Applecare+ vs insurance

**mysimba97** · 10-07-2011, 11:23 AM

How does Applecare+ compare to insurance companies like Asurion, Square Trade and Worth Ave? Tried a search for this question in the forum, but found nothing...

**KCook3** · 10-07-2011, 11:26 AM

I believe applecare also give you 2 years of phone tech support as part of the cost.

I have taken my old Iphone 3gs to the apple store once and they had it fixed in a few mins!! I paid with cash so having the cost upfront saves me in monthly cost's.

KC

**Apple9to5** · 10-07-2011, 11:27 AM

A must for me!!!

**ame** · 10-07-2011, 11:34 AM

I have Squaretrade AND insurance through ATT AND applecare. Can't be too safe.

**The Rulah** · 10-07-2011, 11:37 AM

I was also debating this question. In my research I found the Applecare+ will cover damage on 2 instances ($49 fee). Very similar to the carrier insurance option. Although Applecare+ will come out to be less over a period of 2 years versus the carrier options - but I have not seen anything about it covering a lost or stolen device.

**SeanHRCC** · 10-07-2011, 11:38 AM

If i were to buy some kind of warranty like this...and the costs were relatively the same, i'd definitely stick with the Apple offered plan, since Apple's customer service is almost always top notch, i'd rather deal with them than a 3rd party insurance plan, given how many horror stories i have experienced/read about/heard about concerning them.

**KCook3** · 10-07-2011, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by AnthonyK

I was also debating this question. In my research I found the Applecare+ will cover damage on 2 instances ($49 fee). Very similar to the carrier insurance option. Although Applecare+ will come out to be less over a period of 2 years versus the carrier options - but I have not seen anything about it covering a lost or stolen device.

You have to take a phone in for applecare and applecare+.

KC

**cardfan** · 10-07-2011, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by SeanHRCC

If i were to buy some kind of warranty like this...and the costs were relatively the same, i'd definitely stick with the Apple offered plan, since Apple's customer service is almost always top notch, i'd rather deal with them than a 3rd party insurance plan, given how many horror stories i have experienced/read about/heard about concerning them.

Yep, a nobrainer. But it makes you wonder why we get 20 threads an hour asking this.

**SeanHRCC** · 10-07-2011, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by cardfan

Yep, a nobrainer. But it makes you wonder why we get 20 threads an hour asking this.

Well...my only guess is that there is a massive influx of people who have never owned an Apple product before, and in that, have never experienced Apple's customer service, so i can imagine a lot of them are just going off all they've ever known (IE: these 3rd party warranties).

If they only knew how much of a joke those 3rd party insurance/warranty plans are vs. the Apple Care Plans.

**boomhower1820** · 10-07-2011, 01:03 PM

Unless you are a big clutz and anticipate breaking it more than twice in the next two years Applecare+ seems to be the way to go.

**dougmcarthur** · 10-07-2011, 01:17 PM

i'm with you on that one - I went to the apple store sans warranty and it would cost me $225 to get the volume button fixed on my 3GS. Basically, I have to buy a new phone. Forget that, I'm gonna get a 4S when my contract is up and DEFINITELY buy the Applecare+ warranty (so long as it's the same in Canada).

**ECGcrackberry** · 10-07-2011, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by AnthonyK

I was also debating this question. In my research I found the Applecare+ will cover damage on 2 instances ($49 fee). Very similar to the carrier insurance option. Although Applecare+ will come out to be less over a period of 2 years versus the carrier options - but I have not seen anything about it covering a lost or stolen device.

The (+) version of AppleCare which covers the 2 instances of repairs is around $30, (over 2 years). The 3rd party insurance plan such as Asurion covers lost or stolen devices as well as damaged devices and I don't know if there is a 2 incident limit. However, according to Verizon, it will cost $10 a month. $120 a year, or $240 over 2 years.

If you have a Verizon plan, you can add the insurance on by going into a Verizon store even if you purchased the phone from Apple (online or store).

Is it correct that you can only obtain AppleCare+ by ordering it at the same time as the phone and only by doing so on Applestore onlime or Apple retail store?

**enforcer#im** · 10-07-2011, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by ekneeiphone

The (+) version of AppleCare which covers the 2 instances of repairs is around $30, (over 2 years). The 3rd party insurance plan such as Asurion covers lost or stolen devices as well as damaged devices and I don't know if there is a 2 incident limit. However, according to Verizon, it will cost $10 a month. $120 a year, or $240 over 2 years.

If you have a Verizon plan, you can add the insurance on by going into a Verizon store even if you purchased the phone from Apple (online or store).

Is it correct that you can only obtain AppleCare+ by ordering it at the same time as the phone and only by doing so on Applestore onlime or Apple retail store?

That is what I was told by AT&T and checking apple site it states the same thing. If you want Apple Care + you have to have the plan on receipt of you purchase of the physical phone. Below is quote from apple store.

Important notes

AppleCare+ must be purchased together with new covered equipment. See AppleCare+ Terms and Conditions for complete product details.

**Evan_Beezy** · 10-07-2011, 04:52 PM

Squaretrade...nuff said

**Alli** · 10-07-2011, 11:20 PM

Definitely Squaretrade.

**trevorjd14** · 10-07-2011, 11:29 PM

Do you have 30 days to purchase Applecare+ ?

**Duvi** · 10-08-2011, 12:21 AM

Asurion through AT&T for me. Covers everything, including lost/stolen. They never get lost/stolen, but one day, you never know. Even if it cost more to keep the plan on, I rather pay a deductible than $800 to buy outright.

**johndhynes** · 10-08-2011, 03:31 AM

I don't see much point in insurance, when it costs $99 and comes with a $49 deductible. I'm only spending $199 on the phone. I know that it costs a lot more out of contract, but I still have an upgrade available on my family plan, and in a few months I'll have another, and another one after that. Hell, I'll risk $50 to get a replacement, or just get an iPhone 4 for $99 and pocket $50, rather than risk throwing $99 away. I'm sure to get next year's model, anyway.

**ECGcrackberry** · 10-08-2011, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by tjdaugherty

Do you have 30 days to purchase Applecare+ ?

No. It has to be added atvthe point of sale and only at apple.

**xlipstickandbruisesx** · 10-08-2011, 07:40 AM

I'm very careful with my phones and while I used to purchase insurance for my phones once sprint raised it to $8 a month and $100 deductable I got rid of it and have been fine. I will say on Sprint it didn't even give me the option to add their insurance, only to add applecare so I wonder if they won't be covering iPhones in house...

**Irish Rose** · 10-08-2011, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Duvi

Asurion through AT&T for me. Covers everything, including lost/stolen. They never get lost/stolen, but one day, you never know. Even if it cost more to keep the plan on, I rather pay a deductible than $800 to buy outright.

Same here. I've never had a problem with using Asurion in the past so I was glad to see that they would now be insuring the iPhones. I thought about Apple Care+, but the fact that it doesn't cover lost/stolen makes me think that I'd be better off with Asurion for my iPhone 4S. A guy at work had his iPhone stolen and had to pay full retail for another one. I'd like to think that's never going to happen to me but like you said, you never know.

**boomhower1820** · 10-08-2011, 09:26 AM

I did end up going with AppleCare+. The way I looked at it was for one broke phone over one year is $150.(I'm likely to upgrade after a year). Where as with Asurion it's about $300. Asurion is certainly not the market leader in customer satisfaction by any stretch of the imagination either. I'm not prone to losing phones so that would be a very rare exception and not one that overly worries me. My wife has the BB insurance on hers. A bit more than Asurion but $0 deductible. You just have to pick the one that fits your needs and comfort level the best.

One thing to keep in mind is that most often if your phone is stolen it's out of your car which you can file on you car insurance. That could give you some comfort in going with AppleCare+. Of course whether that is good or not depends on the kind of deductible you have. If you can't tell I hate big deductibles, mine is at $150 for my car.

**Dadman** · 10-11-2011, 04:31 PM

Does Applecare+ cover EVERYTHING but lost or stolen? All accidental damage?

**Duvi** · 10-11-2011, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dadman

Does Applecare+ cover EVERYTHING but lost or stolen? All accidental damage?

Correct...

**Duvi** · 10-11-2011, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Rose

Same here. I've never had a problem with using Asurion in the past so I was glad to see that they would now be insuring the iPhones. I thought about Apple Care+, but the fact that it doesn't cover lost/stolen makes me think that I'd be better off with Asurion for my iPhone 4S. A guy at work had his iPhone stolen and had to pay full retail for another one. I'd like to think that's never going to happen to me but like you said, you never know.

Yup... I rather pay the monthly charge and never use it than to not have it and need it.