Should I buy an extended warranty?
(Last updated: 11/05/2003) Back to top Depends on the level of comfort you require and how important $30-75 is to you. I personally never buy extended warranties, but I did buy one for the Xbox only because it is so freakin’ new. After seeing my friend’s Xbox die, and now that mine has shown the very occasional ‘unrecognized disc’ error, I don’t feel terribly stupid for putting down an extra $30 for two years’ coverage (through CompUSA). It’s quite possible that a year from now, after the initial kinks are worked out, the answer to this question will be simply ‘No.’ For now, though, it’s ‘maybe’. Microsoft extended warranty costs (US$): 1 year: $24.95 2 years: $49.90 3 years: $74.85 CompUSA offers a 2-year replacement warranty for $29.95, but this only covers one replacement. Once they replace your unit once, the warranty is over. Be sure to read the fine print before buying an extended warranty. 10.6 Is it true that Xboxes have caught fire? (Last updated: 01/22/2002) Back to top No. 1
It depends on what is standard for your purchase. Most computer vendors offer several extended warranty options. We recommend you purchase the next-day, on-site service plan, which will typically run for three years and cost in the neighborhood of $100. In addition to this warranty, your best insurance is to buy a top quality computer from a major manufacturer. Less expensive computers are usually made from inferior parts and result in higher maintenance costs and greater user frustration.
