Performance service from PCWorld

wazza

Has anyone taken out a Performance service package from PCWorld for their laptop/desktop computer? What are your views about it?

from what i have been told they do health checks/upgrades for free which i am capable of doing. They charge £10/month.

they given me a month free so can cancel after a month. It is just that i am unfamiliar with reliability of laptops etc. If it is a desktop pc then i can easily take it apart and try to fix it, it's parts are lot cheaper than laptop's

f1charlie

Is this a new laptop? If so, don't you have at least 12 month warranty anyway? Why pay £110 for something you already have?

wazza

that is what i was thinking. but they said normally if i have a problem with my laptop i have to bring it in and also i have to pay for upgrades and to fix any virus problems

i know they will say anything to get me to sign but they gave me a free laptop bag and a month free on this service and told me i can cancel after a month

I am going to cancel it but thought better ask in case someone else knows better.

f1charlie

If there are hardware problems - warranty should cover it.

If their service covers software as well, it may be worth it if you fear you may screw up something by installing/uninstalling software or are worried by viruses. But if that happens you can always come here for free advice!

coolagarry

and regularly create 'restore Points' on your System restore, particularly before doing upgrades or making any other changes

Sooler

Why would anyone need it, is there something wrong with the stuff they sell?

pudding06

Mine was for 5 years - if anythng goes wrong and they cant fix it I get a new PC of the same value I paid for the original one!!!! I cant do my won checks so its worth it - and they fit memory, and other stuff free for me at the same time.

If you can do it I wouldnt pay £10 pmth for it - mines only £240 for the 5 years!!!! £4 pmth for mine isnt bad by comparison.

pudds

edit

they sorted it all out when I had major problems with a virus etc which meant I couldnt even start it etc. tehy have been quite good for me - but I'm pc ignorant so I need it

Astaroth

You are probably better off sticking the £10 notes in the DVD drive

wazza

Astaroth wrote:

You are probably better off sticking the £10 notes in the DVD drive

good idea i can use the laptop's dvd drive as a money box. good idea because the dvd tray on my desktop is already used as a cup holder

albertross_2

wazza wrote:

i know they will say anything to get me to sign but they gave me a free laptop bag and a month free on this service and told me i can cancel after a month

I think you've hit the nail on the head, they probably get commission for selling it. The fact they give you a free laptop bag, gives you some indication on how much money they make on naive customers who sign up to this, or forget to cancel.

There not much to upgrade in a laptop, ram (https://www.crucial.com, two screws and push it in), hard disk (two screws and push it in).


Virus scans - not exactly difficult, and something you should be running constantly in the first place.

Same applies to extended warranties, don't waste your money. Then there are their 0% credit schemes..:eek:

JohnR

The advantage to this service, if there is one, is the ability to cancel the direct debit once you have got all the free stuff from the shop. With the previous service package PC World offered, once they had your £200 of money you were stuck with it.

If they offer you the first month free, you wont have lost anything if you cancel the DD, if they offer you something else on top of that, then you're quids in.