Is the $99 Apple Extended Warranty Necessary?

This is one of those personal choice things - I'm sure there are people who swear by them and have been saved by them. My personal view is that most companies sell extended warranties with the expectation that they will make money (or at worst break even) on the deal - in other words, they think that the odds are good that they will not have to repair or replace anything more expensive than the price you paid for the warranty. So I rarely purchase them, and haven't regretted it.

That said, you have the whole first year to decide - if your device starts acting like it's having hardware problems near the end of the first year (when your initial warranty is running out), you might want to pick it up.

I'm curious; you say you usually buy extended warranties - how many times have you needed to take advantage of them, and for what products?

Its entirely personal choice, however it does give you that extra years warranty. pesonally I have always bought it, normally around 11 months into the first year when I am sure I like something. And I have needed it on every product I've owned - for the MBP, I used if at about 23 months to get the battery replaced, the TC to be replaced when it just died at 14 months etc.

The only certain thing is that when you don't buy it and you need it, you are stuck. The iPhone forum has regular visitors who have a phone problem at 13 months and who complain that its unfair ...... because they didnt buy it.

Your choice entirely, the question is, do you feel lucky ? 😉

TiffanyNicole wrote:
Well, I have made a positive decision of purchasing the 64GB 3G Ipad..my only delema is if I should purchase the extended warranty? In the past, every computer/eltronics I have purchase I have always purchased the extended warranty (mostly from Best Buy). Of course, at the Apple store it was recommended for me to buy it. What are you thoughts on it?

Normally for products like Macs I would recommend but for a portable device with a big screen like the iPad I'll pass. Main reason is that the Applecare for the iPad does not cover physical or accidental damages, which I feel would be the major things to be concerned about regarding the iPad.
If you're buying from BestBuy then their 1 yr iPad ADH (Accidental Damage from Handling) which goes for $129 might be worth considering.

Apple warranties the iPad from defects and such for 1 yr already, so an ADH plan might not be a bad idea.

I agree personal choice and what your stress and disposible income threashold,
on low end devices (lets say ipods and dvd player recorders 150-200 dollar range) i can see why people dont carry the insurance..but as for more costly devices out of the box and for repairs its worth it. Especially in apple land.

Envision, 18 months from now you device acts up (no apple care) your at the mercy of "geek sqauds". Where apple is far superior in that aspect (end of story) they saved me with ipods, notebooks, mice and keyboards and even spoke with me. (call it peace of mind)

Funny story, Geek Squad. A friend of mine in windows land ended up with a rogue, "your computer is infected with xxxxxxxx". the geeks wanted him to spend 150 dollars to clean and optimize the system... I cleaned up his temporary areas and ran malware bytes, etc for him (both of these were zero cost products)and all is good.

Hi. Like you I always buy them, even at best buy. Given a recent experience with a BB warranty, i would never buy one from them again. However, I always buy the apple care, it is not just for things that break, it also extends your free technical/user support a year too. So I purchase the apple care for the extra year of user support... hope that helps

$99 extends the manufacturing warranty of one year by an extra year. Hence you pay $99 for 12 months. This is $0.27 per day.

It's a crap shoot.

Portable devices such as laptops are subject to many hazards. They are tightly packed with electronics and cooling has always been troublesome causing things such as disks, fans and hinges to fail prematurely.

The iPad does not have disk, fans nor hinges.

I would expect the iPad to last well beyond two years if taken care of.

Now having said the above -- I did buy the AppleCare for my two iPads. I did so as the iPad is a product line that Apple has only just started and may not have all of the manufacturing defects resolved and that may raise their ugly heads beyond the first year. At $0.27 per day I felt it was a prudent move.

As others have said -- personal choice, and I can understand a person deciding either way.

Most credit cards extend a manufacturer's warranty by up to a year. Call your and ask.

Since AppleCare, on this product, is only an extra year, most people who purchase with a credit card* already have an extra year of warranty through their card benefits. It may not be as simple as a quick exchange at the Apple Store, but it's free.

*Note that if you used a debit card, or a "regular" VISA/MC (other than a Gold or better) you are not likely to have this benefit. Also, Discover does not yet have the benefit.

I've owned comuters for about 30 years...pcs and apples. Lots of electronics. (early adopter). I've never purchased extended warranty, and never needed it. If something is going to go wrong, it usually does right away. I've only had trouble with the little electronic calendar things, and only after more than two years.

I've been lucky. But all the money I've saved over the years will more than foot the bill for any apple repairs that I might need.

I went with the $99 two year warranty from Square Trade. They cover broken glass and accidental water damage, which Apple's does not. I have had great success with warranties through ST before. Had to redeem them more than once, and they never gave me a hassle. Just sent me a check for the original product price. The last color laser printer I had to file a claim on, I actually came out ahead, because they sent me a check for the original purchase price, and I was able to find a refurbished replacement. Came out about $50 ahead in the deal. Definitely worth the piece of mind.

http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/ipad-landing

I agree, I have bought Applecare in the past, but I don't anymore. If it is a device fault, it will usually go under warranty. Other than that, Apple is getting very good at avoiding claims that might be due to user fault (i.e dropping the device).

Ken

I have purchased Apple Care precisely once, and the only benefit I derived was when I eBay'ed the MacBook Pro, I think I got a better price (though hardly close enough to pay the price of Apple Care).

I don't see much of an advantage. Usually, on electronic products, they either work or don't work immediately, which is covered by the standard warranty. After a year, the only problems you're going to find are from misuse (not covered) or maybe a bad hard drive (not on an iPad).

It's a personal choice, but I don't recommend the cost. I'd take the $99 and get a real good case for the iPad, so that it doesn't get damaged.

LuannJ, I have to agree with you.

What would it cost to get extended warranties for ALL your electronics (since no one knows which ones will fail)? And then how much does it cost to repair the rare electronic that fails? Do the math.

If it actually paid to buy extended warranties, the people offering them would lose money. As with all insurance.