MacBook broken: AppleCare, warranty or an independent repairer?

When a MacBook breaks, the first question is not who can repair it, but who should. Maybe Apple, your seller or your insurer already pays for the work. Maybe not, and then an independent repairer is a serious option. Below is how to find out, in the right order.

Blue Apple is such an independent repairer, at Rijnstraat 76-H in Amsterdam. We say so straight away: if your Mac is still covered for the problem you have, using that cover is often the wisest choice.

Step 1: look at your cover

• Apple's limited warranty. It covers manufacturing defects for one year after purchase. Damage from a drop, a knock or liquid is not included.
• AppleCare+ for Mac. If you took it out, the cover lasts longer and also includes accidental damage, usually for a fixed fee per incident. Replacing a worn battery is also covered if its capacity falls below a certain level.
• Looking up your cover. On checkcoverage.apple.com you can see with the serial number of your Mac what cover is still running. The serial number is in About This Mac and on the bottom of the device.
• Your rights as a consumer. Separate from Apple, you have legal rights as a consumer in the Netherlands if a product does not do what you can reasonably expect of it. Those are against the seller, not against Apple, and they can run longer than a year if the MacBook should be able to last longer.
• Insurance. A contents, device or credit card insurance can cover damage from a drop or theft. Check the terms before you have anything repaired, because sometimes the repair has to go through an approved party.

When Apple or your seller is the best choice

• It is a manufacturing fault and the Mac is still within warranty or AppleCare.
• It is a recent device and you want everything to stay with the manufacturer.
• The damage is covered and the fee is lower than what a repair would otherwise cost.

When an independent repairer makes sense

• The cover has expired, or the damage is not included, for example with liquid or a fall without AppleCare+.
• You want to keep your data. With a repair by Apple it may be necessary to erase the device or replace parts or the whole device, so Apple always asks for a backup. An independent repairer can often work at component level and return your Mac with your data, although that can never be promised.
• The device is older, out of Apple's support or no longer repairable in the standard way.
• You want to know quickly what is going on and what the options are before you choose.

What to watch out for

• Cover and repairs by others. If something goes wrong during a repair by a third party, Apple can exclude the damage that results from its warranty. If you still have cover and the fault falls under it, let Apple do it first.
• Ask what is replaced. A whole top case, a display or a component on the board? That differs in work, in the chance of data loss and in what the repair means.
• Ask whether there is a diagnosis and a price beforehand. With us you know what is wrong and what the options are before anything is repaired.
• Always make a backup, wherever you go.

A simple decision point

1. Look up your cover and see whether the problem falls under it.
2. If it does, Apple or the seller is usually the first step.
3. If it does not, or the cover has expired, ask a repairer for a diagnosis and compare what you hear.
4. Weigh whether the device is worth a repair: read repairing or buying a new MacBook.

Frequently asked questions

Does my warranty lapse if I go to an independent repairer?

Not automatically for parts that have nothing to do with the repair, but Apple can exclude damage caused during a repair by a third party. If you still have cover and the problem falls under it, use that first.

What if Apple says the repair is no longer possible?

For older models Apple stops supplying parts and service. An independent repairer can sometimes still do something. Ask for a diagnosis.

Who covers liquid damage?

The standard warranty does not. AppleCare+ with cover for accidental damage, or your own insurance, may. See also what to do if you spilled liquid on your MacBook.

Can you collect my MacBook or receive it by post?

Yes, see pickup and delivery and repair by post. All MacBook repairs are on the MacBook page.