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Buying Apple Care for machines less than 12 months old?

1

1992LC575

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 11, 2006
51
28
I'd long understood that policy on Apple Care for machines less than 12 months old, was that you could buy it no questions asked right up until the one year anniversary of your purchase.

Has anyone been refused Apple Care on an iMac less than 12 months old?
 
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elicash said:
I'd long understood that policy on Apple Care for machines less than 12 months old, was that you could buy it no questions asked right up until the one year anniversary of your purchase.

Has anyone been refused Apple Care on an iMac less than 12 months old?
Click to expand...

Chances of offering sight unseen AC+ (a la “No questions asked”) for an uncovered 11 month old device was likely never to be. But taking it into the Apple Store for quick cosmetic and function verification? Seems reasonable given a very small but insistent group of consumers always try to game something like this to get free repair.
 
One2Grift said:
Chances of offering sight unseen AC+ (a la “No questions asked”) for an uncovered 11 month old device was likely never to be. But taking it into the Apple Store for quick cosmetic and function verification? Seems reasonable given a very small but insistent group of consumers always try to game something like this to get free repair.
Click to expand...

This makes sense. I was told by an Apple representative that it was judged on a case by case basis, but if you check your serial number online you can be given a flat 'no' (as I was). The online check by serial number seems to run on a different criteria, and for some reason there is no advertised policy on the link you get from phone support to check eligibility.

I had recalled an August press release from last year stating that AC could be purchased anytime up until 12 months. Since you have complimentary Apple Care for 12 months, this made at least some sense. But either what I read was inaccurate, or my memory is inaccurate. Decent chance on both too : )
 
elicash said:
Insight straight from the top shelf of 'I know best without actually even understanding what is being asked, or what other solutions might be available online'....
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I don't know... the Learn More section seems to be pretty explicit.
 
posguy99 said:
I don't know... the Learn More section seems to be pretty explicit.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... didn't give me the same story that I got from phone support, and the check eligibility by serial number number page also didn't offer direction to an assessment through my local store.

But do feel free to pile on with more inanity that adds absolutely nothing to making this thread usable for anyone else that might be searching for a similar answer.
 
With my 2018 Mini (purchased June 2020), I tried to buy AppleCare a few days after receiving but there was an issue with the site that claimed my AppleCard was declined. Ridiculous, because I had over $4000 of unused credit. Even more ridiculous, the AppleCare site didn't accept Apple Pay and I had to manually enter the MasterCard number. Have had no issues doing that on other sites without Apple Pay. I posted about this here at the time and others had similar problems.

So I was planning to try again with my Amex card, but forgot. When I checked, the site said I only had 60 days from puchase for the "no questions" AppleCare, and that had passed. So I just gave up, at least that saved me some money and the Mini has been absolutely perfect so far.
 
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Boyd01 said:
With my 2018 Mini (purchased June 2020), I tried to buy AppleCare a few days after receiving but there was an issue with the site that claimed my AppleCard was declined. Ridiculous, because I had over $4000 of unused credit. Even more ridiculous, the AppleCare site didn't accept Apple Pay and I had to manually enter the MasterCard number. Have had no issues doing that on other sites without Apple Pay. I posted about this here at the time and others had similar problems.

So I was planning to try again with my Amex card, but forgot. When I checked, the site said I only had 60 days from puchase for the "no questions" AppleCare, and that had passed. So I just gave up, at least that saved me some money and the Mini has been absolutely perfect so far.
Click to expand...


Screw ups like that are pretty frustrating, but it sounds like all has ended well with the machine being as robust as you'd expect.

My own interest relates to a 2020 iMac I bought that had a few upgrades, and has just died on me.

Apple won't replace it, they want me to have it refurbished (dead logic board, SSD etc.).

Without Apple Care I won't really be happy to own it, and had planned on purchasing AC anyway at around the 1 year mark before the 12 month warranty runs out.

When I checked online using the serial number, the machine was not eligible for Apple Care. This likely relates to the repair issue (or I hope it does). I'm hoping I can purchase it though, once it's refurbished by Apple. I'm guessing it would be tough for them to state that it's ineligible given it will be their own work they'd be rejecting if they gave a hard no then.

Will be fairly ticked off if I can't get AC either way.
 
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elicash said:
I had recalled an August press release from last year stating that AC could be purchased anytime up until 12 months. Since you have complimentary Apple Care for 12 months, this made at least some sense. But either what I read was inaccurate, or my memory is inaccurate. Decent chance on both too : )
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Technically, the limited warranty is 12 months, not AppleCare+. You get 90 days of complimentary phone support. With Applecare+ you get the accidental damage and 24/7 priority access to telephone/chat support.

www.apple.com

AppleCare Products - Mac

Learn how to set up and use your Mac computer. Get direct access to Apple experts for questions on using MacOS and iCloud, and connecting to printers.
www.apple.com
 
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WildSky said:
Technically, the limited warranty is 12 months, not AppleCare+. You get 90 days of complimentary phone support. With Applecare+ you get the accidental damage and 24/7 priority access to telephone/chat support.

www.apple.com

AppleCare Products - Mac

Learn how to set up and use your Mac computer. Get direct access to Apple experts for questions on using MacOS and iCloud, and connecting to printers.
www.apple.com
Click to expand...

True, that is definitely worth pointing out. It's much more akin to a limited warranty.
 
WildSky said:
That's because it is a limited warranty.

www.apple.com

Legal - Mac Warranty Us - Apple

www.apple.com
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Gee whiz.... thanks! I mean some of us were quite confused until now.

Especially those of us who understand that there is a bit more to it than that.... in terms of the warranty allowing an AC purchase.. which you know, was the original question.
 
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WildSky said:
You get 90 days of complimentary phone support.
Click to expand...

I'm wondering if there is a change of policy. My iMac Pro is out of warranty but I always receive software support when I call. The agent said I was good as long as I didn't have a hardware issue that needed repair.
 
HDFan said:
I'm wondering if there is a change of policy. My iMac Pro is out of warranty but I always receive software support when I call. The agent said I was good as long as I didn't have a hardware issue that needed repair.
Click to expand...

I've had that same experience. I might be wrong in saying this, but I seem to recall in past decades it was a year of complimentary Apple Care like service.

My 7-9 month old machine (been in repair and recovery for two months and counting) still gets phone support too though.

I'm pretty well versed in the in practice versus written obligation customer service stuff now. But there was a press release from August last year stating Apple Care was available for some products up to 12 months from purchase date. In practice that jams with what people have written at the start of the thread here. Even my damaged machine is eligible as long as it's repaired before purchase (Drivesavers broke the glass on the machine somehow, while it was off the unit.. grrrrr). But once it's all done I can still purchase Apple Care despite the Apple website individual serial number search and Apple policy suggesting otherwise.
 
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