Extended Warranty @ Futureshop

[shak]

I have purchased a top of line laptop roughly 3 years ago, and was talked into buying the 3 year extended warranty. I paid an additional 400-500 for the warranty. I was told that as long as I dont misuse the laptop or physically damage the laptop, they will gladly take the product back if its malfunctioning.

The first year was fine, the laptop was flawless and I was very satisfied with my purchase. However; after the first year, my laptop starts showing problems. My system crashes(hard-drive failure), I have sent it in for repair a numerous time. Everytime it takes them roughly 3-6 weeks to identify and fix the problem. After I got it back, the same problem would occur within 4-5 months. In fact, I am gonna send it back in for the 5th time tomorrow. It seems to me that there is something wrong with the laptop that they werent able to identify and therefore my harddrive repeatedly breaks down after a short period of time. Keep in mind that futureshop does not send the malfunctioning product back to its manufactor after the manufactor warranty expires. Instead; they have a separate service department that handles all the service request. I dont exactly know how qualified the techies are....

My 3 year warranty is expiring sometime next month. I am really worried that after I get it back from them, if anything happens again(which I am pretty sure it will), I will not be covered. Is it possible to ask for a replacement unit rather than repairing my old? Or is it possible to RMA the product. If not, is it too much to ask for a partial refund or store credit towards my new laptop purchase?

Any thoughts/recommendation would be appreciated!!!

 

[muffdiver]

How to get results for puter problem.

- get in car/truck drive to where you bought the piece of shit puter.
- go in ,ask to talk to the manager.
- meander your way over to the puter department , while waiting browse at
their other pieces of shit .
-when manager arrives begin to explain your situation in a calm voice.
- when this doesn't seem to be working, start to raise your voice in a
manner that would attract attention at a rock concert.
- If this still doesn't seem to be doing much ,stamp your feet , hold your breath ( this seems to make the face turn even a brighter shade of red ) and
move within 1 foot of fuckface and then with all your might , tell him/her if they they don't replace your laptop you will picket in front of their store until you get a new one.

 

[samantha_van]

i have bought all my electronics from future shop.. i bought an extended warrenty for my dvd/surround sound system I had to take it in to be fixed 3 times.. and on the third time they gave me a new one.. told me their policy was after 3 times of bring it in or if the can't fix it they will replace a brand new top of the line system and they did .. took them 3 months of them realizing they couldn't fix it before they gave me the new one!? This was at the metro town future shop

 

[Maury Beniowski]

I never buy the Extended Warranties at any store, especially Future Shop. The clerk who persuades you to fork out the fee gets a healthy commission, up-to-50%. That's how most insurance works. I laboured in the Travel Industry for a few years, and the agency creamed off 45% of the premium, plus overrides based on performance, at the end of the year. Most appliances and computers have a manufacturer's warranty which is calculated on a MTBF scale (Mean Time Between Failure). That can vary from 90 days, to one or two years. Cars are somewhat similar.

Consumers may not realize it, but they are part of any manufacturer's quality control system; they are the last station so to speak. But the insult in all this is we pay for the warranty. The stooges that work in the Warranty Department are not working for free, but are part of the hidden cost of the goods they sell.

I have always believed that the true cost of owning any item is limited by the warranty period. Any time that exceeds that period is bonus time. All this technology we have created in the last century doesn't come cheap. Oh sure, it has created the illusion that life is easier now, but is it really? Think of our grandfathers' generation and the simpler life they led. It seems that the only escape we have nowadays is fleeting moments spent away from the so called "easy but extremely complex" life that technology has us en-snared in.

Ah, but I digress...

 

[therealrex]

Most Visa cards have a feature which doubles the warranty period as well as insurance if you drop it in the parking lot or something. I think it doubles any warranty up to a year.

 

[rocky929]

My experience

I usually do not purchase the extended coverage either, but, 1.5 yrs ago I purchased an ipod from futureshop and they have replaced this unit 2 times with a new one no questions asked. Once my warranty reaches two years they will then only send it for repair.
I have also had a cell phone replaced by futureshop, with no problems as have 2 others in the house. Cell ext/war are only $30 or so.

Laptop coverage is expensive and that sucks to ay 500, or whatever, but imagine how much u would be out if you hadn't purchased the exten/war!
The product seems to be the problem not the waranty. I have a laptop for about the same time, a little longer, the thing has never missed a beat. When your coverage expires, I would buy a new computer. If your using this for school or work I would have been on the manufacturer or futureshop for an instore credit long ago. If you are a regular cusomer there have them bring up the list of purchases you've made, then they may care.
Good luck!

 

[LonelyGhost]

I have purchased a top of line laptop roughly 3 years ago, and was talked into buying the 3 year extended warranty. I paid an additional 400-500 for the warranty. I was told that as long as I dont misuse the laptop or physically damage the laptop, they will gladly take the product back if its malfunctioning.


My 3 year warranty is expiring sometime next month. I am really worried that after I get it back from them, if anything happens again(which I am pretty sure it will), I will not be covered. Is it possible to ask for a replacement unit rather than repairing my old? Or is it possible to RMA the product. If not, is it too much to ask for a partial refund or store credit towards my new laptop purchase?

Any thoughts/recommendation would be appreciated!!!

#1. write it all down (you had time to write it here, so put it on paper) -- include every contact you made with sales, service etc
#2. make copies of your warranty and the work that was done, including how long each service 'down time' took
#3. send it to the manager by registered mail ... you can request a signature for it and that it be recorded by Canada Post.
#4. in your letter discuss what you want ... clearly: don't say "fix it asshole" say that you have concerns about the product and would either want it replaced or that THEY extend the warranty another year or two because of the number of problems; and then:
#5. close your letter by stating that if you do not get a satisfactory response by a certain date (be reasonable) the whole file goes to the Better Business Bureau, Goldhawk, Olson on your side etc.

Basically, your comp is a dud, should have been replaced after the 3rd trip and wasn't. Replace or continue fixing it for free.

 

[noneasgood]

Warranties are what commissioned sales staff live for. They probably make more money off selling you a warranty than the product you're buying. I remember once one Future Shop salesperson was bothering me to get an extended warranty so much I walked out of the store. A laptop warranty for $500 seems very expensive to me. You can get a new one for $1300.
Most of the time, if an electronic product is going to screw up it will screw up during the normal manufacturers warranty period (ie 1 year) after that they usually work fine although they may become obsolete soon after.

Personally if I had one of those warranties I would definitely push for a new computer if I had repeat problems. I'm normally a very calm individual but I am capable of freaking out if I feel I've been ripped off. So go get that replacement computer you paid and extended warranty for.

 

[shak]

Yo, thx for all the comments. i will go today and try to get a replacement unit, i will report back!

 

[Swguy]

As a rule, I never buy the extended warranties. There have only ben 3 exceptions to that rule:

1. Home theatre in a box thingy I bought as a christmas present for a friend a couple years ago

2. PalmOne handheld I bought last year

3. my digital SLR camera (from Best Buy)


Got the warranty for the friend's present cuz I wanted things to be as easy for her as possible (in theory) if there were problems.

Got it for the handheld and the digi cam because of the wear and tear they would most likely be taking (handheld, mostly) and for the cleaning and other services offered for the digital camera.

For anything else, I tell the sales guy right up front, no extended wawrranty. If he/she tries to push it again, I'll walk from the sale, simple as that.



SWG

 

[hitrack]

I always buy extended warrenties on big ticket items. I find the standard one year or two year warrenty on products is way to short. If you got a lemon it will mostly show up right away. If not you can probably cruise along good for a couple years like shak. Then just as the stock warrenty ends so does your product. And thats just when you need help getting it fixed.

Most time one repair pays for the warrenty, in shaks case if he had to pay for those repairs himself he would probably be 1/2 way to a new lap top by now.

Lets face it anything decent for a laptop is gonna be $2000+ by the time you leave the store.

My extended warrenty I just bought on the camera I purchased at christmas from fag shop states if they can't fix the problem after 3x they will replace the camera. Pretty fukkin sweet I say.

As fas as the sales boy gettin huge commision off the warrenty.....who the fukk cares, long as my ass is covered.

 

[Swguy]

My extended warrenty I just bought on the camera I purchased at christmas from fag shop states if they can't fix the problem after 3x they will replace the camera. Pretty fukkin sweet I say.

Also another reason why I got the extended warranty on my Nikon D50. Sure it added a few hun to the overall price, but in the long run it's worth it for me in this case.


SWG

 

[insync2you]

3rd time free upgrade

I am typing this on my new Compaq R4000 lap top purchased this Christmas at Future shop. I purchased the warranty for an extended three years and I am looking at the warranty card and 3rd time in for repairs you get to upgrade /replace your product. since we all know electronics are outdated the day we buy them (new product on the drawing board). My son's room mate runs the service department at the Calgary branch where I bought this and he assure me the 3 time rule is policy so take it back and congradulations you win you get new, while most of us buy the protection and seldom get to use it It is a money maker for them.They can use your story to sell coverage to the new buyer.

 

[Cock Throppled]

Extended warranties are a rip off. With tech changes and the reliability of most products they are not worth the money. Take that extra $400 and poon.

 

[samantha_van]

extended warenties do come in handy tho if something breaks.. you don't have to pay for it and if they c an't fix it you get it replaced.. but not just any old cheap replacement either.. my dvd home theater system was replaced it was top of the line! worth way more then the old one!

 

[hitrack]

Also another reason why I got the extended warranty on my Nikon D50. Sure it added a few hun to the overall price, but in the long run it's worth it for me in this case.


SWG

D50 is a nice cam, no 2 fukkin ways about that!!

 

[sajrcc]

Warranty

I worked at a Future Shop several years ago. At that time, the policy with the extended warranty was that if the product could not be returned to 100% quality then it would be replaced with the most equivalent product line currently available. For computers, it normally meant getting a better computer in return.

Managers are normally bonused based on the profitability of their stores, so you may have to complain to get your computer replaced. If possible, they will keep fixing it as it costs them less money (in the short term)

One manager was fired for requesting that customers wishing to return large items take them to a different store. (so as to not effect his bottom line.)

 

[Jodie]

My system crashes(hard-drive failure), I have sent it in for repair a numerous time. Everytime it takes them roughly 3-6 weeks to identify and fix the problem. After I got it back, the same problem would occur within 4-5 months. In fact, I am gonna send it back in for the 5th time tomorrow. It seems to me that there is something wrong with the laptop that they werent able to identify and therefore my harddrive repeatedly breaks down after a short period of time.

Read over the conditions of your extended warranty. As far as I understand, Future Shop's warranty includes a "No Lemon Guarantee," which means that the third time you have to take the item in, they are supposed to replace it rather than repair it. If you are taking it back for the fifth time, that is two times too many. Bring in your receipt and the brochure that came with your extended warranty, and insist that they replace your laptop with something equal or better.

 

[smackyo]

the future shop warrantee is the same as the best buy warrantee. if you have to fix it three times then it is replaced. a buddy of mine worked at best buy back east a few years back and they don't make jack off of the the warrantee, future shop does though.

he explained it all to me. basically yes many of you are right. the company makes money off of these warrantees. but heres the thing, if you buy a 42" plasma tv and you shell out another 5 or 7 bills for the warrantee and it needs to be replaced then you are feeling pretty damn good about that warrantee if it happens after the manufacturer one year. plus with those big tv's all those needed repairs are done on site. so basically you get a new plasma tv for 700 bucks.

i agree though, i don't think a warrantee is needed on everything. stereo receivers being one of those. but what i would buy it with would be ipods, larger tv's but not tube tv's camera's and a laptop. if i got an xbox 360 i would get it with that too. did you know the warrantee on that fucker is only 90 days?????? wtf?

 

[flight-815]

as others have already pointed out, the extended warranty includes a "no lemon guarantee":

No Lemon Guarantee
If your product requires more than three major repairs, we'll provide you with a replacement product.

http://www.futureshop.ca/informationcentre/en/psp_faq.asp?logon=&langid=EN

they should have replaced it after third time. i would take it to store, talk to manager and firmly request that it be replaced now.

good luck.