Beating the Applecare/ebay dead horse

[wurm]

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.

[Acer]

For the huge number of the eBay Applecare's sold, there seem to be relatively few complaints. Some, to be sure, but if scam code generators were that big a problem, I'd think Apple would have addressed it by now. The cheap ebay applecare has been around for years now.

[AllGold]

There are relatively few complaints probably because relatively few people need to use Applecare for a repair.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

The solution to this problem is easy: Refuse to bid on AC that does not explicitly state that it is sealed box.

[Trouble]

N-OS X-tasy! wrote:
The solution to this problem is easy: Refuse to bid on AC that does not explicitly state that it is sealed box.

That's it. Don't bid unless you get a sealed box.

[anonymouse1]

Another vote for sealed box only. Has worked for me, including a Macbook that I brought in for significant repair. No problem at all.

[Black]

wurm wrote:
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.

Not sure where this negative story telling is coming from.

You buy your AC and you register it and you know right away whether you're good-- I don't understand this assumption that the boogeyman can suddenly come out down the road when you need a repair.

I bought AC twice off eBay, had absolutely no problems, and had no trouble getting a sense from the feedback that a seller was legit.

[Speedy]

On its web site Apple warns you to keep your receipt for your Mac. There are reports that Apple may ask for the serial number of the Applecare. I have bought Applecare number only and am one of those who never needed to use it. But my next Applecare purchase will be a sealed box.

I had a MacBook Pro fixed last year under Applecare. They required the receipt for the MBP which I had. The receipt also included an Applecare purchase so I can't say whether or not I would have been asked for the serial number from the Applecare box but I also happened to bring the Applecare box with me for the repair. Of note is that this was a MBP that I bought on eBay so this seller had included everything I needed!!!

[IronMac]

Black wrote:
You buy your AC and you register it and you know right away whether you're good-- I don't understand this assumption that the boogeyman can suddenly come out down the road when you need a repair.

Because it's happened to people who did buy AC off of eBay or wherever.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=861058&page=6

There are lots of threads on this issue elsewhere, enough so that I went and purchased AppleCare for my MBP at the Apple Store instead.

[wurm]

IronMac wrote:
[quote=Black]
You buy your AC and you register it and you know right away whether you're good-- I don't understand this assumption that the boogeyman can suddenly come out down the road when you need a repair.

Because it's happened to people who did buy AC off of eBay or wherever.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=861058&page=6

There are lots of threads on this issue elsewhere, enough so that I went and purchased AppleCare for my MBP at the Apple Store instead.
That's exactly what I had thought, Black. And in fact the three Applecare plans I have bought over the years (2 for MacBooks and one for my iMac) have been purchased on eBay. I have had no problems either, but after getting only halfway through the thread referenced http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=690859&page=12, I am thinking I may have just been lucky. Let's put it this way, if what the big eBay sellers are selling is a legit Applecare plan, why not send the registration number and serial number to the winning bidder?