PC World -competitive?

wolfman

FallingDownMan wrote: »

Absolutely irrelevent. I could have said Toshiba Satellite or anything else. Or even made a name up. It was an example intended to illustrate how what you buy it totally unaffected by how the person who sold it behaved.

It was relevant, as it relates to my point. You could have said Toshiba, yes, or even Dell. My point was that what you buy is affected by the person that sold it to you. If badly advised you may buy something more than you need, or you may buy a "Sony" or "Toshiba" well known brand, but that doesn't mean it's the best for your money.

If someone is selling you something, then what you end up with is a consequence of their advise (if you're going on their advise that is). As to the quality/value/etc... of the product, who knows what you'll get.

FallingDownMan wrote: »

Some staff do. Some staff don't. But not relevent to warranties as the eventual service work is not carried out by PCW staff or Dixons Group employees of any kind.

I never said they did. I said that "generally" PC World staff don't have the best of knowledge relating to when a sale is being made, not repairing an item.

FallingDownMan wrote: »

But absolutely NOT accidental damage, NOT 5 years (usually 12 months manufacturers defects only), and NOT effectively unlimited. So not much comparison between the two options.

Fair point. To be honest I didn't know accidental damage was covered. I guess that's quite handy for both technical and non technical people.

FallingDownMan wrote: »

So please accept that your opinion, which is therefore based on what you've heard from others, might not be good advice for the majority of non-computer literate people out there. And also that someone who has repaired/had repaired thousands of pieces of hardware covered by them might actually know the score

Extended warranties provide things that you would not have otherwise. If you need those things they have value.

I never actually gave an opinion, I just questioned if they were worth it, stated the pro's and con's, and then said I've never taken an extended warranty, but that is purely how I have experienced things and it will differ for others.

FallingDownMan

converse wrote: »

This assumes you are comparing them with all the competition, you are making rash statements, or possibly aren't quite as impartial as you make out. with PC World! I suggest you read about warranties in the computer magazines, and just see how poorly PC World compete. These are written by people who's job it is to review and compare the competition of hardware and value for money, rather than making "rash statements".

If someone buys a laptop from PC World - and this may come as a big shock, but they do. Quite a lot of them in fact - they're not going to be able to get an extended warranty from Dell or Mesh (or whoever came out top). They'll have to get one from PCW.

In that respect, a warranty from PCW is essential if you want to be covered for things the manufacturer's warranty either NEVER covers or will cease to cover in 12 months time.

Some of the service from the PCW warranty people is aboslute rubbish. It all depends on who you get when you phone up, just like any support line. But the intent is there: if the machine breaks it IS covered. It just needs someone on the phone who knows what they're doing.

Saying "extended warranties are a rip off" when you've never had one IS rash. It is also wrong and potentially libellous. Look up the definition of 'rip-off' if you want to take issue with this.

There are many articles about poor service from Mesh and Dell, and everyone else come to that, so please stop trying to imply that this just affects PC World!!! It doesn't.

I agree with your comment about people who know about computers and using PC World. However, the way you say it - your rhetoric, if you will - clearly demonstrates your attitude towards them and perhaps prevents you from realising that the vast majority of people do not know about computers and need to shop at PC World (or other high street stores). In those cases they'd be mad not to take out a warranty if they don't want to turn into disgruntled individuals trying to blame later non-covered problems on PC World

FallingDownMan

wolfman wrote: »

If badly advised you may buy something more than you need, or you may buy a "Sony" or "Toshiba" well known brand, but that doesn't mean it's the best for your money.

But that wasn't the point I was making. We're talking about laptops going wrong and how it was sold to you has absolutely and totally nothing to do with how likely it is to break if you drop it or bump it in 18 months time!!!!

I'm not commenting on advice at PC World. It can be bad wherever you go, so PCW are not the only ones who can make mistakes, nor is it a case of all the advice they give being bad.

To be honest I didn't know accidental damage was covered. I guess that's quite handy for both technical and non technical people.

You need to make sure that's what you take out - they have various policies - but the cover-all ones are the best ones (albeit most expensive too)

I have no problem with opinions, and personal experience can be useful. I just take issue with it being used to make absolute statements covering areas where the experience perhaps doesn't extend to (and I'm not saying you did that )

I have no affiliation with PCW other than I used to work in their Tech Support. I'd never buy stuff at PCW unless I was desperate (price). I know that their tech support can be utter rubbish if you get a drongo on the other end. But I know for certain that what they are trying to do (and what I definitely did do) is honour/repair under warranty.

Incidentally, much of the customer dissatisfaction with PCW tech support is that faults have to be diagnosed over the phone before a repair is authorised. Many customers just want to say 'it's broken, send me an engineer this afternnon'. In over 80% of cases, 'broken' machines were fixed over the phone because it was a customer usage problem or one of those techie quirks preventing it working.

And, like I say, this process can be made very painful if the numptie doing the diagnostics hasn't got a clue.

You just have to fight hard: if I ever bought a lappie from PCW I'd get an extended warranty and argue like mad until they fixed it if they appeared to be prevaricating I'd also do what they asked until they realised they were wrong

thebroker1980

I think we are going to far off the original issue now.

So in a nutshell extended warranties are good for some and a waste of times for others, read what the warranty entitles you to, and also check to see if your home insurance does the same or something similiar before purchasing.

PCW are good as long as you know what you want and don't have to rely on the sales staff to guide you through your needs

Peripherals are cheaper if you go to a local store ebay or ebuyer

And if possible and your budget allows; go for a mac (that's not fighting talk just me being me)

Hope this helps

FallingDownMan

Agree with all that - except the Mac bit

We did get problems with Macs as well, though my comment is based on opinion rather than that detail