AppleCare, Digicape Protection and Travel Overseas

[Fritzinger]

I'm buying a 13" Macbook with the intention of travelling a lot in the next year or two. I get my quote from Digicape and ask about AppleCare, and I get this: "It would not be classified as Apple Care but as Digicape Protection Package instead as Apple Care is not available in South Africa".

Threads here and elsewhere have partially contradicated this, so I thought I'd ask here:

1. The first year warranty applies everywhere. Is there any difference between the service that AppleCare offers and the 1st year service? I.e. is AC just an extension of the original warranty?

2. A lot of "Apple in SA" threads over the last few years mention a company called "Core". Are they the same as the istoreonline.co.za people?

3. Another thread here says (at least for Core) that the they will do repairs if the applecare was bought elsewhere in the world. Meanwhile this article says that apple care can be bought any time within the warranty period. This makes me think that I could buy here and get apple care from a store in Germany or Thailand or wherever later in the year and be covered in Rest-of-World and here.

The Digicape lady says she doesn't think applecare can be bought separately, but that contradicts other sources and of course it's in her interests to make me buy their SA only package. Update: Answer on apple.stackexchange says you can buy AppleCare anywhere in the world

Kthx for reading and answers!

 

[noxibox]

AppleCare can be bought any time during the warranty period for a Macbook. It extends the warranty. In the EU you get a minimum of two years warranty anyway, so AppleCare only adds one additional year rather than two.

 

[JStrike]

Apple does not operate in SA.
Core are the exclusive importers and distributors.
Core own various shops as well - iStore and zastore.co.za.
Digicape are a 3rd party store.

If you buy actual AppleCare, it is valid anywhere in the world.

If you buy the iStore or DigiCape versions, then it is just applicable in SA as far as I am aware

 

[Fritzinger]

AppleCare can be bought any time during the warranty period for a Macbook. It extends the warranty. In the EU you get a minimum of two years warranty anyway, so AppleCare only adds one additional year rather than two.

Minimum two years - if you buy the Macbook in the EU? I can't show up 18 months from purchase in Frankfurt with my Macbook bought in SA and expect warranty to still cover me, right?

 

[Fritzinger]

If you buy actual AppleCare, it is valid anywhere in the world.

"anywhere in the world" apart from SA? Or do you back others who have said that applecare bought elsewhere covers me here?

 

[Cassady]

Subscribed.

Good luck confirming things. Heck - phone AppleUK etc. direct?

 

[noxibox]

Minimum two years - if you buy the Macbook in the EU? I can't show up 18 months from purchase in Frankfurt with my Macbook bought in SA and expect warranty to still cover me, right?

You probably could. At worst you might have to make a bit of a fuss and remind them about the EU warranty period.

"anywhere in the world" apart from SA? Or do you back others who have said that applecare bought elsewhere covers me here?

It should cover you in South Africa because it is an extension of the Apple warranty. The one you buy in South Africa is effectively a third party extended warranty.

Have you read the information on Apple's site?

 

[zippy]

Minimum two years - if you buy the Macbook in the EU? I can't show up 18 months from purchase in Frankfurt with my Macbook bought in SA and expect warranty to still cover me, right?

Confusing sentence. "...18 months from purchase in Frankfurt with my Macbook bought in SA..."

You either buy the MacBook in the EU or in SA. The initial warranty you get will depend on where you bought it... or am I missing something ?

 

[Fritzinger]

Confusing sentence. "...18 months from purchase in Frankfurt with my Macbook bought in SA..."

You either buy the MacBook in the EU or in SA. The initial warranty you get will depend on where you bought it... or am I missing something ?

I can see how that might be confusing. I was trying to nail down the concept of warranty in the EU exactly:

Step 1. I buy in SA
Step 2. I go to EU 18 months later and need repairs.
Step 3. Do the apple people in EU play by the rules of SA or EU? Do they treat my laptop as if it is still in warranty (EU), or not (SA)?

Rules lawyering gets complicated quickly:

a) where you buy the machine is what matters. If so, I'm tempted to buy now (current laptop is on its deathbed), but sell and buy new immediately upon arriving in EU. But if I sell after 6 months in EU, how does the buyer deal with the risk that the warranty only covers 1 year? Actually I imagine a German for whom 2 years is normal would have more luck kicking up fuss than I would.

b) The country/continent doing the repairs is what matters. Now I'm safe for 2 years as long as I stay in Europe. That's not the plan, so I wants me some AppleCare. But am I buying coverage until a certain date (2 years warranty + 1 year extension later), or per year? In the latter I have to face 1 year warranty plus only 1 year extension when I leave EU.

...did I just talk myself into buying Dell?

 

[Fritzinger]

You probably could. At worst you might have to make a bit of a fuss and remind them about the EU warranty period.


It should cover you in South Africa because it is an extension of the Apple warranty. The one you buy in South Africa is effectively a third party extended warranty.

Have you read the information on Apple's site?

From the fine print:

"Availability of each option depends on country in which service is requested and location of Apple Authorized Service Provider."

"AppleCare Protection Plan benefits are in addition to any legal rights provided by consumer protection laws in your jurisdiction. ... For complete details, see terms at www.apple.com/legal/applecare/appgeos.html"

When you follow that link, guess which continent it does not list? (IF you guess Antarctica you'd be right, but we're also missing)

UPDATE: moar Apple Genius. I found this helpful PDF that says to visit http://www.apple.com/uk/support/products/mac.html, with a footnote to change the /uk to /za for SA options. Guess which link works and which doesn't?

So I'm still stuck with the word of the digicape lady (definitely wrong in some respects, but the pessimist in me wants to KNOW) vs. the links in my original post.

 

[zippy]

I can see how that might be confusing. I was trying to nail down the concept of warranty in the EU exactly:

Step 1. I buy in SA
Step 2. I go to EU 18 months later and need repairs.
Step 3. Do the apple people in EU play by the rules of SA or EU? Do they treat my laptop as if it is still in warranty (EU), or not (SA)?

Rules lawyering gets complicated quickly:

a) where you buy the machine is what matters. If so, I'm tempted to buy now (current laptop is on its deathbed), but sell and buy new immediately upon arriving in EU. But if I sell after 6 months in EU, how does the buyer deal with the risk that the warranty only covers 1 year? Actually I imagine a German for whom 2 years is normal would have more luck kicking up fuss than I would.

b) The country/continent doing the repairs is what matters. Now I'm safe for 2 years as long as I stay in Europe. That's not the plan, so I wants me some AppleCare. But am I buying coverage until a certain date (2 years warranty + 1 year extension later), or per year? In the latter I have to face 1 year warranty plus only 1 year extension when I leave EU.

...did I just talk myself into buying Dell?

whether you bought a Dell or MacBook, EU warranty would still be confusing and make no sense. However, while I believe the Macbook is a superior product to Dell(I have owned both), I wouldn't buy a MacBook in SA until there is proper Apple support.

You warranty depends on where you buy your product. Regardless of whether its Apple or Dell. For your MacBook if you buy AppleCare, I would guess you are extended the warranty as would apply MacBook bought in SA. I say I am guessing because I'm not really sure. its just something that would make sense to me. I would contact Apple and ask them how AppleCare would work in your case. My reasoning is that the price you paid was for a specific warranty. And in your case its a South African warranty. I know that Apple would honor any warranty that is valid world wide. I am sure they will apply the warranty you bought. I don't think you change warranty by crossing borders. My 2 cents. I might be wrong.

 

[Fritzinger]

I am sure they will apply the warranty you bought. I don't think you change warranty by crossing borders. My 2 cents. I might be wrong.

Are you saying even the 1-year standard warranty might be no good when buying from here?

I think the one certainty is that I won't be buying the local AppleCare alternative. But there do seem to be plenty of people buying applecare in a different country from where they bought the machine.

 

[zippy]

Are you saying even the 1-year standard warranty might be no good when buying from here?

I think the one certainty is that I won't be buying the local AppleCare alternative. But there do seem to be plenty of people buying applecare in a different country from where they bought the machine.

No that's not what I'm saying. What I am saying is that warranty terms which will apply to you are the warranty terms that you bought. Whether your warranty covers you overseas or not, depends on the terms of your South African warranty. Since Core/iStore are not Apple, that makes it a bit more complicated. Knowing South African warranties they seldom ever mention cover outside of SA. I don't know about Core/iStore. What does your warranty say?

If your warranty doesn't mention overseas cover, then chances are you don't have it. But you need to check with the people you bought from

I know that the Apple standard warranty is an international one.

 

[BSC]

whether you bought a Dell or MacBook, EU warranty would still be confusing and make no sense. However, while I believe the Macbook is a superior product to Dell(I have owned both), I wouldn't buy a MacBook in SA until there is proper Apple support.

You warranty depends on where you buy your product. Regardless of whether its Apple or Dell. For your MacBook if you buy AppleCare, I would guess you are extended the warranty as would apply MacBook bought in SA. I say I am guessing because I'm not really sure. its just something that would make sense to me. I would contact Apple and ask them how AppleCare would work in your case. My reasoning is that the price you paid was for a specific warranty. And in your case its a South African warranty. I know that Apple would honor any warranty that is valid world wide. I am sure they will apply the warranty you bought. I don't think you change warranty by crossing borders. My 2 cents. I might be wrong.

I've bought Macbooks before in the US, purchased the AppleCare warranty online later from Amazon or Ebay or one of those, and then used the warranty here in SA to have repairs made. I've never had any problems doing it that way. I think your best bet for absolute confirmation is to phone Apple. But, like I said, I've been doing it for years and not had a problem.