The case for AppleCare

I see absolutely no convincing arguments for purchasing AppleCare. The high cost is not justified by the limited coverage provided. People buying AppleCare either do so because they need the free tech support (I've never had to call Apple for support) or, they can't do the simple arithmetic required to evaluate the value of the warranty.

The author's article (aside from containing some errors) makes no sense. The logic board was replaced for free because it had a glaring manufacturing defect and Apple covered repairs even outside of warranty. If the defect hadn't existed, then it wouldn't have been an issue in the first place. The author demonstrated ZERO value received for his $200-350 AppleCare investment.

I am now on my third Mac notebook. The first was flawless for 2 years and only required a battery replacement, which the AppleCare contract specifies is not covered. It MAY be that Apple would have covered it anyway, but the contract clearly states this is not covered. Even if the battery had been covered, its $129 value would not come close to the whopping $349 cost of AppleCare.

My second notebook also required a battery replacement after 18 months. Additionally, I accidentally dropped it on its edge, which dented the case but did not affect any functionality. The repair would have cost several hundred dollars, so I chose to live with the ugly dent. If AppleCare covered this sort of damage, then it would have been worth the investment. But as it doesn't cover accidental damage, my AppleCare purchase would have been completely wasted here as well.

I recently bought a new MacBook pro and have no intention of spending $350 for AppleCare.

"that AppleCare will cover you at any Apple Certified retailer, no matter where you take it."

correct that to "any Apple Authorised Service Centre" as not all retailers do service...

:)

mg

Funny, I am having the EXACT same problem with my iMac G5 17 ALS.I did purchase applecare with this machine, but unfortunately it expired about 2 weeks before my logic board began failing. I am now forced to solder some new capacitors to the board (!!!). I really wish this thing had failed earlier.

Usually you can find these warranties for much cheaper online. I bought mine from this site and it worked perfectly.

http://gamestock.ecrater.com

Anyone else shop here?

I CANNOT stress enough how incredibly smart it is to get applecare. I went to the apple store thinking i just needed a new hard drive, and ended up needing $2000 dollars worth of more repairs (MacBook white is only $995), including a new logic board ($900 in itself), dvd combo drive ($300), lcd display ($500), top case, inverter board, and new speakers. i had no idea that i needed any of these things replaced and nearly cried in the store when i was told that it was all absolutely free. unbelievable.

$300 more dollars seemed like too much after getting an already expensive computer but im glad i did...it was well worth it.

Helllp! My one year warranty on my mac book pro is about run out. I live in israel and bought my mac in the u.s.
i want to buy the applecare kit but cant do it through the apple store (they dont make shipments to israel).
Does anybody knows were can i purchaes this kit online (from a store that makes shipments abroad?)
thanks

As someone else pointed out, it's a gamble. Pay the $300 and maybe it's worth it, maybe it isn't.

My gamble: buy Apple products on a credit card that provides an extended warranty. It's no additional cost to you (save interest charges, but don't pay those!) and in the case of AmEx will give you an additional 1 year on top of the initial year warranty. You have to pay up front for the repairs, but AmEx reimburses for anything that Apple's standard warranty will cover. I got myself a new power supply for nothing but a bit of paperwork.

AppleCare is definitely worthwhile. About a year ago, my Intel iMac had a logic board problem. I called AppleCare and they sent a technician to my home within a few days to replace the part! Very professional service!

I do agree, however, that the cost of this coverage seems high; but I can't imagine purchasing a new Mac without AppleCare.

This is a great post! I absolutely think apple care is worth it. I'm glad you wrote about this because I was just talking about this to a friend and we were debating about applecare. Another way to think about it, is if you get a $60 applecare, your really only spending like $3 a month.

I've watched my mother go through 5 Macs over the years. Every single one of them required some warranted work. Not buying AppleCare is not an option.

That said,I've got to say how far short AppleCare comes compared to the warranty extensions offered by some competitors - say Dell. For approximately the same cost as AppleCare on a MacBook, Dell will sell you three years of AT HOME warranty extension on a comparable laptop.

It is completely unacceptable that the repair of a dead computer should take a week. Even more unacceptable is needing to be without your computer for a week in order to get a minor issue repaired.

I've watched my mother forgo AppleCare covered repair work because working-around a problem (broken key, non-operable cd drive, intermittent screen) was easier that being without the machine all-together for a week. I always tell her how short sighted that is, but to be honest I'm not sure I wouldn't do the same.

How many of you have struggled with this same decision?

I wold love to buy myself a Unibody 17" MBP when they come out - to replace my aging Dell Inspiron 9300, but I don't think I can get around this issue. My 9300 is three years old and still has a year of at home warranty. Cost at time of purchase was < $300. A few months ago a repairman came and replaced the motherboard - a repair that took 45 minutes - because the machine wouldn't run at full speed on batteries. If I had had a similar problem with an Apple laptop I would have been out of warranty even if I had spent as much on AppleCare. If I had been in warranty I would have had to mail the machine to Apple (or take it to an Apple Store for them to mail to Apple), and I would have been without the machine for about a week.

That's just completely unacceptable.