Z3100 Extended Warranty

[Harris]

Looking for opinions on whether it is worth while to get an extended warranty on a Z3100.
Harris

[Geoff Wittig]

Looking for opinions on whether it is worth while to get an extended warranty on a Z3100.
Harris
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I'd vote yes. I love my Z3100, and find the output on a wide variety of papers almost flawless. However, it's clearly a more delicate and temperamental machine than my Epson 7600 was. Seeing as how it's basically a computer that happens to spray ink on paper, and that there are a number of "known issues" with it including the starwheel problem and paper sensor failures, the extended warranty seems like a good investment to me.

[neil snape]

Tough call if you're an individual and just getting into large format. As I'm going to sell my 44" the person interested is not close to a big city, I recommended he add the optional extended warranty. IT would be the shipping of parts, and or installation /travel time that would make sense to have that security.
That said other than the paper feed detector, I can't imagine anything breaking in the printer. I don't see them as fragile at all.
The roller assembly may be an ill-suited design for certain paper, but is not fragile. IF it were to be replaced with something better, it would be in HP's best interest to offer it as a free replacement, not one requiring an extended warranty. But that's just my opinion on how things should be , not how big companies actually do things.... ( my ongoing tales of woe with Adobe!)

[Fred Ragland]

...As I'm going to sell my 44"...[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=143998\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Neil, as you've become quite an authority figure for Z3100 owners, could you share with us why you are selling yours?

Thanks and best wishes,

Fred

[neil snape]

Neil, as you've become quite an authority figure for Z3100 owners, could you share with us why you are selling yours?

Thanks and best wishes,

Fred
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I'm selling the 44", my 130nr and possibly an A3+ being the 8750 or 9180, plus my drum scanner.
I've always had too much stuff in 8 metres square. I just need some space. For my own personal work I only need to print A3. Better to see this great equipment be used by someone who needs it!

BTW even without the printers on hand count on my helping with info just the same.

[reburns]

Looking for opinions on whether it is worth while to get an extended warranty on a Z3100.
Harris
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I am also interested in this question with a twist:  I believe that items over $500 purchased with a credit card are elibible for extended warranties thru some VISA cards.  First, any item purchased with some personal Visa cards can get double warranty up to one additional year (called Warranty Manager).  A friend of mine had a P&S camera replaced under this policy.  Second, there is some type of extended warranty available thru VISA (called Visa Performance Guarantee).  You get repairs made by HP and get reimbursed by Visa.  I phoned VISA and 4 years coverage from purchase date on a $4k printer purchase costs $356.  

I'm assuming that VISA offers a blanket premium rate on items without analyzing their complexity, so the premium costs less than thru HP.  The big question remains if buying this alternative coverage leaves a loophole and regrets down the road.  For an individual hobbyist, amatuer or pro-am user, the $1.1k cost for HP's 3-year coverage is not easily dismissed.  I'm interested in other's comments on this credit card warranty approach.

Thanks, Ralph

[neil snape]

Yes that is always one option. The HP warranty has a lot of perks. Direct phone lines , next day service etc, all very valuable and worth everything for power users. For an individual the credit card option may suffice as the first year of course has the HP warranty which is very good just the same.

[Mark Lindquist]

Yes that is always one option. The HP warranty has a lot of perks. Direct phone lines , next day service etc, all very valuable and worth everything for power users. For an individual the credit card option may suffice as the first year of course has the HP warranty which is very good just the same.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=144244\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

So if you buy the 3 year warranty, does it in effect "add" three years to the standard 1 year warranty?  (The printer comes with a 1 year warranty to begin with, right?)
M

[reburns]

I'm not sure about Mark's question, but I believe that the 3-year HP plan starts when the warranty ends.  When my partner bought his Z3100, the dealer told him that he could add the extended warranty later.

I have decided to order a 24" Z3100 (today, I recon), but I haven't decided if from my local Global Imaging or online.  Edit:  I guess Global did send a tech to help my buddy after a couple weeks of squeaking.  The price delta is a $200-$400 depending.

I notice that NewEgg offers 3-year extended plan for $340 thru an outfit called Service Net that starts when the warranty ends, but it has a $1k per call and $2k per year coverage cap - for these complex printers, that's limited coverage.

In my purchase decision, I used the test image, "Lab_Test_Page.tif" discussed elsewhere in this forum.  I obtained prints of this image on several different papers with the Z3100 and 4800.  Both showed idiosyncrasies; should I post the findings of a newbie?