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AppleCare After Purchase?

JRV


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I noticed that you can buy an AppleCare Plan seperate at the Apple Store. Does this mean that you don't need to buy it with your computer purchase and that you can buy it for you Mac at a later time? If you decide to buy one later do you need to do it before the 1 year warranty is up?
 
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Q. Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime?

A. You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime within the first-year standard warranty period. The AppleCare Protection Plan coverage starts from your hardware purchase date (for either Mac or iPod). We strongly recommend that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple system to maximise the advantages of the plan.

From Apple Care FAQs

So you don't need to buy it when you get the mac but you do need to buy it within the first 12 months of ownership.
 
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Important to note, though, that if you wait 11 months three weeks before buying it, you don't get three years' support from the date you buy the AppleCare: the cover is from the "purchase date of the computer".
 
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Here's my question -- what difference does it make if I buy AppleCare on day-1 or day-90? As I understand it, I already get 90 days of phone support and 1 year of warranty. AppleCare extends both but it appears not to make any difference during the first 90.

Please correct me if I'm missing something regarding the terms. Thanks.
 
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there is no benefit or loss of buying applecare at day 1 or day 90. you can purchase anytime up to day 365 but you only get the phone support up to 90
 
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I was extremely fortunate in that I waited until the last week to buy AppleCare and received a replacement iMac in that last week so Apple kindly transferred the AppleCare to my new iMac so I get 4yrs of support.
 
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Important to note, though, that if you wait 11 months three weeks before buying it, you don't get three years' support from the date you buy the AppleCare: the cover is from the "purchase date of the computer".

I'm not understanding. If you buy AppleCare just before the 1 year warranty are you saying that you'd only get 1 extra year by using the purchase date as the start? Can't see anyone doing that because they'd be paying for a year that's already past. I think I'm not getting it :dummy: You should at that time get 2 more years = 3 total.
 
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I'm not understanding. If you buy AppleCare just before the 1 year warranty are you saying that you'd only get 1 extra year by using the purchase date as the start? Can't see anyone doing that because they'd be paying for a year that's already past. I think I'm not getting it :dummy: You should at that time get 2 more years = 3 total.



take a look at this:

"The AppleCare Protection Plan is a uniquely integrated service and support solution that extends the complimentary coverage on your Mac to three years from the computer’s purchase date."

http://www.apple.com/support/products/
 
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Right...but no matter how you cut it, you get a total of 3 years coverage (from the date you purchased your computer) since AppleCare is for 2 years of "extra" coverage. Same as an extended warranty. I think we're saying the same thing.
 
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Yes, you're right. It just extends the warranty from 90 days to 3 years from the date of purchase. So regardless of when you actually get your Applecare plan, it only covers three years from the PURCHASE date.

You're allowed to buy it up to a year after you purchase your Mac. So you're technically without coverage for the 6 months between the end of the 90 day coverage and the last day you're eligible to purchase the plan. The confusing part is that people assume 3 years means from the date of the purchase of the plan when in reality, it's the purchase date of the computer.
 
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If you buy the Extended AppleCare warranty your Mac at the same time, you get 3 yrs of phone support whereas in the initial years warranty you only have phone support for the first 3 mths.




AppleCare Protection Plan extends your computer’s 90 days of complimentary support and one-year repair coverage to up to three years of world-class support.
 
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Correct...if you look on the back of the AppleCare box, it shows a graph of how it works. Not confusing at all.
 

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