Currys & Coverplan by Mastercare

tonyhawken

karen_1969 wrote: »

:mad: A complete rip off, Inidest After 6 weeks of not being able to repair my machine and damaging parts in the process, the time I account my time off work and the cost of the cover plan are more expensive than getting a new machine. I wouldn't bother with cover plan just save the money up in a building society account and buy a new one. No need to go through the hell I been through.

Is this the EU law that states that a product should be of a reasonable quality, and should last for several years, even if the product is only issued with a 1 year warranty?

tonyhawken

bbay wrote: »

I got cover on a second hand ipod i baught from ebay for 50 quid, me being a cheap git i decided to cover the thing just incase it broke down, they couldnt repair it and i got a 120gb ipod brand new from them, I literally saved myself 200 quid so i say great deal.

got a washing machine as a present and decided to cover it, I again went with mastcare and after three years the machine broke down twice, the first time it wasnt covered so i had to pay out about 60 quid on parts, the guy was a family friend so didnt charge me labour, I then got the cover plan and luckily I got it four months before the machine broke down, they replaced everything and the machine works as good as new.

I found out about mastercare with Currys Digital and havent had an issue with them, its best to get the extra cover (unless you can afford new equipment), Im glad ive got the coverplan and it works well for my family and home situation.

In the past 20 years or so I have never ever bought an extended warranty. Even if the manufacturers warranty only states 1 year, it should last at least 3. I think you can make use of EU law for this. But as Currys are so awkward at the best of times, you will probably have to take them to court for this.

Another word of advice, is to try and buy a reliable brand. This often means avoiding British products and going with Japanese or Korean.

tonyhawken

Wicked_witch wrote: »

I expect that after 4.5years, the OP is over the upset. Currys warranty plans are still rubbish though and most of the customer service reps don't even understand the terms therein, never mind care. I decided not to use Currys again after discovering this when my dishwasher became faulty and I was messed about for weeks before getting a refund. They have missed out on about £300 so far since then and counting...

I presume this is because you have decided to boycott the company, and never ever buy anything from them again.

tonyhawken

Mikeoxlong wrote: »

I am sorry but i disagree,and i have no connections to any of the DSG companies. You stated you got an up to date model which in fact probably had more features than the one you previously had,so in that fact you could have chosen another Dvd for the amount they gave you in the vouchers. I understand you paid more for it but it is a like for like (or better) replacement and this is where they valued the item. Like any insurance group. Your Dvd would have been worth nowhere near what you had paid for it had you tried to sell it. Furthermore you also stated that you had to spend it in Currys,but with all due respects if you had it replaced as you quoted in ASDA, does that not mean you are forced to spend in ASDA again. Also you quoted your warranty had ran out,i think if you try and remember you were also given a seperate voucher with the amount of warranty that was still to run on the policy ie the difference between it running out in the first year. I understand your annoyance but if we are to gauge a proper picture of this i feel the full facts should be published.

Looks like you should have opted for a refund in the first place. They are required to do this bay law - Sale of Goods act 1989. Given how useless Currys are, this is always the best policy. Then in hind-sight it would have been better never to have bought from them in the first place.

tonyhawken

adam7436 wrote: »

Hello,
I read your story and yours is very similar to mine. My story with cover plan goes like this,

I brought a laptop in September 05. Happy I was and for extra safety they roped me into buying 5 years warrantly for x amount. 1 year later my screen started to go a funny colour. I called 'The Tech Guys' who asked me to send it back to them. They sent it back 2 weeks later, I couldn't believe it. I opening the package turned it on and there was my screen... still broke. All they had done was cleaned the keyboard.... 2 weeks to clean a keyboard but thanks for cleaning it ?! LOL. Anyway I called them up they apologised asked for it back so I sent it. Bearing in mind this is about Nov 06. I called up 4 weeks later... they never received it.... There bloody courier picked it up. After calling about 20 times they 'find it' it had got mixed up with anyone guys laptop! However I never received him and they never admitted to giving mine to him.

(I'll cut the middle part out)

However, April 07 I still have no laptop despite paying monthly for the Coverplan. Anyway, I called and called and called. Eventually they agree 6 weeks have past... more like 6 months... they send me some vouchers. That takes 2 months to arrive. So baring in mind this ordeal has gone on some 7 months I have spent my own money to get a new computer in the mean time. The vouchers arrive, £1000 for new comp & £250 for the 8 months payment which I had no laptop but still paid the coverplan. I called to discuss the fact I brought a new computer and they needed to send a cheque not vouchers to pay back what I forked out. So I send the vouchers back some 4 weeks later I get a cheque for £1000. Erm... something is missing, £250. Bearing in mind this has already taken 9 months to get the money out of them from the date I sent my laptop. I have written many letters and made many phone calls to them. NOW, They have no acknowledgment of the payment to me, no details of half of what went on. A TOTAL SHAMBLES. To this day over a year later and still pestering them for my £250 wasting £100's if not £1000's on phones bills. Im not over exaggerating either. I must have called for at 1000 minutes in the last year. roughly 8p a minute x min 1000 = £800 in phone calls. Nearly the price of the laptop!!
Anyway, its 8th January 2008 and still nothing despite still chasing them and them looking into it.
I consider myself a grown man and can safely admit I could of sobbed my eyes out with the stress and frustration of those w**kers. (that story was not even half of the full story but sorry for going on so long)

SO Martin if your out there and read this and can offer any advice on what to do or how to actually get through to them and make them send my £250 + ideally phone bill cost I would be grateful. Im in no great rush though!! Infact can you call them for me!!

Morale of my story NEVER, THATS NEVER BUY OFF CURRYS/DIXON/THE TECH GUYS AND NEVER EVER TAKE OUT A WARRENTY WITH MASTERCARE/COVERPLAN. Email me if you want more information.

I agree. And, if you want to make your point, send an email to the CEO ( john.browett@dixons.co.uk) stating that you intend to blacklist both Currys and PCWorld.

JDC14

I pay £12 a month (on a rolling contract, so can be cancelled with 30 days notice) for cover on my laptop with Currys.

If I call before 3pm they collect it that day - give me a loan laptop (of the same relative specs as mine - listed as RAM, Size and Accessories, e.g. webcam, usb ports etc.) and return mine within 7 days or give me a new one.

I asked about the new one and they said they'd give me one from the current range of the same specs as mine at purchase.

So any deviation from this if I do need to use it and I'll fall out with them big time.

But there's no other service like this that I know of.

Capput

Sorry but this was a really funny post! Not what happened of course but how you literated it!
This is so typical of Currys, each time I buy something from the shop and say No thanks to aftercare for things such as a TV, PC all of a sudden a few months later, a year in one case I check my bank account statement a little more closely than the norm and low and behold Ive been paying a charge for cover!!! Gob smacked I call the store, then the insurers and they do not even have me protected! No record of me, no money back but their bank account swells!
Now I'm on the ole washing machine repair trick, it broke down on Friday, its now Sunday and I am dreading trying to get in touch with the right department all because I cannot find my extended warranty paperwork! GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!:mad:

Liquid_Stool wrote: »

I'd just like to make you aware of this so you don't get conned into buying one!

On Jan 1st 2004, i bought a dvd recorder from Currys, together with a Coverplan Warranty which i was told by the salesman, covered me for 3 years, + 1 year manufacturers guarantee, the DVD/RW cost me 200 quid, and the warranty a further 80 quid.

As usual, the bloody thing packed up a week after the manufacturers guarantee ran out - no prob i thought, i'll just claim on the warranty. I took it to my local store, where i was duly told yes it was under cover and would be repaired with 6 WEEKS - if i buy one at ASDA, i get a straight replacement!!!, still i asked about a loan recorder as i only used it to record my CCTV - no chance i was curtly told. 4 weeks passed, i thought i'd phone and ask about it - IT WAS STILL UNDER THE COUNTER!!!!!!! another 4 weeks passed and i decided i'd waited long enough, it was pointed out to me by a m8 that i coulld have claimed a new one after 6 weeks under the terms of the warranty GRRRRR!

I went back to the shop and they agreed that was right, but when i went to choose a new one i was told "No" I was only entitled to VOUCHERS and what was worse, they would only be issued to the current value of an identical model. Of course, the current price of an identical spec machine now is £95. Could it get any worse? YES, the vouchers could only be issued by post, which took a further two weeks, and to rub salt into the already gaping wound, my warranty was no longer valid after i claimed on it!!, so i work it out that i lost out to the tune of £180, and i STILL had to use the bloody vouchers in CURRYS, so i ended up forking out another £200 to get something that was actually any good, so in the end, i lost out to the tune of £380.

You might think my tale of woe ends here but no, as a final kick in the !!!!!! (as if it didn't already look like a chewed orange), i was asked if i'd like to buy a new warranty - "Surely you jest" i asked, "No i was told, "this warranty is much better than the old one - we scrapped the other one because of the complaints....." :eek:

The moral to this tale? - it's true - extended warranty is not worth the vouchers they're printed on - DON'T DO IT!

timbstoke

JDC14 wrote: »

I pay £12 a month (on a rolling contract, so can be cancelled with 30 days notice) for cover on my laptop with Currys.

If I call before 3pm they collect it that day - give me a loan laptop (of the same relative specs as mine - listed as RAM, Size and Accessories, e.g. webcam, usb ports etc.) and return mine within 7 days or give me a new one.

I asked about the new one and they said they'd give me one from the current range of the same specs as mine at purchase.

So any deviation from this if I do need to use it and I'll fall out with them big time.

But there's no other service like this that I know of.

Is this something you have experience of, or just what the salesman told you at the time? If it's the latter, I fear you're in for an interesting surprise.

Liz13

My personal experience of the so-called Mastercare Coverplan is that I wasted my money buying a £151 3-year extended warranty for my £450 Electrolux fridge/freezer.

On 1st January I noticed that the fridge temperature was reading 14C, which was 9C higher than it was supposed to read - and the food inside was no longer chilled. Moved all contents into plastic storage crates outside, luckily the temperature was about low enough, but not too cold. Couldn't phone until the 3rd due to the bank holidays, when I was told that due to Xmas & NY the earliest an engineer could call would be Wednesday 11th - over a week. By the time the engineer arrived the fridge had somehow sorted itself out, he really had no idea how.

Last night I noticed the temperature was showing at 11C - so I've called them again this morning. Despite the Xmas & NY problems being past, it will once again be a week before an engineer can visit. Only this time the temperature outside is much too cold to use the plastic crates (anyone for frozen lettuce, tomatoes, etc?).

:snow_grin

I'd have been better off not paying for the warranty, and finding my own engineer to visit the first time & sort the problem out properly. It is clear from my experience that they simply don't have enough engineers to cope with the volume of calls they get.

Must also mention that I've bought extended warranties from DG in the past, and had no problems with them.

Crisp_£_note

In this current time of consumables its always cheaper to say no to any warranty or repair service. After all the prices of similar items often fall by the time the manufacturers guarantee is up so if it does break down just go get a new one at half the cost of the one that broke more than likely too as it no longer state of the art but state of the arc!

Have a pot and put aside a certain amount each month for such things as replacement items, more conveinient as your not tied down to one specific store or contract etc.

I only have 1 cover with mastercare and thats for a old camcorder which is now outdated and parts no longer sourced in the uk, meaning that it would be a replacement job for a modern version which in my opinion is not as good as the old one. Its all modern night shot not the old night vision which I class as better quality.

Saying that this years renewal quote has just come in the post and its £ 70 for the year (item cost me almost £300 brand new 10 years ago and their still happy to cover it, im just considering if its worth keeping the cover going in all honesty as the camcorder sits on the shelf in the cupboard nowadays.

But your right to warn people so thanks for that and I must add watch out as they will often sign you up automaticaly and canceling it is prety simple but the first you know is when they take the first payment at the time of purchase before the confirmation letter arrives, well I got caught out several times in the past with Currys group. Have to wait ages for a refund by cheque and then still make certain the bank has cancelled the automatic transaction setup.