What do laptop warranties cover

To be fair to the OEMs like HP, their customers go into Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts and spill coffee on their systems, they bang them around when they travel, they get moved around and smacked about constantly, et cetera.

So it's not uncommon for expensive component items like these super-thin LCD screens to break even from routine use. One of the folks I had a very productive conversation about this subject with at HP was their designated "Customer Advocate" at the national support center in Denver.

He's the person of last resort when customers go off the deep end -- the man has to deal with a lot of extremely angry and irate people. He must be a saint or at the very least, enjoy the punishment.

He'd prefer not to be named, but you can probably figure out who he his. HP's Customer Advocate agrees that surprises are definitely a bad thing, and HP is going to try not to repeat what happened to me in the future and there will be more up-front communication to a customer about coverage and they will strive for better coordination between their US-based service and Indian call centers. I certainly hope they follow through with this because I really would not like to see what happened to me continue to happen to other HP customers.

The biggest takeaway I got with my conversation with HP's customer guy on the inside -- who honestly is one of the nicest guys in the world and has the most calming voice I have ever heard -- is that if you are going to spend serious cash on a laptop computer, you probably want to think about buying Accidental Damage Protection for it. You can also buy 1-year and 2-year plans. Likewise, both Dell see site and Lenovo see site have similar coverage plans. In summary, most laptop warranties on new devices will last you one year from your purchase date.

Once your warranty is in effect, issues caused by manufacturer errors such as faulty hardware or operating system malfunctions will be eligible for free repairs. Any issues not caused by the manufacturer, even if these issues were not caused by you, are not covered. These issues encompass accidental damage, natural disaster damage, and theft. Are you looking for a more thorough laptop warranty that you can count on to protect your expensive system?

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In News. The company also pays to ship back the repaired items or any replacements. Any unauthorized upgrading or repair of any Amazon tablet or Kindle device will void the warranty. Apple will give you a way to pay for shipping your product to the company's technicians, but its warranty is best for anyone who lives in a populous area where access to a Genius Bar is available. The fairly staid warranty itself gives a basic form of coverage, but the capacity to receive warranty help directly from Apple technicians or employees at any of Apple's retail locations can save buyers innumerable worries and avoid the headache of dealing with phone menus and customer service reps who cannot physically see what is wrong with a device.

The standard warranty protects only against manufacturing defects, with no coverage for accidents, fire, water or damage caused by repairs or upgrades attempted by any unauthorized person. It will not help with defective parts that are deemed consumable, such as batteries, and won't cover cosmetic damage or damages caused by other products, including any cables, mice or other third-party accessories that are attached to the device.

Any acts of nature or external forces are expressly not covered. You may receive product replacement, repair or servicing by either sending your device to Apple or taking it to one of the company's retail locations or a certified repair outlet. In some cases, Apple will offer you DIY repair services.

Typically, this will be done only if you speak to support either online or via telephone. Once a product is taken to Apple for repairs, the company will handle the repairs rather than giving instructions and parts to a consumer.

For all DIY repairs, hardware will be sent to you along with instructions for doing the repairs yourself. If this happens, you will not be compensated for any labor costs you incur during the repair procedure. Any damages you cause while performing the repair are also not covered. If you need to mail your product to Apple, the company will send you prepaid shipping labels for free.

To ensure your product is not damaged when you send it in, Apple will also typically give you the packaging materials to be used with your product so it can be properly protected while in transit. Replacing most components, including but not limited to hard drives and RAM, will not void the warranty unless you use incompatible hardware or do damage to the machine during the upgrade process. For gamers, Asus stands out from the crowd. Among the company's gaming lines of laptops and desktops, buyers can expect to receive either lengthier coverage — as is the case with Acer's business and gaming desktops — or will get expanded coverage for spills and accidents, as is the case with the Republic of Gaming computers.

The ordinary warranty is fine, if unremarkable, but clumsy buyers with a passion for gaming will appreciate the company's willingness to cover damage caused by the user.

Each warranty covers parts and labor to repair a product, and you can exchange some items for comparable product replacement. Whether or not you pay for shipping your product to Asus for repair depends on your individual product. The more expensive the product, the more likely Asus is to pay for shipping both ways.

Asus will pay to return all products to you. Any tampering, repair or modification by unauthorized personnel voids the warranty, so you cannot upgrade, enhance or fix any part of your Asus machine without it nullifying your warranty.

Dell is the computer for the everyman and everywoman. As such, the company's warranty shows a lot of parity. You'll get nearly exactly the same level of service whether you buy an inexpensive piece of equipment or the top of Dell's line. The company has everything from DIY repair to on-site coverage, though its on-site repair options are mostly limited to the Alienware line of gaming computers, the only place Dell lacks egalitarianism.

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Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Catherine Roseberry. Catherine Roseberry is a former writer for Lifewire who has experience in technology consulting focused on mobile productivity. Updated on June 03, Tweet Share Email. Introduction Laptop Basics. Best Laptops. Best Laptops by Size. Best Laptops by Brand. Best Gaming Laptops. Best Laptops by Lifestyle. Individual Laptop Reviews. Best Laptop Accessories. In This Article.

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