07-07-2009, 12:28 PM

After looking through the terms and conditions for the applecare protection plan I found these two very upsetting statements. If I'm going to pay $250 dollars for coverage then apple should at least make sure they are using new parts whenever repairing any part of the macbook.The next section is ridiculous. I'ts basically saying that if your computer is in for a repair and you lose files or your personal information on a file is released, they aren't liable. Has anyone had this plan who thinks its well worth the money? Because Im not sure I'm convinced. Maybe I'm over reacting, your opinions?

-Apple will provide both parts and labor, but may require you to replace certain
readily installable parts yourself, as described below. Apple may provide replacement product or
parts that are manufactured from new, refurbished, or serviceable used parts.
-APPLE SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT WARRANT
THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO (i) REPAIR OR REPLACE COVERED EQUIPMENT WITHOUT RISK
TO OR LOSS OF PROGRAMS OR DATA, AND (ii) MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA

07-07-2009, 01:14 PM

Purchasing Apple Care is a decision that you and you alone will have to make. As far as the price ($250.00) goes, you can save by purchasing Apple care from a seller on eBay. Do a search on this forum and you will see that many folks have purchased Apple care discounted.

As to your concerns about Apple using refurbished parts, etc, that is an industry standard. Any parts Apple furnishes to you in the repair process is fully warranted by them anyway.

Loss of data or the confidentiality of it because of a repair is fully your responsibility not Apple's. That's why you should be making backups. Time Machine is provided with Leopard and is an excellent tool for backing up your data. If you're worried about personal data being compromised (credit card numbers, SSAN, and so forth) don't store them on your machine or use encryption.

I believe your concerns are valid (not over reacting) and you are wise to inquire about them. However, Apple is probably the best when it comes to customer service and repair. Again, I suggest you do a forum search and find out for yourself.

Regards.

07-07-2009, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by chscag

Purchasing Apple Care is a decision that you and you alone will have to make. As far as the price ($250.00) goes, you can save by purchasing Apple care from a seller on eBay. Do a search on this forum and you will see that many folks have purchased Apple care discounted.

As to your concerns about Apple using refurbished parts, etc, that is an industry standard. Any parts Apple furnishes to you in the repair process is fully warranted by them anyway.

Loss of data or the confidentiality of it because of a repair is fully your responsibility not Apple's. That's why you should be making backups. Time Machine is provided with Leopard and is an excellent tool for backing up your data. If you're worried about personal data being compromised (credit card numbers, SSAN, and so forth) don't store them on your machine or use encryption.

I believe your concerns are valid (not over reacting) and you are wise to inquire about them. However, Apple is probably the best when it comes to customer service and repair. Again, I suggest you do a forum search and find out for yourself.

Regards.

thanks so much, this info was very useful. I might consider buying a discounted plan on ebay.

07-07-2009, 01:57 PM

I think purchasing Applecare on ebay is worth it. If you shop around, you can find it under $150. I used it to replace a cracked topcase on my whitebook last week and it was a relatively hassle free experience.

Also, you can't expect Apple to be responsible for the data on your HD. They'll replace your HD if needed, but it's your responsibility to maintain backups of essential data.

07-07-2009, 03:18 PM

I would NEVER, EVER even think of purchasing an Apple computer without getting AppleCare ... ESPECIALLY a laptop!

The last MacBook I bought was a total lemon. I spent more than 200 hours trouble shooting it, by myself and online with AppleCare. It was replaced with a NEW MacBook TWICE ... and the second replacement still has problems! So, I've given up, and now just put up with workarounds instead of having my entire life grind to halt just so that I can devote all my time and energy to fixing my friggin' MacBook.

Without AppleCare, I would have been royally screwed. I'm royally screwed as it is, but who know's how much money all that time with (sometimes clueless) AppleCare reps would have cost me, had I not had AppleCare?

My advice: Get AppleCare (then pray real hard you don't get lemon computer).

07-07-2009, 06:36 PM

would apple still honor applecare bought on ebay?

07-07-2009, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by macgirl2423

would apple still honor applecare bought on ebay?

Yes. They won't know or care where you purchased it from as long as it's a genuine Apple Care package. Once you register it on line with your machine serial number you'll be all set with an additional two years warranty and, telephone support.

Regards.

07-07-2009, 11:10 PM

The Applecare box in the Apple store is actually empty. You're just buying an activation code.

It's like those ridiculous Progressive insurance commercials where people shop for insurance with a grocery cart and buy insurance in cereal boxes.