Why the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPods is Not Worth Buying

Extended Warranties
Most consumer advocates strongly recommend that consumers not purchase extended warranties. The reasons behind such advice are best summed up in an article by former electronics salesperson, Solomon Rothman, "Electronic stores make more money off the extended service plans than any other product. The plans themselves don't cover any accidental damage. That includes anything they determine could have be caused by accidental use, even if it wasn't. Although the sales counselor will tell you they are very reasonable, that's not necessarily true. If they can justify not paying for the repair, they will. . . .Most of the repairs actually needed do occur within the manufacturer's warranty period and thus are covered."

Consumer reporting sites list the most common problems with various products, and sometimes include the estimated cost of the repair. Many of the common problems with iPods are those the average consumer can repair for free on their own. Others will not be covered under the warranty, or the cost of the repair is less than the cost of the warranty.

Terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iPod
Across the internet, there are complaints about consumers trying to use the AppleCare protection plan. Complaints center around repair center determinations that the problem is 'not covered' and the cost of the actual repair needed being less than the cost of the extended warranty.