AppleCare Vs Contents insurance

tntcoder · 10 Jun 2017 at 05:12

Hi,

Does anyone have opinions on how worthwhile AppleCare is for macbooks in comparison to home contents insurance?

With a new MB you get 1 year warranty and then I believe you have a 6 year consumer rights warranty in the UK which should cover hardware fails. You can purchase AC up to 1 year after purchase which would give you 3+1 years coverage for £300+, no accidental damage cover as far as I can see...

I'm more concerned with coffee spills etc and so home insurance accidental damage seems like a better choice here over AC? And that should also cover hardware fails if it's insured as a specific item.

Does anyone know how much insurance premiums might increase by if you make a claim against a 2k laptop?

Thanks

edscdk · 10 Jun 2017 at 07:05

Good luck claiming on that 6 year thing! Maybe if you are a smart lawyer willing to put some serious effort and time into writing letters.. Otherwise if it's 1 day over a year they don't give a toss! I have known several people try and claim warranty on laptops and pc's over 1 year.. All were told to get lost.. Most recent was a hp 1 year and 2 days old..

Jimbeam3678 · 10 Jun 2017 at 10:49

edscdk said:
Good luck claiming on that 6 year thing! Maybe if you are a smart lawyer willing to put some serious effort and time into writing letters.. Otherwise if it's 1 day over a year they don't give a toss! I have known several people try and claim warranty on laptops and pc's over 1 year.. All were told to get lost.. Most recent was a hp 1 year and 2 days old..

Thats not strictly true with Apple products if you take them to an Apple store, I've only ever had top service from Apple, although 6 years would be stretching it a bit!

Nexus · 10 Jun 2017 at 10:52

tntcoder said:
With a new MB you get 1 year warranty and then I believe you have a 6 year consumer rights warranty in the UK which should cover hardware fails. You can purchase AC up to 1 year after purchase which would give you 3+1 years coverage for £300+, no accidental damage cover as far as I can see...

Like edscdk has already said, you won't get anywhere trying to argue that you are covered by a six year consumer rights warranty.
Apple will typically always charge full wack for repairs, unless you are covered by Apple Care or they have a free repair window for a specific fault they have identified. You also have to consider that you can only buy Apple Care for three years, as from Apple's perspective, they clearly want you to be looking at new hardware after that. Usually when it gets beyond that stage and something goes wrong, it tends to be something quite pricey to replace like the logic board so it's not always cost effective.

I made a claim on my home insurance a few years back for an iPad that fell off a table and smashed. It was cheaper to pay the excess than what Apple were charging for a repair. After the insurance company assessed it, they sent me vouchers to buy a new one (which was actually the latest model). I didn't see an increase in my premiums, but then that was my first claim and quite a low one at that. I don't know how you would get on with claiming if a part of your laptop stops working and you need to try and get it repaired, especially a good few years down the line.

I personally wouldn't buy an Apple laptop or desktop without Apple Care, especially as they've made the move to systems that are no longer user serviceable.

MOOGLEYS · 11 Jun 2017 at 10:48

The consumer rights act is your legal rights. Knowing your rights and how to apply them is worth looking into tbh. I had my previous MacBook repaired at 3 years old after a quick £15 solicitors letter to the retailer. Any other warranty issued is always in addition to your consumer rights which is the only legally required warranty within the uk. It also only applies with the retailer you purchased from. The manufacturer has no legal obligation to give any warranty at all.

If your home insurance covers accidental damage you might be better using that rather than paying for AppleCare. Check and see if your insurance covers outside the home and how much any excesses are as well.

Have a look at this..

https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/