Dell USA Warranty on buying from Amazon.com (Amazon's Mail-In Warranty vs Dell's In-Home/NBD) / International Warranty Status

I want to know experiences of fellow members on enhancing Dell laptop's warranty after buying a Dell from Amazon.com, where-in you get mail-in warranty, which has lesser features as compared to enhanced warranty offered on directly buying from Dell.com directly.

You don't get International Warranty on buying a Dell from Amazon.com whereas you get International Warranty if you buy a Dell directly from Dell.com

I am looking at buying a Dell laptop from Amazon.com which costs me $549.99+tax as against $649.99+tax on buying directly from Dell.com (the price on Dell is after applying instant discount coupon of $50).

The question I have is about warranty. I researched a lot on this at this forum and other resources on google as well as tried chatting multiple times with different Dell Chat agents.

This is what I found out:

1) On buying a Dell laptop from Amazon, you get 1 year mail-in warranty, wherein the laptop is picked by courier and delivered back to you by courier (both-way shipping charges borne by Dell).

2) The mail-in warranty that you get on buying a Dell from Amazon does not entitle you for International Warranty, ie, you don't get warranty outside US.

3) On buying a Dell laptop directly from Dell.com, you get 1 year in-home service. You don't have to send your laptop anywhere, a technician would be sent to your home to attend to the problem / to service the laptop.

4) From Dell.com, it comes with 90 days of premium phone support and 1 Year of Hardware Coverage. This plan includes 24/7 phone, chat or email support, unlimited parts and labor and complete in home Service following Remote Diagnosis.

5) The in-home service warranty from Dell.com (also referred to as NBD or next business day warranty at many discussion forums) entitles you to International Warranty and you can get your laptop serviced at Dell's service locations outside US also, in other countries where Dell is present.

6) If you also take the extra or paid Accidental Damage Protection while buying a laptop directly from Dell.com, the Accidental Damage Protection is also applicable internationally. Your accidental damage claim will be honoured by Dell outside US also, in other countries where Dell has service centers.

I want inputs on the following from fellow members who have purchased a Dell from Amazon.com

1. After buying a Dell from Amazon.com, has anyone tried to enhance the mail-in-warranty to a in-home service warranty or a NBD warranty?

2. If anyone has successfully upgraded the warranty in the first year or immediately after purchase, what is the approximate cost you paid for your laptop's warranty enhancement?

3. What is the experience on extending the warranty of a Dell purchased from Amazon.com for 2nd year or 3rd year? Does Dell offer extended warranty on such laptops for 2nd / 3rd year and if yes, at what cost?

4. Overall, if someone looking at availing international warranty or keeps travelling outside US or is buying a Dell laptop from US for family / friend to be used outside US, does it make sense in all such cases to buy directly from Dell rather than buying from Amazon or for that matter other online retailers like BestBuy or OfficeDepot, all of which offer only mail-in warranty on Dell laptops.