Apple's extended warranty protection plan covers many events and situations, but what happens when the company's AirPods are lost or stolen?
Apple's AirPods might be great for a true wireless listening experience, but getting a replacement when they are lost or stolen can be expensive, and even for those enrolled in AppleCare+. Although Apple offers coverage for when things go wrong with its products, there are limitations, and this is particularly true when it comes to the company's headphone products.
An Apple hardware purchase tends to come with a one-year warranty as standard. However, Apple does offer an AppleCare+ protection plan for those in need of or wanting extended coverage. For example, AppleCare+ for Headphones specifically extends the coverage to two years for AirPods or Beats purchases. The extended protection plan is available for the new AirPods Max, as well as both the AirPods Pro and standard AirPods models. However, while AppleCare+ provides coverage for both repairs and replacements, lost or stolen earbuds are an exception.
Put simply, AppleCare+ doesn't cover AirPods that are either lost or stolen. Due to this, AirPods owners enrolled in AppleCare+ won’t benefit any more than those who haven’t opted for the extended warranty option. Not only does this blanket rule apply to both the standard AirPods and AirPods Pro models, but it also applies to the carry/charging case as well. As a result, any lost or stolen AirPods will need to be replaced, at a cost.
While AppleCare+ doesn’t cover lost or stolen AirPods, Apple does offer an aftercare option to purchase new ones. For example, if a single AirPod is lost, users can simply buy one AirPod to replace it, instead of having to buy an entire set. If it is a standard AirPod, then the replacement price is $69. Those in need of an AirPods Pro replacement can expect to pay $89 for a single earbud. As to be expected, users will need to clarify whether it is the left or right AirPod that needs replacing when placing an order.
While the cost of stolen AirPods (or two lost earbuds) is going to be twice as much, this can still be a cheaper solution than buying a new pair. Unless the earbuds are stolen (or lost) while in their carry case, then purchasing the replacements will work out less expensive, as Apple is not including the carry case in the cost. As an example, the two AirPods Pro earbud replacements would total $178, compared to the $249 retail cost of a completely new set. For reference, if the carry case is missing, these can also be purchased separately. For standard AirPods, the basic charging case replacement costs $59 while the wireless charging case costs $79. AirPods Pro owners can expect to pay Apple $99 for their replacement wireless charging case.
Source: Apple
