Thinkpad 3 Year Protection

Hi all,

I tried doing a search but couldn't find anything... anyone have an opinion about the Thinkpad 3 year accidental protection?

I just ordered a T420s and added the option for $300+ and just wanted to see if it was actually worth it. I'm assuming I can cancel it since my laptop hasn't shipped yet.

Has anyone had any experience with trying to exchange for a new laptop? Also, it seems like a lot of "accidents" are no longer covered as the warranty is covered with words like "misuse," etc. I could see Lenovo saying that it was negligence even if I dropped my laptop from my kitchen counter on accident.

 

I've been very pleased with the accidental damage warranty. I purchased my X201 last fall, and have already made use of it twice:

1. I broke a key cap off while attempting to move a crumb. A new keyboard arrived the next day.

2. I spilled a few ounces of water on the ThinkPad. The keyboard may be waterproof, but the UltraNav buttons just below are not. (Does anyone else question this design decision?) My spill was enough to short out the motherboard, which would have been a hugely expensive replacement if the warranty had not covered it. The next day a prepaid box arrived for my ThinkPad; less than a week later, it was back with a new motherboard and (another) new keyboard.

I try to take good care of my technology, but it's nice not to be afraid of using it in the real world, too. My ThinkPad was a substantial investment for me, and protecting it against accidents made sense. IBM's been great about providing support on Lenovo's behalf for me. I'll buy the extended and accidental coverage again, next time I'm in the market for a ThinkPad.

 

It's water-resistant, not water-proof.

 

OK. I'd argue that if you can continuously pour water through the keyboard without damaging the computer, as you can see exhibited in Lenovo displays on YouTube, I don't think it's unreasonable to describe it the way I did. But whatever. I'm sure "water-resistant" is more technically accurate.

That doesn't change my point about the keyboard/button setup. The TrackPoint/touchpad buttons are a significant point of vulnerability for spills. It seems strange that liquid spilled on the keyboard drains harmlessly out the bottom of the laptop, but if a little of that liquid splashes across the nav buttons, just millimeters away, it'll seep through the case and fry the laptop's circuitry. If the keyboard can be made spill-resistant, surely the UltraNav can be, too!

But none of this is relevant to the OP's question, except to illustrate that accidents can and do happen, and - at least in my experience - the peace of mind provided by the extra coverage is worth the money.

 

I'd rather have an SSD for the money. Intel 320 160GB go for around $300.

 

its also cheaper to top up your home insurance to cover items like mobile phones and laptops to be used outside the home too. that way its protected against loss/theft as well. depending on your plan it could be just a little bit more.

 

Insurance policies have their place, but they also have drawbacks. They're complementary to warranties, and not substitutes. You need to be sure to read the fine print - there are things insurance might not cover that an extended/accidental warranty would. Also, it's worth remembering that your insurance policy probably has something like a $100 deductible per claim.

 

think it varies from country to country. never had issues like you mention in the UK. the only issue is that it takes longer than a warranty to get things sorted

 

My Z61t was run over by a car (long story short, I was working on my car in my garage, with a service manual open on my laptop, sitting on the ground next to the wall. Father came home, didn't see it, pulled in too close to the wall.. *CRUNCH*). Killed the screen and messed up some of the exterior panels. Sent it to Lenovo and had it back a week later, good as new! I definitely think it's worth it. Granted, I'm not generally as hard on laptops as I once was, but it's nice to know I don't have to worry.

 

When I ordered my W520, the rep threw in 3 years of TPP for free. I'll spend the difference on 16gigs of ram and an 80gig mSATA drive.

 

If your ThinkPad is your business (or your life), I would consider the accidental damage protection and the on-site warranty. If something breaks or you break it, you get your machine back in a working state quickly.

If your ThinkPad is mostly for personal use, or if you have another machine as a backup (I have a desktop), I would opt out of all of the extended warranties. The standard 1-year will cover you just fine for manufacturing defects and early failure, and after that ThinkPad laptops are actually really cheap to service. Break your keyboard? $20 on eBay and 5 minutes to replace it. Even parts like the LCD screen and system board are reasonably affordable.

 

I want to know who your rep was lol.