

How likely is it that some salesperson – one who is incentivized to improve his or her “attachment rate” by pushing extras such as AppleCare+ – will convince them to buy something they don’t need? When I hear stories like this, I immediately think of the not-so-hypothetical situation where an average consumer – like my parents or, perhaps, your parents – find themselves in a situation where they are being openly interrogated about their reasons for not wanting to buy something. Thank you though.Ī simple “no thanks” wasn’t enough. IPhone 4S Buyer: I’ve owned expensive phones in the past and I haven’t broken them. I think it may serve as an example of the types of things someone might say to you in order to convince you to buy AppleCare+ and, therefore, readers may benefit from the exchange in hopes it will help them understand how someone might try to effectuate a hard sell. I’ve made reasonable efforts to ensure this conversation is being portrayed accurately. I admit, I was not there, and although I have spoken with my friend about it extensively, this is all hearsay. Let’s have a look at the exchange that allegedly took place. Look, we all love our iPhones and shudder to think about the cost of replacing them, but that doesn’t mean we should make our buying decisions higgledy-piggledy.
Do you need applecare for macbook pro mac#
I think most people don’t understand AppleCare’s policies and procedures and probably couldn’t articulate precisely how AppleCare+ differs from AppleCare (of course many Cult of Mac readers may be exceptions to this, but what about their friends and family?). Moreover, I doubt most people take more than a few moments to evaluate their specific needs while contemplating a new luxury acquisition like an iPhone. I think it’s safe to say most people don’t spend hours upon hours pouring over product specifications or reviews when considering a purchase. If you do decide to purchase one of these plans, you should do so only after taking the time to understand what you’re actually purchasing. protection from defects) from most things that will ever go wrong. However, your iPhone’s One-Year Limited Warranty or AppleCare already provide adequate protection (i.e. The peace of mind one gets from knowing their iPhone has extra protection does have some value to it. For example, protection may be justified if you’re unusually accident-prone or plan on using your iPhone in a high-risk area. For some people, AppleCare+ or other protection plans might make sense. This doesn’t mean, however, that AppleCare+ is a good buy for everyone.ĭon’t get me wrong, I’m not saying AppleCare+ or other service contracts are a scam, but these plans are a waste of money if you never need to use them. The fact AppleCare+ is being offered by Apple means that an established company with a great track record is backing the program. There are limitations, such as the $49 service fee and the “up to” two incident limitation. For obvious reasons, it must be purchased at the same time as the iPhone (though Apple had made a few exceptions to this requirement for some purchasers).

Might you or someone you know fall victim to a hard sell on AppleCare+?ĪppleCare+’s primary feature is that it offers limited protection against accidental damage. But not everyone is going to take the time to evaluate the pros and cons of AppleCare+ and will be confronted with this question at the time of purchase.

She made a choice and, whether or not it turns out to be the right one, she was the one to make it. She passed on AppleCare+, but believes that she might have been swayed if she hadn’t done her homework. She weighed risks of accidental damage against the price and limitations of AppleCare+, and decided the extra protection wasn’t for her. She understood the differences between AppleCare and AppleCare+. She did her own research before she bought the iPhone. She’s a savvy consumer, reads Cult of Mac and other tech blogs, and has even read my new book. It was a hard sell in her opinion, the Apple Store salesperson went about it in all of the wrong ways. When presented with her new iPhone, the Apple Store salesperson tried to sell her on AppleCare+. A good friend of mine recently bought a new iPhone 4S from her local Apple Store.
