Extended warranties

[PADKNACK]

My PCV-W1/G is nearing a year old. Having gone back to Sony a few times for minor ailments, I'm worried that repairs from now on are going to cost a fortune.

After 1 year old, has anyone taken out a warranty against breakdown and if so, are you happy with them and would you recommend them.

[TygerTyger]

No it's £170 regardless of your computer. Same deal for everyone.

[kee-lo_]

All the ones I have seen say for all VAIO

[jammold]

Still not sure if I should shell out £170 on mine... Its a lot of money, but I don't want to be in a position where my PC stops working after the warranty has expired...

If that happens I will have to buy a new laptop, becuase the cost of repair would be scandalous.

[kee-lo_]

Shop around you can get good deals.

[blastermaster]

Still not sure if I should shell out £170 on mine... Its a lot of money, but I don't want to be in a position where my PC stops working after the warranty has expired...

If that happens I will have to buy a new laptop, becuase the cost of repair would be scandalous.

I'd never get an extended warranty on a desktop. After a year your probably ready to update any parts that could breakdown anyway. Laptops are different because it's a lot harder to get parts for them and to work on them.

[kee-lo_]

It's very hard to get VAIO parts in the UK, they have to be imported.

[HITS-UK]

In over 20 years of working the IT industry I have NEVER seen a valid case for extended warranties unless the item is OVER £2,500 and even then I'd be very careful. Most of the time the warranty is pushed out to a third party insurance agent with enough small print to make you myopic in seconds and sure enough to invalidate any claim. Secondly it may SAY Sony on the cover, but check out who is really providing the cover - I'd respectfully suggest that it is someone else (my Jeep is some numpyt in god-knows land that's twinned with Beirut). Save your money a PC is obsolete the day that you buy it anyway. Just save your data to external media and throw the PC away if recovery does not work.

[kee-lo_]

Yeah the thing is PCs are not cheap though, but HTS is right, the extended warranties have so many terms, clauses and extra info it's really hard to get a claim in good time without jumping through hoops.

[HITS-UK]

Interesting update here. I instructed a specialist legal advisor to tell me EXACTLY what 'warranty' and 'guarantee' mean. The full explanation is too long to put here, but the essence of it is this. Regardless of what is stated on a warranty or guarantee, if a piece of equipment fails within a short period of time that is extremely far below an 'expected period of failure' the manufacturer is obliged to repair for free provided that the equipment has not been abused. There is also a minimum EU ruling on warranty periods which may be invoked as well which is set at TWO years and not one. In short, if in doubt seek advice. It is paying me dividends!

[kee-lo_]

Yeah it's always worth getting some help off our legal friends