Is Microsoft Complete for $150 worth it?

[anony_mouse]

I never buy extended warranties or accident protection. With all that money I saved, when something finally breaks, that loss will still be less than the overall savings.

Absolutely right. If you never buy extended warranties, the odds that you will save more overall are heavily in your favour, even if you do have to pay for a repair from time to time.
Anyway, $150 sounds very expensive - if you really want insurance, you can probably get it much cheaper elsewhere. In Europe, at least, there are plenty of companies who offer insurance for electronic devices at much cheaper rates than the shops or manufacturers. Personally I still wouldn't bother, though.

 

[photobriangray]

I never buy extended warranties or accident protection. With all that money I saved, when something finally breaks, that loss will still be less than the overall savings.

I did this time around as my SP3 is my only computer now and I will be travelling quite a bit. Most cities I am going to have a Miscrosoft store, so I have a replacement device staged for the next two years. 10% premium...

 

[kevroc]

Absolutely right. If you never buy extended warranties, the odds that you will save more overall are heavily in your favour, even if you do have to pay for a repair from time to time.
Anyway, $150 sounds very expensive - if you really want insurance, you can probably get it much cheaper elsewhere. In Europe, at least, there are plenty of companies who offer insurance for electronic devices at much cheaper rates than the shops or manufacturers. Personally I still wouldn't bother, though.

I usually only but the warranty's on stuff that's mobile and going to be out in the field a lot where damage is much more likely. I also find that it increases and resale value and since I never keep stuff for long it help out. It's also nice if you are having any issues with your device and you are planning on switching anyway, you can do a warranty exchange and then sell the new device as a brand new unit which also helps the resale value. I've had a couple of things go wrong with my old Nokia 1020 (one I broke the sim tray and the second one was I didn't want the color) and both times Microsoft swapped them out at no charge. First class service all the way. I then gave the phone to my daughter and she dropped it and shattered the screen, so yeah, sometimes it can come in handy.

 

[anony_mouse]

I usually only but the warranty's on stuff that's mobile and going to be out in the field a lot where damage is much more likely. I also find that it increases and resale value and since I never keep stuff for long it help out. It's also nice if you are having any issues with your device and you are planning on switching anyway, you can do a warranty exchange and then sell the new device as a brand new unit which also helps the resale value. I've had a couple of things go wrong with my old Nokia 1020 (one I broke the sim tray and the second one was I didn't want the color) and both times Microsoft swapped them out at no charge. First class service all the way. I then gave the phone to my daughter and she dropped it and shattered the screen, so yeah, sometimes it can come in handy.

That's good for you, but also a good illustration of what you're paying for if you buy a warranty. I have never swapped a device under warranty and only once needed a repair, which was anyway covered under the manufacturer's warranty. I have never broken a device. And that's not just phones, but also TVs, stereos, cameras, PCs, etc. So if I had bought warranties, I would simply be paying for your broken and swapped phones, plus a profit margin for the insurance company.

If your usage is like kevroc's, then warranties might make sense. If it is more like mine, then they don't. Of course, if I don't buy the warranty then kevroc has to pay more...

 

[Indistinguishable]

Microsoft Complete is the ONLY technology warranty I purchase. I don't get an extended warranty on anything else. Here's why:

1.) The Microsoft Store, both in store and online, has exceptional customer support, and I want to benefit from it throughout the duration of usage of the product. There are very few warranties that will allow you to take a new product off the shelf after one visit to the store. Not refurbished. Not just your same device that was sent away for two weeks. Nope, brand new off the shelf on the day of.

There have been MANY (note: not just one or two) but MANY instances of Microsoft Complete customers bringing in a product that is no longer sold, ie Surface Rt, Nokia Lumia 820, etc. And getting the upgraded version of that model for free. Even 22 months after the purchase was made. See the example in this thread in which someone brought in a Surface Pro and was upgraded to a Surface Pro 3 on the spot. That's straight up remarkable.

2.) Buying the Microsoft Complete Package in store gives you a 10% discount on the item. (At least it always has at my local Microsoft Store. I don't see that deal online.) That 10% off the item itself could eat into quite a bit of the $150 two year insurance plan depending on the item you're purchasing. A 128gb Surface Pro 3 i5 is currently $900. Tag on a $150 Microsoft Complete plan, you're essentially getting two years of the best possible warranty for $60. Does that sound like a good deal? That's because it is!

3.) I really like and appreciate the Microsoft store. I like the products, the design, the customer experience, the attitude of the employees, just about everything. I don't mind giving a bit of extra money for a service even if I don't end up using it. Yes, I know Microsoft is a massive multi-million dollar company. They don't need my patronage. That's not what it's about. It's about the satisfaction I get for getting the products and services I want. I genuinely want to support them. And I feel that they deserve my buck. It's behavioral economics.

4.) Peace of mind. I've never broken a cell phone. But my Nokia Lumia Icon is on Microsoft Complete. I've never broken a tablet or a laptop. But my Surface 2 64gb is on Microsoft Complete. And I don't use a case for either of these two beauts. Why? Because I have the peace of mind that if something were to happen, it'd be okay! $50, and I'd get another one - brand new. I don't need to pay for some ugly Otterbox for my Icon. It's okay if my 2 two year old neice wants to play with my Surface 2. What's a $50 deductible compared to that kind of carefree mentality? I'm covered. And that, to me, is WORTH IT.

 

[rdubmu]

My surface pro one kept on rebooting and just got back from the Microsoft store and got a surface pro 3 128 gig for free by using compete. I reupped the complete for $150 and then decided to get the package for $250 without office, so I would say it is 100% worth it.

 

[mylumia928]

Caved in and bought MS complete today. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[falcon304]

Is this something that can be purchased after the fact? I'm sure they have a policy against immediately using it upon buying it, but it'd be nice if they did allow it.

 

[hopmedic]

Is this something that can be purchased after the fact? I'm sure they have a policy against immediately using it upon buying it, but it'd be nice if they did allow it.

You can buy it afterward, but there is apparently a time limit. A few weeks ago when I looked at the site, there was the possibility for me to buy the warranty. Right now, it doesn't give me the option.
https://myservice.surface.com/en-US/Pages/Welcome.aspx

 

[mylumia928]

You have 45 days to buy it.

 

[Indistinguishable]

You have 45 days to buy it.

To add to this - I purchased an opened, but like new, Surface 2 64gb on Ebay about a month after launch. It was only $400 . Since I didn't know exactly what kind of quirks that specific model had, I went ahead and bought complete on it. There was no problem at all. New warranty on a used device.