If you’ve purchased your iPhone 4S on launch day, and you’re hoping to buy AppleCare+ still for your phone, you’re out of luck. We think. The confusion around AppleCare+ is still prevalent, so we’re going to try to sort this out for you:
- If you purchased your iPhone 4S on launch day, your thirty day window has closed, so you’re unable to buy AppleCare+, apparently.
- If you purchased the iPhone 4S, you have 30 days from your purchase to buy AppleCare+.
Here’s where things get a little sticky:
- Apple’s legal document on the AppleCare+ program allegedly says that you have one year to purchase AppleCare+, which is standard practice for all AppleCare purchases.
The original AppleCare legal document states:
7. J.: You must purchase and register the Plan while your Covered Equipment is within Apple’s One Year Limited warranty. Apple is not obligated to renew this Plan. If Apple does offer a renewal, it will determine the price and terms.
The new AppleCare+ document on Apple’s website doesn’t specifically mention the details on when the plan must be purchased, or how normal warranties apply:
Coverage begins when you purchase the Plan and ends twenty-four (24) months from the date of retail purchase of your original iPhone (“Coverage Period”). Your Plan Confirmation will be provided to you upon purchase or sent to you automatically thereafter. The terms of this Plan, the original sales receipt for your Plan and the Plan Confirmation are each part of your service contract. To obtain a copy of your Plan Confirmation, follow the instructions and enter your iPhone’s serial number at www.apple.com/support/applecare/view. The price of the Plan is contained in the original sales receipt. The hardware service, accidental damage from handling coverage and technical support coverage provided by the Plan is additional to the coverage provided by the manufacturer’s hardware warranty and complimentary technical support.
It does, however, mention that this plan is additional to the coverage provided by the manufacturer’s hardware warranty. So, take that for what you will. There is also a report from Sprint that indicates that the amnesty for purchasing AppleCare+ has been extended until December 15th, 2011, which seems to fly directly in the face of everything we’ve said above.
It seems like Apple’s pushing hard for you to purchase AppleCare+ before you walk out of the store with your iPhone 4S to prevent consumers from breaking their phones within that first year and buying AppleCare+ instead of paying for a completely new phone. We would like to point out that AppleCare+ is additional support for your warranty, and covers things that your normal warranty will not, like water damage. Also, AppleCare+ is only available in the US.
