ApplecareProtectionPlan
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Apple won't sell AppleCare in Italy, updates warranty terms on website
Apple and Italy's Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (Competition and Market Authority) have been at odds for a while over the AppleCare Protection Plan. The European Union requires sellers to provide a two-year mandatory warranty on products, and fined Apple US$1.2 million in March for not informing consumers of that fact. Now, according to a post on 9to5Mac, Apple has removed AppleCare Protection Plan products from shelves at Apple Stores and resellers in Italy. Apple still makes the product available, but only through the online store. The terms for AppleCare were updated on the Italian website, now noting that "AppleCare plans benefits are added to the two-year warranty of the seller, required by Italian regulators to protect the consumers." There's a good chance that Apple could be forced to make similar changes to the AppleCare Protection Plan in other EU countries where the warranty law is enforced.
Apple fined in Italy for poor communication around warranty policy
Apple has been fined 900 thousand Euros by the Italian Antitrust Authority [Google translation], citing unfair business practices against consumers. Specifically, the ruling cites two offenses against Apple, Apple Sales International and Apple Retail Italy. First, the judgement says that Apple's retail arm did not fully inform consumers that they are eligible to receive free care every two years via the Consumer Code, instead focusing on Apple's own warranty plan (one year, plus subsequent paid AppleCare service). Additionally, the Italian authorities said Apple allowed customers to pay for an Apple Care Protection Plan even when the supplementary plan overlapped the two-year coverage guaranteed by the Consumer Code. As a result, Apple was fined 400,000 Euros for the former offense and 500,000 Euros for the latter (a total of about US$1.2 million as of this writing). Apple will also publish an explanation to its Italian consumer website. Finally, Apple must adapt sales packages of the Apple Protection Plan to include information on the free service that's available to customers after two years. That change must be made within 90 days of the decision. Thanks to Marc and Jacopo for sending this in.
Didn't get the AppleCare+ with your iPhone? Worry not, you now have 30 days to change your mind
AppleCare+, Cupertino's latest protection plan, debuted on the same day the iPhone 4S was unveiled, but anyone wanting to take advantage of the two-year warranty and accidental damage coverage was required to fork out an extra $99 at the same time they bought their phone. While Apple allowed early adopters to buy the service until November 14th because they weren't offered it upon pre-ordering, it appears the company's extended that window until December 15th, according to an internal memo leaked to SprintFeed. What's better, it seems that Apple's softening up its policy for everyone else during the holidays, as the company now offers a 30-day window just in case you walk out of the store with your glass-laden treasure unprotected and change your mind later. Apple's site confirms the policy (shown below), but as always, there's a catch: if you choose to get it after point of purchase, you'll need to either call up Apple directly or schedule a Genius Bar appointment, bring your receipt in and have the phone inspected to ensure it's not already damaged. Seems like a lot to do, but just make sure you use that Reminders app to keep track of it all.
Sprint to offer three levels of iPhone service, 'yellow' AppleCare+ repairs will cost $49
Thinking about buying an iPhone 4S from Sprint? Depending on how clumsy you tend to be with mobile devices, you might want to consider adding the $99 AppleCare+ option at purchase, since those Total Equipment Protection plans are definitely out. A Sprint employee wrote in to detail us on upcoming service procedures, which include grouping a damaged device within three categories -- green, yellow and red -- after diagnosis. As you might imagine, green repairs are the easiest to deal with, and include 'minor damage' (i.e. cracked screens are out). These repairs will be handled for free within the first year for all customers, and within two years for those who purchased AppleCare+. Next up, the yellow category covers damage that doesn't fall within green, but is still repairable. Non subscribers will pay $199, while those with AppleCare+ will pay $49. Klutzes beware: you're limited to two yellow repairs, regardless of whether or not the device is in warranty. Finally, the red category is reserved for iPhones that provide little function beyond holding down a stack of papers or propping open your door. You'll need to pay the full replacement cost for red-labeled phones. None of these repairs will be handled in store -- iPhones will be shipped to Apple, though you're welcome to start the process at Sprint. Our recommendation: reach out to Apple directly, since your iPhone is probably headed there either way. And if you want AppleCare, don't forget to buy it at launch. Updated: Sprint wrote in to let us know that device swaps (not repairs) can in fact be handled in store, so you won't always need to go to Apple. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Sprint says no to iPhone insurance, AppleCare+ breathes sigh of relief
The Now Network is apparently voting thumbs-down to the idea of having its Total Equipment Protection plans available to its new crown jewel. According to a leaked slide courtesy of SprintFeed, your shiny Sprint-branded iPhone 4S (or 4) won't be offered with a healthy portion of peace of mind; rather, you'll need to purchase the AppleCare+ Protection Plan or go through a third party to have any protection from accidental damage. This may change down the road, as the slide says it won't be offered "at launch," but only time will tell. Unfortunate, yes, but we suppose there's always a bright side -- at least there's now a Sprint iPhone to not have insurance for, right?
AppleCare+ debuts for $99, offers to cover accidental damage in addition to the standard fare
Once upon a time, the AppleCare Protection Plan was a service provided by Cupertino to extend out the life of your iPhone warranty for an extra year and enable Apple reps to help with additional customer service concerns. It still offers all of that, but now a Plus has been added to the title. The new plan was revealed as the cloak over the Apple Store lifted after today's keynote, with the boxes shipping out the same day as the iPhone 4S. What's so "plus" about it, you might ask? It's plus $30, for one, getting a price bump from $70 to $100. The good news, though, is that it also now offers two instances of protection from accidental damage... for a $49 fee each time. It's a fair deal less than shelling out full retail price for a fresh one, of course, but there doesn't appear to be any other new features beyond what we're already used to getting. Oh, except for "one more thing": whereas its predecessor could be obtained and activated anytime within the first twelve months of your purchase, it appears that AppleCare+ has to be bought at the same time as the valuable treasure it's protecting. We're still sifting through the fine print, so we'll holler if we come across any other changes. This raises the question: does the accidental damage handling justify the higher cost? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AppleCare+ for iPhone covers accidental damage
One good accessory purchase for any iPhone buyer is AppleCare, but now Apple has upped the ante with a new product called AppleCare+ -- they'll now cover accidental damage to your iPhone. AppleCare+ ($US99) must be purchased at the same time that you buy your new iPhone, and covers up to two incidents of damage due to handling errors. For each of those incidents, Apple will extract a $49 service fee, but that's a lot less expensive than purchasing a whole new iPhone. AppleCare+ is available for purchase now, and shows a delivery date of October 14 -- the date that the first iPhone 4S devices will be available.
Which peripherals are covered under AppleCare?
In the wake of our earlier post on possibly time-bombed Time Capsules, there was some confusion as to whether or not the Time Capsule would be covered under any AppleCare Protection Plan you might have. The suggestion was made in the comments to Mel's post that extended coverage would apply, but we decided to double-check. In short, it's true. if you have an AppleCare Protection Plan that is currently in-force for a Mac that you own, your Time Capsule is covered under that agreement. In fact, there is no need for the Time Capsule to be on the same receipt as the computer you purchased. As long as the Time Capsule is owned by you and "in use" along with the covered Mac system, it is covered along with the product for which you have an existing AppleCare Protection Plan. Of course, this does not cover any damage you inflict on the Time Capsule, and it must not be hacked or used in any way other than it was intended. In other words, don't use your Time Capsule as a doorstop and expect to get AppleCare coverage on it when it breaks. In addition to the Time Capsule, this "in use" coverage extends to the following products: AirPort Extreme Card AirPort Express AirPort Extreme Base Station Apple-branded DVI to ADC display adapter Apple RAM modules MacBook Air SuperDrive And, naturally, while coverage does not extend to products that are subject to their own AppleCare Protection Plans (such as an iPhone, iPod, or, of course, another computer) it does extend to a single Apple-branded display if the display was purchased at the same time as the computer you're using it with. Otherwise you need to purchase a separate AppleCare Protection Plan for the display. Clear as mud? All of the above is contained within the terms and conditions of the AppleCare Protection Plan for North America. In addition to those actual terms, an Apple Genius I spoke with said that coverage also typically extends to Apple-branded hardware on the same receipt as the covered computer purchase, and in general he and his colleagues endeavor to extend the best courtesy they can to their customers when the situation permits. So you may, in fact, receive coverage better than the terms within the agreement itself if you are pleasant, don't yell at the nice Geniuses and say "pretty please." Complimenting their shoes is always a nice touch. They also like chocolate. If you'd like to check to see what agreements are current, you can click here to check them out, see when they expire, and read the terms and conditions yourself. If your agreement is not registered or is not listed under your Apple ID, you can check by agreement number and computer serial number. Also, if you are not in North America, you can read the terms specific to your agreement here -- many European countries have stronger consumer protections than the US does, and longer warranties may be standard where you live.
New AppleCare packaging - get that same comprehensive care in a sleek new box
TUAW Reader Jett alerted us to another update we overlooked yesterday. Along with the launch of the new MacBook Pro came new AppleCare packaging and a slick, new AppleCare product page.I haven't seen the new box up close yet but it looks like it's styled and sized in line with Apple's recent shrunken iLife, iWork, .Mac and Tiger retail boxes. I'm not sure Al "An Inconvenient Truth" Gore had anything to do with this act of "green", but I applaud Apple's attempt to cut the fat from their packaging and stop wasting all that paper, plastic and cardboard just to house a disc or two and some Apple logo decals. Let's hope this is a trend that Apple and other companies that ship software will continue with.Thanks, Jett!
