Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Airport, Troubleshooting
Which peripherals are covered under AppleCare?
In the wake of our earlier post on possibly time-bombed Time Capsules, there was some confusion as to whether or not the Time Capsule would be covered under any AppleCare Protection Plan you might have. The suggestion was made in the comments to Mel's post that extended coverage would apply, but we decided to double-check.In short, it's true. if you have an AppleCare Protection Plan that is currently in-force for a Mac that you own, your Time Capsule is covered under that agreement. In fact, there is no need for the Time Capsule to be on the same receipt as the computer you purchased. As long as the Time Capsule is owned by you and "in use" along with the covered Mac system, it is covered along with the product for which you have an existing AppleCare Protection Plan.
Of course, this does not cover any damage you inflict on the Time Capsule, and it must not be hacked or used in any way other than it was intended. In other words, don't use your Time Capsule as a doorstop and expect to get AppleCare coverage on it when it breaks.
In addition to the Time Capsule, this "in use" coverage extends to the following products:
- AirPort Extreme Card
- AirPort Express
- AirPort Extreme Base Station
- Apple-branded DVI to ADC display adapter
- Apple RAM modules
- MacBook Air SuperDrive
All of the above is contained within the terms and conditions of the AppleCare Protection Plan for North America. In addition to those actual terms, an Apple Genius I spoke with said that coverage also typically extends to Apple-branded hardware on the same receipt as the covered computer purchase, and in general he and his colleagues endeavor to extend the best courtesy they can to their customers when the situation permits. So you may, in fact, receive coverage better than the terms within the agreement itself if you are pleasant, don't yell at the nice Geniuses and say "pretty please." Complimenting their shoes is always a nice touch. They also like chocolate.
If you'd like to check to see what agreements are current, you can click here to check them out, see when they expire, and read the terms and conditions yourself. If your agreement is not registered or is not listed under your Apple ID, you can check by agreement number and computer serial number. Also, if you are not in North America, you can read the terms specific to your agreement here -- many European countries have stronger consumer protections than the US does, and longer warranties may be standard where you live.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MAB! said 11:18PM on 9-11-2009
Ok, this makes me feel better about my time capsule purchase from July of last year. Thanks for clarifying, TUAW!
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LAGal said 11:50PM on 9-11-2009
given that all the failed TCs are being reported as bought in late feb/march of 2008 it is very possible that they were a bad batch.
also on the 'nice' stuff. that is a general rule of acting for something you perhaps don't deserve (according to 'the letter of the law'). be nice and polite and they are more willing to be nice back, be a douche bag and you'll be paying that 10% restocking fee etc.
Isamu said 11:48PM on 9-11-2009
The APP for Apple TV also covers Airport base stations and Time Capsules.
http://www.apple.com/support/products/applecareappletv.html
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Peter said 12:18AM on 9-12-2009
Unfortunately, Apple retail stores seem so only honor AppleCare Protection Plan on Airport and Time Capsule devices if they were purchased on the same receipt as the Mac, which contradicts the policy. I've confirmed this with several stores, but if you call AppleCare, they will take care of you.
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alansky said 1:10AM on 9-12-2009
My guess is that every store is different. My local Apple Store once refused to exchange a defective Panther disk I had bought from the online Apple Store. Although they relented when I refused to take "no" for an answer, their attitude was totally for the birds. Fortunately, the level of customer service at this Apple Store has improved greatly since then.
Nerual said 12:29AM on 9-12-2009
Well, dunno bout chocolate, but my local Genius folks sure seem to like Chipotle, so I'd probably try and bribe em with a burrito! :)
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marian said 12:40AM on 9-12-2009
I don't mean to make the situation more complex than necessary, but at least for Europe there's something that needs to added. Consider what happened to me:
My Time Capsule gave up a few weeks ago - it was exactly a year and a week old. Two of my Macs' Apple Care Protection Plans are still valid so I expected it not to be a big deal - I was wrong.
Apple Care told me that my Time Capsule would only be covered by the APPs if I had called after the purchase and registered it with Apple Care. I purchased Time Capsule together with one of my Macs (at an Authorized Apple Premium Reseller - there are no Apple Stores in my area) - irrelevant, I would have needed to call. I have an invoice with my name and the serial numbers of both the Mac and the Time Capsule on it which I faxed to Apple (they have some form for that). They answered because my Time Capsule was out of warranty it could not be registered with the protection plan. I asked politely if there was any way they could help me - I mean, it was just one week, I had proofs of purchases of the Mac, the APP and Time Capsule and no one had told me I'd have to call back then! No, there wasn't. Apple refuses to fix my Time Capsule.
So ... do you need to specifically register your Time Capsule with Apple Care (in the U.S., in Germany), even if you purchased them at the same time? I think that's a question worth answering.
One more thing ... That famous EU customer protection doesn't help here, either. If a product breaks after the first year not the manufacturer but the retailer needs to repair or replace it (which, in my case, is not Apple but an Apple Reseller). As someone already mentioned, in that case you have to prove that the failure is due to a malfunction or production error already present at the time of purchase. Sounds easy in theory - but it's not. If they refuse to repair (which is exactly what they do most of the times - in my case too) you either have to hire a lawyer (too expensive for me) or you're out of luck (yeap, that's my way to go).
(Please excuse my English, it's not my native language.)
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imunknown_43 said 12:20AM on 11-21-2009
My device gave up the ghost on Tuesday. I went to see the geniuses today, and they told me they couldn't help me, but would be happy to sell me a new one (which doesn't help retrieve the files of course).
I was pretty jazzed about Apple's resurgence, but I also replaced one of my 5 PC's with a Windows 7 PC 3 weeks ago . . . it works pretty well.
Now I have a conundrum. Invest in more apple or continue on with all of my non-apple stuff. I think I will go back to a boring old $100 wireless base station, and a NAS device. I really want a new 27" Mac, but when products die after 18 months I can't take paying a premium for something that dies so quickly. (I just backed up a 9 year old PC to the Time Machine about 2 weeks before it quit, so that I could throw out my 9 year old PC).
Does anyone have a good external drive bay solution, preferably NAS?
Thanks.
Rubbinz said 12:56AM on 9-12-2009
This post is a complete contradiction to what 4 separate Apple "Genius" drones told me. My Macbook AppleCare DOES NOT extend to my AirPort Extreme Base Station because I did not purchase them at the same time.
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puhsitch said 10:37AM on 9-12-2009
This is where you humbly ask a manager if they wouldn't mind spending a minute reviewing the AppleCare terms and conditions with you.
Chris said 1:06AM on 9-12-2009
iPhone Apple Care also covers the Apple branded iPhone Bluetooth headset. This got me a new headset to replace one that was over a year old and the battery crapped out. So I got a new headset even after they had just discontinued the headset. Worth the $69 even though I never had to use it for my 1st gen iPhone.
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Scott said 1:21AM on 9-12-2009
not entirely sure this article is true, I am an Apple tech at a service provider and Time Capsules do not show on GSX as a part that can be replaced under a computers serial number, maybe only retail can do this but even still I suspect they would require POP.
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crocodial said 1:29AM on 9-12-2009
Something seems a little fishy about the info in this post.
According to this, if I bought a TM and then 6 months later, I bought a new Mac with AppleCare, and then my TM broke, it would be automatically covered?
What's to stop a new Mac owner from buying AppleCare simply because his TM broke and he wants it replaced?
That can't be right.
puhsitch said 10:43AM on 9-12-2009
crocodial: Considering that AppleCare can cost $200+, I imagine that Apple wouldn't mind all that much. Plus, they'd probably hope that you would tell your friends how awesome it is, prompting them to buy AppleCare too...
Rob Roark said 2:38AM on 9-12-2009
Direct quote from the AppleCare Protection Plan Terms:
(i) Under APP, Apple covers the Covered Equipment and one Apple branded display if purchased at the same time and registered with a covered Mac mini, Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, computer. An Apple-branded mouse and keyboard are also covered under APP if included with the Covered Equipment (or purchased with a Mac mini). An AirPort Extreme Card, an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule, an Apple-branded DVI to ADC display adapter, Apple RAM modules and MacBook Air SuperDrive are also covered under APP if owned by you and used with the Covered Equipment. If during the Repair Coverage Period there is a defect in the materials or workmanship of the Covered Equipment or the other covered items described above, Apple will at its option, repair or replace the affected item.
So, according to that wording, this article is correct, and you are within your AppleCare service contract to get those items serviced.
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quasimoto said 5:25AM on 9-12-2009
Another nice thing to know since we're kinda on topic. The new Apple In-Ear headphones with remote & mic are actually covered in your iPhone warranty, not just the stock ones that come with your phone, even though they were purchased separately. The apple store employee checked the serial number on my 3GS, checked to make sure my in-ear headphones were defective (volume buttons weren't working), and then gave me a new pair!
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Binja said 8:09AM on 9-12-2009
You are defenitely right about the whole being pleasant thing. More than once I have been in there, without AppleCare, asking for something to be repaired or replaced. Each time the genius became rude and I stayed firm but pleasant in my resolve that something be done to rectify the situation. After the fifth or sixth time that I repeat my stance, big smile on my face, and the genius becomes more and more frustrated and rude, the manager will finally step in and give me whatever I want. I suspect that they keep detailed sales records and don't want to lose a dedicated customer over something so silly as an iPhone with a busted wifi chip.
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abramelin said 10:20AM on 9-12-2009
Onthe subject of european legal cover: For those resident in the UK the Sale of Goods Act provides protection. The above poster is quite correct in stating that if there is any problem with a good bought then the repsonsibility lies with the retailer, NOT the manufacturer. The above poster is not quite correct however in saying that one has to prove the item was at fault at the time of purchase.
The retailer is liable is a product fails to uphold its intended function during a period of time one would reasonably expect said product to last. So, whilst you may have a case with a brand new car breaking down two years after purchase, you probably wouldn't have a case with an old knackered second hand one doing the same. The reasonable expectations are different.
If you pass this test (and these time capsules would; one would not reasonably expect them to be failing after say 18 months of use from new), then the retailer has 3 options; you can ask them to repair the item, replace it or refund you in cash equivalent to its current (not new) market value.
Most insurance schemes such as Apple Care and PC World's computer care scheme, don't offer that much more than the same protection the law provides, though they do offer it with much less hassle. If going the statutory route, in the UK at least, you would write an initial letter to the retailer, explaining the problem, asking for your desired solution and stating that you will resort to legal action if a solution is refused.
If a retailer denies responsibility, which they stupidly do all of the time, simply lodge a claim with the small claims court against them. You will then be claiming for your item, plus interest, plus expenses, plus court fees. Retailers do not expect people to do this, and most people do in reality just accept what the retailer tells them. But do this and you will get what you want - so long as you are being reasonable.
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Michael Fryd said 10:31AM on 9-12-2009
The interesting thing about North American AppleCare is that your Apple AirPort base station is covered, regardless of age.
I went in last week to have an Airport Express replaced. The genius looked up the serial number and informed me that the unit was 5 years old, and therefore not covered. I told her that I knew it was 5 years old, but that AppleCare covered it as long as I owned it, and used it with my covered MacBookPro. She disappeared into the back for a few minutes, and when she came out she told me that it would be covered.
Remember. AppleCare is a legal contract between you and Apple. In exchange for money they agree to cover the specified items.
The Genius at the store isn't all knowing, and sometimes is not familiar with every Apple policy. If they give you trouble, politely ask them to double check, as the AppleCare policy is clear on what is covered. If you still have an issue, politely ask to speak to a store manager.
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Peter said 12:02PM on 9-12-2009
A specialist, a genius, the head genius, and the store manager all told me that the Time Capsule has to be on the same receipt as the Mac. I even showed the terms and conditions to the manager, who claims that they have always required them to be on the same receipt are instructed to do that from higher up.