I screwed myself today. (fresh buy+broken screen)

[a kim]

I've been saving up a long time to purchase my laptop especially since this will be my last semester in college I decided to spend a little something on myself for once besides working hours to pay for tuition.

anyways, big problem here.

I purchased a surface pro 3 i5 256gb model yesterday at best buy, I was so excited as soon as I got home I decided to open it right away. You would think the way all devices are being sold in boxes that it would be secure...

Well I peeled the sticker off that held the boxes together, starting pulling on the white inner box vertically (assuming that the device is inside the white box secured) and the device falls out of the white box and on to the floor. Have you ever opened up an iphone? or seen an iphone box? well thats how I thought this tablet's box was designed to be. So it fell on it's corner and the screen shattered.

There are really no DIY on replacing these screens yourself, as even the experts say that this is hard to do on this machine. I didn't get geeksquad protection at the time of the sale, I know i have 15 days but once i go apply for it and they see my device, they will probally decline their service.


This is how I screwed myself. To add fuel to the flame. Since I had about 8 textbooks to buy this semester I decided it would be cheaper and easier to carry if I buy ebooks.. So I went ahead and bought all the ebooks and the plan was to use this tablet to bring with me to school.

Well I'm here to ask if there are any solutions to my problems. I'm pretty sure there isn't, well thanks anyway in advance.

 

[buckstar]

You certainly could purchase Microsoft Complete. They have a service where they will replace a broken screen for I believe $50.

 

[malberttoo]

You can by Microsoft Complete here- https://myservice.surface.com/en-US/Pages/Welcome.aspx.

It gives you accidental damage coverage for 2 years, up to 2 incidents. The coverage is $149 and then a $50 deductible per incident.

 

[kozak79]

Did you use a credit card? Check to see if it has buyer protection. Amex gives 90 days accidental damage or theft protection on anything you buy with it. Other cards have such services also.

 

[malberttoo]

I know that my Visa Signature card extends the warranty of anything I buy, by up to a year, but I don't think they give me any kind of replacement for accidental damage.

Looks like AmEx does give up to $1000 accidental protection within 90 days of purchase. Nice!

 

[hughlle]

I would be honest, email Microsoft straight away, or phone a local store etc, and plead your case. I have watched many unboxing videos where that has almost happened, thinking it can't possibly just fall out. If you can show them the time and date of purchase coupled with the time frame in which this has happened, they might just help. But i realize i am slightly optimistic in this feeling of honesty, I'm in the same boat as you, but first year of university, and i know i would not be able to jsut sit there and take the chance that i have to just bin it given how hard I've saved.

So yes, if you are not a complete saint, the cover plan might be the best bet.

 

[GreyFox7]

are you really sure you can't still get the BB coverage... even so Managers have discretionary abilities. IDK Can you buy it online or over the phone?
another user bought at a different place and their dog chewed the corner causing some damage and they replaced it. maybe she was that cute though

 

[malberttoo]

So yes, if you are not a complete saint, the cover plan might be the best bet.

I don't think there's anything inherently dishonest in buying Complete at this point. Complete itself is made specifically for replacing broken Surfaces. He has a broken Surface, literally 2 minutes out of the box. I myself always planned on buying Complete for my SP3, but it didn't actually happen until a few days after I received my SP3.

*Edit* I would feel completely differently if the OP had been using the thing hard for 35 days and THEN broke it. But he hasn't even powered it on. *end edit*

I dunno... by all means I'm open to a different viewpoint.

 

[hughlle]

I don't think there's anything inherently dishonest in buying Complete at this point. Complete itself is made specifically for replacing broken Surfaces. He has a broken Surface, literally 2 minutes out of the box. I myself always planned on buying Complete for my SP3, but it didn't actually happen until a few days after I received my SP3.

I dunno... by all means I'm open to a different viewpoint.

No, I don't disagree. It's dishonest to buy a policy to cover something that's already broken, unless the cover stated it was retroactive, it that would basically be fraudulent. But it is indeed one of these kind of "you you don't tell I won't tell" cover policies. By offering the policy for a select time after purchase as a show of flexibility to customers, they are willingly accepting that the policy will end up covering devices that broke within that time frame.

But I would not be surprised if a properly worded exchange with microsoft would end up with a result. It seems they are bending over backwards to keep customers happy with this model. 30 day no questions asked returns, multiple free replacement pen nibs, replacment pens being sent out with no request for the old one back, a seemingly "no questions asked" return and replace policy. Right now they are putting in one hell of an effort to keep new buyer happy.

 

[Len J]

If you are going to purchase the warranty coverage and then a few days later file a claim, I'd delete this thread.

Ymmv

Len

 

[mitchellvii]

I've bought and owned 6 different high end tablets and none of them were secured to the point that pulling them from the box vertically would be safe. Just bought a Galaxy Tab S and it was pretty much just sitting free in a tray. I open all new electronics on a table over carpet.

 

[Kif]

I would take it immediately back to Best Buy and say it came out of the box like this and show them the broken Surface. I bet they exchange it no questions asked.