Does it pay to get a warranty on a laptop?

[extracheese]

I have a DELL Inspiron 130. Have it for 2 years with no problems (light use).

Dell sent me a notice that if i want contiued coverage for addtional 3 years it would cost $199. Otherwise after Feb 2008 i have no support.

A friend had her laptop die after 2 years and had no support - cost her 400 to fix (motherboard and heat sink).

So now i dont know if its worth it.
Any thoughts?

[bigtim666]

yes get the up grade, its probably 100$ a year. Dell has the best service I extended mine for 2 years when the first 2 years expired. i am still eligible f or 1 more year which i intend to do at the right time.

I have had mother board, new battery's and chargers a new screen and when my battery failed for the third time, Dell sent me a refurbished upgraded machine at no cost to myself. the price is well worth the benefits

[jauble]

yes unless you plan on buying a new one in the next few years

[Tenbatsuzen]

Depends on the credit card you bought it with.

if you bought it with a platinum card, you get the warranty doubled automatically. Check your card holder information for more details.

[extracheese]

Very interesting Tens.
I DO have a Platinum card and just called them.

They said the card DOES extend warrantees as long as its 1 year or less.
So when i bought my DELL (which came with 1 year) i didnt have to buy the additional year at that time. The card would have provided the second year.

So if i want the extention, i have to pay for it. And from what others have said - seems like a good investment.

Although articles (like from Consumer Reports) always advise against EXTENDED WARRANTEES - i think laptops may be the exception.

[sailor]

i'm no expert, but i've always heard to avoid the extended warranties.

[MadMatt]

I would say laptops/notebooks are a definite exception to the 'Avoid Extended Warranty' rule. They aren't like TV's, DVD players, or stereo systems.

Although manufacturers do their best to create durable products, you really are carrying around a piece of delicate equipment. It is easier than you would think to jostle something loose or have hardware fail simply through everyday movement. Not to mention the possibility of drops or falls.

If your laptop is desk-bound and not serving as a portable unit you may be able to get away with letting the warranty lapse. Same deal if you are looking to replace the system in the near future. Otherwise, as an IT guy that deals with laptops on a daily basis, I would suggest re-upping your warranty. It is likely to save you money in the long run.

:bye:

[earthbrown]

idk, if you are keeping it...

my father bought a $4000 laptop from dell it failed in 3 months, they came to his house and fixed it free.


K

[Tenbatsuzen]

Very interesting Tens.
I DO have a Platinum card and just called them.

They said the card DOES extend warrantees as long as its 1 year or less.
So when i bought my DELL (which came with 1 year) i didnt have to buy the additional year at that time. The card would have provided the second year.

So if i want the extention, i have to pay for it. And from what others have said - seems like a good investment.

Although articles (like from Consumer Reports) always advise against EXTENDED WARRANTEES - i think laptops may be the exception.

My opinion is this.

Your laptop is already 2 years old.

It's extremely devalued at this point.

You can buy a new Dell Laptop for 599.

So the question is this:

Do you want to spend 200 dollars now or just roll the dice and get something when the time comes?

[plug]

Two things come to mind.

1. Since the equipment is portable, it would most likely be subject to a higher degree of damage.

2. Dell and every other Original equipment manufacturer, routinely uses proprietary equipment and connection points. You are almost forced to take the unit back to the OEM for any repair.

I think that it is a good idea given the cost of the unit. Expect 3-4 years out of a laptop before it's effectiveness starts to wear.

Chris

I have a DELL Inspiron 130. Have it for 2 years with no problems (light use).

Dell sent me a notice that if i want contiued coverage for addtional 3 years it would cost $199. Otherwise after Feb 2008 i have no support.

A friend had her laptop die after 2 years and had no support - cost her 400 to fix (motherboard and heat sink).

So now i dont know if its worth it.
Any thoughts?

[plug]

Great points. I cannot tell you the number of IBM laptops I have repaired due to the keyboard ribbon getting unseated.

I would say laptops/notebooks are a definite exception to the 'Avoid Extended Warranty' rule. They aren't like TV's, DVD players, or stereo systems.

Although manufacturers do their best to create durable products, you really are carrying around a piece of delicate equipment. It is easier than you would think to jostle something loose or have hardware fail simply through everyday movement. Not to mention the possibility of drops or falls.

If your laptop is desk-bound and not serving as a portable unit you may be able to get away with letting the warranty lapse. Same deal if you are looking to replace the system in the near future. Otherwise, as an IT guy that deals with laptops on a daily basis, I would suggest re-upping your warranty. It is likely to save you money in the long run.

:bye:

[Snacks]

I would say no, never buy an extended warranty. I purchase a new computer every year or so. I know its stupid but sometimes it costs me nothing. I restore my old computers to orignal factory setting and sell it on ebay. When I see a deal for a laptop for around $500 or so I buy it. My last computer was a $1200 HP, I bought it for $619. I sold it on ebay used for $650. some people on ebay dont bother looking at other sites so they just buy and bid the sucker up. Plus sometimes with warranties you have to jump through hoops to get things done.

Im in the process of buying a gateway w/ 2 gb ram, 160 hd, inter dual core processor, dl dvd burner, vista prem and all the bells and whistles for $600.

[Gvac]

I agree with Snacks - extended warranties are usually a waste of time and money. Electronic and appliance retailers love to sell them because that's where they make the largest profit, believe it or not.

[KnoxHarrington]

They are a waste of money -- unless you get one that covers accidental damage.

I learned from bitter experience: spill a Diet Pepsi in your laptop, and you are fucked.

[FUNKMAN]

My brother had purchased an extended warranty with his pc and monitor at Circuit City or Best Buy 'i forget which one he said' . The monitor went bad so he brought it in. They told him they would take care of it and he'd have it back in 3 weeks. He was like WTF????????

He claimed he would never buy an extended warranty again...

[Kilgores Feet]

In your situation, you should probably get it. The warranty to avoid is the retail warranty. Always. Apple and Dell are good investments as their laptops are prone to asplode and they tend not to dick around when you are covered. Accidental damage is covered by Apple Care and Dell.
Again: A retailer warranty is worth nothing. Avoid it. Manufacturer warranty is usually worth it, especially in the case of high-risk/high-repair hardware like laptops.

[drusilla]

my lap top will be 4 years old in september when the extended warranty runs out. my lap top has had to be sent out for repairs 4 times since august & it was all fixed under the warranty, which was really helpful. it was like 250 bucks for 2 more years. i figured its on its last legs now & i'll have to buy another one soon, but at least i was able to have 4 years with this one. but i am sick of all the bullshit & i'm switching to apple.

[Kilgores Feet]

my lap top will be 4 years old in september when the extended warranty runs out. my lap top has had to be sent out for repairs 4 times since august & it was all fixed under the warranty, which was really helpful. it was like 250 bucks for 2 more years. i figured its on its last legs now & i'll have to buy another one soon, but at least i was able to have 4 years with this one. but i am sick of all the bullshit & i'm switching to apple.

I hate to break it to you but you'll need just as many repairs. I'm not trying to start a flame war but being in charge of Apple machines for years now I can say that when you are using a laptop, you're pretty much fucked any way you cut it. Too much in too small a space getting tossed around like it does leads to a short life. 4 years is the most to expect out of any laptop, regardless of brand.

I'm not saying don't go with Apple but I am saying stick with getting the 3-year Apple Care plan. I've sent fully 90% of the Macbooks we have had since they were introduced out for repairs at some point. They are great at repairing when they are covered (although they do have a number of problems that were not) but they are just as buggy as any other laptop. And due to the design of Apple's machine they only really replace one part - logic board. (occasionally inverter board)

[drusilla]

i was planning on it. you really can't trust anything. as soon as you buy a computer it becomes retarded pretty quickly.