Complete Care Warranty

I'm debating on whether to just stick with a 3 year return to depot, and lojack for $250 or go for the complete care for $310...

 

You gotta decide if $60 is worth the security of spilling coffee or water on your laptop.

 

For me, getting CC was an easy decision. As jb said, all it takes is one coffee/water spill and you'll be glad you got it.

 

I destroyed my prior laptop with spilled liquor on keyboard, back in Jan of '08. So , warranty would've covered it, with that complete care package...

Then again, that's the first I have ever spilled fluids on a keyboard in the ten ++ years I have been using a pc....

So statistically speaking, wont' happen for another ten years ...

I am actually thinking of getting the warranty for my new 1500 as well, but not sure.... for the price of a new laptop being so cheap...

 

It all depends how much you plan to invest in your laptop. If you're buying a $499 Inspiron, the extra cost for Complete Care really isn't worth it.

I spent almost $2500 on my m1330 when it first came out so IMO it's well worth it.

 

It also depends on what setting the laptop will be used in. I got the complete care because I have two small kids. (my basic rule is, when you have kids, just assume everything you own will be destroyed and purchase accordingly)

 

Yeah i agree it depends on how much your laptop costs. If its less than 1000, don't think about it. Over 2000 you better get it

 

Pets cause problems too!

 

So true! One of my cats gave me a heart attack when he knocked over a glass of water all over my almost 1-week old xps m1330


Anyway, I would spend the extra for the accidental coverage. I just posted a threat about this last night. I am usually very careful with my laptops, and nothing has ever happened to my inspiron e1505 or my previous laptop *knock on wood*. But, for some reason, I am a total clutz with my xps m1330. Aside from the water spill, I almost dropped it twice.

That, plus the fact that I work at coffee shops a lot where any number of things can happen, makes me glad that I got it.

 

Why do you want to get jacked with lojack? It is useless. In other words it is of no use outside US and hence a waste for frequent travelers!

Complete care is the way to go. You can trash your computer (so that it requires a replacement) at the end of every year and get a new one. Three computers in three years. If you don't intend to trash it every year, you are wasting your moolah!

Disclaimer: Not for the ethically, morally and legally challenged!

 

Idiots like you doing stupid s..t like this (even if you're just beaking off) is what ruins it for the honest people who then have to jump through hoops to get something they legitimately paid for in the event of problems.

 

Oops! You read it before I added the disclaimer. Sorry for causing confusion!

" Disclaimer: Not for the ethically, morally and legally challenged! " to the post.

 

Karmas gunna come back and bite you in the ass

I couldn't bring myself to purposely break my own computer, and I'm not a total klutz either, but there is always the chance that I might spill drinks on my laptop although I think that wouldn't be too likely.

And what do you mean lojack only works in the US?

 

I bought a $4400 laptop (fully loaded XPS M1730) and didn't bother with the complete care.

The complete care added something like 300 to the cost of the laptop. Personally I would just prefer to be extra careful. A drop on to carpet or a spill on to the keyboard won't necessarily destroy the keyboard in the complete off chance these things were to happen.

If an accident does happen, will the damage exceed 300?

A drop will likely harm the HDD's, which are under 300. A spill may burn out the mobo, which again is under 300.

Kinda meh on the complete care thing. Just out of curiousity, is it possible to have it added after order entry?

 

You might be able to but it would cost A LOT more. I would have at least have gotten the standard 3 year warranty though.

 

Oh I did, I got the 3 year warranty with on site repair. The complete care was an additinal 300 on top of all that.

Just too much money for such an off chance of something bad happening.

 

Thats weird, its straight up $350 in canada for complete care (you don't have to buy standard warranty first)

 

I think the rates vary with the laptop style.

I just went back and checked, 170 to upgrade from 3yr/onsite to 3yr/onsite/complete care/lojack. I don't travel so lojack is 100% worthless.

This is from the dell epp site, purchasing an XPS M1730.

It still bothers me to spend that kind of money on a service I probably won't use.

Murphy's law always seems to kick in for stuff like this. You buy the extra protection or warranty and no problems happen, but when you don't buy it, crap hits the fan and you kick yourself for not buying it.


When I made the purchase I just went in with the mind set to cut out any unnessary costs. I only picked the 3yr warranty to recieve the 12% discount (which effectively gave me the warranty free along with a few free upgrades).

Maybe I should ring up sales and see what they have to say, maybe I can talk them into a lower price.

 

It all depends on...

1. Is extra $ you paying worth for years of peace of mind.
2. how much is the notebook & how much are you paying for the CC
3. how will be your computer be used?

I've just bought a Vostro 1000 with basic configuration for one of my employee and total is $499 shipped. The computer basically will be on his desk expected to work with few basic productivity software, so I won't pay extra cent for the extra warranty. But at same time I also bought M1330 for my fiance for Valentine's day/birthday gift and paid extra $99 for the complete care and total came out to be around $1500 with taxes. I think it's worth the money, since I really don't know how she may try to destroy the notebook. I won't tell her I have paid the extra for the complete care but you got the idea.

 

I'd have to agree with your statement. It really does come down to how you use your laptop.

I have no kids, no pets, and the laptop will be travelling only a few times a year. I'm using it mainly as a desktop replacement. I think most of the factors really does put me in a low risk cateogory.

I'll have to give them a ring and see how much they would charge for complete care only (no lojack).

 

Wise choice....
Accidents do happens. I learned it in the hard way.

 

This is the start of a great ethics debate!

Honestly, I actually pondered how ingenious this idea is for a second.

 

I agree... It all comes down to cost relative to the machine price...

When I purchased my i5160 3+ years ago I thought the ~$3/400 price for CC in addition to the machine itself was outrageous. The risk of me damaging my computer is far to low for that to be a realistic worry of mine (I've never spilled anything on or destroyed a laptop through a fall in 10 years of owning them)...

When I purchased my i1520 I purchased complete care only because it was ~$60 more than the normal 3 year warranty (which I always get regardless as my lifecycle for laptops is 3 years) and it doubled my discount from 6% off to 12% off.

If your machine isn't expensive it is probably a waste. If you don't damage your electronics often, it is probably a waste.

Also, IMHO it is a severely crippled package unless you combine it with Dell Preferred Account Credit Protector (they add 3 years of theft protection to any laptop purchase for free). As the real danger, IMHO, is theft...

The benefit of that extends even after you pay your laptop off. So pay it off quick and you get free insurance (as DPA Credit Protector only cost money if you have a balance).

 

If you do happen to spill something and damage it, will they repair it or give you a NEW machine (by new I mean all new parts?) would they upgrade you to something better?

 

They would only upgrade you to another laptop if they stopped producing the one you already have.

 

If the difference was only $60 when I bought my M1330 a month ago, I would have gotten the CC.

However, here in Canada, the options for warranty are very different and a 3-year RTD warranty is $149, whereas the 3-year CC warranty (no Lojack in both cases) is $319 ($419 with lojack)...so the different wasn't worth it for me.

For $60, i'd get it, then I wouldn't have to baby my laptop as much knowing that Dell will have to fix it no matter what within 3 years.

 

Can you upgrade to Complete Care after your purchase? I was thinking about it but I didn't have the money when I bought my Inspiron 1420. I will be travelling with the laptop and it will be my primary computer for the next couple of years.

 

No idea Yak.

I'll be giving them a call tomorrow to see how that works.