| Consumer
service plans: Worth the cost? | | |
| "There was no additional
charge because I had the service plan." Erica Bleeg of
Portland, Maine, a photographer and writer, has also benefited from several years
of Dell service, and her carefully saved receipts show that she actually came
out ahead.
And yes, she'd pay for it again. The
battery factor
If you're looking at a laptop service plan, computer
junkies say there's a key question to ask. That is: "Are new batteries covered
under the plan?" At Best Buy, for instance, replacement
batteries are covered. So if you expect to buy a new $100 battery once a year,
the three-year, $299 deal may really pay for itself. Of course,
if you plan to use your laptop lightly, that thinking doesn't work. But because
many laptop-repair problems mean the whole machine needs to go, it probably makes
sense to consider a service plan if you're purchasing a pricey laptop and you
expect to depend on it. What to look
for in a plan
"Get all the facts you can," says Heilman. "At
what point does the plan provider replace faulty equipment? How far beyond the
manufacturer's warranty do they go?" He recommends other
questions too. "Are there makes and models of computers they won't cover?
Do they do repairs on site or at least have a local drop-off spot, or do you have
to mail them your equipment for repair?"
Finally, Heilman says,
keep a cool attitude, and evaluate whether the hot-talking salesman really has
your best interests at heart. It all depends on what you're using your machine
for, what kind of backup you have, and what you stand to lose if your new PC goes
kaput. "Don't let anyone tell you that you absolutely
need one, because every situation is unique," Heilman says. That's
true for business users too. "Even if you have a good-sized
fleet of computers, maybe there's someone on your staff who can do routine repairs
and maintenance. "But you might weigh the cost of one
of these plans against the cost of having your whole system crash and stay down
for a week or more, and find that you'll sleep better with that insurance in place." So
a service plan is like any insurance. Great for the nervous;
potentially helpful in a crisis; and though the sales brochures never say so,
not a smart financial move for everyone, in every situation. | 
