extend warranty?

Question

i've had my computer for almost a year, so my question is if i need to extend the warranty, lots of friends tell me it's just waste of money, do you agree???

Answer 1

some extended warranty's can be a waste of money. It depends on a few things.

Firstly is the computer already covered by your insurance company for accidental damage - if so why have extended warranty? the thing goes wrong you could just "accidentally" trip down the stairs with it or pour coke in it!

Next thing, is it a desktop or laptop? If it's a laptop it might very well be a good idea to get the extended warranty, the only thing to watch is to look carefully for what will be covered, make sure it covers hardware (and if it also covers battery, which is very doubtful, then certainly invest in it as batteries die quite easily on a laptop and they are quite expensive to replace). With a laptop most things are surface mounted so if anything goes wrong then it's gonna cost you a lot of money to get it fixed (most of the time it's cheaper to scrap the laptop and get a new one).

If it's a desktop however extended warranty really isn't worth it. Most desktop components can be picked up really cheaply if they break (usually it's the DVD drive that's first to go on a computer, especially if your a smoker, due to the laser going and these can be replaced for about £20, if your not a smoker or you don't smoke near the computer then the drives can last for quite sometime, some of my DVD drives are over 5 years old now).

And even if you don't know how to change the parts when they go then some of your friends probably do, or alternatively you can take it to a local PC store (not a big commercialised one like PC World) and they'll be able to fix it if it does go wrong.

Finally the other thing to consider is trading standards. There is one thing that is quite often over-looked by many people buying these extended warranties. In the UK (don't know whether it's the same where you come from) we are covered from defective products. Regardless of any other guarantees/warrantys etc on a product, if the product is bought brand new then it should be free from defects for a set period of time agreed by the trading standards. This period of time differs depending on the product, but I think for a computer it's something like 6 years from the date of purchase. So if your computer breaks down due to defect with that time period take it back to the store and when they start winging that it's out of it's warranty, ask to speak to the manager and mention trading standards. Most of the time these words are good enough to smack the smile of that persons face 'cos he knows you know what your talking about and that he'll have to replace that computer without getting another sale. Note, I can't say for certain that it definatly is 6 years, so check with your local citizens advice bureau on this.

The following is a quote from business link regarding this matter:

"The Sale of Goods Act states that if customers want to reject faulty goods, they have to do so within a "reasonable time". A legal definition of "reasonable" is not given though - it varies from case to case and could be just a few weeks from the date of purchase.

If a customer rejects faulty goods within this "reasonable" period, they're entitled to ask for their money back. All customers can claim compensation at any time if they choose. If you sell to consumers - not other traders - they can ask for a repair or a replacement immediately (instead of asking for a refund) at any time until six years after purchase."

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

a desktop, yup big waste of money, laptop, go for it!!!

Answer 3

your Friends are right; it's a scam