Odds are good you'll have that full sum—plus interest—in your account three years later. For peace of mind, CR members can also consult the predicted reliability column in our laptop ratings when choosing a new model.
Those marks are based on estimated problem rates by the end of the third year of ownership. Apple earns an Excellent reliability mark, for example. Review the manufacturer's warranty before making a purchase. Federal law requires that you have access to the manufacturer's warranty before you decide to buy. When you read it, note how long the warranty lasts, what it covers, and whether the company will repair or replace the item or refund your money.
Keep in mind that some extended warranties simply duplicate the coverage already offered by the manufacturer's plan. Check to see whether you already have extended coverage through a credit card. Many credit card companies extend the warranty by one year or more when you use their card to buy a product. Or use an app like Sift, which lets you know before you make a purchase with a specific card how long the warranty will last.
Read the fine print. Extended warranty coverage may not be as comprehensive as you think. It often has lots of exclusions that make the service less useful. For example, coverage may not include accidental damage. My mission: To write stories that broaden readers' horizons and offer new solutions they can apply to their lives. Who I write for: My family, my friends, my neighbors, myself, and—most important—you.
Your best insurance: buy a product you trust from a manufacturer you trust. You should start by reading lots of reviews. This depends on a major factor: How often are you going to break your phone? New research suggests that two smartphone screens crack every second in the US. If you personally break a smartphone every year—really break it, not simply crack the screen—then a service plan like AppleCare and Samsung Care , directly from the manufacturer, is probably worth it.
AppleCare comes with unlimited phone support for 90 days, so it can be helpful for iPhone newbies. You may also find insurance plans with replacement options via your mobile carrier—many of which are also administrated by third-party companies like Asurion. However, the monthly premiums are typically not worth it once you also pay a deductible. If you're the type to scratch or crack a screen once or twice, don't worry about it.
Those are easily fixed for relatively little money at least in comparison to paying for an extended warranty. You also can turn to your homeowner's or renter's insurance in some cases. More on that below. The rate of repairs on a modern flat-screen television? Skip the extended warranty. Instead, make sure you've purchased that big screen on a credit card with some extra warranty protection. That advice goes for any electronics purchase, period. One of the reasons retailers push extended warranties is that if enough of them are sold, they can push down the retail prices of the products themselves—and sell even more of them.
But some of that savings trickles down to you That's pretty high, but consider that PCs these days are not that expensive—you can usually get a laptop cheaper than a high-end smartphone. They're not going to break in most cases unless you put them in a risky position. Most laptops have a five-year lifespan of usefulness at best. So, a service plan might be worth it for a laptop—if you're lugging it on planes, trains, and automobiles; up a mountain; or to a gamer LAN party where drinks are likely to be spilled.
Again, carefully consider your personal usage. Read the fine print—an extended warrant might only cover certain things and not others—like "accidental damage," which means a spilled milkshake on a gaming laptop ends that relationship.
Don't bother to buy a service plan for a desktop or a gaming console. Your homeowner's or renter's insurance could cover your laptop and other electronics in many worst-case scenarios, such as vandalism, fire, or theft—even if someone steals it when you and the laptop aren't at home. Then you can replace it with insurance funds minus the deductible. Below, we list out three key reasons why buying an extended warranty for your laptop is a good choice:. Instead of paying a lump sum for one repair job, the amount can be spread over the extended warranty period for different repair or replacement problems.
Most times, extended warranties offer additional options which are not included in free warranties…. Apart from the ratio of warranty cost to the price of the gadget, another thing to bear in mind is what the warranty actually covers. Most times, extended warranties offer additional options which are not included in free warranties.
For free warranties, laptop owners are required to maintain the laptops and ensure they are not stored in damaging conditions as stated in the Service Contract Industry Council SCIC. Therefore, only normal wear and tear is covered in free warranties, but other damages as a result of user action is excluded. On the other hand repairs or replacement for damages not covered by the manufacturer e. Also, in most cases for extended warranties, users have access to technical support when needed.
But, if you only have free warranty, a consultation with a technical expert might have its costs and you may find yourself also paying for the repairs or replacements needed. Another way extended warranties for laptops prove they are worth it lies in the laptop owner having a reliable point of call for repairs and replacements. Once the extended warranty states that it can cover certain repairs or replacements, it means as the user, you do not have to worry about how you can get it done.
All you need do is take the default laptop to the tech store and have them handled the repairs. In this sense, extended warranty provides peace of mind as you are already assured of a solution. We also take a look at the justifications as to why an extended warranty may not be worth it for your laptop.
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