Square Trade, is this company reliable for warranty coverage?

Although I have not ever had a square trade warranty I have read many good reviews and heard on this forum of folks who were very pleased...I can't say about the refurb r not...but I can say that even Apple's own 1 year warranty gives you a refurb if they have to replace it...so there really would be no difference...

I'd stick with Apple. They made, they back it, they'll fix it. I have had nothing but incredible treatment and success with AC over the years.

I talked to SquareTrade about the iPad insurance. They pay for the replacement cost to get a new iPad, and they cover "electrical and mechanical failure coverage and also drops, spills and damages done by an accident." Applecare does not cover accidental damage, just failure.

The Applecare warranty isn't insurance and it really doesn't protect you from much except if something goes wrong with the device that they deem is not your fault. I never buy these Applecare Warranties I think they are a waste of money. Apple has burned many folks with these warranties, but if something does go wrong you are covered provided they don't try to say it was your fault.

SquareTrade is legit and they do what they say. I've purchased a couple of their insurance plans and I've only had to use it once and it was due to dropping my phone in the water. I shipped it in and they gave me replacement cost to go buy a new one. The full retail replacement cost I might add, not the discount rate that you may or may not be elibible for.

"The Applecare warranty isn't insurance..."

Just for the record, at least one state considers AppleCare to be insurance and, since Apple is not licensed to sell insurance, the extended AppleCare warranty is not available there.

FYI - Square Trade sells computer insurance to repair damaged caused by human error. Apple does not.

Apple doesn't cover accidental damage or water damage...square trade does

I bought two warranties from Square Trade so far. The first I purchased for my Powerbook that I bought from eBay. I gave it to my son for college and thought it was a good idea. The second warranty I bought from them was to cover my iPhone 3GS. The price was reasonable and I'm a klutz at times. 🙂 My third will be to cover my iPad. I plan to purchase it next Monday.

Message was edited by: Mark Farner

Message was edited by: Mark Farner

If you have homeowner's or renter's insurance, talk to your insurance agent before you purchase third-party insurance plans. You can often get a rider on your home/rental policy to cover specific devices at a significantly lower cost than the cost from independent companies for that one device only. Not always, but it will be worth checking before you buy other insurance.

If you do need to go with a separate company, check out Safeware. Though I've never used them myself, that's the company my previous university recommended.

Regards.

We actually went with Square Trade rather than Apple Care. At the same time, we made sure to buy the iPad with a credit card that had double the warranty coverage, so we are covered two ways.

The big thing is the accidental damage protection-- it really is a peace of mind purchase.