I bought the Dixons Coverplan to insure my laptop against damage back in 2003. I needed the laptop for university, and therefore wanted to cover it against loss, damage etc.
To be fair to them, on the 2 occasions in the past I used Coverplan, the work was carried out within a week or so, and certainly represented good value for money, given the cost of replacing the equipment.
However. Last year, I called PCMastercare (the repairers for Dixons Coverplan) to repair the LAN socket. I called them on the 1st of November, and the notebook was collected for repair on the 3rd.
Six weeks later, there was still no sign of the laptop, so I rang up Coverplan again. The helpful chap on the phone agreed that the PC had been away for over 6 weeks, and authorised vouchers equal to the original cost of the PC (£999). I asked for the hard drive to be returned, as it had important data on it.
A few days later, my sister answered the door, and was told to sign a clipboard. She wasn't even asked if she knew me, or to show any ID. The laptop was brought to her without any protective packaging.
The PC had been repaired, but I hadn't expected its return. I had signed up for the "Updates by SMS" option, and hadn't heard anything from that, or by any other option.
Slightly bemused to receive the PC, having been told I was being sent the vouchers and the hard drive. The person I spoke to from Mastercare agreed that the PC had been away for 7 weeks, that the vouchers and return of hard drive had been authorised, but since the package had been signed for at the destination address (could have been signed for by a window cleaner, garden gnome, man with stripey jumper, facemask and sack marked SWAG) the PC had been accepted, and that ended the contract. Tough biscuits.
All in all, when the notebook broke down again a week later, I wasn't too impressed...
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"could have been signed for by a window cleaner, garden gnome, man with stripey jumper, facemask and sack marked SWAG" - I love that line - made me laugh. Sorry to hear about your experience - I tend to avoid the big electrical and computer retailers now - a combination of personal experience and reviews such as these. Cheers
Feb 9th, 2006
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