MacBook Pro M3 Pro has small screen dent - fix now with AppleCare+ or sell as-is later?

[derryck]

Hi everyone, I’m in a bit of a dilemma. I bought my MacBook Pro M3 Pro (18GB RAM / 1TB SSD) for around $2,099 last July. Less than a year in, the screen has a small dent - about the size of a needle tip. I brought it to the Apple Store and was told it’s not covered under the limited warranty.

However, they offered me a workaround: I can still enroll in AppleCare+ (3 years for ~$300), and then use it to fix the screen for $135. So, total cost would be about $435.

Monthly AppleCare+ is not available in my region.

I do plan to sell this laptop in 1-2 years and upgrade to an M6 or M7 model if/when they’re released. Do you think it’s worth spending the $435 now to fix the dent (and possibly get a higher resale value later), or should I just live with the dent and sell the laptop as-is when the time comes?

I’m just wondering if the resale value will actually drop by $435 because of this dent. If not, I might just live with it until I sell the laptop.

Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with resale value in similar situations. Thanks!

 

[Bigwaff]

Resale will be higher with AC+ and display fixed, but not as much as you will pay out of pocket now. AC+ you’ll have piece of mind for those years. How much that worth to you? If you sell before AC+ expires, new owner can decide whether $135 worth cost to fix display.

 

[Fishrrman]

$435 to fix that?

Not worth it.

When it's time to sell, knock $300 off the top of your asking price (full disclosure regarding the problem to the potential buyer). Even 350 if you have to.

 

[DeepSix]

Does it affect performance?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Keep as it since you plan on upgrading in 1-2 years.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Hmm... at least in USA, AppleCare+ can only be added within 60 days of date of purchase of the computer. But, if they're offering it then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that's an option I suppose.

The cost of the repair will be $135. The cost of AppleCare+ is $300. If you want AppleCare+, go for it. If you don't, as others said just discount your selling price when it comes time to do that.

 

[derryck]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I’ve decided to keep the device as-is.

I was actually quite surprised when the staff told me that I could still buy AppleCare+ within the first year after purchase, as long as I bring my MacBook to an Apple Store and let them run diagnostics. Apparently this has been an option for a while, but they just don’t really publicize it.