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View Full Version : Discussion on CompUSA's TAP Program


Ed Hansberry
09-05-2003, 04:00 PM
<a href="http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&amp;threadid=88726&amp;perpage=10&amp;pagenumber=1">http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&amp;threadid=88726&amp;perpage=10&amp;pagenumber=1</a><br /><br />Brighthand as a long discussion going on the Technology Assurance Plan, or TAP, that CompUSA offers, which is essentially a program that will guarantee a repair or replacement if something goes wrong with your product. I have personally been told when buying things there, like PDAs, that they will replace it with a <i>new</i> device, not a refurbished one, but I'm not convinced that is what the <a href="http://www.compusa.com/media/tap_terms.pdf">TAP Agreement</a> states. I'll let you dig into the contract and the thread to come to your own conclusion.<br /><br />Two thoughts. First, I know people have abused this. I can't tell you how many times people "break" their PDA then go to CompUSA to get a newer model, knowing full well their current model has been discontinued and is out of stock. :roll: This is probably why CompUSA is cracking down.<br /><br />Second, how many of you buy these things, which are essentially extended warrantees? I <i><b>never</b></i> buy an extended warranty. Those things are pure money to the ones selling it. I've probably saved enough over my life in not buying extended warranties for TVs, computers, cars, PDAs, lawnmowers, toasters and just about anything else that plugs in, and a few things that don't, that I could buy a new car. I've also had to shell out less than $1,000 over that same time period for repairs where one of those extended warranties would have come in handy. I've definitely come out ahead which proves my point. Had I purchased all of those thing, resellers would have been way ahead, which is why they push them so hard. "Hey, you need this extended warranty. It is such a good deal for you!" :deal:

dean_shan
09-05-2003, 04:05 PM
I have never bought an extended warranty ever. I think that they are a waste of money. If you take care of your stuff you're fine. I might get a warranty on a new car if I got one. The weather is harsh on cars where I live.

bjornkeizers
09-05-2003, 04:07 PM
I never bought these before, but when my Ipaq 3630's battery died on me two years ago, I thought it might be a wise investment. This is the kind of warranty that covers the basics, but unfortunately, they won't replace the device if it meets with an "accident" as far as I know. If I could get such a warranty - I would. And I'd abuse it for sure. You'd be stupid not to.

Jacob
09-05-2003, 04:16 PM
I have never bought an extended warrantee myself.

Circuit City I have heard (I think from a thread on this forum actually) is cracking down on their policy too. With cell phones at least I believe they now give you a phone number to call where you can have your phone sent to them instead of just exchanging it.

I think all these stores used to be lax on allowing these things for the sake of customer service and the philosophy that they may get scammed a few times, but it's worth it to make it a nice process for the legit returns. Now they are tightening up due to abuse.

A friend of mine was told by best buy when he got a crack in the screen that their plan didn't cover physical damage.

slinger
09-05-2003, 04:21 PM
I originally bought an extended warranty from Best Buy only to have my first "defective" item turned down since it had a "bruise" on the casing. They said I dropped it and voided the extended warranty which only covers against internal electronic parts and the unit must not have been abused. My accidental dropping of the phone occurred months prior to the unit failure and was unrelated.

I learned about the CompUSA's TAP coverage at that time and took advantage of it when I bought my first 3635. I travel extensively and have kids so I thought it was a good investment. As it turned out, the 3635 screen digitizer went out a few months later and the TAP covered me. Since the 3635 was discontinued I picked up a 3835 for a slight charge and then bought another TAP to cover it. That unit was much better lasting me about 13 months before the screen also went out with burnt pixels, not to mention bad battery performance. I took it back under the warranty and picked up a 5455. That unit lasted all of 2 weeks before it started hard resetting itself at random, yes, the charge was full. I talked with CompUSA extensively about it, they even gave me an additional battery to see if that worked. But in the end the unit was just defective. I didn't return it to CompUSA as it would have cost me the fee of another TAP to do that, I opted to use the manufacturer's warranty instead and after 6 weeks of sending in and receiving back in the same condition I finally was awarded a new 5450 to replace it. I explained this to CompUSA and they said the TAP would cover the new unit. I was happy, although had I know it would take me weeks to get back running again I would have exercised the TAP first.
It has been 6 months since all my problems, and the 5450 still functions perfectly. I have no plans to "break it" for an upgrade, but I thank God for that TAP now or I would be into a serious investment for my organizer over the past couple years.

qmrq
09-05-2003, 04:22 PM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.

dartman
09-05-2003, 04:22 PM
I normally don't buy extended warrantees but I did when I bought my last cell phone from Best Buy. I knew plenty of people who had bad experiences so I thought I'd spend the money.

I went thru 5 Nokia cell phones in the last 3 years. I had dial pads go out on 2 of them (6160's I think). Another one just died. I lived with poor range on an 8260 for a year before I finally complained to an ATT rep in the store. He agreed and swapped it for a 6360 which I'm very happy with. It has the best range and battery I've ever had.

Each time they just gave me a new phone without any hassle, always the current model in the same price range.

dart

DaleReeck
09-05-2003, 04:26 PM
The only extended warranty I ever buy are on new cars. For a new car, I can definitely justify it. I just bought a new Ford Explorer and I extended the three year warranty to five years for $1000. On my old Explorer, I just had to pay $600 for new brakes. Even small things, like the power window motor in my Camaro convertible costs $200. Plus, with this extended warranty, you get free brake replacements at 45,000 miles plus free oil changes for the five years. Car repairs are too expensive to quibble about an extra $1000 on a vehicle that already costs $40,000. And as we know, stuff has a habit of breaking just after the manufacturer warranty ends :)

But on things like PDA's, warranties are a waste. Especially in my case since I replace my PDA's with the latest and greatest so often (6 months average lately).

So, the moral of the story is, there are some things that extended warranties are worth it for. High mantenance stuff you plan on keeping for a long time are a good example. Cheap PDA's that you replace often are not.

yawanag
09-05-2003, 04:27 PM
I'm so glad you added: "not only is it never, I get belligerent when the salesman asks me a second time." I thought it would end with "never."

I had a part-time job with Best Buy for about 3 mos. I quit before I got fired because I was expected to sell a Extended Service Plan with every computer I sold. I didn't push it when someone told me "no." I don't like being pushed into something I don't want and I don't push anybody.

szamot
09-05-2003, 04:28 PM
The only time I ever bought an extended warranty was years ago and it was for the car, which was a good thing because I got my engine replaced at 110K. Since then I always buy everthing on my CC which always doubles the warrany or at least gives me an extra year and it is free.

wigglesworth
09-05-2003, 04:44 PM
Hi guys, I used to work at Staples (In Canada) just recently before going back to school. Extended warranties are a major focus at Staples. The Store makes 50% profit for every E.S.P sold (extended service plan) Eg: if the e.s.p cost you $200, the store just made $100 pure profit off of you.

I bought a E.S.P with my very first palm, and it was helpful for resale. The E.S.P is able to be transferred to a new owner, which in this case the buyer thought it was a great deal. I had paid $550cdn for a new palm and was able to keep the value up with an E.S.P and sold it $500cdn.
Since then though I have owned another palm, a handera, a handspring visor, a hp jornada, and currently a hp jornada 568, I have not bought another E.S.P with any of these.

I'm going to include a link to a canadian show called marketplace that did a expose of extended warranties
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/money/extended_warranties/

In fairness I should mention that we the employees of staples never made any commision on the E.S.P, it went straight to the company profits

Talldog
09-05-2003, 04:48 PM
With me, it depends on what I'm buying. Electronics like TVs and receivers have few moving parts, and aren't likely to break after the warranty. On the other hand, treadmills are notorious for breaking down. I've bought extended warranties for every treadmill I've owned, and I've needed all of them.

drdchow
09-05-2003, 04:49 PM
Well if COMPUSA sold you a warranty, it should be honored.

I've had issues with COMPUSA and almost filed a class-action lawsuit against them but they resolved my issue rather quickly.

hulksmash
09-05-2003, 04:51 PM
CompUSA recently changed their policy, about a week ago. This leaves everyone that wanted to take advantage of their previously stated plan somewhat in the lurch. It is true that you used to be able to turn in a product under plan and have it replaced with a NEW unit straight off the shelf. The former caveat was that their TAP was a "use once only" warranty and you were forced to purchase additional TAP on the replaced product if you wanted it.

The RECENT change is this: You now get to use their replacement policy twice. :roll: However, you have to do it over the phone and supposedly in 48 hours they will send you a REFURBISHED unit and you have to send them the defective unit in the box to them. They also try to sweeten the deal by also giving you a $25 gift card for a possible maximum amount of $50, which you have to spend in their store.

At this point, I am not sure what I think of the change. I suppose if it is a manufacturer refurbished product then that is ok, since it is what manufacturers do increasingly as well. Two uses is better, but I am not sure if they have a "lemon" policy, which I feel they should because if you have a product which continues to exhibit defectives time-after-time then you should be entitled to a full refund or replacement with a similar product.

icatar
09-05-2003, 04:53 PM
I bought an extended warranty on a 35" TV a few years back, and the tube started to go bad just before the warranty ended. The service guys came out and said that it wouldn't be worth fixing, so the warranty company sent me a check for a replacement - the amount of the check was for almost the amount that I had originally purchased the TV for!

Needless to say, I went out and upgraded to a 55" TV, which only cost a fraction more, and I did end up getting the extended warranty on that one as well! :)

Usually, I don't get the extended warranty, but in this case, I was extremely glad I did.

Philip Colmer
09-05-2003, 05:08 PM
In general, I don't buy extended warranties. The one time I made an exception, it turned out to be worth it.

The exception was for my camcorder. I bought a Sony PC-100 and the salesman convinced me to buy the extended warranty because it also covered accidental damage. I thought that would come in handy given the size & portability of the device.

As it happens, the camcorder gave me many years of flawless service until one day when I was trying out the timelapse feature in Premiere. I came home from work to discover that Premiere hadn't captured much material ... and my camcorder was dead 8O

I checked the battery, plugged in the mains adapter, changed the battery - nothing! Definitely dead. I had a slight panic while I hunted for the paperwork but we found it. Made the phone call and they sent packaging to get the camcorder in for repair.

Under the terms of this particular extended warranty, if they don't repair it within a given timeframe, they have to replace it. Well, it turns out that that is what was going to happen. It had been decided that the camcorder was beyond economic repair. What a shame that the PC-100 wasn't sold any more! There were a worrying couple of weeks while they ummed & ahhed, but they stumped up vouchers to the value of a brand-new PC-120. I also got another voucher for the value of the extended warranty that was left over!

So I bought myself a PC-120 and a brand new 5 year warranty.

I've got two other examples of where they've been worth it:

* We bought a widescreen TV from a store that included a 5 year warranty "free of charge". The cost of the set was comparable to what other stores were charging, so the warranty effectively was free. We managed to get the tube replaced last year under the warranty when it started buzzing badly - and tubes aren't cheap!

* We bought a new fridge-freezer a few years ago. I don't remember why but we did decide to buy an extended warranty for it. The interesting twist on this one, though, was that if you didn't claim on it, you got your money back when the warranty expired. It has expired, we hadn't claimed, so we got our money back!

I guess the message, really, is that extended warranties aren't always a bad thing - it depends on the item you are buying, the terms of the warranty and the cost of the warranty compared to the replacement cost of the item.

--Philip

Philip Colmer
09-05-2003, 05:11 PM
I suppose if it is a manufacturer refurbished product then that is ok, since it is what manufacturers do increasingly as well.

When I bought an iPAQ for company use, I bought Compaq's extended warranty as well. It sort of turned out worth having because the internal battery was giving me next to no time earlier this year, so Compaq replaced the iPAQ with a refurbished unit.

Unfortunately, the refurbished unit was a bit on the knackered side, so I got them to change it again. The next unit looks OK but I'm not convinced the internal battery lasts that long.

The lesson I've learnt here is (a) don't bother with extended warranties on PDAs - they aren't expensive enough and (b) don't ever buy a PDA with a built-in battery that can't be replaced!

--Philip

jt3
09-05-2003, 05:38 PM
My first experience with the CompUSA extended warranty was when I bought an open box 3635. I can't remember now how much it was, but I remember that after rebates (the open box still contained the UPC), I paid only about $70.

The iPAQ came with no software, so I pitched a fit about how I'd sync (even though I knew I could download AS from Microsoft), so to appease me, they threw in the $100 TAP for free.

After a couple days of troubleshooting a sound problem, I came to the realization that the speaker just didn't work, so I took it back. The 3765 had just been released at that time, and even though they still carried the 3635s, they were out, so I got a brand spankin' new 3765 as a TAP replacement.

Now, the TAP is supposed to be a one-use deal, but since it was free to begin with, and since I paid $70 for a $500 iPAQ, I figured it was worth losing the TAP. However, when I looked at my receipt later, I found that they not only replaced the iPAQ, but the TAP as well. So, for $70, I got a $500 iPAQ and a $100 TAP. I was in heaven.

Old timers will remember that the 3700s had an issue with the stylus holder, where the internals would break, and the stylus wouldn't stay in the unit. So, I suffered with this until the 3800s came out. Then, I waited until my local CompUSA was out of 3700s and used TAP to get a new 3835. They fought me on this one, because they wanted to order a 3700 from another store, but since they said it'd take 2-3 weeks, I screamed bloody murder, since the TAP said I'd get an immediate replacement.

So, to summarize, it took a little planning, a lot of luck, and a good deal of tantrum throwing, but I ultimately ended up with a brand new 3835 (and over a year's use of a new 3765) all for $70. I gotta say, the TAP was good to me.

However, having used the TAP on other large purchases, I can tell you that its usefulness is HIGHLY dependent on the manager of your local store. Some, will swap you out no questions asked. Some, will fight you to the death, finding ANY reason they can to void your TAP. My local store switched managers, and the new one is of the latter variety, so I won't purchase a TAP from that store at all.

Now... I've had no problems with the extended warranty from Best Buy, so I still use it for large purchases, but it really depends on the type of product, the replacement cost, and the cost of the warranty.

Jason Dunn
09-05-2003, 05:40 PM
And I'd abuse it for sure. You'd be stupid not to.

No, you'd be ethical. People that abuse these warranties, and commit insurance fraud (since that's really what it is), are part of the reason why these things are expensive - they pad the price because of people with no ethics. :?

Newsboy
09-05-2003, 05:49 PM
When I can find a decent price, I buy my consumer audio/video stuff at a local shop that offers lifetime service for a dollar, and lifetime parts for 10% of the purchase price. On a $400 TV, $40 for a lifetime warranty is a bargain. I've used it twice on a Discman I have, and both times have had the unit replaced no questions asked.

Casio Collector
09-05-2003, 05:51 PM
Hi,

Well, in the UK anyway, there is one great bit of law which has recently come into knowledge.

"When you buy goods from a shop, you enter into a contract under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended). This holds the shop liable for up to six years after purchase (Limitation Act 1980), providing that you can show that the problem is down to an unreasonable fault and not normal wear and tear. Secondly, remember that the guarantee is in addition to these statutory legal rights. Don't be taken in by the shop's argument here - they are using the issue of the guarantee as a red herring to try to avoid their legal obligations toward you. See our leaflet 'Buying Goods' for more information on your rights." (Trading Standards)

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/calitem.cgi?file=ADV0054-1111.txt

Hope that helps,

Timothy Monger-Godfrey[/url]

eric linsley
09-05-2003, 05:53 PM
ok first let me say
8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O

and now
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


i was going to say that i would absolutly recomend the compusa replacement plan.

i used to work for them for baout 3 years and it was something i swear buy

yes people abused it.
and yes alot of people just didnt know to reset their handheld.

but changing the %#^#$^^%$ contract. that is illegal without a signature.

thats evil....

im going ot go to my x store and try to return my 5450 and see what thy take me through.

i may have to get....... :devilboy:

eric linsley
09-05-2003, 05:57 PM
ok now back to what i was giong to say

i absolutly recomend coverage plans that do cover damage.
for the most part Compusas plan did cover damage.
and that was great. if it didnt i woudl say send ti to hell.
and stay with manufacturesr plan.

but now... ill find out this weekend.

T-Will
09-05-2003, 05:58 PM
I bought a CarePAQ for my first iPAQ which I never needed to use, and now that Pocket PC's are getting lower in price it's worth it to me just to use the money I would've spent on an extended warrantee and put it towards a new Pocket PC.

The one extended warrantee, which I hope will pay off to have, is one that I bought with my used car. It's a $2000 4 year warrantee on the engine, but if I don't used it within the warrantee period then I get all that money back in cash. :mrgreen:

jmulder
09-05-2003, 06:23 PM
I'm surprised nobody's complaining about the length of manufacturer's warranties. I bought a refrigerator last year and was shocked to see that the warranty was only for 1 year. My parent's fridge worked fine for 20 years before they stopped using it (still wasn't broken) and the manufacturer won't cover a new one for more than 1?!?

Electronics are the same way. I was buying RAM, and the manufacturer's waranty was 30 days. 30 days on a product with no moving parts. The only way something like that shouldn't last at least a year is if the product is designed poorly (i.e., catches fire when used).

CompUSA and BestBuy are serving themselves with their extended warranties, but they're also serving customers who want reasonable warranties.

denivan
09-05-2003, 06:43 PM
I've bought a carepaq for my iPaq 3660 when I got it. I'm on my fourth (or is it fifth) ipaq right now, every time delivered next business day. The carepaq was a small cost compared to the purchase of the iPaq itself, so I would've been a fool not to do it. If you calculate how much repairs or replacements would have cost me...it makes sense to get extended warranty (depends on which company u're buying from though)

CoreyJF
09-05-2003, 07:05 PM
For pocket pc I always but the warranty. As much as you "try and take care" of your ppc's, ultimately they are not as rugged as there designed purpose. My 3600 ipaq, broke ansd best buy gave me a free upgrade to the 3700. My 37 broke and I paid 50$ for the price difrence between my old one and the 38's My 38 broke and they gave me a Toshiba. The Toshiba broke and got a 5455. If you are like me you take your PPC everywhere. It is not like a laptop in a protected case. It is in your pocket!

Gremmie
09-05-2003, 07:10 PM
The best advice is to ask your local CompUSA store. If you pay attention the PDA section of the TAP agreements is rather vague compared to other devices. My CompUSA store is rather liberal and allows me to trade in without it really being broken (note below). However, some other stores are very tight and will not replace accidents. The vagueness can be confusing, but it can be helpful or not depending on the local store; unless someone is referencing your specific store, case study of TAP exchanges may not yield the right answer.

The being said, I haven't seen the new agreements about TAP so it might have negated what I just said.

brntcrsp
09-05-2003, 07:10 PM
My general rule is that I buy it for complex electronics that I cannot service myself and that I frequently travel with, i.e. laptops and PDAs. Everything else is left to nature to deal with.

axe
09-05-2003, 07:10 PM
Hi all
Way back when I used to sell the extended warranties and did an ok job of doing so. I found as I worked there long enough that if you yell loud enough you can usually get the manager to cave into "Customer Service" and replace/repair the defective item anyway if it was outside of the manufacturers warranty period. That however isn't my style (the jumping up and down part).
Yes I agree with the part the warranties are where the companies make huge money, but that's what keeps them afloat too. Some of the margins in computers particularly is pretty low, so I can understand the PC-centric companies trying to make a couple of bucks (as long as it isn't on me of course). And there are those who just need the warm fuzzy feeling of being protected from fire, wind, rain. If that's what it takes for them -great. I have yet to see a Dropping warranty though, aside from the Customer Service-driven companies. [I had a REALLY good experience from CPQ when my iPaq 'jumped out of my hand' :wink: . They fixed it w/o charging me, and won a very satisfied iPaq customer!]

Anyway, back to the topic... I personally will not buy an extended warranty not because I don't want the companies to take my money or whatever. It is solely based on the fact that I like new things. If something breaks, I will go buy another, if it was something I used. If not, no biggie. An no I'm not wealthy or stupid. I know that even with an extended warranty you STILL have to jump up and down to get something replaced 'for free'. I would rather save my money on the warranties and the hassles of badgering the managers and wait til something breaks and then get something new and cool, with many more features than the old one. The one problem with that is that suicidal iPaq won't die, so I can't get a new one yet! :D

Trying to do my part to keep planned obsolescence working...
AXE

rdrose61
09-05-2003, 07:25 PM
I rarely buy extended warranties but don't automatically rule them out. I am in insurance and agree that they are similar (especially if they provide accidental damage coverage). Like insurance you make a judgement comparing probablity and risk to severe economic loss.

The exceptions are when the warranty is in your economic favor or provide "peace of mind" of at least the value of the warranty contract price.

Two memorable exceptions for me were:

My iPaq 3765 which cost $500+ and the 3 year extended warranty cost $50. It seemed logical to me that knowing the internal battery in no way was going to last 3 years that the warranty was a good value. The 3765 lasted through the premier of the 3800, 3900, & 5400 series. I made due with its deteriorating battery until finally replacing it with a 2200 under warranty. I didn't have a warranty claim at each new generation launch as some have. I also didn't make BB upgrade me to the 5500 to realize the original $500 investment.

I also bought a BB warranty on a 50" RPTV for $69 several years ago. At that time the warranty provided onsite performance guarantee service (ie. cleaning and tweaking) which I used each year for 3 years. Again a good value.

I also have a personal articles policy (insurance) which covers my high dollar small portable electronics (PDA, microdrive, cell phones, digital camera, bluetooth headset, gps, etc...). The "peace of mind" it provides me greatly exceeds its modest cost of $30/year. I would never consider accidently loosing or damaging an item to "upgrade".

gorkon280
09-05-2003, 07:28 PM
I think it sucks that they changed things, but it had to end sooner or later! :D My BIG problem with them changing this now is that there are still issuses that require you to try it a couple times. There ARE bad batches of Pocket PC's that come out and sometimes they fix things. I have used the TAP plan twice before the change so it sounds like I have 2 more times before I have to get a new PDA. My guess why they changed it: Irate Toshiba users not being offer the chance to give Toshiba more money for a Windows Mobile 2003 upgrade. I talk to the manager and showed him some of the flakey things that were never going to get fixed (or got fixed 2 months after I swapped) and was able to trade up to a iPaq 5555. They tried to talk me into the e755 but I said ain't no way that's happening. If they had told me not unless there was screen damge or something I may have lived with it. I agree limiting to 2 uses for one outlay pda purchase, but I think replacing the unit with a refurb is NOT what I AGREED TO when I paid for it.

Any contract that has clauses saying they owner has the right to change the contract at anyime should be illegal. On the otherhand, I imagine that some store managers would look into making the customer happy. My local CompUSA has a manager thats that way which is why they always get first chance at me purchasing a new device! ;)

Do I purchase these? I did on every PDA that I had spent more then 150 for. Was it worth it? Yes because of the accidental damage clause in the tap plan. If they wanted more money I would still pay it as long as I was not paying a WHOLE lot more than 99 bucks. I would also purchase these on cell phones too. Why? Because these are items I carry ALL OF THE TIME. While I do treat these things very well, sometimes you have issues.....your 2 year old kicks it, you drop it, you drools on it or gets jelly all over it.....the damage plans are worth it. I did NOT buy one of these for my laptop because I don't carry it around ALL of the time and when I do it's in a case many itmes thicker then the device. My PDA is usually carried in it's CF Plus sleeve in my pocket. Most of the time this is ok. If I know I am going to endanger my PDA by leaving it in the pocket (If I were to go, say the swimming pool), I take it out and either put it in a case or put it between a change of clothes or both. My ScottEvest is also used to carry it at times (when it's chilly enough to wear....between 50 and 30 probably....much colder then 30 and my winter coat comes out). My point is no matter what the weather it's with me either in a waterproof enclosure, in my hand or in my pocket. Sure, most of the tiem I am aware......but if I have a brain fart, it's nice to havethat plan as a back up. If I crack the screen, it's covered. If it accidently falls into the toilet....covered. So yes I buy them for PDAs and cellphones and some big ticket items. Tv's? No. Stoves? No. VCR's and DVD players? HECK NO! The plan costs more then a new one at times! I paid 200 bucks for my DVD combo player and they are now around 100 (well if you want a cheap one and I usually do...my ears can't tell the difference). If it's WORTH it, I buy it. If not, I don't. I don't buy it on my car unless it's a new and untested car or unless the car commonly has some problems but not alot. I guess what I would really like is for the compaies to stand by their product and make it good enough I don't need it. TV's and stoves are this way. They usually work and when you do have to fix them, the parts are cheap. Why doesn't anyoen else learn from this? Razor blade econmics does not work for everything. Bring back well made devices and there will be no need for these warantees. Make replacement parts cheap and there will be no need. Charge an arm and a leg for a LCD (400 for a lcd that was in a device that cost 300 is ridiculous) and you need these plans!

James Fee
09-05-2003, 07:57 PM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.
Do you buy insurance? Its the same thing... Insurance companies are in the business of making money.

GoldKey
09-05-2003, 08:11 PM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.
Do you buy insurance? Its the same thing... Insurance companies are in the business of making money.

Insurance is the same thing. But insurance is a business so there is a profit (a big one) built in. I buy insurance for things I could not afford to replace (house/car/life). But usually stay away from extended warantees on smaller ticket items. By self-insuring, I will save money in the long run.

Ed Hansberry
09-05-2003, 08:24 PM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.
Do you buy insurance? Its the same thing... Insurance companies are in the business of making money.
No, because it is not at ALL proportional.

Car insurance is $500 per year (good driving record, normal car, normal coverage, etc.) and includes the value of a $30K car, uninsured motorist coverage, $300K liability, blah blah blah.

2 year extended warranty on a car is at least $500 and maybe higher.

Why do you think these guys pressure you into buying it? Some here have alluded to the fact they will be terminated if they don't sell a certian portion of extended warranties. I know people that sell cars and electronics and there is tremendous pressure to sell extended warranties. Why? Insane profits.

Give me an extended warranty on my iPAQ for $20 and I'll buy it. CompUSA wants $99 for a 2 year TAP on it. $100!!!! That is 25% of the purchase price. They must think I am stupid. :roll:

GoldKey
09-05-2003, 08:26 PM
My boss is looking for a cheap laptop. Compusa has a toshiba for $699. The TAP for 2 years is $249 (36% of the cost of the item). I told her not to get it.

Ed Hansberry
09-05-2003, 08:33 PM
My boss is looking for a cheap laptop. Compusa has a toshiba for $699. The TAP for 2 years is $249 (36% of the cost of the item). I told her not to get it.
Agreed. You can insure a $200,000 house in Tennessee for around $850 per year if you aren't in a flood plain. That includes liability and other things.

And they want $100 for my 2215? :rotfl:

GoldKey
09-05-2003, 08:43 PM
Agreed. You can insure a $200,000 house in Tennessee for around $850 per year if you aren't in a flood plain. That includes liability and other things.

Even that is kind of expensive. My homeowners renewal just came and was $390 for a $150,000 house in Florida and included a rider for jewlery.

famousdavis
09-05-2003, 09:04 PM
My homeowners renewal just came and was $390 for a $150,000 house in Florida and included a rider for jewlery.

Count your blessings, Goldkey!

I'm in South Florida, and I pay about $900 for a $150,000 home -- not including my windstorm insurance, which is another $700 or so!!! 8O

DerekTheGeek
09-05-2003, 09:23 PM
I am one who usually does buy and extended warranty but only after checkig out the terms first. For my $650 iPaq 5555 I thought paying $75 for a warranty that covered, even accidental damage, was well worth it.

Before we all start crying for the big name retailers like CompUSA and BestBuy, we should keep in mind how many times they have "defrauded" the customer by making all sorts of promises when selling a warranty and then telling a different story when it comes time to honor the warranty. This has happened to me 80% of the time at CompUSA.

If people are intentionally damaging their equipment to be able to upgrade to the next model then they are guilty of fraud. However, the rest of us who want to have the piece of that comes with an assurance that your device will be repaired or replaced if you break it keep being lumped into the "fraud" barrel with the others.

Just another example of how "honest" people end up paying the price for dishonest individuals. Like "Burger King made me fat!", and "The coffee was actually hot!", and "the cops should have stopped chasing me after I stole the car, they caused me to crash."

dean_shan
09-05-2003, 09:42 PM
Just another example of how "honest" people end up paying the price for dishonest individuals. Like "Burger King made me fat!", and "The coffee was actually hot!", and "the cops should have stopped chasing me after I stole the car, they caused me to crash."

I hate that! :evil: That is so stupid. What is with some people these days.

qmrq
09-05-2003, 09:43 PM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.
Do you buy insurance? Its the same thing... Insurance companies are in the business of making money.

Not exactly the same thing. Car insurance, nothing else.. I have around $15k of life insurance that is free from my banks, more than I need... Young, no children or anyone who depends on me for food.

ctmagnus
09-05-2003, 09:44 PM
If it's something I use religiously on a daily basis, I get the extended warranty. I had my 3670 replaced next business day at least five times on it. Only one of those times was a result of something I did (in the parrot screen). The other four+ were hardware defects or failures.

T-Will
09-05-2003, 09:46 PM
My homeowners renewal just came and was $390 for a $150,000 house in Florida and included a rider for jewlery.

Count your blessings, Goldkey!

I'm in South Florida, and I pay about $900 for a $150,000 home -- not including my windstorm insurance, which is another $700 or so!!! 8O

I bet you'll be glad you have your windstorm insurance with Fabian knocking at your front door...

GoldKey
09-05-2003, 10:44 PM
My homeowners renewal just came and was $390 for a $150,000 house in Florida and included a rider for jewlery.

Count your blessings, Goldkey!

I'm in South Florida, and I pay about $900 for a $150,000 home -- not including my windstorm insurance, which is another $700 or so!!! 8O

I grew up in South Dade. I can remember in High School, my car insurance was more than my car was worth per year. Still, I bet you are glad just to be able to get insurance down there. We lived there until after huricane andrew turned our two-story into a one-story.

James Fee
09-05-2003, 10:52 PM
No, because it is not at ALL proportional.
Thats not what I was getting at. Its a waste of money, sure.

Cypher
09-05-2003, 11:08 PM
I shun store warrantees on all but a few items. Those items include Pocket PCs. The reason is simple: You break the screen, it costs $200+ to get it fixed. The warranty costs you $100 for two years and guarantees a swap-out replacement rather than a week or so to ship it. I've used the CompUSA TAP specifically to replace my wife's Jornada 565 when she dropped the power brick on it (The plastic screen cover didn't help a bit.) and to get a 5455 replaced that landed "jelly side down" when it got tipped off my desk.

You're correct that the stores love to try to sell you these things. In fact, the employees get a bonus for every TAP they sell (at least at CompUSA). However, if you want a bit of insurance against the deadly cracked screen, it's really not that bad a deal.

SassKwatch
09-06-2003, 12:53 AM
I've had a little experience with CompUSA's TAP. Normally, I *never* buy extended warranties, but when I first started researching the PPC lineups, I was reading a lot of messages here, at Brighthand, and PPCPassion about things like dust getting under the screens of some devices, stylus internals being faulty in others. So when I purchased an iPAQ 3835, I decided to break with my normal practice and go for the TAP. That was within weeks of the 38xx series being released.....Oct '01.(??)

The 38x lasted 'til early this year. One day I left my office to go to a meeting and stuck the '38 in the front pocket of the Dockers. When I returned to the office and pulled the 38' out of the pocket, the screen was cracked and the digitizer wouldn't. It would seem I must have bumped the iPAQ on something while it was in the pocket, but for the life of me, I couldn't recall having even lightly tapped anything that would have caused the screen to break.

Quite frankly, I'd forgotten about the TAP by then and was fearing having to send the '38 into PPCTechs to get the screen replaced on my nickel. And when I finally did remember I'd purchased the TAP, I thought sure the time it covered would have been long gone. But it wasn't, so out to the same CompUSA I went.

By early this year when this happened, CompUSA was no longer stocking the 38xx series and I watched as the counter person went to the pda counter and pulled a brand spanking new 39x series device off the shelf. Well, by this time, even the 39xx's were becoming a little scarce and the 54xx series was available. So, I inquired if, rather than taking the 39xx, I could upgrade to a 54xx for the difference in value between the two.

CompUSA was agreeable to that (think they actually issued me a store credit for the value of the 39xx, and then I purchased the 54x as though it were an entirely new purchase). At that point, they asked if I'd care to purchase a new TAP to cover the 54xx. Again I hesitated because I normally don't even consider extended warranties. But in the end, I did re-up.

The 54xx lasted until about 6 weeks ago, and then the charging system started acting wierd....the device wouldn't fully charge and each time I did attempt to charge, it would charge to a less full capacity than the previous time.

After a couple weeks of troubleshooting the charging problem, I gave up and trotted back out to CompUSA and requested an exchange. No problem, the counter person goes over to the pda counter and brings back another brand spanking new box....and somewhat to my surprise, it's a 55x series device. Naturally, I didn't argue....but also purchased a 3rd TAP to cover this one.

I haven't deliberately broken either of the 2 replaced devices and have purchased a new TAP with each one, so don't feel like I've abused the system, but let's take a look at the costs involved......

* Original 38xx purchase price = $599.95
* Plus one TAP purchased = $100

* One 54xx upgrade from a 'free' 39xx = $200 (by this time the normal store price of the 39xx series was 499.95...or $100 less than I'd originally paid for the 38xx. And the price of the 54xx was 699.95)
* A second TAP purchased = $100

* One 55xx upgrade = $0
* A third TAP purchased = $100

So, my out of pocket expense has totalled $1100 (not including taxes). And that has provided me the capability to 'purchase' 3 different devices with a total store purchase value at time of purchase/replacement of $1950 (the price on a new 55xx at time of my acquisition was $649.95).

Somebody has obviously lost money on me. But unless someone can convince me I've done something unethical, I just feel like that's the cost of being in the 'insurance' business for them. Ironically, had I not inadvertently bumped the original 38x device and cracked it's screen, I would *still* be using that one, and they would have been money ahead on me.

Unless the cost of the TAP goes up dramatically, I suspect I will continue to purchase one as long as I own a pda. For a home stereo unit that never moves, or a desktop, I wouldn't ever consider it. But with a mobile device that has a lot more 'exposure' than either of those type devices and something I rely on heavily, it sure has been worthwhile thus far.

makic
09-06-2003, 01:02 AM
I am the proud owner of a 5555 due to the BestBuy extended warranty. I had a 3955 for just under a year and it stopped syncing via serial. Don't know why, but it did. As I have a NT box at the office (and cannot modify it in any way under penalty of death), I was pretty much SOL.

I brought my old iPaq into Bestbuy, and noted that the price that I purchased the 3955 was now equal to the price of the 5555. Even though they had 3955's in stock (at a greatly reduced price), they just gave me the new 5555.

One thing with BestBuy warranties is that if you use them after the manufacturer warranty expires, you "use up" the warranty. As I traded up my machine with a few weeks to spare, I still have two years of the extended warranty on my 5555.

davidmorrisw
09-06-2003, 01:58 AM
The only "extended" warranty I have and probably will ever purchase is AppleCare, for any apple product. Mainly because if anything happens to an apple product its usually fairly expensive to repair/replace. A friend had his iBook screen completely fry on him. He had AppleCare and the iBook was replaced. It would have costs A LOT more than the applecare package to replace the screen.

Dave Beauvais
09-06-2003, 02:44 AM
I have bought all my Pocket PCs from CompUSA even though I could have gotten them cheaper online solely because of their TAP plan. Here's why: Bought Casio E-200 at CompUSA, purchased TAP.

E-200 died within CompUSA's 14-day return period. I exchanged it for a new one, and the TAP was reassociated with the new device's serial number.

The backlight on the second E-200 died a few months later. I had this replaced by Casio with a new unit due to a recall because of this defect. I took the new unit to CompUSA and had them associate my TAP with this unit's serial number.

That E-200's backlight also died. I got another new unit direct from Casio under the recall and do the TAP Shuffle again.

That unit's backlight also fails. Now on E-200 number four and feeling that any unit Casio sends me will also suffer from this same defect, I went to CompUSA to exchange my defective E-200 for a new Toshiba e740 and I purchased another TAP.

The first e740 has a defect in the LCD. It was exchanged at CompUSA for a new unit and the TAP Shuffle ensues.

The second e740 lasts for quite a few months before I get fed up with charging issues, power button issues, WLAN problems, etc. I took the unit to CompUSA to redeem my TAP. Instead of doing an exchange, they gave me store credit in the form of a gift card for the original purchase price of the e740: US$599. (They even credited me sales tax!) I used that to purchase a new HP iPAQ h5455, paying the US$100 difference myself, and purchased another new TAP.

I should note here that I was carrying around a gift card worth just a tad over $600. I could have used it to purchase anything at any CompUSA in the country if I'd wanted to. I was a little surprised that they did it this way.

The first h5455 had a defective digitizer (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8039) and I brought it back to exchange it within CompUSA's return period. That h5455 is the device I currently use.I do not feel I have defrauded CompUSA in any way due to these exchanges. I consider each of the two devices I eventually exchanged to be defective because they did not operate within what I would consider to be normal parameters. I would also like to note that each time, the exchange was handled with no questions asked aside from "what's wrong with it?" I was in and out of the store within fifteen minutes with a brand new Pocket PC with a minimum of hassle and not a single day without the use of my "auxillary brain."

It amazes me that they allowed the TAP to work like this for as long as they did. I personally know a guy who "accidentally" broke his Jornada so he could use the "CompUSA Upgrade Program" to get a new iPAQ. I was annoyed with him and said he was the reason CompUSA would eventually have to change the terms of their TAP, but he failed to see the problem.

I just pulled out the Terms booklet and am reading it over to compare it with the PDF from CompUSA's site. I am also going to look carefully to see if they have a clause which states that I am bound by the current Terms, even if they differ from those in effect at the time of purchase. If that's not the case, I suspect I'll have a fight on my hands should I ever have to use this TAP because I doubt the manager will be too thrilled about having to honor the old Terms.

--Dave

Roosterman
09-06-2003, 02:59 AM
I stay away from extended warranties. No one would sell them unless they were profiting from it.

Replace extended warranties with consultant, "I stay away from consultants. No one would be one unless they were profiting from it." Feel the same way. Every one is doing what they do for money. If some one feels there is value in paying a consultant then you will get hired. If not you won't. Same with the warranties. If some one feels there is value in it, they will buy it, otherwise no. Persoally, I only buy home, health and life insurance. Life insurance is the only one you can guarantee they will pay :) . As they say, "No one gets out alive".

ctmagnus
09-06-2003, 03:56 AM
One day I left my office to go to a meeting and stuck the '38 in the front pocket of the Dockers. When I returned to the office and pulled the 38' out of the pocket, the screen was cracked and the digitizer wouldn't. It would seem I must have bumped the iPAQ on something while it was in the pocket, but for the life of me, I couldn't recall having even lightly tapped anything that would have caused the screen to break.

I had that happen to me. But I had to pay (on a CarePaq) to get the LCD replaced.

rapidnet_rick
09-06-2003, 04:47 AM
Ok....

Now I understand why I had to get nasty last week when I went in to replace my Ipaq 3835(The unit would not turn on. Tried soft and hard resets).


I walked in and went straight to the customer service desk, I was then directed to go to the repair center so that they could inspect my Ipaq(A sign of what was to come).

In any case, my issue was they tried to give me the 2215. I essentially said that was not acceptable. It was explained to me that this was their policy(CompUSA)...ie, the model offered as a replacement was comparable....

I was told it had the same memory, about the same or faster CPU, etc....

I then said that.......


1. When I was sold the TAP, I was told......
"We will REPLACE with a new unit, even if you drop it! If your unit is discontinued, we will replace with the closest compable model, even if it costs more!!!

2. The 2215 was NOT comparable to the 3835 in at least a few critical(My point of view) areas.
A. The lack of expansion.
B. I had purchased MANY accessories for the 3835, which would all be worthless with the 2215, like....

1. Dual PCMCIA Sleeve
2. PCMCIA Plus Sleeve(with spare battery & charger)
3. Multiple WIFI cards( PCMCIA )
4. IBM Compact flash hard drive
4. Compaq Foldable keyboard
5. Compaq Thumbpad
5. Compact Flash Camera(Might be able to use, might not...Depends on Compact flash location of the 2215).


Quite a few of these purchased at CompUSA.
Etc.....

I said that I had more money in the accessories, than the unit he was offering as a replacement. So, essentially losing all of my accessories was NOT an accptable option. Especially when I was told that this would NOT happen when I purchased the TAP, which they are so quick to push. At this point I was getting loud, stating....

So, when I bought the TAP you told me you would replace it with a comparable item, even if it costs more. Now here I am to collect on my TAP and the story is different.

At this point I was told I could have a gift certificate for the original price I paid for the 3835, which was $599.00. However I would have to wait a day or two, for the gift certificate!

Well, I guess he thought that would appease me. Wrong! I actually became enraged at that point....went something like this....


So, you sell me a TAP, make promises about replacing, even with a more expensive unit. When I try to use it, you attempt to replace with a unit which costs two thirds of what I originally spent(I also pointed out that the cost of the TAP was dependant upon the cost of the PDA. Meaning, I had purchased a TAP on a $600 PDA, NOT a $400 PDA!)

When I complain, you offer to let me wait a few days for a gift certificate in the amount of the original purchase price?!?!

At that point I said "We're done, go get your manager and quit wasting my time and yours!"

Well, he walked away to get the manager, who must have been just around the corner(Probably heard me yelling at this point) since the tech was gone all of 45 seconds. On his return, I was told that they would replace with the Ipaq 5555.


Did I abuse the warranty?!? No!

Did CompUSA attempt to skirt their original commitement?!?! In a large way!


As a side note....Just went to CompUSA today and bought....

3 30 Pak CDRs for 7.95 and

Western Digital 80 Gig HD, 7200 RPM and 8 Meg Cache.....
for $50.00

$119.00 - $20 Instant and $50.00 mail-in rebate..

I was asked if I wanted to purchase a TAP.... I let him go on about replacing with an even better unit, if it was discontinued....

I then let him have it....Briefed him on my experience, quite loudly so that EVERYONE within earshot heard. I hope it cost them some of those TAP sales!


Oh...... I did buy the TAP on the replacement Ipaq 5555. Should have seen the look on the tech's face! However, he did make me go back to customer service to buy the new TAP.

jimski
09-06-2003, 05:39 AM
Ok, here's the deal.
If I break or damage a device, it's my own damn fault and I should pay to replace it.
If a device fails before, what I would consider a resonable time period, but after the standard warranty period, I chalk it up as experience and add that manufacturer to my "do not buy list".

I can only recall two electronic devices that have every failed on me (and I have a house full of stuff), both within 30 days. They both happened to be Palms and were promptly replaced, no questions asked.

No need for extended warranties.

disconnected
09-06-2003, 05:39 AM
I guess I've been pretty lucky with replacement plans. I bought an iPAQ 3800 from Best Buy, and when it started having random hard resets less than a year later, I was able to replace it with a 3955 (I think I might have had to pay a small price difference). I really wanted a 3975, but Best Buy didn't have them, so I sold the 3955 (unopened and with two years left on the warranty), and then bought a 3975 at CompUsa. A year later, the screen had become badly scuffed and the bottom connector had become unreliable; I guess it's debatable whether this should have happened with normal use, but CompUsa let me exchange it for a 5555, no questions asked. I maybe should have used a screen protector, but I hadn't had the same problem with either a 3630 or the 3800, and buy the time it became noticeable, it was kind of too late.

In any case, I'm not sure it would have been possible to "abuse" the warranty. When the CompUsa clerk sold me the warranty, he specifically told me that it could be used to "trade up" even if nothing was wrong with the original PPC. When I brought it in for exchange, they didn't call it trading up, but they said it could be exchanged if, in any way, it was not performing as I would like it to. This could pretty much apply to any PPC I've had, as they all develop at least some problems after a while, whether it's as simple as a loose stylus, or as bad as unexpected hard resets.

I'm not surprised they're changing the policy, but I hope it's not retroactive, because I have a two year TAP on the 5555.

Numsquat
09-06-2003, 05:50 AM
I'm pretty particular on buying extended warrenties, usually not getting them. On pda's, I never do since I've never kepted one longer than the 1 yr manufactor's warrenty. We recently purchased a camcorder and I did get the 4 year warrentee from BB, part to make my wife happy but part knowing that I will more than likely use it within the 4 years and be able to get a better camera because of it. Not cheating the system but based on the amount of moving parts and that companies are always upgrading their hardware, it's a reasonable bet.

I do see it as a high priced insurance policy. Most higher costing items I really don't buy protection plans on (tv's, computers, etc) knowing that they are used enough that usually if they break down it will be within the 1 yr man. warrenty. Plus there are things that are covered in my home owners policy that I only have to pay $250 out of my pocket.

Tom W.M.
09-06-2003, 07:49 AM
My BestBuy replacement plan experience:

Earlier this year, my family purchased a PlayStation2, as well as a replacement plan for an extra $25. Later the drive tray jammed, so we took the unit to BestBuy and it was promptly replaced with a new unit. 8)

About a month ago our PS2 was pulled from a low shelf (why don't the controller cords pull out?! :evil: ), and the drive tray became jammed again. We took the unit to BestBuy and they said that they would replace it, but unfortunately we had not brought something that they needed to complete the transaction (I don't see why, when they had the history of our entire purchase up on their computer.). In the process the PS2 got taken back behind their counter. In the process someone must have opened it up, because they removed the "Warranty void if removed" sticker.

Later we came back with our PS2 and every piece of paperwork associated with it. But because the "Warranty void," sticker was missing they refused to replace it. :really mad:

Our replacement plan certainly paid for itself, but (so far) I still feel cheated.

Gremmie
09-06-2003, 07:41 PM
I just pulled out the Terms booklet and am reading it over to compare it with the PDF from CompUSA's site. I am also going to look carefully to see if they have a clause which states that I am bound by the current Terms, even if they differ from those in effect at the time of purchase. If that's not the case, I suspect I'll have a fight on my hands should I ever have to use this TAP because I doubt the manager will be too thrilled about having to honor the old Terms.


Dave-

They can change it, there is a [typical] clause saying they can change the terms without notification. However, depending on your local store and how strictly the Corporate part of CompUSA is enforcing this, they may still honor the old terms.

Dave Beauvais
09-06-2003, 08:54 PM
... there is a [typical] clause saying they can change the terms without notification. ...
In my TAP Terms booklet, there is no such clause. I read the fourteen page booklet cover-to-cover last night and the following excerpt was the closest thing I could find to such a clause:

Important Information
The Plan is deemed a Service Contract under federal law. ... This booklet sets forth the entire Plan and may not be modified by any party except in writing, by [American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida].
This is from page 8 of my booklet from a TAP purchased on February 01, 2003. The same text appears on page 10 of the PDF file linked to early in this thread. Now, what constitues "in writing," I am not sure. All I know is that I have neither seen nor agreed to anything in writing which changes the terms of the TAP I purchased.

--Dave

Gremmie
09-06-2003, 09:03 PM
Ah, my TAP booklet comes from 2000 or 2001, i can't remember, and they give me that clause

toml
09-06-2003, 09:55 PM
My story is very similar to rapidnet_rick's, only without the happy ending.

Purchased an e125 way back when. Dropped it into water, dead. Used my TAP and got an e200. Happy customer, purchased another TAP.

8 months later the e200 dies, just plain dead as a doornail. Go back in for a replacement. The only comperable PPC was the Toshiba e550G, everything else had less RAM (except for an iPaq which didn't have dual slots, and was more expensive anyways).

They wouldn't give me the e550G since it was more expensive than the e200 I bought. They wanted to give me an e310, ha! I explained to them how they promised to replace it with one of similar capabilities on the spot, and the e550G was the only one they had that met the criteria. Not my problem that it costs $600 when the e200 cost $300.

Got escalated up to the manager, he also refused to budge. Said that they would refund the $300 for my e200 and then I could buy something else. I said I'd agree to that if they also refunded my $100 TAP (since they weren't honoring it), or moved the TAP to a new device. They would not agree to that either!

So, end of the story was that I had to pay $300 out of pocket for another PPC. I had $300 in store credit that I had to use on *something* and I needed a PPC immediately! I was shipping out of town on a long business trip the next day and could not afford to take the time to fight this in court or with the attorney general. I obviously did NOT buy the TAP on my e550G and I don't regret it one bit.

I'm also never shopping at CompUSA again, and that goes for buying stuff for work if I can at all help it too.

eric linsley
09-07-2003, 07:37 AM
well here i am again and i must say that i geuss the new tap program is in the east coast for now

i went right up to CompUSA and got my $^&5455 switched to the new 5555 ipaq

for the past month it had been hardreseting almost evry week

#@$#$@@#%@#$%@%$^^^$

so i was not happy to hear about this new change.
Hoever, :) i got switched today with a brand spankin new 5555 and i had to pay for a new plan but who cares......


:):):):)

web docta
09-13-2003, 03:18 AM
I bought an extended plan 16 months ago when I bought my Maestro at CompUSA. The service plan cost me $100. I figured that I was real careful and that in 2 years, before my service plan expired, my Maestro would "probably" meet with an unfortunate accident. :mrgreen:
However, just 16 month into the service plan, I accidently cracked the screen and my Maestro was rendered useless.
I brought it into CompUSA and for the difference of $132.00, I walked out with a brand new HP2215 which included another 2 year extended plan on my new 2215. :mrgreen:
It definately worked out for me.

Dave Beauvais
09-13-2003, 04:16 AM
... my Maestro would "probably" meet with an unfortunate accident. :mrgreen: ...
Which is exactly the type of behavior which caused the terms of the TAP to be changed. :evil: What a shame that your Maestro actually did get damaged and you had to cash in early. :roll:

--Dave

seanyepez
11-08-2003, 04:54 AM
I broke my 5450. :cry:

Will I get a refurbished 5450, or a new 5550?

I bought the TAP before the TAP program "changed."

Thinkingmandavid
11-08-2003, 06:07 AM
I buy the service plan from best buy when getting apda, you do get a brand new one and not refurbished. If you get the manufacturers warranty then it is refurbished. if you get nothing you pay out of pocket.

Kati Compton
11-08-2003, 07:16 AM
FYI - I posted a mathematical explanation of when extended warranties are a good idea or a bad idea here:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=182327#182327

Note that factors such as "upgrading" through these types of program were not considered.

Dave Beauvais
11-08-2003, 07:18 AM
... Will I get a refurbished 5450, or a new 5550? ...
In the past, my experience has been that they will either give you store credit for the full original purchase price of the h5455 or will do an exchange for the same or comparable model that they have in stock. Since the h5400 series is no longer carried in the stores, I would guess you'd get a new h5555 as a replacement. As always, your mileage may vary. Please let us know what happens and how they handle the claim.

--Dave

Thinkingmandavid
11-09-2003, 02:22 AM
Good point kati about the upgrading.

Another good point :wink:
we are all using different words which to some mean the same thing to us but in actuality they are al different.
service plan is at best buy
warranty the manufacturer gives and you can extend by calling them up.
insurance would replace it but much more involved with that.
some places call it a warranty maybe compusa for instance