We all know that Canadians have to pay more for books, but why do they have to pay more for AppleCare?

Zachariah, a Canadian, asks:

My Apple iMac is nearing its 1 year anniversary and I am considering getting the Apple Care Protection plan which will give me another 2 years of warranty coverage.

I just got off the phone to someone in Agreement Administration who could not tell me why the price of the Plan here in Canada is $199 but in the US it is $169. The Canadian and US dollars are basically on par with each other. The protection plan is not a product but a service. The rep I talked to told me that he too wondered why there was such a huge price differential as well but said that reps don’t get explanations.

I did some spot checking on pricing differences between different Apple products here and in the US. The prices seem to differ between 8 and 10% but the service agreement is 15%.

I was wondering if you guys could find a rationale for this? Something about this just rubs me the wrong way.

Thanks,
Zachariah

Zachariah notes that the terms & conditions of the warranty are exactly the same. Since we’re not Canadian, we don’t actually know why Apple charges more. Perhaps it’s because Canada is an entirely different country with completely different laws than the United States and that subtle distinction affects the price of goods and services.

If there are any Canadians out there who know why they are charged more for AppleCare, or the best way to avoid being charged extra for AppleCare, please do let us know.

(Photo:bribriTO)

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