Regardless what the salesperson tells you, you don’t need the extended warranty.
Here’s why:
- Most major computer manufacturers already offer 1 year of parts and labor. If your computer fails, it’s most likely to fail within the 1st year.
- The average cost of fixing a computer is about the same cost as the extended warranty.
- Many extended warranties won’t cover the kinds of disasters you will likely experience: drops, spills, and electrical shortages.
If you feel you must buy an extended warranty
For consumers who want peace of mind and don’t mind paying for an extended warranty they’ll probably never need, or for those whose chosen brand is repair prone, we offer this advice (source: ConsumerReports.org):
First check your credit card.
Before you say yes to an extended warranty on any product, see whether your credit card provides similar coverage. Such plans, most often found on gold and platinum cards, typically lengthen the original manufacturer’s warranty by as much as one year.
Shop around.
Extended warranties vary in length and terms. Don’t pay more than 20 percent of the purchase price of the product for one. Always try to negotiate a better price.
See what the retailer offers.
Some retailers might extend a warranty as well. Costco, for example, extends the manufacturer’s warranty on televisions and computers to 2 years from the date of purchase, at no cost to you.
Beware of hidden “gotchas.”
For heavy items such as large TVs or major appliances, ask whether the extended warranty includes in-home repair or pickup. For TVs, who reinstalls it and reconnects it to your audio-video setup? And if the product will be repaired, is there a lemon clause such that after a few repairs the product is replaced?
Keep in mind that an extended warranty usually begins the day you purchase a product, so it overlaps with the standard warranty for a year (assuming that’s the term of the standard coverage). So a three-year policy gives you only two years of additional coverage.
For more info:
http://www.consumerreports.org
http://www.apple.com/support/products/
http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/esp/Notebook/1/storefronts/U4821A
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/extended_warranty.html
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/11/10/would-you-buy-circuit-city- extended-warranty
