Apple Care??

Thanks
Click to expand...
B&H Photo has Applecare for the 13" Macbook Pro retina for $179 no tax and free shipping. You can't get a legit retail copy cheaper than that.
Maybe you can find a sealed box for less on eBay but it takes a lot of hunting.
 
jpw16 said:
State Farm personal article policy. $33 a year covering my 13 rMBP
Click to expand...

x2, except they recently imposed a $60 minimum in New York (and that was before I filed an $1800 claim after I lost my MacBook Air). It's still better and cheaper than AppleCare (particularly since Visa Signature doubles my warranty already).

They were very good about processing the claim, however. After I lost my MacBook Air I ordered the rMBP to replace it and had the check by the time the rMBP arrived. It's well worth having.
 
If you buy the mac via someone with an education discount, you'll get 3 years applecare included in the price.
 
Insurance

if you are in school, see if they offer or have an agreement with an insurance company. You can usually cover ALL of your electronics (replace/repair & theft) for $150 or less.
 
avflinsch said:
if you are in school, see if they offer or have an agreement with an insurance company. You can usually cover ALL of your electronics (replace/repair & theft) for $150 or less.
Click to expand...

My school, UCSD doesn't offer this. :/

I'm gonna look into discounts for students.
 
Essenar said:
My school, UCSD doesn't offer this. :/

I'm gonna look into discounts for students.
Click to expand...

Do you need to prove that you attend that school? I'm working on a contract basis for a university and I plan on purchasing using their discount. When I went to the apple site for higher ed for purchase, it did not ask for any documentation.
 
Buying with my American Express card, I automatically get a 2-year warranty for free! I also can use my American Family homeowner's policy to create a "personal protection" just for the laptop that covers damage/stolen/anything. It's $13 annually with a $50 deductible. The only thing I'm unsure of is, if I pay the $50 deductible, does that make my entire coverage go up due to filing a claim. Need to research that.
 
BigMacAttack1 said:
Buying with my American Express card, I automatically get a 2-year warranty for free! I also can use my American Family homeowner's policy to create a "personal protection" just for the laptop that covers damage/stolen/anything. It's $13 annually with a $50 deductible. The only thing I'm unsure of is, if I pay the $50 deductible, does that make my entire coverage go up due to filing a claim. Need to research that.
Click to expand...

I would be interested to hear the answer to that question if you figure it out -- this has been the one thing that concerns me about covering my electronics this way.
 
eminemead said:
is this only for purchasing directly from apple?

----------



agreed, you only get a discount.
Click to expand...

I believe as long as you purchase it from an authorized reseller the credit card company will extend the warranty. With Visa Signature you can (but don't have to) register the serial number and mail a copy of the receipt to a processing center. The card companies outsource the warranty administration to a third party insurance company. How it works is that if there is mechanical failure after the first year, you take it to Apple to get it fixed, pay the bill, and then submit the claim to the card company.

The card issuers can afford this because so few people actually take advantage of it. But it encourages people to use the card (so the card issuer gets its processing fee from the merchant), and the bank gets another balance that it hopes to earn interest from.

----------
Geoffre said:
I would be interested to hear the answer to that question if you figure it out -- this has been the one thing that concerns me about covering my electronics this way.
Click to expand...

I'll find out this summer. I filed a claim against my policy in December, and it is up for renewal in August. I'd guess it's like any other insurance policy. File too many claims and it goes against your history. However, I just got a $1550 check from them less than 2 months ago, so I can stomach a modest increase.
 
Geoffre said:
I would be interested to hear the answer to that question if you figure it out -- this has been the one thing that concerns me about covering my electronics this way.
Click to expand...

I just spoke w/AmFam and they said that unless it was an act of God, it would increase my policy b/c I am making a claim. How much it will increase depends on each individual due to certain personalized variables (how long with company, group discounts, etc.). But I'll know more Monday--certainly worth looking into!
 
BigMacAttack1 said:
I just spoke w/AmFam and they said that unless it was an act of God, it would increase my policy b/c I am making a claim. How much it will increase depends on each individual due to certain personalized variables (how long with company, group discounts, etc.). But I'll know more Monday--certainly worth looking into!
Click to expand...

Remember, insurance is one of the only things you buy that you hope you'll never need to use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back