Can I Buy Geek Squad Protection Plan After Purchase

Whatever it's called, these warranties are usually limited in time and scope. Thus, you'll frequently find the item's reseller (sometimes the manufacturer) trying to (up) sell you on extra coverage. That coverage is called an extended warranty, or sometimes a "protection plan" or "service plan/contract." The latter are more accurate, as no one can really extend a warranty except the original manufacturer.

Getting a protection/service plan means you pay more upfront, depending on the item and the coverage. In theory, you do so to make sure you have even more time with the product should it break in that pre-set amount of time, be it a few months, a year, or a few years.

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The rate of repairs on a modern flat-screen television? About 7%. Skip the extended warranty. Instead, make sure you've purchased that big screen on a credit card with some extra warranty protection. (That advice goes for any electronics purchase, period.) The average TV repair(Opens in a new window) only costs $207, which you can save for.

Nope(Opens in a new window). Especially if it's an offer that arrives in the mail or via robocall weeks or months after you made the purchase. Most of them are scams. Even at the dealership, they're mostly trying to get you to come back to the dealership for service, when you can probably find a cheaper mechanic you trust elsewhere.

Geek Squad accident protection plans cover mechanical issues, like the standard plans, but also include coverage for accidental damage. This is particularly helpful for items that get carried around, like cell phones, smart watches, or cameras.

When you purchase an Apple product through Best Buy, such as an iPad or MacBook, it doesn't qualify for Geek Squad protection. You'll still get the standard AppleCare limited warranty, but you'll have to find extended warranty coverage elsewhere. Luckily, Mulberry offers coverage for all Apple devices. When you shop online at Best Buy, you can add MulberryCare coverage to your Apple device purchase. Install the Mulberry extension so you'll receive alerts when your Apple devices qualify for MulberryCare coverage. You can learn more about how MulberryCare and AppleCare+ stack up here.

Luckily, you have options when it comes to choosing where to get your extended warranty, even if you purchase your product from Best Buy. You can buy protection for your electronics from Apple, SquareTrade, or Mulberry directly. Each provider may offer different plans or terms, including:

Purchase a Geek Squad protection plan: If one of the Best Buy plans provides the coverage you want and you don't mind paying a premium, you can go ahead and get the plan when you purchase your product.

Purchase a plan from another provider: Keep in mind that even if you buy a product from Best Buy, you can purchase a protection plan directly from another warranty company, like Mulberry. As you can see in the cost comparison above, you can often benefit from additional savings just by doing a little comparative shopping.

Geek Squad plans range in price and coverage, but are generally pretty comprehensive if you're willing to pay for it. That coverage, of course, comes at a premium, so whether or not a plan is worth it to you depends on the product, the plan cost, and whether you end up having an issue, either mechanical or accidental. If you do end up having an issue, the cost of the protection plan will be less than paying for a repair or fully replacing a damaged item.

We're pleased that you chose Geek Squad as your computer security provider. Due to the auto renewal date, your antivirus protection plan will expire today and you will be charged $399.99 as of today. It will be taken out instantly from your bank's checking account. The charges will appear on your statement in the next 48 hours.

This email serves as confirmation that your computer protection plan's auto-renewal date is today. As a result, you will be charged $ 398.68USD, which will be automatically deducted from your checking account at your bank. Our service will be available to you for the upcoming 12 months.

Best Buy offers Geek Squad Protection, which aims to provide you with prolonged warranties and protection services for your item purchases. It covers all types of appliances like TV, monitors, and more.

The cost of the protection plan varies by product. You can only see the exact cost of your desired plan after you add to the cart the product. For example, if your TV costs $1,299, your plan can be something like this:

Members also benefit from special pricing and exclusive savings on in-home services like TV mounting, appliance installation, computer setup and connected home device installation, select hardware repairs, and future purchases of most Geek Squad Protection and AppleCare service plans.

If you nip into a store like Best Buy or Walmart for your large electronics, you'll almost definitely be offered a protection plan of some sort. These are often replacement or repair programs that claim to make the blow of dead electronics easier on you in the long run. "If your TV dies in the next four years, we'll give you a TV valued at what you're paying now."

These protection plans are usually pretty well-explained, and you'll almost always get a pamphlet on what you're entitled to in the event that your device goes kaput. Plans will vary by device, so whether or not you should buy the plan will also vary depending on the device you're purchasing.

This is honestly the only plan I'd purchase for my devices. But even then, I'd only get it for anything over $100. For devices below that price point (aside from gaming controllers and speakers), it's not really worth it.

In my experience, these protection plans are only worth it if you're spending over $1500 on the product. The price of the plans is often exorbitant and unnecessary. The employee might give you a "deal" on the protection plan, but read on to find out why that's not the best for you, the customer. Most current LED TVs don't experience terrible burn-in unless they're cheaply made or there's a manufacturer defect (which you'll likely experience within the first year). Unless you're absolutely cranking your speakers all the time, they shouldn't blow unless there's a defect (remember that you always get what you pay for with speakers). Home appliances is an iffy category, especially depending on the appliance. There's a lot you can fix yourself on larger appliances, but I would indeed consider protection for larger appliance like fridges, ranges, washers, and dryers.

For computers, it all depends on your knowledge as to whether or not you should buy the protection plan. I would say if you're somewhat savvy or have savvy friends, don't go for it or only go for it for the shortest term. With computers becoming obsolete after only a few years now, there's really no point. And you can upgrade RAM and other components down the road if need be anyway.

This is the most important section when it comes to Best Buy. You will, 9 times out of 10, be offered a "deal" on your protection plan. Best Buy employees aren't on commission, but they'll still offer deals because if your numbers aren't good, you'll just get fired (or demoted to cashier). The language is always that they'll offer you the service plan for less, but the service plan is not what's being discounted. The way they discount is off the most expensive product you're buying.

If you buy a protection plan for a TV, then the money comes off the TV, not the service plan. So Best Buy makes the full amount off the plan, but less off the TV. The kicker is that, if it comes time to replace the TV (which it very rarely does), you only get a TV for the actual purchase price.

They essentially cover everything Best Buy does (outlined above), but at much better rates. For example, if you purchase a laptop priced between $500 and $5000, the three-year plan is only $95. That covers your hardware, including normal wear and tear and accidental damage. Now that is absolutely worth it. Buying a TV between $1000 and $5000? $163 for a four-year plan. They'll even include in-home service if the manufacturer's warranty covers it.

And if you've spent under $150 on a product, Walmart just gives you the money back in the form of a gift card. Now I don't particularly care for the evil empire that is Walmart, but I do have to admit that it's protection plans are actually totally worth it.

For the most part, the answer is no. The out-of-pocket cost for most repairs does not often exceed the price of the service plan you're buying, depending on the device. I would recommend only buying protection in these scenarios, and even then, really consider your options first:

Common repairs don't often exceed the price of service plans. And if you are going to buy a protection plan, get it from Walmart and really take your needs, use, and financial situation into account before buying into a program that you'll likely never use.

Geek Squad also has protection plans for several devices that you might purchase from Best Buy. For example, phone protection starts at about $15.99 per year based on the price of the device purchased. At the top-end, you can expect to pay about $99.99 per year for protection, which amounts to repair or full replacement should the device fail as a result of day-to-day usage and normal wear and tear.

The TotalTech support plan works for very small businesses and runs $199.99 per year. It offers setup, training, and diagnostic services, plus discounts on more costly repairs. If your needs are greater, you can purchase monthly business plans as well. You can also get onsite visits or purchase from an a la carte menu of services. Contact Geek Squad to learn more.

Signing up for a Geek Squad plan could be worth it, depending on the consumer and the piece of electronics they are looking to have covered. Generally speaking, Best Buy protection plans break down into three categories.

While not as robust as a full replacement plan, these extended warranties aimed at large pieces of electronics can certainly come in handy. This kind of plan can be perfect for a consumer who has just purchased a brand new computer monitor, as these plans offer coverage for pixel burnout, burn-in repair, power surge repair, full parts and labor coverage, and a one-time bulb replacement for projectors. These plans also account for reinstallation and recalibration. The price of these plans varies depending on the initial cost of the item covered, but they can be on the expensive side. As a note, you can typically haggle with a Best Buy employee to lower this cost.

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