Buy AppleCare - Especially for MacBook Batteries
Michael Trimm also sees the value in getting AppleCare:
If you buy a Mac (or most any big electronic), get the warranty. I purchased the extended warranty for my MacBook Pro back in November and it’s already halfway paid for itself. See, I’m one of the lucky people who received a MBP battery that has a health issue. According to iStat Pro (which I referenced to the tech, who understood), I have 65% health at 132 cycles. That’s not natural. After trying everything I could think of (which was only one thing - calibrate), that’s the numbers I had. System Profiler shows “Fair” battery health.
So Apple’s gonna swap out my battery no charge. Now, if I hadn’t purchased the warranty this may not have been as easy. (Apple includes a year of warranty support, but I know some extra services are provided for those who extend Apple Care). Also, don’t be afraid to call support (Apple: 1-800-APL-CARE) and tell them you’re concerned with something on your system. The best they can tell you is that your stuff is fine and nothing to worry about or it isn’t and they’ll replace it. The worst that could happen is they’ll tell you that you have nothing to worry about it. (If you don’t have a warranty, they could tell you that you’re on your own because you didn’t fork over the extra cash).
I’ve had to deal with Apple’s support channels a few times before as well, and the experience was just about as “nice” as it could be (all things considered).
In-store appointments are easy to set up, and the only phone call I made was handled astoundingly well - the CSR even gave me his email address for follow-up responses, not long after Leopard was first released. I don’t know if that’s common practice or over-the-top dedication, but I was impressed either way.
Ponzi had similar “happy” experiences when she called support for iPhone issues back in the first days of ownership.
So, what about your computer / vendor of choice? How are their support lines doing these days? I’m sure this is a case of “your mileage may vary,” but I’d still be interested in detecting general tech support trends from my readership.
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15 Comments
Lastfuse
February 19th, 2008
at 7:33pm
I’m very Impressed with apples warranty. I’m going to my local apple store tomorrow a replacement 30 prong cord fro my ipod they’ll replace/repair just about anything.
Connor P Jackson
February 19th, 2008
at 7:38pm
I agree. AppleCare Rocks! Especially for laptops. Always get the extended warranty for laptops. Desktops are debatable, but always laptops!
Andre Andraos
February 19th, 2008
at 8:22pm
Yeah, I have to agree with Chris the Apple Care is a must! I’ve replaced my battery as well, and also had my whole MacBook Pro replaced ON THE SPOT for free because of hardrive issues. Apple Care isn’t just extended warranty…it’s pure peace of mind.
Derek
February 19th, 2008
at 10:03pm
yeah i should get that.
David
February 19th, 2008
at 10:15pm
I’m happy with the support I recieved from HP. I think from what you said above, I also had the same issue with my batteries. I also had a previous issue when my laptop just went out… and would not turn on, something fried the motherboard.
Both times I contact their technicians via web chat, there were a few bumbs along the way, they seem to lack some knowledge to their own machines.. but in the end, I got a free repair both times, all off of my original standard 1-year warrenty. The first time it came back in about a week, and as I’m typing this, its being shipped to HP to repair the batteries issue. Didn’t spend a nickel for any kind of extended coverage, so I got nothing major to complain about.
Seb94
February 19th, 2008
at 10:30pm
Agreed
CARLY
February 19th, 2008
at 11:12pm
I won’t go into my horror stories with HP. I’ll just say, I HATE HP. I do have an ipod touch and love it. I had to call Apple a few times just in getting used to it and learning things. Two out of 3 people who I talked to were very, very, nice. I can’t wait to be able to afford a Macbook Pro. 15 inch. That is my dream!
Kurt
February 19th, 2008
at 11:19pm
I have AppleCare for my MacBook and my MagSafe recently died. I simply took it to the Apple Store and they replaced it for free no questions asked. It’s definitely worth it.
Sergio
February 19th, 2008
at 11:25pm
You know I still have not decided to get my macbook but I had thought that when I did I would not pay for the apple care due to the fact that most of the time that i have an issue I can fix it my self but when it comes to hardware such as the battery. I would probably be in a situation where I would have to invest more money that what apple care actually cost.
I will certainly consider about obtaining it when I get my macbook.
Phil Hendry
February 20th, 2008
at 5:06am
I had the same problem, and I don’t have Applecare. I expect something that I spent close to $1000 dollars on to be reliable at least while it is under the original warranty. Why spend another $249 on something useless. They had to replace the battery because it had a known defect.
Oak
February 20th, 2008
at 5:47am
Applecare is worthless. Long wait times and tech support from India are part of the problem. Last time I was on the phone it took 15 minutes to speak to someone, another 20 to be transferred to someone who could supposedly help me, and then after 20 minutes of talking to this person and having him search the database for an answer to what I thought was a simple question, we got disconnected and he never called back. Thank you Apple for Boot Camp. My 20″ iMac now runs Windows XP permanently.
John C
February 20th, 2008
at 6:50am
I think that getting apple care is a must. I also like how you have up to 1 year from purchase date to get it. Also if you call up and you do not have apple care you can purchase it right there and then. The tech from there can continue on with the tech support.
Greg
February 20th, 2008
at 10:02am
Another reason to get AppleCare… Apple has refused to honor the tech support that comes with the purchase of Mac OS Leopard if you don’t have AppleCare for the machine it’s running on.
I had a problem with iMovie immediately after installing 10.5 (on Leopard release day). I called Apple and they would NOT give me ANY support since I didn’t purchase AppleCare for my MBP (which I purchased from Best Buy… I purchased their service plan, as it fits my needs better).
Shame on you, Apple! It’s terrible that you refused to give me the free tech support I was entitled to by purchasing OS 10.5. Double shame for releasing a not-yet-ready-for-prime-time OS… 10.5.2 is better, but you STILL have not fixed the WiFi issue!
Salem
February 20th, 2008
at 11:01am
i had the same thing happen to my MBP battery and i got it replaced free of charge because i had the applecare. and another time i had an issue, the CSR on the phone was uber nice and solved the problem right away (my father had turned off the modem :S), plus he gave me tips for other situations and sent me an email with related support tips.
jbow2008
February 20th, 2008
at 6:49pm
i agree with him that u need to have applecare but i feel that for the premium u are paying for a mac it should be included for free