Something most of us need "Applecare!!!!!!!!!!!"
Tell us your stories on how to score applecare for cheap and if it worked, blah blah blah.
At 1:28 AM 5 November 2009
DJBlisk wrote
It worked for me in the past. It replaced my Logic board for cheap. That's a $700 fix! lol
At 1:44 AM 5 November 2009
DjWoody wrote
i bought my macbook's applecare on eBay. Used bing's search to score an extra 8% back, then ebay bucks gave me 2% back. If you count cash back I bought it for under $100.
At 1:48 AM 5 November 2009
Psyphris wrote
When I bought my current macbook, I got it on craigslist for $500. It was 6 months old and it had 3 years applecare. I didn't use it (yet). I think I still have 6 months on it left? I don't know. Either way. That's my story of scoring applecare for cheap.
At 1:49 AM 5 November 2009
sixxx wrote
Quote:
When I bought my current macbook, I got it on craigslist for $500. It was 6 months old and it had 3 years applecare. I didn't use it (yet). I think I still have 6 months on it left? I don't know. Either way. That's my story of scoring applecare for cheap.that story sucked.
At 1:58 AM 5 November 2009
DJBlisk wrote
Gah, I got it at the reduced Student rate. $200 I believe? Free ipod and printer though! Oh and $100 of my MBP too! Altogether being a Student Saved me $529. And they didn't even ask for my Id........
At 2:48 AM 5 November 2009
DJS/R wrote
Because it can cost up to $1000 to fix some parts of your computer that can be covered in Applecare. My friend has has 2 hard drives and 3 battery's replaced, on his applecare over the course of his 3 years.... saved him hundreds.
At 3:05 AM 5 November 2009
DJS/R wrote
Best Buy > Mac Store. They have a better warranty. They cover everything + accidental, applecare doesn't .
At 3:07 AM 5 November 2009
DJ_STEVE wrote
Just found this out last month...I pay an extra $6/month for computer coverage on my home owners insurance and it covers everything. Too bad I didn't know before I bought the warranty on my VAIO and MBP. Covers all four of my laptops.
At 5:47 AM 5 November 2009
MexiKanMan wrote
i've gone through 2 logic boards so far.
both free of charge thanks to applecare!
both free of charge thanks to applecare!
At 6:28 AM 5 November 2009
dj_soo wrote
normally i'd say extended warranties are for suckers, but in the case of laptops - especially laptops going through the wear and tear of weekly gigs - having coverage is invaluable and worth every penny.
At 6:30 AM 5 November 2009
dj_soo wrote
Applecare is ALWAYS a good idea on Mac laptops and in the past I have always bought real cheap on ebay BUT be cafeful, there is a new scam going around about FAKE APPLECARE using serial number generators.
reviews.ebay.com
In the past, really all you needed was the Applecare serial number to activate it (box and packaging is just trash). Some sellers would just buy a blanket Applecare lot and just resell the serial numbers on ebay. No shipping costs and it was usually about 1/2 the cost of buying the retail box.
BUT THE SCAM.... (Copied and pasted from a Machead forum from the link above):
1. Key generators which generate codes or
2. Purchased via fraudulent credit cards
The best part is, Apple accepts the codes when you enter them online. You, the buyer are happy, and leave the seller a positive feedback. All good, right? Wrong.
After 1-2 months, Apple discovers that the code is invalid, and they revoke the registration - so your warranty is invalid. Additionally, you lose the ability to file a claim with PayPal since it's well beyond the 45 day claim period. So you've just lost hundreds of dollars for nothing.
Unscrupulous sellers are going one step ahead - they are printing authentic apple care boxes with the bogus code # in the package. These custom printed boxes do not have a serial # for the purchase (authentic boxes have the serial # outside) To complicate matters more, these sellers are powersellers - some with 10,000+ positive feedbacks! So what do you do to protect yourself?
Here's how to stay smart:
1. As soon as you receive your applecare code, call Apple customer service and verify that everything is ok. NEVER buy a code online if the seller will not give you the serial # of the box it came in - VERY IMPORTANT!
2. If you do receive a boxed package - check to see if the serial # is located outside. Call AppleCare and let them know the serial # and if it is valid.
Everyone loves to save money - when we were selling AppleCare for 5% below Apple's prices.. we always received questions like 'Why the hell is your applecare so expensive? I can buy it for $100 cheaper!' - well now you know why.
UPDATE:
Here is another method that sellers are taking advantage of customers. There are sellers who are buying real Applecare packages, opening the box - and then selling the codes to customers for half off. All good, right?
Not really, once the customer buys the product, receives the code and activates it - after a few months the seller applies for a refund on the AppleCare! (for the remaining months of warranty) The seller will get his/her money back, while the customer will lose any remaining warranty and will have no ability to get his/her money back from the seller.
If the customer contacts Apple, apple will ask to see a receipt and the serial # of the packaged box - obviously the customer has no such thing as the package was purchased under the seller's name - so only the seller will get his/her refund.
Just be careful, always try and get a Boxed version for a few $ more... I have had about 6 Mac laptops with ebay Applecare, but I am still worried about my current Macbook (@ $125 code only about a year ago) after reading the above.
reviews.ebay.com
In the past, really all you needed was the Applecare serial number to activate it (box and packaging is just trash). Some sellers would just buy a blanket Applecare lot and just resell the serial numbers on ebay. No shipping costs and it was usually about 1/2 the cost of buying the retail box.
BUT THE SCAM.... (Copied and pasted from a Machead forum from the link above):
Quote:
Similar to the iTunes codes scam, crafty sellers have been reselling fraudulent Apple Care codes online. These codes are obtained by either:1. Key generators which generate codes or
2. Purchased via fraudulent credit cards
The best part is, Apple accepts the codes when you enter them online. You, the buyer are happy, and leave the seller a positive feedback. All good, right? Wrong.
After 1-2 months, Apple discovers that the code is invalid, and they revoke the registration - so your warranty is invalid. Additionally, you lose the ability to file a claim with PayPal since it's well beyond the 45 day claim period. So you've just lost hundreds of dollars for nothing.
Unscrupulous sellers are going one step ahead - they are printing authentic apple care boxes with the bogus code # in the package. These custom printed boxes do not have a serial # for the purchase (authentic boxes have the serial # outside) To complicate matters more, these sellers are powersellers - some with 10,000+ positive feedbacks! So what do you do to protect yourself?
Here's how to stay smart:
1. As soon as you receive your applecare code, call Apple customer service and verify that everything is ok. NEVER buy a code online if the seller will not give you the serial # of the box it came in - VERY IMPORTANT!
2. If you do receive a boxed package - check to see if the serial # is located outside. Call AppleCare and let them know the serial # and if it is valid.
Everyone loves to save money - when we were selling AppleCare for 5% below Apple's prices.. we always received questions like 'Why the hell is your applecare so expensive? I can buy it for $100 cheaper!' - well now you know why.
UPDATE:
Here is another method that sellers are taking advantage of customers. There are sellers who are buying real Applecare packages, opening the box - and then selling the codes to customers for half off. All good, right?
Not really, once the customer buys the product, receives the code and activates it - after a few months the seller applies for a refund on the AppleCare! (for the remaining months of warranty) The seller will get his/her money back, while the customer will lose any remaining warranty and will have no ability to get his/her money back from the seller.
If the customer contacts Apple, apple will ask to see a receipt and the serial # of the packaged box - obviously the customer has no such thing as the package was purchased under the seller's name - so only the seller will get his/her refund.
Just be careful, always try and get a Boxed version for a few $ more... I have had about 6 Mac laptops with ebay Applecare, but I am still worried about my current Macbook (@ $125 code only about a year ago) after reading the above.
At 7:00 AM 5 November 2009
DJ Art Pumpin Payne wrote
Quote:
Why would anyone need Applecare?Also Applecare is almost like a No Questions Asked - VIP coverage if anything goes wrong with your Mac (other than true abuse and some non covered parts or breakage). If your battery dies early, take it to a Apple store, you walk out with a new battery or if your hard drive dies Applecare replaces it for free, covered up to 3 years.
The REALLY cool thing that most people don't know about is Applecare's lemon coverage. Used to be that if you Mac goes in for the same (or multiple) problems 3 times, you can escalate your gripe up a few support levels and they will probably replace the problematic Mac with the current shipping model.
If I had a lemon iBook that was 2 years and 10 months into the warranty and had been in for similar problems over the years, they would probably give me a brand new Macbook as a replacement, even though my iBook is almost 3 years old.
It doesn't happen often (Apple makes good shit), but it does happen.
At 7:12 AM 5 November 2009
DJ Art Pumpin Payne wrote
Sounds like a lot of unreliable macs to warrant a ridiculously expensive warranty service that doesn't even cover accidental.
Sounds more like best buy warranty is the way to go. And normally I'd say all warranties are for suckers, but wow I've heard of a lot of apple failures to be honest.
Sounds more like best buy warranty is the way to go. And normally I'd say all warranties are for suckers, but wow I've heard of a lot of apple failures to be honest.
At 7:14 AM 5 November 2009
Axialism wrote
I think Best Buy's warranty is more expensive than Applecare? Isn't it like $350 or so?
Plus I think Best Buy repairs (no replace) and that could take weeks. Anybody ever have a repair under Best Buy that can confirm?
Apple turnaround is like 3 to 7 days usually from what I remember IF they have the parts on hand.
Plus I think Best Buy repairs (no replace) and that could take weeks. Anybody ever have a repair under Best Buy that can confirm?
Apple turnaround is like 3 to 7 days usually from what I remember IF they have the parts on hand.
At 7:22 AM 5 November 2009
DJ Art Pumpin Payne wrote
Really? Generally I don't pay extra for warranty services. I usually get a "for just $20 more you can have bla bla bla coverage for bla" whenever i buy crap there, at guitar center, or when i bought my old dell
At 7:23 AM 5 November 2009
Axialism wrote
It really sucks that apple only gives a warranty of one year.
At 11:26 AM 5 November 2009
Dj.Mojo wrote
Quote:
Why would anyone need Applecare?I just posted this story on another forum. Seems appropriate for this thread as it's all because I purchased Applecare.
Over the last 8 months I have had an issue with my 2.4MHz 17" laptop that I purchased almost 3 years ago. The issue was the same one having to do with the graphic card (Nvidia 8600) which has some well-known documented problems. 2 months ago I sent the system in and they replaced the logic board / graphics card and things seemed to work ok....until this last weekend.
I use this system for additional graphics and real-time animation to go along with my videos. Being able to place "bugs" in the lower part of the video, add in customer's logo's and drink specials, things like that, all in real time. Well this weekend the system just froze up and would not restart. No big harm done, this was my 3rd level audio/video back-up system and the customers never noticed anything amiss.
So I called Apple today and after speaking with tech support for 15 minutes and going through a few things that I had already tried they transferred me to a product support specialist who very quickly offered me 2 options; do a detailed fix of this system or ship me a brand new currently shipping system..and oh yea, upgrade my drive as well to 7200 rpm, since I had done that the first time as well.
There were some downsides to getting a brand new system (mostly video connection / monitor stuff) but in the end I decided to get the new system. Cost to me is zero and I get another 3 years of Applecare as well.
So, yea to Apple for putting customer care and satisfaction over profit, at least in this case for me.
At 12:33 PM 5 November 2009
VJ Justin Allen wrote
Quote:
So I called Apple today and after speaking with tech support for 15 minutes and going through a few things that I had already tried they transferred me to a product support specialist who very quickly offered me 2 options; do a detailed fix of this system or ship me a brand new currently shipping system..and oh yea, upgrade my drive as well to 7200 rpm, since I had done that the first time as well."Lemon coverage" that I spoke about, with a silent upgrade -pretty cool. I also forgot what you call level 2 or 3 at Apple support - "product support specialist" ?
At 2:23 PM 5 November 2009
DJ Art Pumpin Payne wrote
For the people asking about "why spend money on an extended warranty" keep that shit to yourself. The answer is called piece of mind.
But I am very interested in the best buy v. apple warranty debate.
Thanks for the fraud insight Art. I am probably going to buy my AppleCare from eBay.
But I am very interested in the best buy v. apple warranty debate.
Thanks for the fraud insight Art. I am probably going to buy my AppleCare from eBay.
At 2:51 PM 5 November 2009
DJBlisk wrote
Well all i can say on that debate is that a lot of the warranties/insurance that one pays extra for cover some kind of accidental when talking about computers, and applecare does not. I hear really good things about the bestbuy warranty because typically it's just "oh it broke? here's a new one". Different manufacturers do different things.
I was just shocked when i heard that paying extra for the insurance/applecare doesn't cover accidental, but typically paying insurance for a phone or any other gadget does. In addition, there's no excuse for a manufacturer to not include a warranty by default, that can be extended simply by registering the product (this is true for rane/serato products, canon cameras, gaming consoles, and other things that I haven't tried I'm sure). I think it was with dell (although their customer service is absolute crap and I would not recommend the brand to anyone), even not paying for warranty you still get 1 year out of the box.
I was just shocked when i heard that paying extra for the insurance/applecare doesn't cover accidental, but typically paying insurance for a phone or any other gadget does. In addition, there's no excuse for a manufacturer to not include a warranty by default, that can be extended simply by registering the product (this is true for rane/serato products, canon cameras, gaming consoles, and other things that I haven't tried I'm sure). I think it was with dell (although their customer service is absolute crap and I would not recommend the brand to anyone), even not paying for warranty you still get 1 year out of the box.
At 4:25 PM 5 November 2009
Axialism wrote
^^^ +1^^^ bestbuy offers accidental... if you spill liquids on your computer, you drop it etc. Applecare does not cover accidental. It does cost more, but how many dj's alway say
That dumb bitch almost spilled her drink on my laptop!!!
That dumb bitch almost spilled her drink on my laptop!!!
At 4:34 PM 5 November 2009
DJ_STEVE wrote
Im sure they do. Best thing to do is go in and ask them about their warranty compared to applecares.
At 12:27 AM 6 November 2009
DJ_STEVE wrote
My son had a problem with his display. I took it to the Apple store and they fixed it.
I had a problem with my DVD player and they replaced that.
Last week I went to see an Apple Genius to talk about a problem with my email. I showed him my magsafe power cord that was missing one tab. I asked him if he can replace the tab and he gave me a new power cord.
All of this was with Applecare bought on eBay (Boxed).
I had a problem with my DVD player and they replaced that.
Last week I went to see an Apple Genius to talk about a problem with my email. I showed him my magsafe power cord that was missing one tab. I asked him if he can replace the tab and he gave me a new power cord.
All of this was with Applecare bought on eBay (Boxed).
At 2:01 AM 6 November 2009
Kenny Q wrote
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