AppleCare Phone Support

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We recently had a discussion in an unrelated, now closed, thread which veered off into buying AppleCare after 90 days. Many people had different interpretations as to how this would affect telephone support for people who bought AppleCare before the year was up but after 90 days, citing posts by people who complained that Apple wanted to charge them for phone support after 90 days.

My position was that if you called for repairs after 90 days but before the first year ran out, the tech person was not going to charge you for phone advice which got your Mac up and running and saved Apple the cost of sending it in for repairs.

In addition, as for what I called "hand-holding" and Apple calls "Telephone Technical Support" my suspicion was that the posters complaining about being charged for phone calls were just trying to get out of paying to purchase AppleCare, and that they could still have gotten coverage by belatedly purchasing AppleCare after 90 days but within the one year, but I wasn't absolutely sure about the latter situation.

Well, I respectfully wish to report that I just purchased AppleCare from Amazon AFTER the 90 days had run out on my MBP purchase but BEFORE one year; and then went on line and registered the AppleCare purchase with Apple. Then I went to the menubar About this Mac/Service tab on my MBP and clicked on "Check my service and support coverage status" and it took me to an Apple webpage which specifically identified my Mac by description and serial no. and which included the following statement:

Telephone Technical Support
Your product is eligible for telephone technical support under the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Estimated Expiration Date: (the date shown is 3 years from my original purchase of my MBP)

Therefore, my conclusion is that you do NOT lose your right to obtain what I call "hand-holding" and what Apple calls "Telephone Technical Support" if you wait until AFTER 90 days to purchase AppleCare on your Mac within the one year after purchase.

And actually, this is pretty logical, since Apple is paid retroactively back to the purchase of your Mac whenever you purchase Apple during its one year availability. They do not pro-rate the cost. You pay the same amount for AppleCare, whether discounted or full price from Apple, regardless of when within the one year you purchase it.

All of the standard exclusions in the AppleCare contract of course apply, like deliberate damage, dropping it, etc. etc. apply. All I am saying is that if you just want advice of a technical nature about using your Mac or the Apple software that came with it, you are NOT going to be told to pay for the telephone call just because you purchased AppleCare after the 90 days but within the first year.

Respectfully, Nate
 
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pigoo3

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Thanks a lot Nate for the latest & greatest info regarding Applecare. It's always great to have the most up to date info, so we can pass on the most accurate info to anyone with questions.:)

- Nick
 
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NateS
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Thanks a lot Nate for the latest & greatest info regarding Applecare. It's always great to have the most up to date info, so we can pass on the most accurate info to anyone with questions.:)

- Nick

Thanks very much, Nick. My first clue that the MacWorld article was not a reliable final resource on the subject was this sentence near the bottom:

"To read all the legal mumbo-jumbo surrounding AppleCare, make sure to visit the AppleCare terms and conditions page "

I clicked on that link and went to the AppleCare page and read the terms and conditions and there was no "mumbo-jumbo" in it. It was all written in plain, easy-to-understand English.

So I said to myself that if it looked like "mumbo-jumbo" to the author of that MacWorld article, why would anyone want to rely on his/her interpretation of it?
;)

Best wishes, Nate :D
 

chscag

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Your product is eligible for telephone technical support under the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Estimated Expiration Date: (the date shown is 3 years from my original purchase of my MBP)

Therefore, my conclusion is that you do NOT lose your right to obtain what I call "hand-holding" and what Apple calls "Telephone Technical Support" if you wait until AFTER 90 days to purchase AppleCare on your Mac within the one year after purchase.

Not to beat a dead horse on this one... but neither Nick nor myself ever stated opposite what you reported above. What we did say is that if you do not buy the extended Apple Care, your telephone support runs out after 90 days.

Anyway, this has gone on enough. Consider this thread likewise closed.
 
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Not to beat a dead horse on this one... but neither Nick nor myself ever stated opposite what you reported above. What we did say is that if you do not buy the extended Apple Care, your telephone support runs out after 90 days.

Anyway, this has gone on enough. Consider this thread likewise closed.

No offense intended. I was suggesting that those complaining about being charged for phone support were perhaps not relating the whole story. I was not intending to criticize the moderators.

Regards, Nate
 

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