[cinqly]

Hi all. I am planning on buying a Palm TX very soon (yay income tax return!). I am on the fence about getting a warranty, though. I don't know how long a PDA like the TX is supposed to last, but I imagine most people keep it for 2-3 years before upgrading to something newer. That said, of those that have purchased a PDA (or TX) or are planning on purchasing one soon:

-Did you buy an extended warranty??
-If yes, have you had reason to use it?
-If so, where did you buy your device and how was the service??
-If you didn't purchase a warranty, has your device failed in a critical way? or do you regret not purchasing a warranty?

I am considering paying full price for the device (approx. $300) and buying it from a place with a reputable warranty, such as Best Buy, OfficeMax, or Circuit City. The warranties cost an extra 30-60 dollars, on average. You can buy one, two, and three year warranties (they extend the manufacturers warranty). I am just worried that something will happen and I will end up having to get a new device, which will cost more in the long run than purchasing a warranty. So the added cost at the beginning is worth it to me.

Any feedback would be great, and if you purchased your device from a specific store and have had a great experience (warranty or not), I'd love to know!!

[xptp29a]

I bought a Palm a couple of years ago with a service plan. I had it for a little less than a year and the screen cracked after I sat down with it in my front pocket. Tried getting it serviced, but my particular incident wasn't covered. Live and learn.

I also plan on getting a Palm tx soon, however, this time I will forgo the service plan.

[traumaRUs]

I had a Tungsten E for two years. Didn't buy the warranty but did buy the aluminum case. I have dropped it in the case on several occasions and never had any problems. I now have Treo 700p and am awaiting the aluminum case for it.

[rehab nurse]

Hello Cingly,

I have bought and received as gifts several Palms. Mostly the Zire's (the 71, 72, and 72 special edition).
I love using them. However, two of mine had issues. The Zire 71 had some internal problems and it never worked reliably, and sometimes the battery would die within minutes, even though it was fully charged.
The second one, the Zire 72, was good for a few months, and then the screen scratched (my fault). Then I started getting weird glitches, like the programs wouldn't run, or it would appear as a program malfunction. Drove me nuts, because it would always happen during a time I really needed the info and I didn't have any other references. Usually it was for a drug I didn't know, or the doc was wanting me to tell him the available dosages, or the side effects/contraindications.
So I ended up getting a new Zire as a present for my birthday from the doc who uses it most often...LOL
However, I have not used it in a while because I haven't been working. I use mine for work only, and I truly enjoy it for all the programs I invested in over the years. I had a Tabers, the nursing constellation from Skyscape, two drug guides, a NCLEX review, the nursing notes, and a bunch of other things. I used it all the time, and others would ask me to look up things as well.
I didn't have a warranty on any of my palms, but I was told that my issues wouldn't have been covered when I DID go to circuit city to have it checked. I figured for the models I had, it wasn't worth purchasing the 100+ dollar warranty just to cover a 200 dollar item! I figured I would upgrade every 2 years or so anyway, so it wasn't worth it for me.

Now, if I had bought the 500 dollar Life Drive, I may have well purchased the warranty, but I haven't bought one yet!!! It depends on your income too...if you're having a lot of bills/debt I would probably buy the warranty if you could afford it. If you could afford to cover a new one fairly easily, I probably wouldn't buy one, but that's just my own opinion.

Good Luck!!!

Oh, and I always purchased a good case, usually a hard one to cushion it when it dropped. And it did drop a few times, even being careful. I always put it in my deep pocket on my leg, but if I had to run for a code or something, it would sometimes fall out, and the case really protected it.

[BouBou]

Well,
I just bought my Palm TX from Circuit City and I suggest you do the same as soon as possibly because they have a 75 dollar manufactures rebate. As a result of my rebate, my Palm was 225 than I added the two year warranty for about 45 more dollars and a 1 GB card (it was on sale too and has a rebate). So I have everything basically for the cost of one palm.

Hopefully, I will start Nursing school in the Fall 07. I am currently looking at the software options available and even stumbled on a discount code for skycape. Hope this helps.

BouBou

I was just looking through my box again and the Palm TX comes with a 12 month warranty for parts and labor. I am still glad that I bought the additional coverage though, to protect for a year beyond the manufactors. Therefor, I will use the manufactors warranty for the first year and maybe even send in for a tune up toward the end of the first year. Then use the Circuit City warranty for the second year.

[cinqly]

Originally Posted by BouBou

Well,
I just bought my Palm TX from Circuit City and I suggest you do the same as soon as possibly because they have a 75 dollar manufactures rebate. As a result of my rebate, my Palm was 225 than I added the two year warranty for about 45 more dollars and a 1 GB card (it was on sale too and has a rebate). So I have everything basically for the cost of one palm.

Hopefully, I will start Nursing school in the Fall 07. I am currently looking at the software options available and even stumbled on a discount code for skycape. Hope this helps.

BouBou

I was just looking through my box again and the Palm TX comes with a 12 month warranty for parts and labor. I am still glad that I bought the additional coverage though, to protect for a year beyond the manufactors. Therefor, I will use the manufactors warranty for the first year and maybe even send in for a tune up toward the end of the first year. Then use the Circuit City warranty for the second year.

Awesome!

[xptp29a]

Originally Posted by BouBou

Well,
I just bought my Palm TX from Circuit City and I suggest you do the same as soon as possibly because they have a 75 dollar manufactures rebate. As a result of my rebate, my Palm was 225 than I added the two year warranty for about 45 more dollars and a 1 GB card (it was on sale too and has a rebate). So I have everything basically for the cost of one palm.

This is an EXCELLENT deal! It is a mail-in rebate that you'll have to wait a month or two for but this price is drastically less than any other offers that I've seen. Now's the time to buy a tx if you are thinking about one!

[romie]

Extended warranty plans are a complete rip-off for pretty much everything but rear projection TV, which have special bulbs that burn out frequently. For your $200 tech, not worth it, considering all of your software and programs and OS will be out of date well before your warranty runs out. Plus, the cost of the "service" plans are arbitrary and are considered cash cows for stores. If you are really worried and have your mind set on getting a "service plan" you can almost always talk down the price with the store. If they don't lower the price, walk away.

[traumaRUs]

I just thought of something along this line too. I didn't get the xtended warranty with my smartphone - I got insurance ($4.95/month). I am with Verizon and have had insurance before on a phone and had it replaced literally without any hassle.

[cinqly]

Originally Posted by romie

Extended warranty plans are a complete rip-off for pretty much everything but rear projection TV, which have special bulbs that burn out frequently. For your $200 tech, not worth it, considering all of your software and programs and OS will be out of date well before your warranty runs out. Plus, the cost of the "service" plans are arbitrary and are considered cash cows for stores. If you are really worried and have your mind set on getting a "service plan" you can almost always talk down the price with the store. If they don't lower the price, walk away.

I guess I see your point, but I don't think I would upgrade the device until having it for at least 2 years. That said, I am also kind of clumsy. I know that it is probably a rip off, but I am worried that if something happens to the screen, it would probably cost more than $44.95 to fix. If that's true, than it would be worth it to me. However, it sounds like most people don't go for the warranties. Guess I'll just have to think hard on it for awhile.