 "Mac's iPod Warranty... unfortunately, not worth it." | 2008-03-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2TJ9JM2H30ZAN |
Extremely vague about everything one would associate with today's standard extended warenty: especially if you have an extended warranty on a Mac computer.
Local Mac store salesman admits battery warranty as a "grey area", where my iPod was purchased. I was never told, in a concise way, what was covered in terms of the battery life after one year. Salesman mentioned a battery can go dead after a year... but a service tech would decide if this occurred under "normal" use. To me, this is a very slippery slope to leave to a tech. What history does one have to prove to warrant a covered battery replacement?
Accidents are not covered. An accidental drop on your floor isn't covered. Nothing compared to most insurance plans... including your average homeowner's policy.
This owner's advice... skips it. iPods are great for what they are... an often wonderful, but troublesome device that has its quarks. Accept what you purchased (a Mac product), and skip the plan. You'll get a new model anyway. |
| |
 "Highly recommended" | 2007-05-10 |
| - Reviewed By juliodbr |
| Apple is a brilliant company, but their tech support is a bit stiff, frankly. I would highly recommend this. I've had to use it a couple of times, and it's been a lifesaver. You'll need it so just get it. |
| |
| "Caveat emptor" | 2006-12-29 |
| - Reviewed By yankeeterp |
I am always leery about paying extra for so-called extended warranty/protection plans for electronic goods, as for the most part, the products last longer than the time frame that is covered. However, I did relent to buying this because I had read the coverage was a worthy investment for those who use iPods a lot (i.e., like an everyday item or so). So soon after I bought a new iPod, I purchased the protection plan from Apple's website.
Needless to say, I missed one little bit of fine print about exactly what is covered, or rather, what is NOT covered. As it turns out, I found that their LCD screen is not very hardy, and apparently, too expensive to replace or repair. I'm not referring to the early Nano models that got scratched easily; I had a 5G, 60 GB model. It worked like a charm for a couple months until I accidentally bumped into something while it was strapped to me. It wasn't even hit that hard. But I noticed the internal display was now cracked, making portions of the screen illegible. The next day, the screen was "dead," meaning while the backlight still worked, nothing was displayed on the screen. Of course, Apple refused to take care of that problem, so I blew $60 for a warranty that is totally useless. And I might as well consider the iPod a $400 loss as well, as it's impossible to use without a display. (As of now, I'm going to relegate this POS to one of those companies that buy broken iPods.)
Apple's website gives a really good sales pitch about their protection plan, like you're getting world-class service and peace of mind. I received neither. |
| |
| "Well worth the price" | 2006-12-10 |
| - Reviewed By freelancing |
Granted, I would never spend $59 to cover a $79 iPod Shuffle... but for any of the other iPods over $200, it's a good deal... and here's why.
Out of the box, you get a one year limited warranty. In the first 90 days of this out-of-the-box warranty, you can call Apple once for a general question - like "how do I speed up this track" or "tell me how in the hell to use this infernal gadget!" - but after that, it's $49 per call... unless there is something technically wrong, then the call is free. It is a toll-free #.
The one year limited warranty is a 2-parter. In the first 6 months of this warranty (this is where reading the fine print really helps), you can contact AppleCare or go to an Apple Retail Store if your iPod is failing (not from accidental damage, though - just if it stops working or behaves badly) - if they cannot do a software fix for it, they will replace the iPod with a refurb unit. The refurbs have new cases and new batteries - but the LCD and Hard Drive might be refurbs. This is also in the fine print. The unit is still covered under your warranty for the life of the warranty period.
Your warranty period starts from the date of purchase of the iPod, not the date of purchase of the warranty. You have one year to buy the warranty and register it online. So, let's say you are a last minute shopper and you fly to New York to shop at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store that is open 24/hrs a day, 365 days a year... and you buy the blooming iPod on Christmas day. You of course remember the date (like a birthday) in your memory... knowing you have one year to buy the warranty and register it... you will have until Christmas EVE the next year to buy & register the warranty online. You cannot buy it on the one-year anniversary - it's one day too late - 366 days, not 365 days. Don't procrastinate! By waiting, you do not add time to your coverage.
So - back to the limited warranty - after the first 6 months, there is a processing fee. This is waived if you have the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP), but if you just have the limited warranty, you'll pay $29 plus tax for a replacement unit. Why? They ship the old unit back to be taken apart and recycled and it covers the shipping of the replacement unit to the store or to you (if you do the mail in service instead of going to the store).
When you get a replacement unit, the unit is covered for the length of your warranty or 90 days - whichever is longer.
When you have APP, there are no more fees - you have coverage for 2 solid years - unlimited phone support and no fees if you have to replace the unit in the store 20 times.
If you drop the unit, accidentally put it in the washing machine or run it over with your car, they will be able to tell and that kind of damage is not covered. If you have a warranty on your car, you use it if you hit a speedbump and your transmission falls out. But, if you wrap your car around a tree, this is an insurance issue, not a warranty issue. Same with the iPod. Apple does not sell insurance. Some credit cards do offer limited insurance on electronics. You will have to check w/ your card to see if this coverage is available for you.
Some people opt to do all their holiday shopping at a big-box retailer w/ their attractive 6-12 months no interest deals... that's fine and dandy - but you need to be aware of some of the extended warranties they sell. Ask lots of questions.
Many big-box retailers offer a 4-year warranty for about the same price as Apple's 2 year warranty - but what is in the tiny print is that in the first year, you have to take the unit to Apple for service. So - you take it into Apple (or mail it in) - they don't 'repair' your unit - they either do a software fix if it was corrupted software (something you can do yourself at home) or they will replace the unit. When they replace the unit, you now have a new serial number - and this is not covered by the other retailer's 4-year warranty. You won't know this until 2 years later your ipod dies again - you go to the big box retailer and they tell you that the iPod you have in your hand is not the one you covered with their warranty. Oops!
With your APP warranty, you're paying 8 cents a day for peace of mind. And if you're buying a $400 iPod, it's nice that you don't have to worry about getting another one for 2 years. It's a hefty investment only to have to pay $30 for a replacement in 6 months if the thing starts acting funny, then paying for a new one. By the time your APP runs out, you know they will have come out w/ some new awesome model you 'have to have' anyway. I still have the first iPod I bought about 5 years ago and it still works. The battery life is nil, but plugged in, it still works... but I still bought a new model when it came out... and you will too. |
| |
| "Well worth it!" | 2006-11-17 |
| - Reviewed By sonyarudy |
Although it may seem like anouther expense when you buy your iPod, it is well worth the price! I had a 1st gen iPod Nano that was a year old and had so many scratches on it! My battery was also starting to not hold a charge so I sent it back expecting them to replace the battery and send me back my old iPod.
Instead, they sent me back a fully functional new iPod Nano. Thats a 200 dollar value! It sure saves you money! |
| |
| "i haven't heard anyhting bad about it" | 2006-11-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2RLQ7IBCBYUOV |
| my friend sold me his one that he never used. it sat around for about a year before i registered it. so far i heven't heard anyhting negative yet about it, except for the price i guess. |
| |
Expedited Available
