A chronic complaint about the best MP3 player/hard drive in the world has been Apple Computer's very limited warranty on the product. Our lamentations have been heard.
Every iPod comes standard with 90 days of phone support and one year of hardware service coverage. The AppleCare Protection Plan extends your service and support coverage for your iPod, its included accessories, and iTunes software for up to two years from the original purchase date of your iPod. With this plan, you get direct access to Apple experts for answers by phone and anytime access to web-based resources. If your iPod or the included accessories should need service, Apple-certified technicians will repair it or provide a replacement using genuine Apple parts. We recommend that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan with your new iPod to take maximum advantage of the coverage the plan provides. This comprehensive plan is available for all iPod models within their one-year limited warranty that connect to either Macintosh computers or Windows PCs.
Peace of mind at home or on the road
With the iPod, you can take your entire music collection everywhere you go. But should your iPod need service, the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you the peace of mind of knowing that Apple provides global repair or replacement coverage.
I happened across the new warranty at CompUSA, but it is also available directly from Apple and other resellers. Amazon has the lowest price at $46.99. My current iPod is under CompUSA's own warranty, but I will consider Apple's next time around.
Note: Residents of Florida are excluded.
Article comments
1 - Phil
This isn't new. Applecare for iPod has been around ffor at least a couple of months.
2 - Mac Diva
Apple initiated the new warranty policy Nov. 22, 2003, with no fanfare. I doubt that most owners and potential buyers are aware of it. The previous warranty of three months was probably the most complained about aspect of owning an iPod, so I believe this is new policy is worthy of comment.
The iPod is now officially two years old. (You can read the full piece if you are an NYT member.)
If there was an embargo against reviewing month old products at Blogcritics, the site would disappear.
3 - scubadru
So why pay for a warranty when your credit card will do the same for free?
4 - Mac Diva
That's an option. But, I, at least, have had an easier time being reimbursed by warranty holders than my bank. I just make sure I have the applicable paperwork, and, when applicable, get the new product the same day.
5 - orlando
mack is offering a warranty for 29.95 and its for 3 years...you guys should definitely check that out
6 - francie913
Okay, so now you have access to a crappy warranty for 12 months instead of three. I owned my 30gb ipod for exactly two months before it fell from the seat of my car to the pavement, leaving two small dents on the back and damaging the ipod beyond anything I could do to bring it back to life. Because the warranty doesn't cover accidental damage, apple not only wouldn't fix it for free, they wouldn't even promise to fix it if I paid them. They wanted me to send them the ipod, at which point they would "diagnose" the problem and decide whether to fix it. So, even if they agreed to fix the ipod, it would have cost me a $250 repair fee in addition to shipping and, if I read the warranty correctly, a possible $100 diagnostic fee. According to the apple rep I spoke with on the phone, my other option was to take the broken ipod to the nearest apple store -- or I could make an appointment with the genius bar. Except that I live 50 miles from the nearest apple store and about 150 miles from the nearest genius bar. So it would appear that my most realistic option is to just buy a new one. But what if I drop it after two weeks instead of two months this time? I love the ipod for its capacity and ease of use, but, in the end, I'm reluctant to buy an expensive product I'm afraid to use.