Does Apple cover water damage MacBook repair?
Apple only covers liquid damage with AppleCare+, which is different from normal AppleCare
ROSSMANN
Liquid Damage Treatment
AppleCare+
Liquid Damage Treatment
Normal, good ol’ AppleCare
Normal Applecare used to cost $299, and did not cover any sort of liquid spill. Infact, if you had a liquid spill, it would void your Applecare, and you received no discount on the repair of that liquid damage as a result of having purchased Applecare.
AppleCare+
AppleCare+ is a bit more flexible. This new service tier from Apple offers the option to pay a discounted rate from normal retail repairs, for two accidental incidents – think of it like an insurance plan with a deductible. The buy-in price for AppleCare+ ranges from $249 to $379 depending on the model of Macbook you are purchasing AppleCare+ for. Once you pay for AppleCare+, the deductible for an accidental damage incident is $299. This means on a 15″ Macbook Pro, the cost to address liquid damage winds up being $679, and on a 12″ Macbook, the cost to address liquid damage is around $549.
Is AppleCare+ the right choice for you?
Arguments in favor of AppleCare+
The tier 4 flat rate repairs for liquid damage can be costly – even for lower end machines, they begin around $750. They can approach $1240, and even go up to $1700+ on some of the newer models. If you want your repair to be done through Apple, and think there is a chance of liquid damaging your machine – AppleCare+ is a must-buy. You end up spending $540-$679 rather than $750-$1700+.
Let’s say your board dies and is unfixable – your only option is replacement due to severe board damage. If your machine has an expensive board to replace, you could wind up paying $1000+ for the board by itself – even if you go to an independent repair shop. In this scenario, you would be better off with AppleCare+.
Arguments in favor of Rossmann Repair/independent repair
If you look above at what liquid damage typically costs to repair, even on the high end, you are looking at $425 at an independent repair shop. If you have multiple issues, it can wind up costing around what Apple may bill. It is very possible to buy AppleCare+ and still wind up paying more than what you would pay at an independent repair shop to fix it!
I repeat: unless you have one of the worst possible problems or an unfixable logic board, you will likely spend more to fix your device even with AppleCare+ than you would have paid an independent repair shop.
If your issue is simply a logic board, even on the newest machines, you are looking at $425 to repair with us – vs. $679 with AppleCare+. $379 of that you pay when you buy the machine, regardless of whether you use it!
Further, imagine if you do not damage the machine at all. You have now thrown $379 down the drain!
The entire point of insurance is that it lowers the cost of the rare, but tragic/expensive procedures that must be done. With AppleCare+, given the prices you see, most of the time it ends up costing more through AppleCare+ than the independent service provider.
Top Reasons To Have Your Repairs Done By Us
