Computer Warranties And Repairs
What are the most common warranty options?
When you buy a computer, they all typically come with at least a one-year warranty. You have the option of buying an extended warranty, which will extend the warranty of the computer up to three years. It's not a bad idea, on laptops, to get the extended warranty. Generally, extended warranties are areas that are high margin, but from my experience, I've seen that laptops, by nature, they're moved around so often that the chance of them having a problem is a lot higher than on desktops. The repair costs on a laptop are really high, so the warranty is actually something good to get.
What type of tech support can I expect when I buy a computer?
When you buy a new computer, you typically get either 9 days or 6 months of toll-free tech support from the manufacturer. You can buy extended warranties that will extend that toll-free tech support up to three years. However, generally you get about 9 days of tech support.
Can I negotiate the price of my warranty?
You can definitely negotiate the price of the warranty. The warranty is one area of high-margin item for computer resellers, so they'd be more than happy to help you with the price of the warranty.
How important is it for my computer store to have a repair shop?
It really is a good benefit if you buy your computer from a place that does have a repair shop, not only because of the convenience of being able to walk into the store if you have a problem. You don't have to pack it up and ship it for repair. Also if a place has a repair shop, you know that they want to take care of their customers.
How do I find out if my computer store is an "authorized repair facility"?
To check if your computer store is an authorized repair facility, you can ask the sales people there. Alternatively, you can contact the manufacturer and they can tell you if that computer store is authorized to repair or sell other computers.
