As prices for laptops have declined over time, manufacturers have sought ways to add value to their products; that's a fancy way to say that they're on the hunt for ways to create additional streams of income beyond the cost of the hardware itself. One method to do that is to sell "expanded" or "deluxe" warranties, which are less- limited versions of the standard protection. Before you buy an expanded warranty, make time to determine the specific differences between a standard, limited warranty and any extra- price "platinum" or "gold" or "deluxe" plans. What's covered under the premium plan that isn't protected by the regular warranty? You might find these features in a deluxe plan:
- Accident protection. A standard warranty doesn't cover damage the result of a crash to the floor or a spill on the keyboard; some expanded coverages pick up (or clean up) the pieces.
- Priority repairs. A standard plan may say that machines will be repaired or replaced within ten days or two weeks; an expanded plan may offer two- or three- day service, or even send you a replacement unit by overnight express if the company determines that your machine is beyond repair.
- On- site repairs. Some plans promise to send a repair technician to your office or home within a specified period; confirm that your location is within the normal coverage area. (I know for a fact that my home and office is on the far side of nowhere and I cannot expect on- site repair it doesn't matter what some salesperson says.)
- Special support lines. For the extra money you pay, you may be granted access to the press of flesh beings who answer questions and assist in troubleshooting. Or you might be granted priority access, which means you can jump to the head of the line, leapfrogging over people who've been listening to recorded "Thank you for your patience; your call is important to us" announcements for three hours.
Accident and theft insurance
A laptop computer is fairly expensive, and is, because of its nature, portable. That means laptops are a prime target for thieves. Laptops are snatched in airports, hotels, Internet cafes, and from homes and offices. And laptops can suffer expensive damage that isn't covered in a limited warranty: a fall to the floor, a drink spilled on the keyboard, or a cracked or fractured LCD. But your friendly laptop manufacturer may have a solution for you ... for some dollars (actually, a few hundred dollars) more. Accident and theft insurance is now offered as an expansion of the standard warranty or as a separate but related product.
Most companies require that the term for the insurance match that number the machine is covered under warranty. Put simply, you can only buy three years of theft and accident coverage if you've also purchased three years of warranty. Along with bringing in more money to the pc maker, this offers the manufacturer some protection against unscrupulous users who might be less than honest in their claims.
Be sure to read carefully the terms of any insurance to understand what's covered. Determine if the company will replace a laptop that can't be repaired, and see if your data has any coverage value there usually isn't.
Finally, check with the insurance company that covers your house or office to see if your laptop is protected already. If it is, the ads your policy provides replacement of a stolen machine (that's good) or merely a check for its depreciated value (not very good).
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08192010
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