Can they insist on their own insurance and warranty?

lexiconmistress

Hi there

Desperately after some advice here. 

My kid's school is encouraging parents to buy chromebooks which I'm happy to do. They have a deal with a specialist supplier. If you choose the one-off payment option they have confirmed that the laptop would be owned immediately by me.

They are insisting that I buy a specific insurance product plus extended warranty which adds £100 to the cost. I have household insurance that would cover this plus I don't tend to buy warranties.

Whilst I understand that schools want these insured I'm frustrated that I'm forced to buy products I don't want. I don't think they're acting unlawfully because it would be deemed an 'invitation to treat' so I either buy the whole package or nothing. 

Can anyone suggest anything that might help make my case a little stronger? At the moment, they're insisting I spend this extra £100 and, if I don't want my kid at a disadvantage, it looks like I'll have to suck it up

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Is the price from this specialist supplier cheaper than retail even with the £100 thrown on top?

Are you buying it direct from the specialist supplier or do the school buy it and then sell it you? 

Aylesbury_Duck

Can you buy a suitable chromebook for less than the price of the school one plus £100?  If so, that would be the obvious route.  If not, then surely it's a good deal?

You can't force them to sell the chromebook to you without the insurance, so if the deal is contingent on the insurance, buying your own is the only alternative.

The mandatory insurance seems like a sensible idea to ensure that no child is disadvantaged in the event of loss/failure.  If it were left to each parent to sort their own replacements or insurance, you can imagine that some kids will be at the mercy of parents' finances, technical know-how or sheer idleness.  Presumably the packaged insurance allows for an immediate replacement and/or a loan device.

eskbanker

lexiconmistress said:

They are insisting that I buy a specific insurance product plus extended warranty which adds £100 to the cost. I have household insurance that would cover this plus I don't tend to buy warranties.

Just to be clear, are these comparable, i.e. your household insurance presumably covers theft, loss from fire/flood, accidental damage, etc, but the other one being proposed (with extended warranty) presumably covers other risks, such as component failure?

Alderbank

Are the chromebooks preloaded with some special software?

You say 'If you choose the one-off payment option...' What are the other payment options?

tightauldgit

Probably the deal the school has negotiated is contingent on buyers signing up for the insurance but you are obviously within your rights to ask the school to allow you not to buy the insurance but they don't have to agree to it. I imagine the school would prefer the peace of mind of having all the equipment insured by a third party rather than trying to recover the cost of a busted/lost chromebook from a parent that doesn't want to pay. 

lexiconmistress

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Is the price from this specialist supplier cheaper than retail even with the £100 thrown on top?

Are you buying it direct from the specialist supplier or do the school buy it and then sell it you? 

I suspect the hardware is cheaper, yes, so there's a saving there.

The school buys it then sells to parents.

lexiconmistress

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Can you buy a suitable chromebook for less than the price of the school one plus £100?  If so, that would be the obvious route.  If not, then surely it's a good deal?

You can't force them to sell the chromebook to you without the insurance, so if the deal is contingent on the insurance, buying your own is the only alternative.

The mandatory insurance seems like a sensible idea to ensure that no child is disadvantaged in the event of loss/failure.  If it were left to each parent to sort their own replacements or insurance, you can imagine that some kids will be at the mercy of parents' finances, technical know-how or sheer idleness.  Presumably the packaged insurance allows for an immediate replacement and/or a loan device.

All good points re. the insurance. But it's still £100 and money is tight for me.

Extended warranty though.. that's galling albeit not the bulk of the additional cost.

lexiconmistress

Alderbank said:

Are the chromebooks preloaded with some special software?

You say 'If you choose the one-off payment option...' What are the other payment options?

Yes. They have specific software which I'm happy to buy. 

The other payment option is a lease over three years. It adds an extra £133.

lexiconmistress

eskbanker said:

lexiconmistress said:

They are insisting that I buy a specific insurance product plus extended warranty which adds £100 to the cost. I have household insurance that would cover this plus I don't tend to buy warranties.

Just to be clear, are these comparable, i.e. your household insurance presumably covers theft, loss from fire/flood, accidental damage, etc, but the other one being proposed (with extended warranty) presumably covers other risks, such as component failure?

Possibly. I'd be interested to see what additional protection this insurance and warranty adds over my own insurance plus statutory rights though. I suspect 'not a lot'. So £100 is a lot to pay for no benefit.

lexiconmistress

Thanks everyone. You've made me feel a bit better about it. I think the pertinent point is that the deal probably does include reduced hardware costs so it all balances out.

I would prefer not to have to buy the add-ons but, let's face it, the add-ons are why the hardware is reduced because that's where they make the money...

So I can't get one without the other huh. Oh well. I'll be able to suck it up with a bit more grace I think.