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Does Apple Care+ for MacBook Cover the Water Damage? (2022)

The new MacBook ads video confused me about whether the Apple Care plus could deal with the situation when the MacBook was accidentally damaged by liquid, as you can see from the attached photo. Is it true?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jul 6, 2022 2:29 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 6, 2022 5:55 PM

The tricky part of the AppleCare+ coverage for accidental damage is that the repair costs may not be as simple as you expect. Apple separates the accidental damage for a laptop into two categories with different repair costs for the user.


If just the Display is damaged, then it is one price (I think $100 US lets say).


If the damage is to any other part than the display, then the repair cost is more expensive (I think it is $300 US, at least for showing my point here in a minute).


Now lets say the liquid damaged both the Display and some other component like the keyboard. The repair cost will be a combination of the Display cost AND the "Other" cost which in my example would be $400 US total ($100 Display + $300 other). I know this for a fact because our organization had AppleCare+ coverage for a damaged laptop where this occurred. This is not exactly clear in the AppleCare+ article @Phil0124 links, but you can sort of parse this information out of the article by noticing the article does separate out the Display from the Other components. So if you ask yourself, what if the Display and something else is damaged, you can see that adding the two costs together would cover the whole laptop. It is a bit deceptive on Apple's part in my opinion as this should be explicitly spelled out on the main page. You can see this is the case by reading the actual AppleCare+ Terms in section 3.2 of the US based contract found here:

https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/applecareplus/2205/220606_applecareplusmac_us.pdf


Here is a screenshot of the relevant section, but even this seems to be a bit misleading as well as the explanatory text beneath the table implies a total cost of just $300 if everything is damaged, but if you look at the table for "Tier 2" it explicitly states "All other damage" implying all other damage excluding the Display from "Tier 1" since "Tier 2" never states that it covers both "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" components:



Also, the "External Enclosure" damage mentioned in the article is actually referring to the Display Assembly's metal housing (the back of the Display and not the palmrest or Bottom Case of the laptop). Again, this is from a personal experience. Basically "Display" and "External Enclosure" as regards to the laptop is one and the same thing.


I know there may be some who will claim I am wrong on this point because the information Apple posts here is definitely ambiguous, but I do know what they charged us when both the Display and another component on the laptop were both damaged. Basically "Tier 1" is the Display part (or lid) while "Tier 2" is the base or lower part of the laptop (palmrest/keyboard section and everything inside it). Top part costs $100, Bottom part costs $300. Both parts combined will cost $400.


Hope this helps.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 6, 2022 5:55 PM in response to ZhengSun

The tricky part of the AppleCare+ coverage for accidental damage is that the repair costs may not be as simple as you expect. Apple separates the accidental damage for a laptop into two categories with different repair costs for the user.


If just the Display is damaged, then it is one price (I think $100 US lets say).


If the damage is to any other part than the display, then the repair cost is more expensive (I think it is $300 US, at least for showing my point here in a minute).


Now lets say the liquid damaged both the Display and some other component like the keyboard. The repair cost will be a combination of the Display cost AND the "Other" cost which in my example would be $400 US total ($100 Display + $300 other). I know this for a fact because our organization had AppleCare+ coverage for a damaged laptop where this occurred. This is not exactly clear in the AppleCare+ article @Phil0124 links, but you can sort of parse this information out of the article by noticing the article does separate out the Display from the Other components. So if you ask yourself, what if the Display and something else is damaged, you can see that adding the two costs together would cover the whole laptop. It is a bit deceptive on Apple's part in my opinion as this should be explicitly spelled out on the main page. You can see this is the case by reading the actual AppleCare+ Terms in section 3.2 of the US based contract found here:

https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/applecareplus/2205/220606_applecareplusmac_us.pdf


Here is a screenshot of the relevant section, but even this seems to be a bit misleading as well as the explanatory text beneath the table implies a total cost of just $300 if everything is damaged, but if you look at the table for "Tier 2" it explicitly states "All other damage" implying all other damage excluding the Display from "Tier 1" since "Tier 2" never states that it covers both "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" components:



Also, the "External Enclosure" damage mentioned in the article is actually referring to the Display Assembly's metal housing (the back of the Display and not the palmrest or Bottom Case of the laptop). Again, this is from a personal experience. Basically "Display" and "External Enclosure" as regards to the laptop is one and the same thing.


I know there may be some who will claim I am wrong on this point because the information Apple posts here is definitely ambiguous, but I do know what they charged us when both the Display and another component on the laptop were both damaged. Basically "Tier 1" is the Display part (or lid) while "Tier 2" is the base or lower part of the laptop (palmrest/keyboard section and everything inside it). Top part costs $100, Bottom part costs $300. Both parts combined will cost $400.


Hope this helps.

Jul 6, 2022 2:38 PM in response to ZhengSun

Apple Care+ covers two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months for a reduced fee. Wether the damage is for Water or some other source does not matter.

As explained in the document you were reading when watching that video:

Link-> AppleCare Products - Mac - Apple

  • Up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other accidental damage, plus applicable tax1



Jul 6, 2022 3:42 PM in response to ZhengSun

ZhengSun wrote:

The new MacBook ads video confused me about whether the Apple Care plus could deal with the situation when the MacBook was accidentally damaged by liquid, as you can see from the attached photo. Is it true?
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/919347f2-5e6e-4187-953a-799a23991989



If you have AppleCare+ will cover a large portion of "accidental damage." yes in the USA.

AppleCare Products - Mac - Apple



if it is applicable to your region you will have to check if you are not in the USA...

if in doubt call AppleCare Support at 1-800-APLCARE (800-275-2273)



Outside the USA—Contact Apple for support and service by phone

See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world.

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support




Jul 6, 2022 4:18 PM in response to ZhengSun

AppleCare+ does several things. First the AppleCare part is an extended warranty and extended technical support plan. Water damage is not covered by an extended warranty any more than a damaged fender is covered by a vehicle extended warranty. The + part is the equivalent an insurance plan with deductible for up to two instances of accidental damage for each year. The year starts at the date of purchase and the next year starts at the end of the first year. So if it's purchased June 27, 2022, there are two chances to submit a claim until June 26, 2023, and another two chances from June 27, 2023 to June 26, 2024.


So it's not exactly "no problem". It still needs to be replaced, and something like that would definitely call for replacement. And it would require the customer to pay a deductible. Here are the current terms in the United States. The deductible would be $299 plus tax as "Tier 2 accidental damage from handling".


https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/applecareplus/2205/220606_applecareplusmac_us.pdf
3.2 Services for Accidental Damage from Handling (“ADH Service”)

If during the Plan Term you submit a valid claim notifying Apple that the Covered Device has failed due to accidental damage from handling resulting from an unexpected and unintentional external event (e.g., drops and damages caused by liquid contact from spills) (“ADH”), Apple will, at its discretion and subject to the service fee described below, either (i) repair the defect using new or previously used Apple genuine parts that have been tested and pass Apple functional requirements, or (ii) exchange the Covered Device with a replacement product that is new or comprised of new and/or previously used Apple genuine parts and has been tested and passed Apple functional requirements. Each time you receive services for ADH is a “Service Event”. Exclusions apply as described below. Further, services for ADH expire and all of Apple’s obligations to you under this Section are fulfilled in their entirety once Apple has provided to you two (2) Service Events within each twelve (12)-month period based on your Plan’s original purchase date as specified on the original sales receipt. Any unused Service Events will expire and you will get two (2) new ADH Service Events to use within the next twelve (12)-month period of continued coverage. All other Plan benefits continue throughout.

Important: Please refer to Section 4 for exclusions on provision of ADH Service. The following service fees apply to each Service Event:

Mac Apple Display
Tier 1 ADH Service Event US$99 US$99 - Screen Only ADH Damage
- External Enclosure-only ADH Damage
Tier 2 ADH Service Event US$299 US$299 - All Other ADH Damage
*Fees exclude applicable taxes payable by you

To qualify for the Tier 1 ADH Service Event fee, the Covered Device must have no additional damage beyond the screen-only damage (if applicable) or the external enclosure-only damage that would prevent Apple from repairing the display or external enclosure. ADH damage to the Apple-branded stand and/or VESA mount used with your Apple-branded display will be treated as external enclosure-only ADH Damage. A Covered Device with additional damage will be charged the price of the Tier 2 ADH Service Event fee.

Please note that if you seek service under this Plan in a country other than your country of purchase, the service fee will need to be paid in that country’s currency and at that country’s applicable rate – for further details, including regarding applicable fees by country, please visit the AppleCare+ support website at apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/applecareplus/.


Does Apple Care+ for MacBook Cover the Water Damage? (2022)

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