AppleCare – What does it cover and the cost for your iPhone repair

Apple care is the support or help that Apple provides for its products. It includes experts technical support, hardware services that repairs your iOS device and insurance for your device. With the latest upcoming of iPhone X smartphone it has been said that Apple care is to increase its cost for the iPhone care services. If you do not know what Apple Care covers then carry on reading further.

As Apple makes the hardware, the operating system and many applications, Apple products are truly integrated systems. So only AppleCare gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so that most issues can be resolved in a single call. AppleCare product benefits are in addition to any legal rights provided by Australian consumer law.

Apple products and Australian Consumer Law

All of the Apple’s products come with guarantee that cannot be excluded under Australian consumer law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the device fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

• When you purchase Apple hardware products, you will also receive coverage from the Apple Limited Warranty. You can also obtain additional benefits by purchasing the optional AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+.
• Should your product be defective, you can choose to make a claim under Australian consumer law, the Apple Limited Warranty or the optional AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+ (whichever is applicable).
• Note that Non–Apple branded products purchased from Apple are also eligible for coverage under Australian consumer Law, but are not covered by the Apple Limited Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The claim period

Without limiting consumers’ rights, Apple will provide its own remedies equivalent to those remedies in the consumer guarantee provisions of the Australian Consumer Law at any time within 24 months of the date of purchase. For the avoidance of doubt, Apple acknowledges that the Australian Consumer Law may provide for remedies beyond 24 months for a number of its products.

• 2 years from date of purchase for Apple Watch Edition
• 1 year from date of purchase for all other Apple products
• Three years from date of purchase for Mac Apple Display or Apple Watch Edition
• Two years from date of purchase for Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch, or Apple Watch Sport

Contact the seller, Apple telephone technical support, Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider to get the claim. Apple telephone technical support call 133-622 Or contact Apple Pty Ltd. PO Box A2629, South Sydney NSW 1235, Australia.

Read https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/ and https://www.apple.com/legal/applecare/.

For Apple-branded goods, in addition to the above, Apple also guarantee that it  will provide repairs or spare parts for a reasonable time and that will honour their  Apple Limited Warranty and, where applicable, the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+.

Under Australian consumer law, the remedy you are entitled to if a product fails to meet a consumer guarantee will depend on whether the failure to comply with the guarantee is major or minor.

Minor failures to comply with a consumer guarantee can normally be fixed or resolved in a reasonable amount of time. In this case, the seller can choose to offer you a refund, replacement, repair or, in the case of services, resupply. If the seller does not fix the problem or takes too long, you may be able to get it fixed by someone else and recover the costs from the seller depending on the circumstances.

For goods, there is a major failure to comply with a consumer guarantee when:

• You would not have purchased the product if you had known about the problem.
• The product is significantly different from the description, sample or demonstration model you were shown.
• The product is substantially unfit for its normal purpose and cannot easily be made fit within a reasonable time.
• The product is substantially unfit for a purpose that you told the supplier about, and cannot easily be made fit within a reasonable time.
• The product is unsafe.

For services, there is a major failure to comply with a consumer guarantee when:

• You would not have engaged the service if you had known the nature and extent of the problem.
• The service does not meet the reasonable expectations for that type of service, and the problem cannot be rectified within a reasonable time.
• You told the supplier that you wanted the service for a specific purpose, which was not fulfilled, and the problem could not be easily rectified within a reasonable time.
• You told the supplier that you wanted a specific result, yet the service and end result failed to meet your specifications and could not be easily rectified within a reasonable time.
• The supply of the service has created an unsafe situation.

For information on Australian consumer laws, visit Australian consumer law website at http://www.consumerlaw.gov.au.

How to purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+ and the repair service

The AppleCare Protection Plan and AppleCare+ are available at the Apple Online Store and many Apple-authorised resellers and wireless service providers. You do not need to register AppleCare+ as it is always automatically registered. In most cases, if you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan at the same time as your Apple hardware from the Apple Online Store, an Apple Retail Store or a selected Apple reseller, you will not need to register it, as your AppleCare agreement will be automatically registered.

With automatic registration, you will receive a proof of coverage, either immediately in the form of a receipt that indicates the end date of your AppleCare product coverage or within 30 days in the form of a Proof of Coverage certificate.

You’ll need to register your AppleCare Protection Plan only if you purchase the plan and your covered product separately, or if you purchase your hardware from a reseller that does not automatically register the plan.

You can register your AppleCare Protection Plan here or contact Apple using the phone number included in your AppleCare Protection Plan package. To verify that your hardware is covered under the AppleCare Protection Plan, click here. The registration process can take up to 24 hours to be visible in Apple’s systems.

Your AppleCare Protection Plan and AppleCare+ coverage starts from your hardware purchase date. There are many benefits to registering your AppleCare Protection Plan as soon as you purchase it.

For example, after you register, Apple will have your hardware, AppleCare Protection Plan and personal contact information on file. When you contact Apple for service or support, Apple can access your information straight away and start addressing your issue, rather then spending time verifying your eligibility.

You can initiate repair service under the following services

• Apple Carry-in service where you carry your product into an Apple Retail Storeor Apple Authorised Service Provider.
• Direct mail-in service where you Contact Apple and they send you everything you need to mail your Apple product to them for repair. When they have completed your repair, they will ship your product back to you. There is no additional charge to you for shipping.
• Onsite service where you contact Apple and they will help you arrange an Apple-authorised repair for your desktop Mac at your location, at no additional charge.
• Do-It-Yourself service where you again contact Apple and Apple may be able to send you what you need to service your own product, such as accessories.
• Express Replacement Service for Apple Watch, iPad and iPhone you contact Apple and they send you a replacement device straight away. After you receive your replacement device, send them your faulty device to complete the transaction.

AppleCare products for Apple Watch, Mac, iPod, Apple TV and Apple Display provide global repair coverage. Service will be limited to the options available in the country or region where the service is requested. Service options, parts availability and response times vary by country or region.

All repairs will be completed using genuine Apple parts for repair service. All repairs are performed by Apple-authorised technicians.

You can look at the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+ terms and conditions for complete details.

Note that AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+ are transferable If you choose to sell or give away your Apple product, you can also transfer the ownership of the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+. You can see the terms and conditions for complete details. You can verify your coverage here.

What does Apple Care cover and should you go for it?

On the hardware front, AppleCare covers the phone, battery, and included accessories such as earpods for two years, according to the AppleCare website. You’re also covered for up to two incidents of accidental damage. It covers technical support, including 24/7 priority access to Apple’s experts by chat or email. You choose to mail in your device for repairs or bring it to the store. There’s also a special express replacement service. Users also get software support, in case you run into issues setting up email or wireless networks.

If you damage the iPhone’s screen, you only pay a service charge of $45. Important note: You won’t get that price if you choose express replacement service. Outside the warranty, replacing the screen on an iPhone 8 would cost $149, and $169 on an iPhone 8 Plus.

For plan-holders, any damage done to the iPhone that’s not a cracked screen costs $99. The coverage supports either repairs or replacements. Apple says any replacement equipment they offer “may be new or equivalent to new in both performance and reliability.”

A DIY iPhone screen replacement kit will cost $55 to $80, which works out to three or four screen repairs for the price of Apple’s two. (Buying AppleCare+ and paying the fee for two repairs will cost between $279 to $487, depending on whether the repairs are the $45 or the $149 variety.) Of course, you’ll void the phone’s warranty if you replace the screen yourself or take it to a non-certified repairman. Some of these shops can charge up to $200 for a screen replacement. But repairing an iPhone by yourself is certainly the cheapest route but it’s also the riskiest. If you don’t trust yourself to replace a cracked screen, signing up for AppleCare+ makes good sense, as long as you understand the fine print. The little insurance policy will almost definitely be cheaper and easier than going to a sketchy third-party repair company.

Also it depends on how concerned you are breaking your smartphone. If you have a habit of cracking screens, a $45 fee to fix it is pretty good. However, it only covers two cases of accidental damage. Beyond that, you’re on your own. There is an important caveat here with AppleCare: it does not cover your iPhone if it’s lost or stolen. Many wireless carriers offer insurance, where you pay a small monthly fee, and you’re covered if the device is damaged, lost or stolen.

Interested then Purchase AppleCare+ with your new iPhone. Or buy it within 60 days of your iPhone purchase:

• Online which requires you to verify your serial number and run a remote diagnostic
• At an Apple Store as an inspection of iPhone and proof of purchase are required
• By calling 1300-321-456  and requires you to run a remote diagnostic and provide proof of purchase
• See the AppleCare+ Terms and Conditionsfor complete product details.

Visit https://getsupport.apple.com for more details.