Best Buy plan?

[kidterrific]

Okay, I know this might be a messed up question, but I want to know people's experience with this sort of thing. I'm also a new member, so if this was in a previous thread, please forgive me. I just found this site today!

I currently have the NR-70V with a Best Buy service plan. If I'm not mistaken, when something goes wrong with your Clie, and they no longer carry it, they have to replace it with a comparable model (in this case the NX-70V). So my question is this - has anyone tried this? If so, does anyone know what could happen to my clie to make it no longer work? ;)

This doesn't mean I'm going to microwave my clie. I'm perfectly happy with mine, but if there's been some experience with this, good or bad, it just might change the way I handle it on a day to day basis. Thanks for the help.

[grifter]

From other posts that I've read, Best Buy is now being more strict with regards to their replacement policy due to "accidents" occuring quite frequently after the announcement of a new Sony Clie.

[kidterrific]

I could see that happening. But still, it's spelled out in the service plan - it couldn't be wrong.

It sounds like a good idea. I just don't want to end up with a busted clie.

[grifter]

What the store does appears to depend on the individual store and the person you talk to.  Some stores are giving you the newest Clie without question, others are giving credit toward the purchase of the newer Clie or having the NR repaired and returning it to you.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Current policy is to send it away for servicing, leaving you without any clie for at least 2 weeks... only if Sony service cannot fix it will you get a new one....

so you would probably be out of any clie for two plus weeks and still may not get an NZ/NX/other.

[Noah]

My best friend had a M505 from BB and had the 3-year plan. His cradle had the famous "I'd rather fry than hot sync" problem, and so he took it back. He'd had it about a year so it was obviously still under the service plan. When we went there they pronounced it defective and we walked over to the counter and got a N760 for free! I'm a great believer in they're plan.

Basically it works like this: They cover stuf that happend on the inside like the battery croaking, or something just dies. They do not cover physical damage.

Having said that I found another alternative. With your local insurance agent they probably have what's called a Personal Articles Policy (PAP) and that will cover virtually ANYTHING that happens to your palm. Accitental damage, theft, alien abduction... And it's pretty cheap too! Last I checked they classify PDA's as "desktops" and so the insurance cost is $1 per $100. There's a minimum charge of $30/year so you can put your camera, desktop, laptop, playstation 2 etc, in the policy too for no extra charge.

Does it work? I spent three months teaching government workers in Mongolia and left my Palm IIIx w/AxxPac (now that was a great palm! :cool: ) in a taxi. Major bummer. But they replaced it no problem! I just bought another on eBay, sent my credit card number to the AxxPac German Guy, and I was set! (Yes, that really happened. :) )

I'll say upfront I'm a little biased with the Insurance thing. (My dad's a State Farm Agent :D )

So bottom line? I'd say a combination of the BestBuy service agreement and a PAP will get you set.

[Noah]

Oh, one other thing. The State Farm thing does not cover it "becoming defective" like the Best Buy plan does. Your 2 year can dunk it in a bowl of Cherrios and that's covered, but if the battery just stopps working or the MS won't read anymore, your out as far as they go.

[pixelpainter]

I recently took my N760 back because the memory stick kept eject without cause. They (Best Buy) gave me full replacement cost. $399 toward a new PDA(NDX70). The only thing is I had to buy another service plan which went from 3 years to 2.

[kidterrific]

Well, it seems that the best buy guy by my place would do it. Now the only thing I need is a way to damage the Clie and still have it within the service plan. Any idears?

[RichInKC]

Oh oh... I can just sense the impending heated debate this is going to cause. Whenever someone asks about how to scam into an upgrade, the thread gets pretty interesting. I am going to grab some popcorn and watch the fireworks. Let the games begin...

[marlonm7]

I just put a bag of pop secret in the microwave. lol

[workerofwood]

You know, we all have a lot of good threads we should be trying to restore, without getting into this kind of thing. Maybe we can let the scam artists figure it out for themselves?

[kidterrific]

Worker,

Hey - I can honestly see where you are coming from with your message. My point is just as valid as anyone's, and if people have had experience with this sort of thing, then I'm entitled to thier opinions. And I'd be more than happy to share mine.

Please don't call me a scam artist. I'm not. I haven't done anything wrong except wonder about my service plan. I'm not trying to do anything outside of the contract, which is why I'm inquiring about it.

When I bought my service plan, the best buy sales dude told me that the only reason I should get the plan was because I could get an upgrade when they stop carrying my item. In fact, he encouraged it. On top of that, every best buy guy I have talked to since has encouraged me likewise. Of course that doesn't make it right, but I'm merely trying to figure out if I'm getting smoke blown up my a$$, or if I can get an upgrade for a plan I paid for should my clie stop working.

Bear in mind, I'm not trying to argue with you - I'm trying to keep this thread from becoming a negative thread. I'm not trying to scam best buy. I'm trying to see what's possible. If Best Buy is instituting a policy change on their service plans, then I, who shelled out 70 bucks for mine, would like to know all about it.

I hope this clears things up.

[scudco]

Wonderfully put, kidterrific.