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Computer Warranties… What You Should Be Aware Of!!!
By George Bardissi, owner Bardissi Enterprises
The biggest time of year for the computer industry, in terms
of equipment sales, is the end of July and the beginning of
August because of the back to school season. At this point
many people have purchased their back to school computers
for college. In light of this, I felt it would be
appropriate to talk about the warranty situation for all of
those people who have purchased a computer or are in the
market for a computer and don’t fully understand warranties
and just how important they are.
So why am I making such a big deal about warranties? Well,
for those of you who are not aware, the main difference
between 90% of the main stream PC manufacturers is the logo
on the front of the system and the warranty behind it.
That’s right folks; all the parts in all of these systems
come roughly from about 10 companies. That’s all of the LCD
screens, memory, hard drives, processors, etc. So what you
are paying for on top of those parts from whatever company
you may chose to go with is the brand name and the service
level behind the systems that you buy.
Many people tend to go with the cheaper systems. Well folks,
as is the way with most things in life, you really do get
what you pay for meaning if you buy a Hyundai over a Honda
or a Kia over a Cadillac you are going to notice a
difference and it may not be right at the beginning but it
will become obvious when a problem occurs. Most of the time
when you call into the tech support of a major computer
manufacturer you will get someone overseas unless you have
paid an extra fee for U.S.A. based support. Also, for
laptops especially, if you do not opt in for ACCIDENTAL
DAMAGE WARRANTIES on your systems then please do not cry
when something spills on your laptop or you drop it.
Let me tell you folks it happens more then you can imagine!
Oh by the way, all of you Apple users out there, or people
thinking about buying an Apple please pay attention. Let me
preface this by saying I think Apple has a good product for
certain user aspects but this is the deal killer every time
for me. Apple / Max DOES NOT OFFER ACCIDENTAL WARRANTIES OF
ANY KIND. Personally within the last 4 weeks I have had 10
people who have had some kind of accidental damage to their
MAC notebook come to me asking for advice on what to do and
every time I have to send them away with the answer, there
is absolutely nothing you can do besides pay apple out of
pocket to replace that part which most of the time is not
even close to being economical.
Also, people who purchase items from a retail location,
please be very aware that many of the warranties that you
would purchase from the stores do not cover complete damage.
An example of this would be; say your system got run over by
a car and needs to be completely replaced. Most store
purchased warranties would leave you high and dry, in this
situation and you would have to dig deep in your pocket to
pay for a new system. Again, this is aimed at those
notebook / laptop users because if you didn’t know notebook
sales are starting to surpass desktop or workstation sales
and as a result of a notebook or laptop being so easy to
transport anywhere you go, users are experiencing the plight
of more and more accidental damages being visited upon their
systems.
Questions you should ask when purchasing a new computer or
computer equipment.
1.
How long is my system covered for under the warranty? Can
the warranty be extended later and will it cost me more to
buy the full warranty extension now or can I get it later?
(Note: Most of the main stream PC manufacturers will allow
you to warranty a piece of equipment for up to 5 years from
the ship date. Also, most likely it will cost you more to
purchase a warranty extension after the fact than at the
time of purchase.)
2.
Will I get U.S.A. based support when I call in for help and
if not how much will it cost to talk to someone here instead
of across the ocean?
3.
Does my warranty cover on-site service meaning someone will
come to me to fix my hardware issue or do I have to send my
PC in to the repair depot? Do I have to take my PC to the
store?
4.
What is the average turnaround time to repair a defective or
broken product? Next Business Day? A week? A month?
5.
If you are purchasing a portable product such as a laptop /
notebook, projector, etc. Is there a warranty available to
cover accidental damage (drops, spills, and a truck running
over the unit)? How does that process work and how long will
it take to replace that unit.
6.
Is the warranty direct from the computer manufacturer or is
it a third party such as a retail store or third party
warranty company. (Warranties coming from a retail store or
third party can be very different from the manufacturer’s
warranty and should be researched extensively before
accepting them.)
The warranty issue is one that deals with both the business
and personal computer user. Each entity must be aware and
knowledgeable when purchasing computer systems. The best way
to really get a good system and a good warranty is to
purchase the equipment form a distributor as they will be
very knowledgeable in both the areas of product and
warranties as well as being able to assist you when there is
an issue of your system or network needing repairs or
replacement under the warranty. A distributor will also have
the inside track, with the manufacturers in making sure that
you get the warranty which will cover your system or systems
to the fullest extent.
Please take a serious interest in this topic when you are in
the purchasing mode and thinking about computer equipment or
electronics. If you chose not to pay attention to the
warranty process you will surely be sorry after the fact,
when it is too late and nothing can be done… if you don’t
take my word for it you can ask those poor folks with those
apple notebooks who had to pay serious money to repair their
damaged products, just ask around!! |
