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 Product Service Plans (warranty)
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Snario




PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 8:50 pm   Post subject: Product Service Plans (warranty)

Any time you make a big purchase for a desktop, laptop, phone, tablet, tv, etc, you are always pressured to buy a warranty plan. These plans typically are about 1/4th the cost of the product on its own. I'm wondering, what's everyone's opinion on these? I just purchased a MacBook and the plan would have cost $600+ for 4 years, however I said no to it. I've never had to use any of these plans but the thought of potential regret always comes up.
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[Gandalf]




PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:05 pm   Post subject: RE:Product Service Plans (warranty)

Aren't MacBooks indestructible? If you're dishing out the money to get an indestructible product, then why get a warranty? Razz
2goto1




PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:37 pm   Post subject: RE:Product Service Plans (warranty)

With extended warranties the casino always wins. They market to the consumer's fear of purchasing a lemon. I buy into that fear as well but just for laptops. I don't bother with it for TVs, toasters, mobile phones, or any other consumer electronics. Only laptops.

I typically shell out for the business friendly laptop warranties. Usually the ones that guarantee next business day on-site service. Lenovo's prices are reasonable for those warranties. Otherwise any other laptop warranty may see you get your laptop fixed when damaged, but may see you without your laptop for weeks, depending on the issue that needs to be fixed. That would be something I could never afford. Usually I buy the warranty for the duration that I think I will own the laptop for...2 years is about the average for me.

I normally buy everything by credit card. My credit card like most offers free doubling of a product's manufacturer's warranty. You have to register the purchase with your credit card company in order to get the doubling of the warranty.
DemonWasp




PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:07 am   Post subject: RE:Product Service Plans (warranty)

Most warranties have huge gotchas installed in them to make using them worthless. One of my graphics cards (from years ago), an 8800GTX, purchased for over $600, had a 25-year "lifetime" warranty on it. What they don't tell you is that when the card explodes, you have to pay to mail it to the manufacturer ($30) and then they'll just mail it right back, without permanently fixing it (there was some kind of extremely temporary fix applied). It failed again within a few months.

I did the same thing with a hard drive, and while they did send a replacement, they send refurbished (not new). The refurbished drive also failed (again, within a year) and I realised it would be cheaper to just throw it out.

These are just the warranties that come with specific parts of a computer, when you buy them individually. My only experience with warranties on assembled computers is on a Dell laptop, and they don't cover anything in those warranties. My wireless card broke: "Not covered; new one will be $60".

The one exception seems to be the AppleCare plans. You have to bring in your Mac to one of their service centers, but they will actually fix it (more or less, anyway). This is critical because Apple computers vary wildly in quality; my girlfriend's MacBook has had more hardware failures than any of my other computers (and I have several, including the aforementioned crappy Dell laptop). Some people get awesome ones, some people have the following break on them: CPU cooling system, hard drive, case, keyboard, 2 charger cables.
mirhagk




PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:06 am   Post subject: RE:Product Service Plans (warranty)

Asus has an awesome warranty as well, although it's mail in, it's free 2 way shipping, and they cover manufacturers defects for 2 years for free, and accidents (including water and fire damage) for 1 year for free on most their laptops. The only downside is the downtime without a laptop, but when I used it on my power cable they were pretty quick to get it back to me.
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