Mojo_Risin

I'm looking at getting a laptop from CompUSA and they offer various services plans which I'm considering buying - $149 for the cheapest 2 year basic or the $250 for a 2 year plus screen protection. Is the extra money worth one of these plans? Or is just a ripoff?

This will be more of a desktop replacement notebook so I won't be travelling alot with it but occasionally. Plus a baby on the way. So there is potential for damage. Advice???

thanks
john

Schooler

I always get the extended warranty on computers, especially a laptop. Then you can drop it off a cliff in 2 years when it is screwed up anyway and get a brand new one.

rimpainter.com

I always pass on the extended service rip-offs. Never had a problem.

Invest that $200 or so in a good mutual fund for the next 20 years returning 8% or more and see how much money you would have.

midiwall

Ditto.

But, PLEASE read the service agreement, it may actually be worthwhile for once. For example, I doubt that they would "fix" it if you dropped it off of a table much less a cliff. Or, if baby Mojo decides to spray it with strained peas then close the lid and stuff it under the couch for it to bake for a week.

The point being, that those extended service contracts generally don't cover squat - the manufacturer's 90 day covers a lot more. Plus, CompUSA won't "fix" anything - they'll swap parts until it works.

That means that if Baby Mojo pushes the machine off of a table while it's defragging the drive thus causing a head smack, CompUSA's gonna replace the drive without even TRYING to get your data off of it. And, by the time that happens (12-14 months?) the price of a 500gig 3" laptop drive will be about $80.


Now.. to talk out the other side of my mouth - I _have_ recommended contracts to friends buying desktops (hi Daryl!). The line I draw to do this is when the contract talks about on-site service. It can be worth it to be able to call someone for a year (or two) when the machine doesn't want to boot, and that the contract talks about _same day_ repair/replace.

On-site means that the machine will be staying in your home, and you can watch what the tech does and have a say in it. Break a laptop, and you're dropping it off at CompUSA/BestBuy/Sam's Club until the Traveling Tech can show up to look at it.

Want a scare? Ask to see the store's "repair bench" before you pony up the cash. I'll bet that there will be desktop's piled 3-4 high right next to the broken DVD players and receivers. All sitting in the midst of a 2+ week backlog.

No thanks... I can get a HD, RAM, video card, MB, ANYTHING on my doorstep in a whole lot less time for less money.

ldivinag

get the most expesive warranty you can find.

when your backlight for the LCD goes out... you'd wish you have gotten that...

Schooler

Well I cannot speak for the plan Comp USA has. I buy my stuff at circuit city and the do have the Advantage Protection Plus plan which will repair or replace your stuff (yes that does include screens) and they will fix it iff you drop it off of a table, or a cliff or if baby Mojo dumps peas on it.

Now, if there is a slight thing that is broken and you are afraid they will just replace parts and not replace the whole thing, you can take a sledge hammer and smash it to bits and they will replace the whole thing. I know that this works, trust me, I've done it many times. PS, this will also work with verizon cell phones w/insurance.

This might be taking advantage of the system a little bit but they do call it the "Advantage Plan" so it is there to take advantage of IMO. In the future, they will most likely change the wording of their plans but for now I'm sticking with this.

But, something I didn't think about, with a notebook I'm sure you would have to mail it and have some down time without your computer.

SteveO

IF its a laptop you are purchasing, definitly get the extra service plan. If its a workstation that goes under your desk, its a ripoff.

Workstation parts are plentiful and can easly be installed by anybody with a screwdriver and some thought. Actually, the newer systems are becoming tool-less.

The laptops, are not so easy to work on, and the parts a very expensive.

Example:

I had a Dell Inspiron 8600 with a 4 year warranty, 3 years past the standard warranty. Two years into the time line, the laptop starts to wig out. I had a Dell tech come out 4 times to replace the screen twice, the video card twice, the mother board twice, the top tray, and it still was on the fritz. I sent the lapto back to dell, had it back in 3 days (pretty good service), and after trying to upgrade my video card firmware, the video card went toes-up. After calling again, and harrassing them a bit, they sent me a refurbed Inspiron 9300 with a 17" screen. NICE. To boot, I still have two years left on my warranty which transferred over to my new refurbed system.

Had this been a desktop, I could have taken care of any issue that comes up. But with the laptops, ya gotta be carefull, and to boot, those screens are worth more than the laptop itself.

Get the extended warranty for a laptop.

linuxrunner

if you get anything make sure the screen is covered, that is the biggest fix and pretty common to crap out. Also make sure you keep that laptop cool, nothing burns out laptop hardware faster than when people run it on a bed or in their lap for hours.

I have a HU with 4 year coverage from bestbuy and i have had it not even a year yet and have already replaced it 3 times, first time stopped ejecting cd's second time i jumped in the river with the face plate, and the third time i just wanted a newer one so i brought it back they gave me $110 store credit and i got a $150 unit for 40 bucks more, and they updated my agreement to cover the new one at no extra cost. Basicly extended coverage is good but make sure it is going to cover what you want. and in 4 years if your plan alows it, brake the thing, take it back and use the store credit to buy something way better than what you origionaly had

DrBeau

Honestly, it depends on what the warranty actually covers. I will always recommend that anyone buying a laptop form Dell get not only the extended warranty, but the complete care. Complete care is pretty much what it says; it covers everything.

Ex: a co-worker of mine was driving around. He had his laptop in his trunk. The laptop didn't come out so well when he flipped his car end over end down a hill. Dell replaced the entire thing, and, because it wasn't a model that was available anymore, he got the current equivalent (from C800 -> C840). As I work with Dell all the time, I've had to do stuff like this a lot (dropped laptops, spills, "goo", etc.).

What it basically comes down to is "what does this service get you?" If CompUSA is going to give you this service and then give you the runaround whenever you need to use it, don't get the service. If they actually do give you good service, go for it. Personally, I don't think I'd ever buy a laptop from CompUSA, BestBuy, etc. unless they are selling it as a Dell or HP or Lenovo (which would include those manufacturer warranties).

Avsfreak1234

with computers the answer is simple. No matter the brand or the model always get the longest warranty that you can. its that simple.

SteveO

Gotta agree with that. Being that laptops get carried around quite a bit. When I purchased my first laptop, It was a desktop replacement. Then I started carrying it on the trails so I could diagnoise the ECU on my 4Runner. The next laptop I get from Dell will have this complete coverage, and for 4 years as well.

Churnd

Considering the average life span of a useful computer nowadays is ~3 years before it becomes outdated, I can't justify getting a warranty over 2.

SteveO

I think it depends on what you use your laptop for. I use mine for homework, some web stuff, just about anything but gaming. And being that these things are so freakin expensive, I want to get the most out of my laptop for the longest duration.

89macrunner

i have three computers right now...two desktops one laptop (apple ibook) I built the two desktops...One desktop is 5 years old the other is 2. My laptop is about a year and a half old.

My desktops both still work great.
My laptop has NEVER had a problem.

I use my laptop more than anything so that will get upgraded every two years or so.
Its just not worth it for me to buy a warranty on a laptop which im going to stop using in two years.



What it comes down to is how long you are going to continue to use your computer.

SMSUCigarguy

I'd skip the warranty on a desktop, but I'd think twice on a laptop. The LCD on them could alone justify the cost of the warranty. But like anything, read the service agreement before you pony up the cash.

Mojo_Risin

Thanks all - i ended up buying the 3 year plan (for $269) - which includes 2 screen repairs and 1 free battery replacement 24-7 tech support, etc. and they threw in a free linksys wireless router ($69 value). The free battery replacement alone is worth 1/2 the cost of the plan.

John

Turd Ferguson

Jeebus, I wish I'd seen this post--- I used to work in CE and sold for Best Buy, Tweeter, and Comp. I'm all in favor of warranty on high-dollar stuff- I bought the AppleCare for my PowerBook when it was new (and my iPod and it replaced my defective battery once already).

RETURN IT ALL ASAP!!!! CompUSA's warranties are a joke at best. Believe me, I worked for them for about 2.5 months once. They are the worst in the business. They are not(or were not as it was when I was there several years ago) underwritten by anyone but CompUSA and thus there was no recourse, despite their sales pitch. They are a very deceitful company and I wouldn't waste my money there.

Best Buy is underwritten by AIG, Circuit, Tweeter, and several others are under AON which is a part/subsidiary of American Express.

Much of what CompUSA tells you in that realm is total BS. I'd do a buyer beware if I were you.

ToyRunner1

I purchased my HP laptop from Sams and got a 3yr extended for $69. I need to read it to see what all it covers, but I've never had a problem getting service on anything from them before. I use my laptop for school as well as traveling for business so I wanted a good warranty. I have a total of 4 years.