Consumer law in England

[ced89]

Hi,
In England we have 6y warranty for electronics, so, Apple should provide it.
Now my question is a bit different than a generic warranty claim under consumer law, what about if I buy stuff on Ebay used or new, the seller (private or business) goes busted and I need to claim the warranty to Apple, how will it play?

I think that Apple should still fix the problem, unless I caused a damage, but let's see what the folks have to say about it .
Certainly, the starting date could be brought back to the production date by Apple to reduce liability or to exclude you from it, rather than the sale date, so I think that on Ebay, it's better to buy the latest laptop available to get full 6y coverage.

(Why on Ebay? ---> Discounts... )

 

[Slydude]

I'm in the US so keep that in mind as you read this.

We purchased a Mac from an individual on eBay in the mid/late '90s. Shortly after we purchased the Mac it needed a logic board replacement

Fortunately, the seller was able to provide a copy of the original receipt. With that in hand, the Apple dealer/Authorized Service Center (I don't remember which) made the repair at no charge to us. The warranty duration was calculated from the original owner's purchase date. Our purchase date was irrelevant.

This event happened quite some time ago so things may have changed since then.

 

[ferrarr]

On ebay, I purchased a used Late 2011 15" MBP, in Jan/Feb 2012 (~$1000). At the time it didn't have AppleCare, but I was still able to add it. This model was known for defective graphic cards, so I was able to get the logic board replaced three times and eventually an entire MBP replacement in Dec 2015 with a 2015 15" MBP.

 

[ced89]

I'm in the US so keep that in mind as you read this.

We purchased a Mac from an individual on eBay in the mid/late '90s. Shortly after we purchased the Mac it needed a logic board replacement

Fortunately, the seller was able to provide a copy of the original receipt. With that in hand, the Apple dealer/Authorized Service Center (I don't remember which) made the repair at no charge to us. The warranty duration was calculated from the original owner's purchase date. Our purchase date was irrelevant.

This event happened quite some time ago so things may have changed since then.

Yes, the bill at that time was necessary, but also around 2010 probably.
Nowadays, M1/M2 go with the activation on the day 1, so, they'll know when it was activated.
In order to put me off, they could ask the bill but in the worst case, I strongly think they'll consider the release date as oldest, it can't be more than that, right?

In my case it's even better, on Ebay I seem to find better prices, so I think I'll buy new from there.

On ebay, I purchased a used Late 2011 15" MBP, in Jan/Feb 2012 (~$1000). At the time it didn't have AppleCare, but I was still able to add it. This model was known for defective graphic cards, so I was able to get the logic board replaced three times and eventually an entire MBP replacement in Dec 2015 with a 2015 15" MBP.

Yes, in UK you can get a full refund if they don't fix it with the first attempt, or subsequent market value if too much time has elapsed from the day one.

 

[krs]

Hi,
In England we have 6y warranty for electronics, so, Apple should provide it.

How does that work when one buys Apple Care?

Apple Care normally starts when the normal warranty expires, so with Apple Care one ends up with a 9 year warranty?

Even without buying AppleCare in the UK, one gets a much longer warranty there than with AppleCare in the US or Canada - Wow

 

[MacInWin]

Apple Care normally starts when the normal warranty expires, so with Apple Care one ends up with a 9 year warranty?

Not how it works. The law demands a certain coverage for certain things. AC+ starts at the end of the 1 year warranty period, runs to the three year point. At that point the law becomes operative. I suspect that AC covers more than the law. I seem to recall that AC covers accidental breakage, which the law would not. So, if the owner spills liquids on the Mac, AC would cover repair, but the law would not. Apple doesn't claim water-resistance for Macs, so the "fit for service" of the law would not apply.

But, AC+ in the UK is not as valuable as it is in the US, given that the consumer protection covers component defects already. Maybe that is why Macs cost more there than here?

 

[krs]

AC+ starts at the end of the 1 year warranty period, runs to the three year point.

Just a small point - I read that AppleCare+ starts when one buys it.
If it only started at the end of the 1 year warranty period one would miss out on coverage for any accidental damage during the first year.
The original AppleCare (no +) could be bought at any time during the first year warranty period - don't know if that is still true for AC+
I

 

[MacInWin]

The original AppleCare (no +) could be bought at any time during the first year warranty period - don't know if that is still true for AC+

It is, AFAIK. And technically, it doe run for three years from date of purchase if you buy it on the same day you buy the device. But if you buy it, say, at the last minute, it's only adding two years, to the end of three years after the device purchase date. What it adds during the warranty period (the first year) is that damaged-by-owner coverage. The "normal" warranty covers defects in the machine, AC+ covers drops, spills, etc.

 

[Jimmysb]

Having recently bought my Mac Mini, I looked into this law, and it is the seller that is responsible to provide the service. I could have bought my Mac cheaper via Amazon, but considered the difficulty in trying to exercise my rights, say in 5 years, so paid slightly more, and bought direct from Apple, no disputes where the responsibility lies.

 

[IWT]

I'm not trying to make a political point nor being over pedantic; but the Heading should be" Consumer Law in the UK" -
- simply because all 4 countries are subject to this law.

Ian

 

[Jimmysb]

I'm not trying to make a political point nor being over pedantic; but the Heading should be" Consumer Law in the UK" -
- simply because all 4 countries are subject to this law.

Ian

Quite correct, it does not differentiate across the UK:

Consumer Rights Act 2015

www.gov.uk

 

[ced89]

How does that work when one buys Apple Care?

Apple Care normally starts when the normal warranty expires, so with Apple Care one ends up with a 9 year warranty?

Even without buying AppleCare in the UK, one gets a much longer warranty there than with AppleCare in the US or Canada - Wow

Apple care is a different warranty, so on the table here we have:
- Apple 1y limited warranty which I don't care
- Apple Care or Apple Care+
- Consumer Law in UK.

AC or AC+ will need to be activated in the first months of purchase, and they will cover up to the 3 years if you pay in advance.

In the annual subscription, I'm not sure what happens, but Apple usually allows you to continue with the plan for many years ahead, probably up to the product end of support. I didn't see written anywhere that Apple would refuse to renew this subscription if the product IS NOT end of life or end of support, but no one seem to know how it really works, I was discussing this in another thread.

In my opinion, they will not stop the renewal, but here in England I'm protected with consumer rights of 6y, so I'll be happy with it.
(IT WILL NOT COVER ACCIDENTS )

Having recently bought my Mac Mini, I looked into this law, and it is the seller that is responsible to provide the service. I could have bought my Mac cheaper via Amazon, but considered the difficulty in trying to exercise my rights, say in 5 years, so paid slightly more, and bought direct from Apple, no disputes where the responsibility lies.

You're right, if your Mac is fundamental, then it's better to buy it from Apple to reduce the repair time.

I'm not trying to make a political point nor being over pedantic; but the Heading should be" Consumer Law in the UK" -
- simply because all 4 countries are subject to this law.

Ian

It's fine, this thread is here to clarify things.

No, in Scotland is 5y and there's can be some difference too (I'm not aware of it), the rest of the countries ask for 6y.

(I cited England in the title because I live in England precisely, but yeah, not so many differences across the UK)

 

[lclev]

When I purchased my MBP apple allowed me to pick a one time payment for AppleCare+ that added coverage up to I believe 3 years. The other option was to pay $99/year for as long as I had my MBP. I chose the $99 option. So if I am correct, I have complete coverage until I choose to replace it.

(They are relatively safe with me as I tend to change out laptops every two years. But I will admit I have really grown attached to my M1 MBP so I might just see how long she lasts! )

Lisa