Insurance for laptop?

I saw in the laptop brands discussion that someone had gotten insurance for a laptop computer. What is the opinion "out there in cyberspace?" Is it worth the cost/investment? We have a laptop that will be used as the user's main pc as she will be travelling between 2 locations. If the opinion is that yes, it's worth getting - how do we go about getting it? Through our regular insurance agent? Is it a separate policy or as a rider on our current policy?

Thanks in advance. Any advice/suggestions are appreciated!

There are several kinds of "insurance" that might apply to your laptop.

1. Theft coverage. Coverage if the laptop is stolen or is lost.

2. Accidental breakage. The user gets mad or distracted and closes the laptop lid on a book or cord and physically breaks the screen.

3. Maintenance coverage (extended warranty) The mother board fails due to compontent failure not caused by a user action.

4. Liability coverage for the damage caused by the misuse of the stolen data on the laptop hard drive.


Number 1 and 4 would be discussions with your normal insurance agent.

Number 2 and 3 are often available from the manufacture of the laptop and some times can be added on to previously purchased equipment. There are also insurance companies that provide insurance for these but when I was in the service business, these never worked well as the insurer would argue if service was really needed or would not cover things that should have been covered, leaving the customer stuck in the middle.

The maintenance coverage and accidental breakage coverage may only be available for a few years on a laptop as when the machine gets 3-4 years old the cost to repair is higher and the machine should be replaced anyway.

Many retailers offer the warranty extension coverage, but as with the independent insurance, your mileage may vary.

My opinion and 2 cents worth.

Dave

I was the one that recommended the accidental damage protection and the extended warranty. These were both offered to me in my purchase of a Dell laptop. The accidental damage came in very handy when I dropped the laptop with the powercord plugged in the back. It caused the power component to break off the motherboard requiring a replacement motherboard. So, Dell sent me a new motherboard and a technician to replace it, free of charge. I would have paid $450 in parts and labor to get this replaced had I not invested the $150.

Thanks so much for the input. I'll check with the manufacturer and our insurance carrier!