The Showcase strongly advocates for the purchase of a good warranty at the time of sale. This is especially true for laptops, since they experience more wear and tear than desktop machines.
As a rule, we bundle three-year (or occasionally four-year) warranties with our computers. Yes, the warranty adds to the purchase price. But repairs are expensive, and we believe that a good warranty pays for itself (sometime several times over) over the course of time.
It's also important to understand that you are buying the warranty from the manufacturer (not from the Showcase or other retailer), The manufacturer (Apple, Dell, etc.) sets the terms of the warranty and you will deal directly with them when it comes to future repairs and claims. Not all warranties are equal (for example, some cover accidental damage and some do not) so know exactly what you are buying when you make your purchase.
U-M Computer Showcase is an authorized repair center for Apple and Dell computers.
When you buy an Apple computer with 3-Year AppleCare Warranty from the U-M Showcase, you are auto-enrolled for the warranty. If you've recently purchased a computer from our store and the listing on Apple's Online Service Assistant doesn't show the appropriate coverage, Apple may not yet have updated its database. You may need to wait up to four weeks after your computer purchase before the extra years of warranty coverage will show up on this site.
Check the status of your warranty using Apple's Online Service Assistant.
If the warranty expiration date is not correct, follow the links on this site to update the warranty information. You will receive a confirming e-mail when the process is completed. Alternatively, the Support for Education customers line is also available at 1-800-800-2775.
When you buy a Dell computer that includes a multiple-year warranty from the U-M Computer Showcase, the computer is auto-enrolled for the warranty. However, you are not technically the owner of the computer (U-M is) until you complete the Transfer of Ownership form. In order to transfer your computer's warranty from the University of Michigan to your name and to be eligible for Dell technical support, you must either complete the Transfer of Ownership form online or call Dell customer care for education (800-274-7799 x 4) to complete.
To complete the Transfer of Ownership form online:
Go to Dell's Support page.
Under Warranty Information, click on "Ownership Transfers."
Click on "Find My Service Tag." If your service tag (the serial number of your computer) is found, you can continue to step 4. If your service tag is not found, click on one of the three options listed on the right and manually enter the serial number as it appears on your receipt or on the physical computer.
Under Previous Owner, enter "PURCHASING" as the first name and "DEPT" as the last name. These are the ONLY required fields when doing an online transfer.
If you are working with Dell customer care, you may also need the following information:
Company: Univ. of Michigan, 3003 S. State St., 5091 Wolverine Tower, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 734-647-7415
Under New Owner, fill in all the asterisked fields with your personal information (name, complete address, phone number, and e-mail).
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Submit. If it does not accept the information, check to make sure you have entered the serial number correctly and re-submit.
You will see a screen that either confirms that the transfer will be processed immediately or that it will take 10-14 days to complete.
Within two weeks, you will receive an e-mail response from Dell. When you do, check to see if the status at the bottom of the message says "complete." If it shows any other status, you can call Dell customer care (1-800-274-7799 ext. 4) to correct.
To check the status of your warranty: