| Laptop Warranties |
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| Computers - Computers |
| Written by John Roth |
| Tuesday, 05 May 2009 08:08 |
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I purchased a netbook (a mini laptop) from a major laptop distributor for $349.99; the netbook was defective, so I returned the netbook, and was charged $52.50 (15%) for a restocking fee. I had to bite my lip to control my anger as I walked out, never to return.
I purchased a netbook (a mini laptop) from a major laptop distributor for $349.99; the netbook was defective, so I returned the netbook, and was charged $52.50 (15%) for a restocking fee. I had to bite my lip to control my anger as I walked out, never to return. Lets go over a warranty from a laptop I purchased last week. In the warranty the manufacture claims that the laptop is free from defects in workmanship for a period of 12 months. But goes on to say in the same paragraph that the warranty does not include failure caused by improper operation or normal wear and tear; does this mean that my teenager, who is a known abuser of the T.V., car, and stereo, who is very hard on the computer keypad will absolve the warranty? My friend told me I was getting off light with only a 15% restocking fee, since some distributors charge 20% (or even 25%) for trying to do business with these pirates! The next paragraph of the warranty states that if you ship your laptop to the manufacturer, the warranty may be voided if the manufacturer believes the laptop was damaged due to improper packaging of the laptop. I consider myself an expert in the field of laptops, but I can never get the laptop back (perfectly) in the original box the laptop came in. If you purchased a laptop over the internet, the refund policy does not apply to the original shipping charges that went to ship the computer to you (in the first place), nor does the refund policy apply to any refund charges to ship the computer back (for the majority of laptop distributors). The warranty goes on to state the warranty will be voided if the laptop is not used in normal conditions. What if I bought the laptop for work, and lets say I worked in the field. This means the manufactures warranty could be voided. It sounds like the manufacture only wants their laptops purchased by people who do not venture out the house. The laptop was created so you take your computer with you"wherever you decided to go to. The warranty sounds contradictory to the design goal of building and manufacturing a laptop. Lets take a look. The price of the laptop was $290 dollars; they then charged a restocking fee of 15%, which brought the value down to $246.50 dollars. But you lost $110 in additional shipping costs to ship the laptop to you, and you spent another $110 dollars to ship the computer back to the distributor. This means you spent a total of $510 dollars total; $400 for the original total purchase price for the computer (including original shipping charges), plus an additional $110 to ship the laptop back to the distributor. So you spent $510 total minus receiving the refund check of $246.50, so you had a realized loss of $263.50"and you still do not have a working laptop! This is why it is so important to buy from a reputable laptop distributor who offers an exceptional return policy without a restocking fee, and pays for any return shipping charges back to the distributor. I highly recommend this laptop link for quality laptops, which includes a top-notch warranty (free of charge). Its a good idea when you buy refurbished laptop, to go directly to the manufacturers website and type in the make and serial number of your laptop to see the remaining term (if any) on the manufactures warranty. And again, always get a warranty through the laptop distributor, beyond the manufacturers warranty"just in case youre refurbished laptop breaks (or any computer for that matter). Laptops are machines, and all machines break down sooner or later, so you might as well have a warranty that is on the consumer side versus the manufacturers. Sincerely, John Roth |