Service Plans

Extended service plans from companies like Best Buy, Staples, etc., are mostly a misrepresentation and a scam.  Here's how it works. The salesman will promise that your extended service plan will do everything including cook dinner for you when you grow old, just to get you to buy it.  Whatever service scenario you propose, he'll swear it is covered. They know you want to believe him so you don't have to read the legal document that is the extended warranty. A year later when you bring your computer in, you will find that the guy no longer works there (he's now working at the T-Mobile kiosk at the mall) and everything he promised including stuff that reasonably should be covered is not. They will show you where it says so in the small print. If lightening strikes and your problem is actually covered then you'll receive the exhilarating experience of having your computer "fixed" by the Geek Squad.  Look their reputation up online and experience a community of people besides themselves with contempt. Are there some honest people at these companies? Not if they try and sell you a service plan.

Also, if your computer lasts the year of the manufacturers warranty, then you are unlikely to have a major malfunction. It usually takes a couple weeks for one of these extended warranties to play out, so many people will just call me so they can get their computer back in a day or two. So, look at the extended warranty also as getting fixed for free, AND not having your computer for two weeks.

Never send your computer into a large dingbat company for repair without first getting a copy of any data you don’t want accidentally deleted.