Dell CompleteCare question

Hi guys,

So you all will probably hate me, because I'm new, and I'm gonna ask something that I'm sure will bring on flames...

I bought a Dell Inspiron 6000 a short while back for school, and today I walked into my living room to find a horrible sight. My toddlers have decided to operate on my computer, and now my LCD has a busted corner and scratches covering the rest of the screen and the touchpad. This brings 2 questions... They are unethical and you probably won't agree with it, but hey, I'm gonna ask anyway.

If I were to purchase the Dell CompleteCare warranty for accidental damage, would it cover this type of accidental damage? I read through the online data sheet, and it says it won't cover stuff like intentional damage such as hammer marks, but if it were my children that did it, do you think it will matter?

Secondly, if it did work, how long would the "waiting period" be before I could file a claim?

Yes, as I said, I know it's wrong, but if I'm gonna have to spend $300+ to repair the thing, I figure I might as well try for the Complete care so that I can at least have coverage in case something like this happens again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and if I've offended anyone or made them upset, I apologize!

 

It should be covered, but I don't know how long it would take. The thing about it is that dell will probably see that you are filling a claim soon after you got the warranty, and they might not honor their part of it if they feel like the damage was done before the warranty was added.

 

how long ago did you buy it? what kind of care did you get? can you post some pics of the damage?

 

I bought the computer about 2 1/2 months ago, and it only came with like a 60 day limited warranty because it's refurbished. I haven't bought any other warranties or anything yet, I was just considering purchasing the CompleteCare warranty and waiting a little while to file a claim. I have to look around for my camera, so I'll post pics by tomorrow.

If any of you have ever seen a watch face that's been pretty badly scratched up, then you know what my screen looks like. You can still see out of it, but it's not pleasant (there's also a deep scratch in an area at the top that it actually a little busted). The touchpad is also in this condition.

I'm an idiot for leaving my computer out; I should have known better with two toddlers running around. I guess this is what I get...

 

depending on the damage and if the actual LCD is scratched or not, you maybe be able to buy the parts and do it yourself for not that much $ at all. hard to say without seeing it though.

 

You may be biting off more than you bargain for. Dell may require you to show them the computer as is before they agree to any upgrade to present warranty. Of course false claims like you are suggesting are akin to insurance fraud, and the consequences may be less pleasant than $300.

 

Well if your limited warranty is up, you won't be able to get complete care. Dell needs to proceed with a re-certification process which means that they need to make sure your system is up and running before renewing or adding any new warranty on the system. And I am just talking about renewing the warranty. You'll definitely not be able to get Complete Care since they provide this only at Point Of Sale or during the first 21 days of the system.

 

You can't get Complete Care after 21 days? When I called Dell to inquire about the time period to purchase accidental and at-home coverage for an additional 3-4 years, I was told that I could get it anytime before my initial 1-year warranty was up. Was that false info? I really would have liked the Complete Care, but it was too steep for me at the time and I was going to get it in a few months...

 

Well, Here is the policy:

Policy

CompleteCare covers non-intentional, accidental damage. This includes damages caused by incidents such as spills, drops, electrical surges, and cracked LCDs.


CompleteCare can be sold at point of sale with the system or within the first 21 days of the invoice date, provided the system is completely operational.

Source: http://www.dell.com/completecare

If the customer is past the first 21 days, a CompleteCare warranty cannot be sold to the customer.
If the system is not in working condition or is damaged, a CompleteCare warranty cannot be sold to the customer, whether the customer's invoice is under or over 21 days.

If you have validated that the system sustained non-intentional, accidental damage, CompleteCare covers the repair, except for the non-covered scenarios listed.