Apple Care??? Is it worth it

My iMac warrant is up in 7 days is the $179 really worth it for 2 more years, my mac has never had any issues.. thanks in advance for comments

My iMac warrant is up in 7 days is the $179 really
worth it for 2 more years, my mac has never had any
issues.. thanks in advance for comments
Depends on the user. Depends on the value of the computer. Depends on the cost of AppleCare. The nice thing about AppleCare is that it's more than just a warranty.
I know users who have received more value out of their Support calls alone than the cost of the AppleCare. To them, it has been absolutely invaluable, or, in other words, priceless. However, I'd guess most Mac users never need support.
If the cost of a computer relative to the cost of the AppleCare is low enough and if support is not needed for a sophisticated user, AppleCare may not be worth it to such a user. However, I'd guess most Mac users don't consider their computer expenditure to be a small cost that they can easily overlook.
For those who think the cost of AppleCare is a non-starter, with a little effort it is possible to obtain the same product at lower cost. For those who still can't swing it - why buy a brand new computer in the first place when a refurb of the same model is available with a new warranty for enough less to about cover the cost of AppleCare?
For those who think they'll be keeping their Mac for three years or more, the bonus of an AppleCare Plan is that if they change their mind after one or two years, their Mac is more easily marketable, and at a higher price.

Similar Messages

  • Apple Care Warranty? Worth it?

    Is the Apple Care Warranty worth it? I'm buying a new mac, and am thinking 1 year coverage may be good enough.

    I have been using Apple products since the Apple IIe - before they had GUI and a mouse (the Macintosh). I never bought AppleCare for any system I owned before we started purchasing iPods and laptops.
    Neglected to purchase it on a 2nd gen iPod for my wife several years ago (the first we owned) and all was well until a few months after the original warranty expired. Wish I would have purchased it, would have been cheaper than the options.
    Purchased it for my son's first iPod (don't recall which version). Used it twice on it. More than payed for itself.
    From then on I purchased it for everything I buy from Apple. I am so glad I did.
    Purchased a refurbished MBP in 2006 since I was returning to school. First laptop I ever owned. Have used AppleCare for it on three occasions outside the normal warranty (very recently as a matter of fact). Payed for itself on the first use.
    I have also purchased it for my current MBP (early 2008). I am still within the normal warranty period, but am about to put it to use to try to cure the dreaded "unresponsive keyboard/trackpad" problem.
    All anyone has to do is look around and see what components like the screen, logic board, top case, etc. cost and you will see that it will almost always pay for itself on first use. If it is a mobile Apple product, I would never again consider not getting AppleCare.
    As for the desktops, have no idea as the last tower I purchased was a Dual G4 MDD, that only had one repair to the Iomega Zip drive (Iomega's replacement of a known bad batch). Never purchased AppleCare for it and it still runs like a champ - most dependable Apple product I ever purchased. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case with Apple.

  • Is apple care worth it for the iphone4s?

    I was wondering who has bought Apple Care for their iphone?  Do you think it is worth it??

    Well Applecare + gives you up to two replacements for breakage incidents, so I think it's worth it. For $99.00 it's worth the piece of mind. I know that Apple will do a one time replacement for iPhone 4 but something tells me that this will be coming to an end with the new plan being available for 4S. If you can swing it, it's worth it to me.

  • Apple care/ American Express Warranty - Worth it?

    My year is almost up as far as the warranty goes, and I purchased this on my american express card which doubles the warranty.
    I've only had to call apple once and this was a battery issue, they sent the battery overnight(excellent service)
    My question is if something like this occurs again, something small but important(cdrom,battery) - will I have to contact apple or american express?
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    If you don't have Apple Care and your one year is up, you'd contact American Express. They may have you get a repair estimate, and then they'd decide whether to pay for the repair, replace the item, or reimburse you for the original cost. (You would need to have all of your original receipts and not be behind in paying your bill at the time you filed the claim.) More info can be found here:
    https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/cda/dynamic.jsp?name=BuyersAssuranceCCSGFAQ&type=intFAQ
    Now, what happens if you buy Apple Care? (I purchased my MacBook with AmEx and bought Apple Care at the time, so I wondered that myself.)
    This is what the Buyer's Assurance Plan says (on page 2):
    "If you purchase an additional service contract or extended warranty with a product which is otherwise eligible under the Buyer's Assurance Plan, and the combined coverage provided by both the original manufacturer’s warranty and the purchased service contract does not exceed five years, then the product is eligible for coverage under the Buyer's Assurance Plan. The Buyer's Assurance Plan will extend the warranty time period and mirror coverage of the original manufacturers' warranty up to one additional year after both the original manufacturer’s warranty and the purchased service contract have expired. ... "
    Since the Apple warranty is one year and Apple Care adds three years, the Buyer's Assurance would be tacked on when the Apple Care ended. However, it's not really clear from the way that is worded whether or not you'd have to buy the extended warranty at the time you bought the product. That would be a good question to ask American Express.
    The Buyer's Assurance Plan also says (page 2):
    "If you buy an additional service contract or an extended warranty for a computer, computer component or part that already comes with an original U.S. Manufacturer’s warranty, unless such coverage is provided from and
    administered by the original manufacturer, coverage under the Buyer’s Assurance Plan does not apply."
    Since Apple Care is provided by Apple, it would seem that this exception would not apply. That would be another question that might be worth asking American Express.
    The American Express Buyer's Assurance plan can be found at https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/benefits/includes/pdf/buyersAssurance20 03.pdf

  • Apple Care and 1:1 - worth the price?

    I am buying my first ever Mac (wither MBA or Pro -retina).  Life long windows user.  What do you think about the 1:1 service and the Apple Care?  Do I need them?  I live in NYC so there are several Apple stores in town.
    Thanks

    Apple care is worth it if you have a mechanical problem with the MBP.  If there are no mechanical issues that develop, then it is not worth is, simply put.
    The fact is that Apple Care is priced so that Apple  will NOT lose money on repairs, so statically it is is not in your favor.  You have to balance that with 'peace of mind' as you would insurance.
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    If you are very much a novice to computers, 1 to 1 has virtue.  Otherwise most of your issues can be addressed in these forums.  An inherent problem with 1 to 1 is that there will be a very uneven quality of the instructors.  You may get a good one, you may not.  Luck of the draw.  Having knowledge and being able to teach others do not go hand in hand.
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  • Worth getting apple care for the Retina model?

    Is it worth geting apple care for the Retina models? have read they can be dodgy...
    Since I will have a one year warrenty could I just skip out on apple care untill a month before the warrenty expires as the warrenty will cover all my needs?

    jaymanjoel wrote:
    From the sounds of it, the Retina 2012 model is so not worth it. I assume that the 2012 retina model is almost like a testing ground to build on future retina models so there will be a lot of bugs to sort out... i assume such bugs like program capabilities with retina will be sorted out by the time the 2013 model comes around?
    Have to agree completely with that.
    If I was in the market for a new Mac it certainly would not be one of the Retina models. Way to expense for what you get and then there are all the problems with it.
    You know I've been doing my work and having fun on computer for over 20 years and never needed a screen like the Retina to actually get things done and make some money.

  • Apple Care a MUST? Worth?

    I know and think Apple Care is worth it - how can it be sold at Apple website under refurbished for less that retail by the way?
    Anyway is IT a must in that a PC laptop after one year, I kid you not, stuff starts falling off. One trip to Apple store and it pays for itself.
    My machine is 2.4 256 MB GPU that was $2500, I think refurbed they are $1699, so is that my price? Notice that its $100 more than refurb $1999 newer chip, extra 1 MB cache is better that 1999 3 MB cache I suppose.
    With Apple care, how much is it worth and again, why under refurb is apple care cheaper?

    While AppleCare is sold in the Apple Store Refurbished section, the prices are not any lower than retail. The only prices lower than retail in Refurbished are the hardware. AppleCare for a MacBook Pro is US$349 in both the retail and refurbished sections of the Apple Store. It might be less if you are looking at educational or business discounts.
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  • "Apple Care" worth the $$$?

    What are your thoughts on the “Apple Care” plan for the MacBook Pro? It strikes me as an extended warranty with somewhat limited coverage. Is the service worth the rather hefty price? Thank you.

    Considering that if a flaw is found that can't be a fault of yours through accident or otherwise in the first 3 years of ownership could cost:
    $150 for the battery
    $500 for the logicboard
    $1000 for the screen
    $300 for the soundboard
    $400 for the optical drive
    and
    $1000 for the chasis
    $75 for the power supply.
    and that you get 7 day a week phone tech support which could otherwise run $50 per incident, I think the cost of AppleCare is quite fair. And that you can purchase it anytime in the first year of ownership, that's also a plus.
    If though you like to do it yourself, and pay full price for parts and labor, when Apple is willing to admit culpibility, don't buy AppleCare.
    There are insurance programs like this one if you prefer dealing with insurance where accidents are covered:
    http://www.safeware.com/
    But do they have knowledgeable tech support staff?
    For some having both is valuable. Anyway, it is your choice.

  • IPod Touch Apple Care Worth While?

    Does anyone think that the iPod Apple Care is worth while? Thanks!

    Thanks. You could say a little more about how you've found it worthwhile?

  • Is Apple Care worth it for me? Retina macbook - please help!

    Hi everyone,
    I'm new to Apple having just bought my first Macbook Pro Retina 13 last month and absolutely loving it!
    My question is probably very similar to others but I'm finding contradicting answers everywhere - so is Apple Care worth it for me?
    If it doesn't include accidental damage, and just software/hardware, then is there any need for me to purchase it in its first year? Or even 2nd year for that matter due to EU consumer laws?
    What confuses me is that when I bought my macbook from the apple store, the employee told me a story of how a woman had just bought her retina macbook 2 months before hand & brought it in for repair as the screen had been damaged from her closing her macbook.. but she didn't have apple care so this cost her £800 to replace the screen - ouch!
    But if she DID have applecare, how would this even be covered if it's only software & hardware and no accidental damage? Or are they just a bit more lenient when you have apple care?
    Thanks!

    Apple makes a profit from AppleCare; otherwise it wouldn't offer the service. On average, buyers lose money on it. Consider whether you can afford to be self-insured for the risk. Make sure you understand that it's a warranty extension and a support contract, not insurance against loss or damage.
    If you choose to buy AppleCare, don't buy it at the same time as the Mac, and don't buy it from Apple. Get it from a reputable discounter such as LA Computer anytime before the one-year factory warranty expires.
    An exception to the above rule is that if you buy an Apple display together with a Mac, you have to buy AppleCare at the same time in order to get coverage for both.

  • Apple care worth it?

    I usually don't buy extended warranties and such, but is it worthwhile to get the one yr extension via apple care (3gs)?

    Personally, I don't think its worth it for several reasons:
    1) AppleCare just extends the normal warranty by a year - meaning that it only covers manufacturing defects and hardware failure due to those defects. The vast majority of problems that will happen to a mobile phone - damage due to scratches, dropping, cracked glass, etc - won't be covered.
    2) If warranties didn't make businesses money then they wouldn't be sold. Clearly, phones replaced under warranty cost Apple less than the monies they pull in from warranty sales. Based on simple probability, you will have to replace items on occasion but you will cover that cost by your savings from not buying the warranties.

  • Apple care is useless in India. I bought an iPhone 5 from a Maple store in June 2013.  Also got convinced at the store and purchased an additional Insurance worth Rs 1000 at the same time. The iPhone 5 has a very poor battery life. Needed to be charged at

    Apple care has been of absolutely no help to me. My 10 month old iPhone 5 stopped charging one fine day and Apple denies any responsibility for  the same. Between my Family of 4, we Re currently using 5 Apple devices. Am so disappointed with the service from Apple. Although my cell phone is well within the warranty period , I have been denied a replacement. And the Shield Insurance that I purchased is now declining the insurance amount even. They insist I prove that it is an accidental damage. And Apple refuses to cover what they choose to call a 'physical damage'. So where does that leave me ?!

    I cannot see the damage. But the screening centre has pics showing it is damaged. Apple refuses to cover a physical damage. But the reason the device is damaged could only be coz it had a poor battery life from start. The iPhone 5 is infamous for the same. We all know it. Apple conveniently denies responsibility.
    And the Insurance company says it covers only accidental damage. Now how am I to prove an 'accidental' damage ? Unless I lie to them....

  • My Display Only Works Part of the Time and Apple Care Won't Help Me (Long)

    I bought my computer at a discounted price because it was a restocked item, but was it really worth it? I'm beginning to think not. I saw that it had one stuck pixel, but saving that much money on such an expensive computer, the pixel hardly seemed like a travesty. However, I think I've discovered the real reason why the last owner gave up such a seemingly exceptional piece of hardware...
    After about a month of flawless operation my "new" computer started to act a little strangely. It wouldn't always go to sleep when it was scheduled, the screen saver wouldn't always come on by itself...things that I though a simple PRAM reset, SMC reset, or disk permission repair would fix. After countless attempts at all three "fixes" I was still having problems...a few days after these problems started occuring something even more drastic happened: My computer would turn on (the little light would come on, I'd hear the fans start running and the start up tone) but the screen would remain black. I tried several PRAM and SMC resets as suggested on this forum, but the screen continued to come up black for about an hour. That's when I called Apple.
    The Apple Care specialist on the phone asked me for the serial in which I had to lift the computer up to get (since I obviously couldn't read it off the screen). She suggested an SMC reset which, I explained to her, I had tried already but it hadn't worked, however, I was willing to give it another shot. Oddly (and rather annoyingly) enough it worked, and for a short amount of time I was happy...until it happened again...another call to Apple...and again...and about 3 or 4 calls to Apple Care later, they suggested that I go in to an Apple Store to have it looked at.
    The Apple Specialist made an appointment with me to meet with an Apple Genius the next day at 4:30PM at a store about a mile away from my house. The next day I lugged my 24" iMac through the local mall (I'm female, 5'2", and I weigh about 108 so it wasn't too easy of a feat) to discover the apple store was CLOSED for the next few days so that they could "make the store better." I called Apple Care on my cell phone right there in the mall and asked them what was going on. Didn't they know that this Apple Store was closed? The man I was talking to said that they knew and he wasn't sure how the person I had talked to just the day before had signed me up for an appointment when he hadn't even asked for my e-mail address. It was most bizarre. This man made an appointment with me for later that same day at an Apple Store about 45 minutes away from where I live. I didn't want to go, but I'm a college student and I was a desperate for my computer to work again.
    Shaking around in that box must have brought it out of it's strange seized-up state because as I brought it out for the Mac Genius to look at it turned on for him no problem. Quite a frustrating problem because it's so spontainious that it keeps making me look like either a liar or a fool. He said he'd run an 8-hour diagnostic check on it and I could pick it up the next day. So the next day I waited for their call but I got none. I called them and they said that they were still running tests and it'd be ready the next day. The day after, about an hour and a half before I had to go to work, they called me and told me my computer was ready. They said they had ran a 24-hour diagnostic and everything was working fine but they said they'd run more tests if I wanted them to. I'm a full-time college student and I need my computer for just about all of my classes, so I declined more tests and told them I'd pick it up right away. I dashed over there to pick it up and dashed back as fast as I could (and I even made it to work on time...but just barely). Later that night I found that they had accidentally left their diagnostics CD in my computer (I called them about it and they said that would like it if I would bring it back...I still haven't mailed it).
    All was fine and good (well, just okay...it still had problems with its sleeping and screen-savering) with my computer until yesterday. I got that black screen again upon start up....but this time my "fixes" worked after a few tries. There were no more problems for the rest of yesterday.
    However, today I came home from school and go to start up my computer and the screen turned on and I saw the little mac symbol and that little circle of bars...but then it froze. I held in the little button to force a shutdown and when I started it back up again I was greeted by my good old friend, Mr. Black Screen. Just wonderful. I tried my "fixes" but today I didn't get lucky. So while I was holding in the button to start up my computer (again) and give it another go, I held it longer than I was supposed to and the little on light began flickering. Then I heard this unpleasant tone that lasted a few seconds before stopping and treating me to the startup sound. This time the screen turned on. Yay! I go to call Apple to find out what I had just done, and I find out that my 90 days are up and unless I wanted to pay $50 for them to be puzzled by my issue once more or give them $300 for not quite 3 more years of service, I'd have to lug my computer to an Apple Store or post here to get help. Thanks a lot Apple Care.
    My "new" computer cost me almost $3,000. It should work the way it's supposed to. I need it to last me no less than 6 more years, but with the problems I've had with it in the first 3 months (which seem only to be getting worse and more frequent), I don't know if I'm expecting WAY too much out of it. I've been a loyal Apple user for 13 years and out of the 5 computers I've had in that time I've never had so many problems (actually I've never had any problems, at least nothing really serious; I'd never even called Apple Care before this). I'm a fairly experienced user (I'm not a Mac Genius or anything, but I know the ropes) and I am sure this is not normal behavior for an Apple computer (or any computer of that matter).
    I'm so frusterated I'm not sure what to do. What's wrong with my computer? How can I get Apple to help me? How can I get Apple to even believe me? Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you so much for reading my very long (and rather dramatic) story.

    Thanks for reading and thanks for the advice. Perhaps I'll ask them about it next time this problem occurs, although carrying the thing through a mall that is only about a mile away is the least of my worries. I'll do if it is both free (I don't make enough at my job to pay for such a service) and relatively speedy, although I'd hate for them to come over and for the computer to work properly (as bad as that sounds). It'd be a wasted trip and nothing would get fixed.
    I'm contemplating videotaping myself performing my "fixes" on it the next time I have this problem.

  • I woke up to find a little dampness in the back of my phone now it wont turn on. does the apple care protection plan cover this?

    does anyone know if this is covered by apple care?

    Your phone clearly has water damage.  You have 2 choices:
    1) You can try and salvage the phone by turning it off immediately and placing it in a bowl of dry rice for about a week and see if this helps.  No guarantee, but maybe worth a try.
    2) Since your warranty is void, bring it to an Apple Store for an out-of-warranty exchange for 130 GBP or 199 USD.  You will likely need to do this anyway even if you try the bowl of rice.

  • Apple Care - what a great thing

    Hello to the mac family,
    I realize that this forum is mainly for problem solving but this is important to me and may help others.
    Recently we had a problem on my son's G-4 I-Book. It was a strange problem with one web site used by my son for his college mail.
    I remembered that I had purchased a 3 year "Apple Care" protection and called them.
    I am so impressed with their help. We tried so many things and they never got discouraged. It took 3 calls continuing our case but the problem is fixed and my son's computer is all updated etc.
    The last Tech..."Matt I think was his name" was like a Pit Bull.
    He was determined to fix the problem and make us happy. He never got discouraged when things didn't work. He just had the attitude...OK let's try this next. They were all great. This to many would have been a minor problem and could have been fixed by using FireFox, but my son likes Safari.
    I just wanted to post and let people know....the "Apple Care" is a great protection and peace of mind. I don't usually buy protecion plans on peripherals and nome appliances but I amd glad I got it for the computer.....mGb.......Jim

    Although this post was more of a comment, I felt it was important to express my happiness in the fact that the reps were great and the problem is fixed 100%.
    I posted so that others may consider purchasing "Apple Care" in the future. Computers are expensive I realize but the peace of mind of AC was ell worth it.
    I marked this as answered so that it can be removed or filed away...Jim. S.

  • Apple Care *****

    I took my 17" Powerbook into the Apple Store locally.
    The problem was that my PB wasn't charging when it was connected to the charger unless you held it a certain way. They fixed that by providing me with a new adapter and also replacing my DC board. That portion of the service was great.
    However, the other portion of the service bites because the other problem is that my PB won't stay closed - the lid won't stay shut. This may not seem like a big deal but I cannot carry it around in my bag or wherever without turning it off because it drains the battery. They said they were going to fix this.
    When I picked it up they said that they didn't fix it because it was my fault according to them - they said it looked like the screen had been misaligned by some sort of jolt to the PB and that was the cause of the problem. He said a "rubber band works great". Otherwise, it would cost me $600 to have them repair it.
    First of all, I have never even dropped my PB - it's never suffered any sort of damage yet they do what they ALWAYS do to save money and blamed it on the user. Everytime anything goes wrong and I call customer service all they end up telling me is either A) It's my fault as the user or B) Take it into an Apple Store. They're useless typically.
    What is the point of having Apple Care if they can't ever really help you? Yes, if I didn't have it they would have charged me for the DC replacement and I agree that that is good but in the grand scheme of things, if they don't fix the problems you're having and aren't that helpful on the phone I'm not sure if it's worth it...on my NEXT Mac.

    I made the experience with (German) Apple Care that the friendliness and quality-of-service varies significantly from employee to employee.
    So maybe you try to speak with an other technician and explain that you are not responsible for the damage. Also asking for the department manager helps sometimes
    Spoken generally, I find that the extended Apple warranty isn't worth its money. Sure, they repair and replace parts free of charge for a longer time period, but how often may this happen during the extended warranty ?
    For me I made the decision that I save this extra expense, because in the many years I worked with mobile computers, not even a single one was in need to get repaired. Maybe I just had luck, maybe I'm exceptionally careful, not sure

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