Warranties and Repair

On-Site Repair and Upgrade Services

The primary reason for LTS's selection of recommended computer brands is that our hardware technicians on the Technology Installation and Maintenance Services team (TIMS) have been trained to provide computer repair and upgrade services for those brands. These services are available for faculty, staff and students for both institutional and personal computers, and include both in-warranty and out-of-warranty work. Labor fees for out-of-warranty work are quite reasonable compared to commercial shops. When it comes to having your computer repaired, walking it over to the Computing Center and speaking directly with the technician is much easier and more efficient than having to send your machine off through the mail or search for a local repair center.

Be aware though, that the TIMS technicians can only do in-warranty work on systems covered by manufacturer's warranties, and depending on the vendor, they may be limited to working on only the business-line machines. Please refer to the TIMS documentation for a complete a description of the TIMS policy and procedures regarding computer repair and upgrades.

Selecting Warranties

In a perfect world, computers would function exactly as intended for as long as you owned them. Unfortunately, in the real world, they contain sensitive components that are damaged by heat, physical shocks, and liquid spills. Especially in the case of students, who may be carrying their computers all over campus, but also for staff who may not be able to do their work without them, an extended warranty to cover the cost of repairs is a good idea to minimize the disruption caused by a broken computer.

Perhaps confusingly, most retailers offer a number of different kinds of warranties with varying names and terminologies. The warranty features that most affect their cost and value are:

Length of the warranty
Each of the recommended vendors offers either 3 or 4 year extended warranties, and some offer both. These lengths generally suit the length of a student's career on campus.
Accidental Damage Protection
Most warranties cover "defects in parts and workmanship" -- i.e. parts that wear out before the end of the warranty. However, not all warranties cover damage caused by accidents such as being dropped, or crushed or having liquid spilled on them. Some vendors offer this as an option, others don't offer it at all. See the details about each vendor from the main page.
Repair Options
Whether a technician will be dispatched to you (an On-Site warranty), and/or where you can take or send your computer for repairs ("Carry-In" or "Depot"), and the speed with which the vendor must respond (12, 24, 48 hrs, 2 wks, etc.) also impact the cost of the warranty.

Deciding which you need is always a bit of a gamble, and requires reading some fine print. LTS recommends covering accidental damage, but not necessarily on-site repair. A "carry-in" warranty, under which the user is required to carry or ship their machine to a service center is usually cheaper than an "on-site" one, and since our TIMS team can make most repairs, it may be just fine. That said, not all vendors offer a "carry-in" warranty, and may only offer a "depot" or "mail-in" warranty options, under which the machine *must* be mailed back to a central service center for repair. As well, there may be significant time when the student is not *near* a service center (like when they're home for the summer or abroad) and might benefit from on-site service. Again, LTS makes a recommendation for each vendor.

In general, the decision should be made with regard to how much and for what purpose the machine is being used, the cost of down-time, and the availability of alternative systems. The cost and coverage varies by vendor, and offerings change frequently. LTS tries to recommend a policy for each recommended vendor, and make notes regarding their limitations via the selector on the main page.

Last updated: dab406, 4-22-09