Special Report: AppleCare in Ireland
Apple revises policy to cover Republic of Ireland collections
In the past we have reported on AppleCare in Ireland, and our concerns over the availability of the service options to all Apple owners. We covered this in 2006, and 2007, and have been following the policy for customers in the Republic on an ongoing basis, for ourselves and for our clients.
In recent weeks this came to a head when we were charged courier costs to deliver an iMac to a repair agent in Ireland. Our client was based in Dublin city centre, and yet Apple could not offer on-site repair or collection service even though the client had paid for AppleCare. We found this unacceptable as the client and we expected a minimum level of service, and did not expect to pay out for courier fees, totalling €54.
We decided to write to Apple to express our displeasure at the level of service and point out the lack of full coverage for Irish customers. Thanks to a very helpful Apple employee who responded on behalf of the company, she managed to clarify the situation. At first the response was that desktops were covered in Ireland, but laptops were to be sent back for service by the owner, at their own cost. However after our further requests for clarification, Apple have come back to us in the last few days and outlined the situation further. They have decided to change their policy, and introduce a new level of coverage in Ireland.
Therefore here is Apple's new policy in relation to AppleCare in Ireland:
We think this is a great result. Irish customers who invest in AppleCare, costing between €170 and €300 for a Mac, will now be assured that their Mac will be collected and returned as part of the original charge.
We are grateful to Apple for changing this policy and pleased to see that Irish customers are now treated in a similar manner to UK customers.
Simon Spence/2009
In the past we have reported on AppleCare in Ireland, and our concerns over the availability of the service options to all Apple owners. We covered this in 2006, and 2007, and have been following the policy for customers in the Republic on an ongoing basis, for ourselves and for our clients.
In recent weeks this came to a head when we were charged courier costs to deliver an iMac to a repair agent in Ireland. Our client was based in Dublin city centre, and yet Apple could not offer on-site repair or collection service even though the client had paid for AppleCare. We found this unacceptable as the client and we expected a minimum level of service, and did not expect to pay out for courier fees, totalling €54.
We decided to write to Apple to express our displeasure at the level of service and point out the lack of full coverage for Irish customers. Thanks to a very helpful Apple employee who responded on behalf of the company, she managed to clarify the situation. At first the response was that desktops were covered in Ireland, but laptops were to be sent back for service by the owner, at their own cost. However after our further requests for clarification, Apple have come back to us in the last few days and outlined the situation further. They have decided to change their policy, and introduce a new level of coverage in Ireland.
Therefore here is Apple's new policy in relation to AppleCare in Ireland:
- from November 2009, all Macs requiring repair will be collected from the customer
- Group 8, a courier group who had been covering Northern Ireland, will now also cover the Republic
- both laptops and desktops will be covered by this service
- all parts of Ireland are covered, not just urban areas near repair agents
We think this is a great result. Irish customers who invest in AppleCare, costing between €170 and €300 for a Mac, will now be assured that their Mac will be collected and returned as part of the original charge.
We are grateful to Apple for changing this policy and pleased to see that Irish customers are now treated in a similar manner to UK customers.
Simon Spence/2009
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