Apple warranty transfer confusion

[100Years]

I'm considering purchasing a 2010 tower via a local sale, and the tower is still under the standard 1-year Apple warranty. The seller is the original owner, and has registered the machine on the Apple website.

Doing Internet searches, I see two different stories of how such a warranty transfer would take place:

1) The seller would have to call Apple and provide my info to them as the new registered owner.

2) I, as the buyer, could just go to the Apple website and basically re-register the machine with my info.

So, I was wondering if any of you guys have gone through this, which version (1 or 2) is accurate?

Thanks in advance.

 

[GGJstudios]

2) I, as the buyer, could just go to the Apple website and basically re-register the machine with my info.

This ^. Although neither is necessary, as AppleCare follows the computer, not the user. As long as the computer is covered, it doesn't matter who owns it.

 

[100Years]

Excellent -- thanks!

 

[GGJstudios]

Excellent -- thanks!

By the way, you can verify coverage with the serial number here: https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

 

[100Years]

Oh, thanks -- I appreciate the link.

 

[alphaod]

If you think the seller might pull a fast one on you, you could always have him/her draft a bill of sale listing the computer model, parts included and the serial number of all the parts. Though personally if anyone asks me to go through all that I'd probably pass on the sale.

 

[KD5MDK]

Apple doesn't care who the name given on the computer is. The presumption is the person who presents a system is the owner. Or the police can ask about it.

 

[HXGuy]

When I bought a used Mac Pro locally, I called Apple and verified the serial number and also registered it over the phone. The guy did say that the warranty follows the computer so it's not really necessary to transfer it.

 

[jenzjen]

One thing to note, if you do not formally transfer AppleCare to the new owner, the new owner will see all your contact information on the Genius Bar paperwork if they ever take it in for service.

So, while the warranty does follow the hardware, I always transfer AppleCare itself to the new owner to prevent them having my information.