I've had similar experences with Best Buy. I would never buy or send a
client to Best Buy, they have the worst service of any store I've ever dealt
with.
Bryant
> -----Original Message-----
> From: profox-bounces .at. leafe .DOT com
> [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Gilbert M. Hale
> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 7:38 PM
> To: profox .at. leafe .DOT com
> Subject: RE: [NF] 3 year extended warranty for notebook?
>
> Here is my two cents... One of the few times I will consider
> getting an extended service contract for would be a laptop
> and an automobile through a manufacturer (no 3rd party
> contracts) for my children (they are out of state, so it is
> more for ease of mind on my part). But, the laptop coverage
> would need to include provision for droppage or other user
> caused/allowed damage.
>
> Now for some background bad experience... On 2 separate
> laptop purchases from Best Buy I was told their 3 year
> service contract covered replacement batteries. "All you
> need to do is come in and show the Service Counter your
> laptop, the contract, tell them the problem, and they will
> give you a battery. If they have to order it you will get it
> in a few days." The Sales Rep even showed me where the
> contract states the battery is covered for inability to
> retain a charge as when new.
>
> Well, 11 months into a 3 year contract on the 1st laptop the
> battery began to hold only enough juice for 45 minutes
> instead of the 2.5 hours I used to get. So I innocently zip
> on down with the laptop, and am told, "You have to deal with
> the manufacturer on that. The extended coverage only takes
> over when the manufacturer warranty is expired." The
> manufacturer warranty does not cover batteries that stop
> holding their charge, only defective batteries within 30 days
> of purchase.
>
> So I wait a month until the manufacturer warranty expires,
> and see the same person. "We have to send it out to our
> Service Center, it will take at least 8 weeks to get it back.
> And there is no guarantee the data on the hard drive will be
> intact when you do get it back." I asked about the deal
> where I was told I only needed to bring the laptop in, ask
> for a battery and go on with life. "That is incorrect. We
> only replace parts that test bad at the Service Center."
>
> Okay, so I got burned on that one. I ended up purchasing a
> replacement battery via eBay, a higher capacity model at
> that, for just under $200.00.
> I figured I must have misheard what the Sales Rep told me,
> twice. And for $200.00 my time is worth more than the
> headache in filing a claim in small claims court, dragging
> myself to court, dealing with the delays that would ensue, etc.
>
> Fast Forward a few more months. I am in Best Buy looking at
> a laptop for a client. The Sales Rep comes over and tells me
> about this and that. I ask about the extended service plan.
> He tells me the same old line of crap, and shows me the same
> area on the Service Agreement I had been shown the previous
> two times that states the battery is covered. I then tell
> him about what I just ran into and asked if he would mind
> fetching the Store Manager so we could discuss the matter.
> Long story made short, the Store Manager refused to discuss
> "the details of the coverage." I asked if he thought his
> company and employees would rather try to explain their
> presentation, then lack of coverage as stated, to the
> Attorney General of New York. That was the end of the
> conversation, and when I decided to never purchase another
> laptop or major equipment from Best Buy. A series of letters
> to Best Buy corporate offices resulted in being blown off
> with general responses meant to frustrate folks, and closing
> with how they hope they can keep me as a customer... They
> got my money, and were hell bent on keeping it. I do very
> little shopping there now, except low cost/low margin items
> that are often on sale. I send folks to CompUSA and warn
> them of the Service Contract details to look for.
>
> The next laptop will still get a service contract (for the
> droppage/spillage protection), but I am going to insist on
> written pre-clarification, signed by a store manager, so
> if/when I run into the same kind of grief I have something to
> fall back on. I bet nobody will be willing to sign such
> clarification. If that be the case I will go elsewhere, and
> state the reason for doing so. I sometimes learn a bit slow,
> and am fairly trusting of folks. But after getting mailed 2
> times, and hearing the same old story being told to other
> customers (I overhear it at times when looking at the latest
> toys), I will never let it happen to me again.
>
> So, get the contract if it covers droppage, etc. Prepare for
> a fight in getting restitution. For the price of a replacing
> a damaged laptop it would be worth going to court. For a
> battery it was not worth the grief.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Gil
>
>
> Gilbert M. Hale
> New Freedom Data Resources
> Pittsford, NY
> 585-359-8085
> gil@gilhale.com
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: profoxtech-bounces .at. leafe .DOT com
> > [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com]On Behalf Of Steven Black
> > Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 5:06 PM
> > To: profoxtech .at. leafe .DOT com
> > Subject: [NF] 3 year extended warranty for notebook?
> >
> >
> > >> The 15 inch Toshiba notebook (Celeron 2.4, 512, 40,
> Combo drive, XP
> > >> Home) that I bought a while ago could have a 3 year extended
> > >> warranty from Circuit City for $233.19. Should I get it?
> >
> > Pete, I wouldn't buy that. What you want is a 3-year
> *manufacturer's*
> > warranty. IBM's medium and high-end Thinkpads, for
> example, all come
> > with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. These warranties
> are honored
> > in all IBM's dealers and certified service centers worldwide.
> >
> > I wouldn't touch a notebook that didn't come with a 3-year warranty
> > from the manufacturer. OTOH, what you're looking at here is a
> > borderline-scam that all consumer advocate groups I know repeatedly
> > advise to avoid. Those 3-year extended warranties are invariably
> > overpriced and, moreover, if you need to bring it in you are never
> > guaranteed prompt service, and certainly that service will
> be farmed
> > out somewhere else, so you'll be 2-layers removed from the actual
> > repair service. Also, think of those "sales rebates" they
> offer: mail
> > it in, wait six-months, maybe eventually get your rebate. It's
> > totally bogus. There's little difference between these two
> add-on schemes...
> >
> > **--** Steve
> >
> >
> >
> >
[excessive quoting removed by server]
©2004 Bryant Minard |
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