Computers and other tech devices purchased from Costco can have up to four layers of warranty and support services. These are explained below.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
The normal manufacturer’s warranty will cover typical manufacturing defects, but not accidental damage. It’s common for devices to have a 1-year warranty from the manufacturer regardless of where they are purchased.
Costco Concierge Services with Free Tech Support
Tech items purchased from Costco include Costco Concierge Services at no additional cost. This extends the manufacturer’s warranty to two years and also includes free technical support. [Learn More]
The tech support is described on the Costco website as offering the following:
- Speak with expert level technicians.
- Enjoy easy-to-understand answers to your set-up and product use questions.
- Get troubleshooting assistance.
For comparison, a similar type of service is available from Best Buy for about $200 per year. So, having this available from Costco for free is a good value.
There is an option to extend the 2-year Concierge Service warranty by another two years with the Costco VISA card. [Learn More]
Allstate Protection Plans for a 3-Year Warranty
Costco offers the ability to extend the equipment warranty to a total of three years. Any mechanical or electrical failures are covered in the first two years under the Concierge Service mentioned above and the third year is covered by Allstate.
With the Allstate plan, all three years are covered by an accidental damage service that provides repair or replacement for your device regardless of how it was damaged.
The cost for the Allstate plan is about $70 for computers under $500 [View] and about $100 for computers above $500. [View]
It’s becoming more common to use a TV as the primary display for computers. If you purchase a TV, the Allstate plans are available for about $35 to $100 depending on the cost of your television. [View] Note that the television warranty is 5 years and extends to 7 years when purchased with the Costco VISA card.
Costco VISA Card Warranty Extension
If you use the Costco VISA card for your purchase, it adds two more years to the warranty of your device. This results in four years of warranty coverage for hardware defects (but not accidental damage) when combined with the standard Costco Concierge Service. If you pay $70 to $100 for an Allstate Protection Plan (mentioned above) you will get a total of five years for hardware repairs by using your Costco VISA card. [Learn More]
Recommendation
People tend to know themselves and their common experience with technology. If you are continually having trouble dropping your devices and spilling beverages on them, an accidental damage warranty can be a good investment.
Some households with pets and/or kids may be more susceptible to devices being broken. If you’re planning to take a device with you every day on an ATV or truck as you go off-road or work on construction sites or farms, then you may want to get an extended warranty. Warranties are good for devices taken hiking or camping that might encounter dust, or suffer from rain or get dropped.
If you’re consistently very careful with your tech devices, and don’t have trouble with them being damaged, then you could save some money by skipping the warranty.
The Costco VISA card is something you will probably want to have anyway, so the extended warranty provided through using the card is a good value. Similar extended warranties can cost hundreds of dollars when paid for separately.
