Computer insurance

[David H]

Is there a company like the RAC who you pay an annual fee and they come and fix your computer, and if not there is a huge hole in the market that one of you guys should set up.

[Ethel]

10 years ago I would have agreed - computers were hugely expensive and on the whole unreliable.

Now computers are much cheaper in real terms, far more reliable and people are more prepared to have a go themselves.

In my 13 years of owning a pc I have never had to pay for repairs.

[vehelpfulguy]

Ethel, from your many appends I am not surprised you have never had to pay for repairs, you seem to know a lot about PCs.

But there are hundreds of thousands of people who use PCs but have no idea how they work or what to do to fix the simplest problem.

You can see that by some of the questions asked on here.

There are companies around, like PC Doctor, who support home PCs for a fee, but not one that offers RAC like support.

Companies like PC Doctor charge something like �50 a visit and I do not think people would pay �100 or more a year for home PC support, particularly if they think they may not need it.

If you charge any less than �100 a year then you only have to visit a customer more than twice and you are losing money.

[kujawski]

i agree, setting up a service like this, most of the time you will probably be called out to very simple problems, that are easily fixed, (which is ok) , but you will be wasting a hell of a lot of time doing this, and more than likely losing money, due to the costs involved in doing this.

[David H]

I agree that it's only the minority of people who can fix most problems, and though I also have eventually I reach problems with no user related solution, from a blown processor to total sound failure, and rather than take the damn thing back for a third time or pay someone an unlimited amount to visit I'd far rather pay a flat rate a year just in case.
Surely if all the motoring organisations make a tidy profit on their callouts so would computer repairers, I've done it free for many friends and the majority were simple search and delete jobs but sooner or later unless you're qualified or have parts the amateur will be stumped.