Applecare for IMac?

[Dimwhit]

Yeah my 2.4 is coming up on 1 yr in August. I am currently shopping for a good deal on it; where did you find it for $87.00 ?? Nice deal!

Found it on eBay. Since then, I haven't seen it for cheaper than about $110 over there. Still, you might get lucky. LA Computing also has nice prices.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Found it on eBay. Since then, I haven't seen it for cheaper than about $110 over there. Still, you might get lucky. LA Computing also has nice prices.

Thanks! Will keep an eye on eBay and check out LA... I have to get this done soon as I'm guessing Aug 1st I'll be toast AppleCare wise.

 

[VaDor]

beware with the 2 year warranty mandatory in portugal

this is only valid if there is not a different agreement otherwise, which is what happens when you buy an apple product that is publicly offered with 1 year factory warranty, which they all are, at least in apple pt website...

after the 1st year, if u have any issue with an apple product in Portugal, you will be told your warranty has expired

if u start with the consumer conscious 2 year mandatory they will direct you to seek warranty support from the place where you bought it, stating that they only offer 1 yr and anything promised besides that will be handled by the promising entity

And if the promising entity is the Apple itself? (Apple store)

I have a friend that his macbook went to warranty after 1 year and half, the procedure isn't so directly (first year, we just go to a official apple support center) he had to call to apple support number and then sent the macbook to Apple (they try to be more difficult).

And you are right in the begging when Apple settle officially in Portugal they were only giving 1 year of warranty but many protests after and with DECO (Consumer defense association in Portugal) Apple started to give 2 years of warranty however the Apple Portuguese site still tells one year only for personal consumers!

Companies have by law 1 year.

I know this is not common in almost countries but Apple is a company that have to follow the Portuguese law like every other company that operates in Portugal and the same thing for other countries.

 

[anemone]

Yes!

I bought my aluminum iMac the first week they were available. I love it, but I've had three major repairs done in the 11 months I've owned it and even after an on-site home visit last week it is still not fully functional--can't burn a CD without the machine turning off. I'm getting a replacement since they agree I seem to have a lemon.

After the first repair (and seeing that the retail cost of that repair was nearly $500) I got AppleCare right away. The repairs I've had in 11 months cost Apple more than I paid for my machine.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Well, just picked up AC for iMac for $119 shipped on eBay... not too bad, still plenty less than they sell for in the stores!

 

[Dimwhit]

Well, just picked up AC for iMac for $119 shipped on eBay... not too bad, still plenty less than they sell for in the stores!

Cool. That's probably about as cheap as you'll find it anymore.

 

[Nonnus3G]

And if the promising entity is the Apple itself? (Apple store)

I have a friend that his macbook went to warranty after 1 year and half, the procedure isn't so directly (first year, we just go to a official apple support center) he had to call to apple support number and then sent the macbook to Apple (they try to be more difficult).

And you are right in the begging when Apple settle officially in Portugal they were only giving 1 year of warranty but many protests after and with DECO (Consumer defense association in Portugal) Apple started to give 2 years of warranty however the Apple Portuguese site still tells one year only for personal consumers!

Companies have by law 1 year.

I know this is not common in almost countries but Apple is a company that have to follow the Portuguese law like every other company that operates in Portugal and the same thing for other countries.

so, according to you, apple offers 2 years of warranty in portugal despite their website stating they only offer 1 ? really ?

i must say, that if they did it would be quite clear in their comunication

apple support has bee just experimenting with the portuguese market, hence their changes in procedures, for some time u had to call and get a ticket number, now it has changed again...

after 1 year they will just tell you to take it to where u bought it and claim your consumer rights if u wish, provided it was not aqquired on the online apple store that clearly states the equipment has a 1 yr warranty

i d suggest you call them and confirm, 707 200 826 se estiveres em pt
if not you´ll be really dispointed when u need support

i had my last update on their position less than 2 weeks ago so maybe it has changed again

 

[xstux]

I'm a bit dubious about buying applecare from anyone but Apple, especially from ebay. Has anyone had any problems with applecare bought through non-Apple suppliers? Has anyone successfully had a repair done through an applecare plan bought from ebay?

 

[Mark-Mac-Attack]

Applecare is cheaper for the iMac and is worth it,

i actually got mine thrown in for free when purchasing the iMac from new from an Apple Store.

Do it.

 

[Lord Zedd]

Applecare is a complete waste of money except for laptops and liquid-cooled G5s.

 

[gehrbox]

Applecare is a complete waste of money except for laptops and liquid-cooled G5s.

If your Mac works perfectly for 3 years it is a waste. If your iMac breaks once in that time the price is worth it. It's piece of mind that you are buying. Cheap insurance for a $2000 purchase.

 

[mustang_dvs]

Here's the lowest prices I've found:

$120 at LAcc: http://www.lacomputercompany.com/cgi-bin/rpcart/index.cgi?command=dispitem&type=sku&sku=10123

$62 on eBay, when searching for the old p/n: M8851LL/B (it will work on any iMac or eMac, so long as it still is under the 1 yr warranty)

I've always purchased AppleCare -- having personally owned 21 macs (since 1987), it's come in handy on some and never used on most (though it's paid for itself, when needed) -- and it significantly helps resale value when selling before the AC is expired.

 

[Lord Zedd]

It's piece of mind that you are buying. Cheap insurance for a $2000 purchase.

Insurance is one of the greatest scams ever conceived by man.

 

[Dimwhit]

Insurance is one of the greatest scams ever conceived by man.

Tell that to people whose houses are rebuilt at no cost after it burns down.

 

[Lord Zedd]

Tell that to people whose houses are rebuilt at no cost after it burns down.

Tell that to the hundreds of millions of people who have wasted thousands of dollars each over the years for nothing.

 

[gehrbox]

Tell that to the hundreds of millions of people who have wasted thousands of dollars each over the years for nothing.

It would be nice if somebody offered to pay for your losses without asking for anything in return. Want peace of mind? Buy insurance. If you don't care don't buy it.

 

[Lord Zedd]

The fact is its like ANY extended warranty program offered, just another mode of easy income for the company.

 

[rfruth]

Why would any company (Apple included) push extended warranty s if they weren't turning a profit doing so !?

 

[TheIntruder]

i bought mine with my AMEX so there is 1 more year additionalwarranty. Is that worth it to get the applecare ?

Most decent credit cards will extend the warranty for an additional year on new merchandise (refurbs often don't qualify).

What's good about AMEX is that if you do opt for AppleCare, the AMEX coverage takes effect after AC is up, so total coverage would be for 4 years. I checked with my Visa provider, and they said AC would void their extended warranty.

As for the value of AppleCare, like all insurance, it's a gamble with the odds in their favor. Everyone has their own risk/reward thresholds. You do get the benefit of phone and possibly on-site support, but if you have an Apple Store close by, it might not matter.

For a laptop, or laptop-based computer like the iMac, I'd learn toward getting AppleCare. They're more difficult to service, and the shrunken components have to deal with a harsher environment. If the LCD screen, hard drive, or DVD drive fail, it will have paid for itself. And as a manufacturer-backed warranty, it's going to be more solid than a 3rd party extended warranty often pushed by retailers.

If it was a robust, old-school pre-contractor-built Apple desktop, I'd learn toward no AC. The components that typically fail would be a snap to replace by oneself. It's an old cliché, but they don't make 'em like they used to.

 

[gehrbox]

The fact is its like ANY extended warranty program offered, just another mode of easy income for the company.

You are correct and people will pay for the peace of mind it provides.

 

[gehrbox]

Why would any company (Apple included) push extended warranty s if they weren't turning a profit doing so !?

They would not offer it if they didn't turn a profit. It's your choice to either buy Applecare or not though

 

[brop52]

Having applecare increases the price of your machine if you ever want to sell it.

I bought my applecare last night for my aluminum mid-2007 iMac. 119 ed discount.

 

[Mark-Mac-Attack]

Its true that something big(ish) has to go wrong on Applecare for laptops as the initial purchase price is high (if you paid for it...).

on an iMac, full price is still low, and to be honest very little would have to go wrong to mean it would make sense.

Yes i think insurance on some things is not worth it... mobile phones for instance i have never bothered with (as you generally keep them for a short period of time).

In saying all this, i'm not sure if i would have got it, if it wasn't free....

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I'm a bit dubious about buying applecare from anyone but Apple, especially from ebay. Has anyone had any problems with applecare bought through non-Apple suppliers? Has anyone successfully had a repair done through an applecare plan bought from ebay?

Just purchased an applecare plan from an ebay seller for $119 shipped: received it, applied it to my iMac and all is well, covered till Aug, 2010. Just make sure it is sealed and you are good to go wherever you buy it. If the coverage is showing on warranty lookup and you've received the verification from Apple on the coverage then I would say it is covered should there be a need for it.

Having recently had my iPhone die on me suddenly, I decided $119 bucks was well worth not having to worry if something happens to the machine for the next 2 years. After that... I'll have a new machine anyway so no worries. Most likely I'll have this for 1 more year and sell it when I upgrade so it will be good to be able to sell with 1 year of warranty left.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Oh, not this tired debate again...

Tell that to the hundreds of millions of people who have wasted thousands of dollars each over the years for nothing.

It would be nice if somebody offered to pay for your losses without asking for anything in return. Want peace of mind? Buy insurance. If you don't care don't buy it.

Right you are, Bud. The bottom line is that peace of mind has a value. In my case that value was the $120 I paid for my iMac Applecare coverage from L.A. Computer. If I don't have need to actually do any repairs under the extended warranty I can assure you I still won't feel the slightest bit cheated.

Oh, and it also adds to the resale value of your Mac if you sell it with coverage remaining.