You use your computer on a daily basis and it has quickly become an integral part of your life. As with anything that has intrinsic value, insurance offers peace of mind when things go wrong. When purchasing computer insurance there are a few factors to consider.
What is covered
Generally, after market warranties purchased through electronics retailers cover loss due to manufacturers defect or through accidental damage. A manufacturers defect will generally show itself within the first few weeks or months of owning the equipment so should still be covered under the standard warranty. Remember though that the balance of the warranty usually does not transfer on refurbished machines, so if you went that route when buying the computer, you may need to contact the place of sale.
Accidental damage
Unexpected or unintentional damage is usually covered under insurance, both extended warranties through stores as well as standard insurance companies. Accidental damage would be things like dropping it, water spilling on it, or it falling out the car door and cracking. Providing you don’t take a hammer to it or throw it against the wall, you should be covered.
What isn’t covered
Generally, insurance and warranties only cover hardware issues. Read the fine print to see if data loss due to hardware damage is covered, or whether software is covered. If your computer is infected by malware or a virus, it generally will not be replaced or fixed for free.
Purchasing Insurance
There are a couple of ways that you can purchase insurance, as a package deal or directly. In a package deal, your computer would be covered under your insurance policy that you purchase on your house or as a tenant. This covers housing and contents up to a set amount. In this situation though, if you have to file a claim, you’ve generally lost a lot more than your computer and it may be the least of your worries.
Direct insurance is like a life insurance package, but the premiums are based on a total value, without depreciation. These types of insurance policies are like warranties and outsource repairs to technicians in the area. You can find brokers for this kind of insurance through search engines. When choosing this path, make sure you are sure of the coverage, how to open claims, and what the policy is around replacements for total write offs.
These simple steps will make sure your valuable investment is protected for the lifetime of the computer. Just make sure you don’t do anything that makes you have to use it.