Computer insurance paying out in PCW vouchers

February 28th, 2007 - 21:47 | 2 comments

My uncle had his laptop stolen a couple of months ago, and the insurance just paid out with PC World vouchers. I can see their logic, but it seems unreasonable: the original laptop was chosen for his needs from a wide range of different suppliers, then further customised. We visited PC World this afternoon and found their range small and of poor value compared to the original purchase. I understand the insurers want to avoid him spending the money on other items (although the PCW vouchers could theoretically be used for ten thousand mousemats) but couldn’t they request he get a replacement and supply the receipt?

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2 Responses to “Computer insurance paying out in PCW vouchers”

1 Skuds Feb 28th, 2007 at 11:18 pm

I think you are right - it is unreasonable.

First off, its a bit of a nanny-ish attitude, to try and force you to spend an insurance claim on a replacement. You might decide not to replace but use money for something else. Maybe you have had a second PC (or car or whatever) stolen and decided that, on balance, you don’t need a second one after all.

Having made that decision (which I am surprised is legal) the method leaves something to be desired. Was it a PC World policy, or taken out on a PC World purchase? It would be a bummer if you had a Dell or wanted a Dell to replace the old machine - or any of the other 100s of brands/models not for sale at PC World. Its always possible that you had a £1000 computer stolen and fancy adding to the insurance to buy a £1500 replacement, only available elsewhere. I hope it was a PC World policy, otherwise its a bit like having a Linn Sondek hi-fi stolen and getting Comet vouchers to replace it…

The other objection, as you point out, is that you could still buy other things with the vouchers, and not just industrial quantities of mouse mats or A4 paper. You could buy iPods, digital cameras or a desk and and chair. I would not be at all surprised if the small print on the vouchers revealed that you could use it in other shops owned by the group - like Currys and whatever Dixons is called now - so you could get a fridge, TV, cooker, vacuum cleaner, etc. (Just like how the common ownership of Waterstones and HMV meant that you could take what well-meaning relatives thought were book tokens when they gave them to you for Christmas and buy films, albums or computer games with them. I had garden centre vouchers once and found out that Homebase counted - so I bought power tools)
2 Andrew Mar 6th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

The original purchase was actually nothing to do with PC World, and it’s proving very difficult to replace it like-for-like for the same kind of price - it’s all rather dubious.

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