Apple Gives Users More Time To Buy AppleCare After Sales Slow

Apple on Monday told retail and customer-support employees that the company is expanding the time period when customers can subscribe to its AppleCare+ service. From a report: Consumers currently have a chance to sign up to the warranty-and-support program within 60 days of buying an Apple product. This subscription window is increasing to up to a year now in the U.S. and Canada. "This gives customers another opportunity to protect their device and have access to all the AppleCare+ benefits," Apple wrote in a memo to staff seen by Bloomberg News. The company told employees the offer is available to customers who pay for AppleCare+ in full versus monthly payments, or for those that subscribe via installments on the Apple Card credit card.

Oh good

[DarkVader]

Now they're giving us back what we used to have.

Until recently you always had until the original warranty ended to buy AppleCare.

Then that changed to 60 days, and AASPs lost the ability to sell it.

Now they're taking it back to a year. Bets on whether anybody but Apple gets to sell it now?

Re:

[Joe_Dragon]

Bestbuy seems to sell it
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/s... [bestbuy.com]

Re:

[hcs_$reboot]

About 1 billion users.

Re:

[Applehu Akbar]

Which means about 6 billion people are sane.

No, because most of those are using Windows.

Re:

[Nabeel_co]

I don't think that'll be enough to fix it.

Apple Care used to be an amazing deal. The smallest issues covered under Apple Care made it worth it. If it was accidental, you were out of luck, BUT usually the people at the Genius Bar would give you one free exception.

Then Apple took away the free exception, and made Apple Care+, and all of a sudden, issues that were CLEARLY defects, started getting rejected because there was a small unrelated bit of cosmetic damage which means in addition to the Apple Care+ you

Re:

[DarkVader]

"people at the Genius Bar"

Well, THERE's your problem.

In case it wasn't obvious from my original post, I'm talking about AASPs, NOT the Apple Stores.

Support small local businesses. Don't go to the Apple Store with your repairs. The Apple Store has an incentive to make you pay for your repair, Apple makes more money that way. The small business has an incentive to make Apple pay for your repair, you're more likely to be a happy customer. If you're nice, they won't just overlook small cosmetic damage, they

Re:

[Nabeel_co]

I got that. But most people don't go to AASPs. Having worked at both an AASP and at an Apple Store, I've seen what the Apple Stores do to AASPs and customers. Most of the AASPs in my town went under after we got our first Apple Store, some rightly so, others unfortunately so. Apple makes it damn near impossible to run a successful AASP.

Apple owners who own their hardware

[Arthur, KBE]

Why not give them access to service manuals, parts, and diagnostic software?

Correct headline: Apple wants more money!

[Anonymous Coward]

The Apple fanbois will suggest this is about Apple expanding choice. No, this is about Apple wanting people to send them money to boost the numbers, since a lot of people have slowed purchases of new hardware in these times, and Apple will want to try to put a happy face on their next earnings call.

Consumers will have more time...

[hcs_$reboot]

Consumers will have more time to decide if it's really worth it. $200 or $300 for an extra insurance year (used to be 2), provided that you still have to pay $30 to change the screen of a broken iPhone... looks expensive to me.

Re:

[zippthorne]

Wait, it's only one extra year now? Just buy it with a credit card that extends the manufacturer's warranty. https://www.bankrate.com/finan... [bankrate.com]

Re:

[hcs_$reboot]

It's 2 years, but that includes the 1st year warranty (coming with a new device). So the real benefit is only one year.

Usually pointless

[owlaf]

I admit I like my apple gear (macbook pro, ipad, iphone, airpods pro), but I never buy apple+. A friend that has bought way more apple that me observed if your product makes it through the default first year warranty, there are low odds you will have a problem during an apple+ coverage period

Where by "sales slow" they mean "record high"?

[Anubis IV]

From the transcript of Apple's most recently earnings call, just a hair over two weeks ago, emphasis mine:

Products revenue was 46.5 billion, up 10%, and a June quarter record. iPhone returned to growth. And we saw very strong, double digit growth from iPad, Mac, and Wearables. Lockdowns and point of sale closures were widespread during April and impacted our performance, but we saw demand for all products improved significantly in May and June. As a result of our strong performance and the unmatched loyalty of our customers, our installed base of active devices reach an all time high in all of our geographic segments in all major product categories

Which is to say, this headline about "after sales slow" is patently incorrect, though it does make for a nice (inaccurate) narrative, I suppose.

Could anyone do better?

[AndyKron]

That's awfully nice of them to do that. Awfully nice

Mac SE?

[sk999]

It's the only Apple product I ever owned, but, after 25 years, it would be nice to get it back in working order. Can't remember for sure, but I think the keyboard actually came with a real ESC key. AppleCare+++++++++?

Re:

[drinkypoo]

Can't remember for sure, but I think the keyboard actually came with a real ESC key.

It depends on whether you bought the base keyboard or the extended keyboard. Either way it cost ten times more than a PC keyboard.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

You can now. You couldn't then.