Dixons Coverplan

typeractive

Hi all,

I bought a digital camera from Dixons a few years back (quite a while ago now actually - 2003!!!). The camera cost me £300, and I took out a Dixons cover plan for an additional £80 (lasting 4 years on top of the standard 1 year).

The camera over time has broken down on me and it has been repaired through this service (which is good of course). The service is soon to expire and I think it is on it's way out again! I was wondering if it was to stop working altogether then perhaps I would be entitled to a new unit worth the same value? Does anyone know if this is likley / possible? Has anyone claimed through Dixons before?

...edit: reading through this forum I am learning that coverplans may not be that great. i.e. people have not been reimbursed with a product to the same value as originally bought.

Just wondering what experiences people have had. Their disclaime / terms state that if they can not repair the product, they will send me vouchers to purchase a new product of at least the equivalent specification. So maybe I would get a new digital camera, which would be better than my current one - but hardly worth the £300.

If people could let me know if they have had the same experiences that would be super! ....also how did the equipment break?

Thanks!

superscaper

typeractive wrote: »

Their disclaime / terms state that if they can not repair the product, they will send me vouchers to purchase a new product of at least the equivalent specification. So maybe I would get a new digital camera, which would be better than my current one - but hardly worth the £300.

If they send you vouchers to get a camera of equal specification how would it be better than your current one? Considering the rapid advancement anddepreciation in value of these products I wouldn't hold out much hope to getting very much in terms of vouchers.

Edit: just had a quick look and a £300 digital camera from 2003 would cost about £35 today, I think you'd have been better of saving the £80 and getting the last repair done for free under the sale of goods act (assuming it wasn't accidental damage).

typeractive

superscaper wrote: »

If they send you vouchers to get a camera of equal specification how would it be better than your current one? Considering the rapid advancement anddepreciation in value of these products I wouldn't hold out much hope to getting very much in terms of vouchers.

Indeed - due to the rapid advances in technology a base spec camera in a dixons store will be 'better' than the one I own. The most basic spec on the Dixons site is better than my currently old digital camera (if we are comparing by mega pixels).

Edit: just had a quick look and a £300 digital camera from 2003 would cost about £35 today, I think you'd have been better of saving the £80 and getting the last repair done for free under the sale of goods act (assuming it wasn't accidental damage).

Looks like your research is pretty accurate. As I state the most basic spec (I could find) is around £25. As for being better off saving the £80, an error of judgement some 5 years ago, though it served it's purpose allowing me to get my camera fixed some 3 years after purchase. I'm not aware of how I would have been able to get the repair done for free under the sale of goods act - would this have been possible 3 years later? Surely not?

Thanks.