{"id":21691,"date":"2010-04-19T04:00:52","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T11:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/?p=21691"},"modified":"2024-04-16T14:00:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T20:00:35","slug":"if-youre-going-to-buy-a-warranty-shop-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/if-youre-going-to-buy-a-warranty-shop-around\/","title":{"rendered":"If you’re going to buy a warranty, shop around"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m writing this post on my brand new MacBook, which I just purchased yesterday. I can honestly say I’ve never been less excited to buy a computer.<\/p>\n

The reason for my ambivalence is that I already bought this laptop four months ago, replacing a seven-year-old “little iBook that could.” But two weeks ago a water bottle (that I thought was closed) toppled over, splashing water on the MacBook. At first, it seemed like I was in the clear. All systems were go. Later that day, however, the MacBook started randomly “typing” characters on its own, and after two failed reboots, it died. Rest in peace, MacBook. You were too young.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Warranties and “Protection” Plans<\/span><\/h2>\n

I had purchased additional coverage through the AppleCare Protection Plan, so I figured I could get it repaired easily enough. Unfortunately, I didn’t read the fine print. It turns out that while Apple was happy to fix the defective motherboard on my iBook four years ago, accidents such as water spills weren’t<\/i> covered, and in fact, voided my warranty altogether. I got that sinking feeling in my stomach. Unwilling to put even a few hundred dollars into a machine that was no longer under warranty and could continue to have problems, I decided to bite the bullet and buy another laptop, hoping to sell the damaged one for parts.<\/p>\n

It took me a couple of weeks to suck it up and buy another one. I decided to go to Best Buy, mainly because it was on my way home. I asked for a MacBook and followed the salesman to the register to buy my second laptop in four months. He started to explain Best Buy’s extended warranty program, called Geek Squad Black Tie Protection, and when I asked about the difference between that and AppleCare, he said Geek Squad covers more, including accidents and repairing normal wear and tear.<\/p>\n

He had me at “accidents”.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Why Bother With a Warranty?<\/span><\/h2>\n

I typically pass on extended warranties<\/a>. Laptops, however, are where I make an exception. According to an article in PC World<\/em>, David Heim, Consumer Reports<\/em>‘ managing editor, agrees:<\/p>\n

We’ve refined our point of view over the years. For certain kinds of products it makes sense: if it’s expensive to buy, might be trouble-prone, and could be expensive to fix. In other words, a laptop.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Laptops, by their nature, are prone to damage. We buy them so we can take them on trips, to Starbucks, or anywhere the day might take us. The more we pack them up and move them around, the more likely it is that an accident will occur. Added protection makes sense, but as I found, all warranties are not the same.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The AppleCare Plan<\/span><\/h2>\n

All Apple computers come with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support. For $249 AppleCare extends that to three years (from purchase date, so service overlaps with the one-year warranty).<\/p>\n

I was happy with the customer service I received from AppleCare, which I used twice with the iBook. The AppleCare plan includes the following for laptops:<\/p>\n