05-05-2010, 01:58 AM
Since I'll probably be keeping my eyes out for a legit Applecare plan for a soon to be purchased Macbook, I've been re-reading a lot of old threads here and elsewhere. Basically, I've come to the conclusion that buying Applecare on eBay is a little like buying a lottery ticket. You "win" if:
A. when you need to use it for a repair, no one else has previously used your registration number.
B. Apple doesn't contact you months after you register to tell you that it's an illegitimate number and that you're out of luck.
C. You happen to find that rare seller who is actually selling a real, physical box that for whatever reason (s)he no longer needs or wants.
However, I still can't figure out why Apple wouldn't try to put these scammers out of business by requiring at the time of registration, a proof of purchase from an Authorized Apple Reseller (if that is in fact required) or at the very least a unique serial number. A little while ago I contacted one of the sellers on eBay and asked about getting the serial number and I just received the reply "sorry dont have the serial# on these only the code."
So you pays your (short) money and you takes your chances.
A. when you need to use it for a repair, no one else has previously used your registration number.
B. Apple doesn't contact you months after you register to tell you that it's an illegitimate number and that you're out of luck.
C. You happen to find that rare seller who is actually selling a real, physical box that for whatever reason (s)he no longer needs or wants.
However, I still can't figure out why Apple wouldn't try to put these scammers out of business by requiring at the time of registration, a proof of purchase from an Authorized Apple Reseller (if that is in fact required) or at the very least a unique serial number. A little while ago I contacted one of the sellers on eBay and asked about getting the serial number and I just received the reply "sorry dont have the serial# on these only the code."
So you pays your (short) money and you takes your chances.