You can simply add on insurance from State Farm for $40/yr and no deductible? It covers everything, including accidental damage, spills, even theft. They even cover it if a virus attacks and makes it inoperable or unusable. Not trying to knock APplecare, just trying to get the word out that there are cheaper options to protect your investment.
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Why buy AppleCare when..
- Thread starter hogsrul
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I am with vant. The chances of there being a defect is higher than me having an accident. I don't tend to hover over my computers with drinks and such. Either way, I'd get both ... and I have both. My stuff is covered under my homeowner's policy.
+1. Even if it covers dropping it, virus' etc. it doesn't cover it if your computer has a defect. It doesn't cover it if your graphics card dies in 2 years. It doesn't cover... anything that's actually important, and more likely to happen. Insurance tends to be that way...
Well, if you are trying to be honest, they don't cover if something just wears out or breaks without you dropping/abusing it.
(I have that insurance and I agree it's great. I'm disappointed they no longer insure phones
. But it won't cover you if your computer just breaks on its own... unless you want to lie and claim you did something to it. And of course, if they find out, I'm sure they'll drop you probably for your other insurance you have with them too).Oh, and home owner's insurance I think has a deductable (so if it is just your laptop that breaks, the deductable will probably be more than half the laptop's price). State Farm also has a personal articles policy (or something like that, I forget what they call it) that you can pick out individual items and for a price they fully cover it, no deductable (that's what I have on my macbook and I wish they still offered for the iphone. Renter's insurance's deductable would pretty much be almost the cost of the iphone if I relied on that).
I'd say for the price, even if you are more likely to have something like a graphics card die that would be more under an extended warranty, the insurance is well worth it. Personally more worth it to me than the warranty (the price to risk ratio is not as high in my opinion. The extended warranty has a pretty high cost).
What about your credit card?
CapitalOne offers a great extended warranty service. Here is what they offer:
http://www.capitalone.com/creditcards/pdfs/VISA_Signature.pdf
I used it once on a 17" PowerBook for a screen problem. Capital One referred me to the closest Apple Store, and it was repaired at no cost. the bill was around $800.00
So, needless to say my new 2011 17" MacBook pro was purchased with the Capital One venture card which also gave me an additional 5000 miles.
CapitalOne offers a great extended warranty service. Here is what they offer:
http://www.capitalone.com/creditcards/pdfs/VISA_Signature.pdf
I used it once on a 17" PowerBook for a screen problem. Capital One referred me to the closest Apple Store, and it was repaired at no cost. the bill was around $800.00
So, needless to say my new 2011 17" MacBook pro was purchased with the Capital One venture card which also gave me an additional 5000 miles.
AMEX offers the same 90 day "all covered" protection as well. But they also extend the original factory warranty by one year.
All Visa Signature series cards double the manufacturer's warranty. I rely on this although I do have AppleCare on my MacBook.
Any time I have ever had to call Capital One I have to make sure I take a good hour out of my schedule, prepare myself mentally, and hope like hell I can get through the phone call without wanting to jump through the phone! I've never had a good experience with their customer service. I would have cancelled that card by now but it's the oldest one I have so I just leave it open.
Who in their right mind would put their insurance with State Farm....
I've never had an issue with them. Why are you so freaked out about them?
lol yeah claim against your home/renters/personals article policy for a freaking display or disk issue and watch your deductible shoot up like some gang wars.
Personal Articles / ~$40 no deductible is your get out of jail free card for when you REALLY screw up/get screwed (lose your machine or get it jacked).
Applecare is for ease and convenience.
They complement, not replace each other.
Personal Articles / ~$40 no deductible is your get out of jail free card for when you REALLY screw up/get screwed (lose your machine or get it jacked).
Applecare is for ease and convenience.
They complement, not replace each other.
Hey State Farm? Yeah, my MacBook Pro has a manufacturer's defect. This screen, it was perfect now I see all these dots. Can you fix this?
*No, we only cover accidental damage*
Oh my! I just spilled some water on my MacBook Pro!
I would have to say that just buying on a credit card with an extended warranty will do. It double's your manufacturer's warranty and it's free. Basically if you get Applecare you are paying only for the third year.
Nice man, I do the same thing. My MBA costs me $2.50 to insure a month. I'm of the mind set that if I bought an Apple computer, the chances of something being defective is at least lower than the competition most of the time. It's much more likely for me that either myself or one of the many people that are around my laptop may spill on it, knock it on the ground, steal it, etc. Plus, if it was defective... maybe I'll just let my little nephew play with it for a day. That should do the trick for the insurance company.
Personal Article policies don't really go up. Depending on the amount of risk they assess, they may not let you buy into a new policy after the first pays out though. If you had an accident within a year of the purchase, my guess is they wouldn't insure an article in alikeness to the one previously insured. Beyond that it's really just a business call. Luckily there are many places willing to issue personal article policies, including (I believe) other branches of State Farm that MAY be willing to take the risk that the first wouldn't want to again. That's just State Farm though.
Thanks, as it happens I knocked mine off a desk onto a concrete floor only 8 months after i got it, kicked myself afterwards of course I obviously I cant get a policy now, but i will definitely consider it for my large format cameras and for any future laptop purchases.
My understanding is that Applecare is an extended warranty + service, not an insurance. Insurance covers situations where you harm your computer, it's stolen or whatever and you pay a deductible or whatever it's called. But it doesn't cover parts/computers that get worn out. So imo Applecare seems like "buy this warranty if you believe that our computers won't last 3 years". Or if you want all service you can get things like a costumer being able to receive help from a technician at home for his stationary, advanced technical support for servers etc + an extended warranty. Basically it's worth it if you need the support or if the price won't really set you back.
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most Macs last longer than 3 years and do not need AppleCare ever ... many people get AC for piece of mind but never use it.
you have choices ... use them
they cover totally different things unless your logic is, "Oh my hdd stopped working, i'm gonna drop it a couple times til it's unrepairable and get a new one"