Costco laptop purchase with Allstate protection plan - worth it?
January 24, 2024 1:00 PM Subscribe
Has anyone gotten and used the Allstate plan from Costco for something electronic? Did you have a good experience?
I am looking at a laptop for $1099 and there is a $99 3 year protection plan. It covers:
-3 total years of protection
-Coverage for drops, spills and life's accidents plus mechanical and electrical failures during normal use
-100% parts and labor, no deductibles or hidden fees
-Fast repairs or replacements
-Free 2-way express shipping for all repairs
-Easy online claims 24/7
-Worldwide coverage
It doesn't cover battery replacement which I can get when buying a computer directly from the manufacturer, but that plan for 3 years of accidental coverage and battery replacement is $350... I figure I could buy a new battery with that $250 (or put it towards a new laptop by the time I need a battery replacement).
I am looking at a laptop for $1099 and there is a $99 3 year protection plan. It covers:
-3 total years of protection
-Coverage for drops, spills and life's accidents plus mechanical and electrical failures during normal use
-100% parts and labor, no deductibles or hidden fees
-Fast repairs or replacements
-Free 2-way express shipping for all repairs
-Easy online claims 24/7
-Worldwide coverage
It doesn't cover battery replacement which I can get when buying a computer directly from the manufacturer, but that plan for 3 years of accidental coverage and battery replacement is $350... I figure I could buy a new battery with that $250 (or put it towards a new laptop by the time I need a battery replacement).
It may be worthwhile to look into a - for example - Dell/Lenovo with next business day on-site warranty. Sending a laptop in for repair is a major hassle, since one doesn't know what will happen with the data on the device and how long the whole process will take. This of course all depends on the machine you are after and the price Dell (or Lenovo or others) will charge for the warranty. Just a thought. I have bought Outlet machines that were brand new and came with 3 year warranties.
I agree that manufacture warranties are often a ripoff, but a laptop gets banged around a lot and if you just need that device to be there for the next three years without much downtime, a NBD on-site may be just the ticket for you.
posted by nostrada at 2:09 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]
I agree that manufacture warranties are often a ripoff, but a laptop gets banged around a lot and if you just need that device to be there for the next three years without much downtime, a NBD on-site may be just the ticket for you.
posted by nostrada at 2:09 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]
The common hack with warranties for computers bought at Costco is to pay with a Citi-branded Visa, as many/most of those will extend the manufacturer's warranty by two years. More info on that here.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:15 PM on January 24 [4 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:15 PM on January 24 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Fwiw the allstate warranty is actually square trade and I've used them a few times without issue. Just register the serial number and submit your receipt the day you can (usually 2 or 3 days after you buy it) and bobs your uncle. I wouldn't hesitate for $99.
posted by chasles at 2:28 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]
posted by chasles at 2:28 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]
I'm usually on the side of warranties offered at the store are a scam, but I was glad I'd gotten the warranty on my (sadly, Dell) laptop when it decided it couldn't maintain an internet connection for longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. A tech came and replaced the ethernet card the next day, and (mostly) no problems since. Without the warranty, I would have had to send it in and wait a couple weeks for it to come back, when I'd bought the damn thing to be able to do lessons on zoom (height of the pandemic in spring 2020).
posted by Ghidorah at 3:12 PM on January 24
posted by Ghidorah at 3:12 PM on January 24
Best answer: Last summer I bought a laptop from Costco and did get that insurance. It was a replacement laptop for my college student.
During her freshman year, she cracked the screen of her Dell laptop. I spent the entire summer trying to get Dell to fix it, which went so badly that I ended up working extensively with my state's attorney general. (Couldn't get it fixed locally, sent it to Dell to repair, they sent it back in worse shape than it was sent. Dell refused to take responsibility for this. In trying to get them to remediate what they broke, Dell fucked up so badly in so many ways that it was almost funny. Example: for a while they were sending me emails intended for other customers about those peoples' laptop repairs, seriously. Don't ever buy a Dell laptop.)
For $99 I would gladly avoid that bullshit if this laptop gets damaged somehow.
posted by Sublimity at 4:29 AM on January 25
During her freshman year, she cracked the screen of her Dell laptop. I spent the entire summer trying to get Dell to fix it, which went so badly that I ended up working extensively with my state's attorney general. (Couldn't get it fixed locally, sent it to Dell to repair, they sent it back in worse shape than it was sent. Dell refused to take responsibility for this. In trying to get them to remediate what they broke, Dell fucked up so badly in so many ways that it was almost funny. Example: for a while they were sending me emails intended for other customers about those peoples' laptop repairs, seriously. Don't ever buy a Dell laptop.)
For $99 I would gladly avoid that bullshit if this laptop gets damaged somehow.
posted by Sublimity at 4:29 AM on January 25
Response by poster: Thank you for your thoughts, everyone! I decided to go for it.
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 6:21 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 6:21 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]
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posted by The_Vegetables at 2:05 PM on January 24 [2 favorites]