Warranty And Applecare

[watcharacters]

I've read comments about warranty service of apple products and how the warranty only applies in the country in which the product is bought.

I've had a little experience with this. I first brought an iPod I bought in the USA to the Apple center at the Mall near MBK. The store is around the corner on the fourth floor (I forget its name). It was under Applecare. They took it in and told me it would be about 5 days until a new one would be given to me as a replacement. Their timing was accurate and I had a new iPod in hand.

Next on a different trip, I took a MacBook Air to them that had a loose and cracked hinge. Bad design which Apple later corrected in subsequent models It too was under Applecare. This was around Christmas so I expected a long turnaround time. I was pleasantly surprised that my waiting time was again about 5 working days. The only charge I paid was for the two different types of micro screws they used which were missing. This laptop was bought off the Apple store and it was a refurbished model. I didn't buy the Applecare from Apple. Instead I bought it a week or so later from a company called www.lacomputer.com The Applecare they sold was around 90USD less than that of the Apple Store. They are both a web company and a store front business.

I further checked when I once made a bid for a laptop on eBay for a new laptop. This was sold not by an authorized dealer of Apple. Apple told me as long as the product had not already been registered, I would be able to buy Applecare for it.

Additionally I bought a laptop for my ex wife and at the time asked about buying Applecare. I was told it could be purchased anytime during the first year of ownership.

I think Applecare overrides the in country warranty issue.. Has my experience been an anomaly?

I want to buy a 4S but certainly want Applecare to allow for any possible needed repair in LOS.

I think before I bought any iPhone other than from an authorized dealer I'd call Apple to be sure everything is OK for the Applecare, if one wants it or warranties. The call is cheap enough but failure to make it could be expensive.

From another post:

"It will have a one year warranty but in order to receive service for it you will need to return it to a service provider in the country of origin according to the unit's serial number. The units that are on sale now in Thailand are purchased in other countries (Hong Kong, U.S., etc.) and then brought over here for sale by third-parties, and so when you go to take it for service under warranty here in Thailand they will tell you the warranty only applies in the country it was originally purchased in (e.g., Hong Kong, U.S.) and they can tell this by the unit's serial number.

And note that with the 4s you are only able to get AppleCare (extended warranty) at the time the phone is first purchased and then only from an Apple authorized retailer, so all of these phones people are getting now at places like MBK have warranties that are unusable in Thailand and have no option for AppleCare, now or in the future."

[Jimi007]

I bought a used refurbished MacBook Pro here from a friend that brought it from the US which had extended Apple Care. Apple Care is transferable. I was back in the US for a couple of months this year and I called Apple Care about a screen flashing problem. I took it in to the closest Apple Store and they replaced the logic board for free and shipped it my US address. I came back to my house in Thailand and and after a couple of month, my battery swelled up and I couldn't click the track pad. I called Apple Care here. They gave me the address of a place in Phuket, where I live to take it to. I took it in they ran a diagnostic check on it and confirmed it was the battery. They ordered a new battery and shipped it to my house, free.

[watcharacters]

I bought a used refurbished MacBook Pro here from a friend that brought it from the US which had extended Apple Care. Apple Care is transferable. I was back in the US for a couple of months this year and I called Apple Care about a screen flashing problem. I took it in to the closest Apple Store and they replaced the logic board for free and shipped it my US address. I came back to my house in Thailand and and after a couple of month, my battery swelled up and I couldn't click the track pad. I called Apple Care here. They gave me the address of a place in Phuket, where I live to take it to. I took it in they ran a diagnostic check on it and confirmed it was the battery. They ordered a new battery and shipped it to my house, free.

I've had only positive experiences with Apple standing behind an Apple product. I don't understand why some posters suggest buying a new phone in Thailand necessitates taking the phone to the country of origin for any warranty work.

[ThaiLife]

I bought a used refurbished MacBook Pro here from a friend that brought it from the US which had extended Apple Care. Apple Care is transferable. I was back in the US for a couple of months this year and I called Apple Care about a screen flashing problem. I took it in to the closest Apple Store and they replaced the logic board for free and shipped it my US address. I came back to my house in Thailand and and after a couple of month, my battery swelled up and I couldn't click the track pad. I called Apple Care here. They gave me the address of a place in Phuket, where I live to take it to. I took it in they ran a diagnostic check on it and confirmed it was the battery. They ordered a new battery and shipped it to my house, free.

I've had only positive experiences with Apple standing behind an Apple product. I don't understand why some posters suggest buying a new phone in Thailand necessitates taking the phone to the country of origin for any warranty work.

Ive only good things to say about Apple products and their after care / warranty service

I thought I read that if you purchased an iPhone in Thailand , there was no Apple care extended warranty available ?