(Update: The new CompUSA contacted us to say they will make sure all TAP agreements from the previous incarnation of the company are properly honored.) Remember when CompUSA shut down? Before it emerged from its ashes to fill my inbox with daily email circulars, it announced that Assurant Solutions, the company that underwrote its Technology Assurant Plan (TAP) extended-warranty service, would be honoring all remaining TAP agreements. Now a Consumerist reader, Tom, has a problem with the power cable on his laptop, and Assurant Solutions says they won’t replace the frayed cable: “[The CSR] tells me that he is unable to help me any further since the damage isn’t accidental.” Apparently “honoring” means “we’ll take your calls, but turn you down.”

I feel really stuck after being on the phone with Assurant Solutions. I have a Toshiba laptop which I bought for $2,000 from CompUSA 2 years ago. Also, I bought the TAP extra service for 3 years of additional service. About a year ago, my ac adapter stopped sending power to my laptop, and I had it replaced with a cheaper brand through TAP, no problem.

Now about 2 weeks ago, I noticed my wires were fraying and I wasn’t getting power to my laptop. And more recently, when I went on vacation, the wires became completely detached, no more power. But I wasn’t too concerned, I still have a year of coverage.

So I look up the number for support and I call and talk to a Christopher who is quite helpful. He notifies me that CompUSA has been bought out, and his company (www.assurantsolutions.com) has taken over the extended warranties. He also tells me, under the new warranty with his company, I am entitled to 1 battery replacement, 1 screen replacement, and 1 ac adapter replacement. Great! So I tell him I need my adapter replaced, and tell him my wire has become disconnected.

He then tells me that he is unable to help me any further since the damage isn’t accidental.

Tom tried to reason with Christopher, but got nowhere. He tried to escalate the call to a manager and was told one would call him back—but nobody did. Tom called back and argued with another CSR who refused to provide a manager, and who eventually just ended the call:

“I tell him if he is unable to help me, get me someone who is, but instead, he talks over me and says “thank you for calling” and hangs up on me.”

Now, I feel helpless and stuck with no where to go. Mario was nice enough to give me their homepage, but after quickly searching, I can’t find any email addresses or phone numbers, except for the number I originally called. What can I do next? Who can I call/email? I feel royally ripped off, paying $500 for a warranty program that doesn’t do anything.

Has anyone had success with getting Assurant to honor their TAP agreement? These similar complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com make it seem unlikely, with Assurant claiming warranties aren’t on file or that the terms of the warranty have changed and they’ll no longer make the requested repairs.

Tom, you may want to try contacting the executive offices at Assurant Solutions to ask for more details, such as a written copy of exactly what your TAP covers under Assurant.

(Photo: dump by oddsock, sign by walkingsf)

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