I've been an Apple customer for years, and this is one of the most frustrating support experiences I've had with any company.
I bought two years of AppleCare+ for my AirPods through Costco, with coverage running until January 4, 2028. Later, my iPhone showed me a prompt for AppleCare One, a plan that covers up to three devices. I wanted to protect my iPhone and MacBook too, so I signed up. What I didn't understand was that doing this would permanently cancel my existing AppleCare+ on the AirPods.
Only after purchasing did I learn that my MacBook isn't eligible for AppleCare One, because I bought it from Apple in Korea (it has a Korean keyboard). That left me with no reason to stay on AppleCare One, so I asked Apple to cancel it and put me back where I was.
Apple Support connected me with the AppleCare policy team, and their answer was no. They said a canceled AppleCare+ plan can't be reinstated. If I want AirPods coverage again, I'd have to buy a new plan at $20 per year.
Apple refunded me $15.60 for the unused portion of my original coverage. At roughly $2 a month for a new plan, that refund buys me about 8 months of coverage. I had already paid for protection through January 2028. Now I'd have to pay again to get back what I already owned.
What bothered me most was the attitude. I was told there was nothing Apple could do. The message was essentially that it was my fault for not reading the fine print when I tapped the upgrade. My choices were to take it up with Costco or pay Apple again for a new policy. No one tried to find a solution or acknowledged that this outcome makes no sense for a customer who tried to buy more coverage from Apple.
I'd point out a few things:
A prorated refund doesn't restore what I lost. I paid for coverage through 2028 and now I have to pay more to get it back.
Apple canceled the plan, not Costco, so sending me to Costco feels like passing the buck.
The fix here is simple: reinstate the AppleCare+ plan I already paid for. Apple has the ability to do this and is choosing not to. I'm extremely frustrated, and I'd warn anyone with an existing AppleCare+ plan to be very careful before tapping that AppleCare One offer.