There are many arguments about why you should never buy an extended service plan, but one reader recently spotted another while getting a laptop repaired at CompUSA. If they decide they don't want to fix the product, they can just refund the money you paid for the plan.
"The CompUSA Domestic Service Plan has a clause that if they can't get the parts to fix your covered item they will only return the cost of the plan -- not the cost of the item you bought the plan to protect," the reader wrote. "Even better, if you have had the item fixed before they will deduct the cost of the previous repair from your refund. Here it is from page three of their contract":
"Parts Non-Availability: In the event that replacement parts needed for repair should become unavailable during the coverage period of the plan, 'OBLIGATOR' shall be excused from performance hereunder and you shall receive a refund of the purchase price paid by you for the plan less claims paid, if any, where allowed by law."
"What a great scam," the reader continued. "Collect from everybody and only pay back the cost of the claim to those who have a problem. Without a proper definition of 'unavailable' the consumer would not have any recourse. I guess there is no reason that 'we just didn't order any of those parts' would legally qualify as the parts being 'unavailable' to their service department."
The reader discovered this while he was waiting for a Toshiba notebook to be repaired under the CompUSA service plan. As what was supposed to be a one-week repair turned into months of waiting, he grew concerned about their policies. "When I called corporate I was told there was no policy regarding how long they would wait for parts before they made the decision they couldn't fix the notebook," the reader wrote while he was still waiting. "Given the language of their contract, I sure don't want them to decide the part required is not available."
Fortunately, after his calls to CompUSA corporate offices, the necessary parts were found and the repairs ultimately made. Of course, the long wait points up another reason to be suspicious of extended service plans: plan on the time it takes to get service being what's extended.
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