Unlimited support available in Apple stores?
The article below appeared in the Miami Herald
Posted on Sat, May. 24, 2008
To buy (or not) an extended warranty on computer?
? When buying a Mac. Consumer Report has long said that it's worth considering an extended plan for Macs due to Apple's brief tech support which runs out 90 days after purchase (although unlimited support is available in its stores.) While CR's survey showed Apple's track record for solving problems among consumers without paid plans was already a standout, it was even better than for support with a plan.
DO Apple stores provide unlimited support - or does the article mean "for a fee"? Big difference.
Posted on Sat, May. 24, 2008
To buy (or not) an extended warranty on computer?
? When buying a Mac. Consumer Report has long said that it's worth considering an extended plan for Macs due to Apple's brief tech support which runs out 90 days after purchase (although unlimited support is available in its stores.) While CR's survey showed Apple's track record for solving problems among consumers without paid plans was already a standout, it was even better than for support with a plan.
DO Apple stores provide unlimited support - or does the article mean "for a fee"? Big difference.
Comments
The article below appeared in the Miami Herald
Posted on Sat, May. 24, 2008
To buy (or not) an extended warranty on computer?
? When buying a Mac. Consumer Report has long said that it's worth considering an extended plan for Macs due to Apple's brief tech support which runs out 90 days after purchase (although unlimited support is available in its stores.) While CR's survey showed Apple's track record for solving problems among consumers without paid plans was already a standout, it was even better than for support with a plan.
DO Apple stores provide unlimited support - or does the article mean "for a fee"? Big difference.
I think their version of unlimited support has nothing to do with monetary compensation. I do have to say that after buying one AppleCare plan for my laptop and discovering it covers almost no technical problems and that I'd still have to pay for repairs, I don't think I'll ever buy another one.
I think their version of unlimited support has nothing to do with monetary compensation. I do have to say that after buying one AppleCare plan for my laptop and discovering it covers almost no technical problems and that I'd still have to pay for repairs, I don't think I'll ever buy another one.
Ridiculous.
My MacBook, after 18 months...
New top case/keyboard (original MacBook discoloration problem).
New battery (less than 50% of original capacity).
New screen (dust inside screen).
All free, of course!
What kind of problems did you have? Dropped it?
Ridiculous.
My MacBook, after 18 months...
New top case/keyboard (original MacBook discoloration problem).
New battery (less than 50% of original capacity).
New screen (dust inside screen).
All free, of course!
What kind of problems did you have? Dropped it?
Not ridiculous for you, but it was for me. Guy lied to me and told me it would cover accidental damage, which is why I bought it. The first time, I was closing the top of my Macbook, just over a month after I got it, and the plastic cracked. Of course, that's not covered under the AppleCare, even though I wasn't slamming it down or anything like that. So I've had it taped on the side since then because the plastic kept stabbing me
Second misfortune: I tripped and dropped a glass of champagne on my Macbook. It's costing me $755, and I'm going to be waiting more than the 7 days they said it would take. I'm not normally an accident prone person anyways, so this was doubly hard on me.
Not only that, but the guy at the store who was helping me with recovering my data on my laptop put it on the HD I purchased incorrectly twice, putting it in "mac format" only, and since my laptop is my only Mac, I tried to get them to redo it. Well, they partitioned the HD and put the information on the Mac side, so I *still* can't access the data.
Let's just say I don't see any reason, for myself, to purchase AppleCare.
Edited to add: I also wanted to add that while I was there, there was a poor girl who had an iMac, with an AppleCare plan, whose HD had just failed on her. She was also going to have to pay for the machine failing. After hearing that, I realized that there was no reason I personally would want the plan.
When the famous logic board died after 18 months, I could just bring it in, without a receipt, and I got it back one week later. They even repaired the hinge, which broke after I accidentally fell on the iBook.
Even though it has nothing to do with Apple, since the store is not directly associated with it, I have to say that the extended warranty is really a plus on the Mac side.
But if you damaged the computer yourself you could always let the insurance pay.
Water once got into the screen, a vase fell and all the water dropped into the running computer, which was still on, and the insurance paid me the repair.
Those iBooks are tough.
When I bought my first iBook I also purchased a 3-year warranty, though no Apple Care Protection Plan, but the offered warranty from this chain. It covered all the same aspects as the ACPP, but was only 1/3 in price.
I do like the warranties given at the chain places that sell macs a lot more. I think Apple could learn from them, but there are some things you pay extra for to have the Apple Privilege.