The big blue store - aka Best Buy.
You: Hello Mr. Sales associate that is not on commission (which I’ve been reminded of already - again how many extended warranties have you sold this month), I’d like to buy this [insert PC model].
Best Buy Guy: Ohh, a wonderful selection. Would you like the Geek Squad to setup your [insert PC model] with latest updates and anti-virus?
Y: Nope, I’ll do it myself.
BBG: Are you sure? Is this PC going to be connected to the Internet?
Y: Yes, but I’ll take care of it myself. (Vista comes with an adequate Firewall, most routers are equiped with firewall protection, and there is usually a trial copy of Norton installed.)
BBG: Would you like to purchase the extended [Best Buy pure profit for them] warranty? It’s only 2xx for three years and it covers one battery replacement, lightening strikes, personal accidents, and spilled drinks?
Y: (Do the math, most PCs come with a manufacture 1-yr warranty - will it be worth the extra hundred bucks in a few years?) Not right now, I’ll consider it later.
BBG: Okay, I’ll take you right up front.
BB Cashier: Are you sure you’re not interested in the extended warranty?
Y: Not right now, I’ll consider it later.
That is how you make it out the door without buying an extended warranty. In my experience, you get more of a rebuttal if you outright say no to an extended warranty. Research what you are going to buy online. If the model of computer you’re buying has had problems, someone has probably made note of it somewhere in a forum or on a blog.
Even ask the Best Buy Guy which computers come back for repair the most often.
This is why I could never be a salesman. I’d actually respect a customer’s “No” answer. It’s also why I don’t go to stores to buy that kind of stuff.
The only thing to consider with computers and their warranties can be battery coverage. Not that all laptop batteries stop working after eighteen months like they’ll claim, but if the warranty is cheap enough vs. the battery it can actually be a good deal. I know Circuit City (evil) had a $170 two-year plan on most average priced ($1200 and lower, or thereabouts) laptops where you could just call their 800-number close to the end of the plan and they’d ship you a new battery; just send the old one back in the shipping box. Considering the cost of a battery ($130 for a six-cell from HP) it’s not a bad deal when you figure what else it covers as well.
That said, the more expensive plans don’t always make sense, and the cost of a desktop versus the cost of the coverage makes no sense…not to mention that as long as you have decent surge protection not much is going to happen anyway.
We really didn’t want to, but BB had the best deal we could find. I just needed an inexpensive but reliable computer for work. And BB had the best for the money. Darn big blue store…
This is what I have Ed for. (and you too, Shooey) They don’t even talk to me. And I still need to put my extra memory in!
Peter, thanks for commenting. For some reason I had to approve your comment.
I’ve bought one other laptop, a Gateway, from BB about 2 / almost 3 years and within the first year the power button stopped working and the power adapter on the motherboard became loose and wouldn’t allow for a charge. All were repaired under the manufacturer’s 1 year warranty. Even though the last item was about a month out of the warranty. I ended up talking to a manager and pleading my case that it was normal wear and tear.
Laptop still works great except the 20 minute battery life.
The laptop that GTG just got was a great deal. The 3 year extended warranty was going to cost more than 50% of the original cost of the laptop. Just not worth it.
I am just fed up with BB’s repair policies and extended warranties. I once witnessed a woman agreeing to let Geek Squad install a wireless card in her laptop for $60 bucks!
Good grief.
I bought a TV at BestBuy several years ago and the salesman actually called me stupid for not buying the extended warranty on the television. I almost walked out and went somewhere else but they were running a special on it and I was about to save $400 so I bit my lip and bought the TV.
Quite a few years ago, I was in the checkout line at Best Buy behind an older couple buying an ink jet printer. The cashier was pushing the warranty plan on them, and I could tell that they were going to go for it. So I spoke up and told them not to get it. I told them that printer prices were dropping like crazy, and in one year they’d probably be able to buy that same printer for the price of the warrantly alone.
So they declined the warranty, and then the cashier told them they made the right decision. She said that she wouldn’t have gotten it either, but she was required to ask.
Dave: 1. Best Buy: 0.
And on a side note, I bought my $1500 DSLR there a couple years ago. I got it home and noticed a large dust speck on all my photos. I knew the sensor needed to be cleaned, but I wasn’t about ready to do that on my brand new expensive toy. I took it back to Best Buy with a couple printouts and fully expected them to either keep it for repair or hassle me about it somehow. But they were very quick to tell me to go get a new one, and they did the replacement with no questions asked. I give them credit for this but doubt all returns go as smoothly.
Yeah, my husband–the Senior J2EE/Websphere Developer–won’t set foot within Big Blue and hasn’t for years. Says he kinda’ lost respect for them when they began pushing magazine subscriptions at the checkout.
PS. GTG, we got a very nice laptop for my niece a few months ago at Office Depot for around $499 loaded (whatever this means).
Angi - I believe ‘loaded’ means covered with bacon, cheese and butter (unless computers are different from baked potatoes).
I rely on my own personal geek squad (Shoo) to do anything I need to for chocolate chip cookies or back rubs. I even let him deal with the people at big blue store. They don’t listen to me because I’m a moron when it comes to computers, and I believe it shows. So, I leave the geek work to the geek.
On that note, despite the big blue store ban, I’m headed there to get some new music…
“The 3 year extended warranty was going to cost more than 50% of the original cost of the laptop. Just not worth it.”
Yeah, there’s no way I would pay that either.