Solved Associating Complete Protection with Surface Book

[flar]

I recently visited a Microsoft retail store to add Complete Protection to my Surface Book that I purchased at Best Buy.

They happily sold me the protection and had me provide the email address of my account. I asked if we needed to specifically associate it with the device, but they said that all I needed to do was to show the receipt and they would tell from the price that it was a protection plan for an SB and it would be covered. That sounds a little weak and I don't see it listed in my account and my SB still lists 1 year expiration on its warranty.

Should the Complete show up on the status of my device? Is there another step I need to take to associate the plan with it?

Update/Resolution:
To skip to the final result, here is the link where I was finally able to view my Complete Protection plan associated with the device (after using the online chat support to force the issue):
Surface Online Service Center - Welcome

 

[sharpuser]

The Microsoft Store would have physically inspected your Surface Book and entered your serial number and an email address into a special Microsoft Complete database upon sale of the Microsoft Complete protection.

So if you need to have your Surface Book repaired, do it through Microsoft. You could go through the trouble of handling a repair through Best Buy, but would be more hassle.

 

[flar]

I edited my original post to clarify that I purchased the Complete protection directly from a Microsoft retail store. I bought the device itself from BB, but decided I wanted the MS Complete instead of the Geek Squad warranty so I visited the MS store in SF to get the protection afterwards.

I was expecting them to make a big deal of asking to inspect the SB, but they didn't really bring it up. I ended up pulling it out to look something up during the transaction but other than seeing it there and that it was in one piece and that I could type on it, they didn't do any specific inspection. And they never entered any serial number - I even asked if they needed the serial number, but they said that it wasn't necessary as long as they registered it on my account (that makes no sense under any circumstance because I could have bought 10 SB's and with a single purchase of Complete I could have claimed that it applied to any of them if there is no serial number associated with it). Perhaps if there was only one SB on my account (and there is only one) then it would automatically associate, but I see no evidence that has happened when I look at my devices online and when I query the warranty status on it.

 

[sharpuser]

Do yourself a favor and :

- Take your Surface Book to a Microsoft Store and tell them you are not sure it is protected. Have them look it up and verify, showing you proof.

Peace of mind.

 

[flar]

I've essentially already done this "take my SB to an MS store and have them look it up" action item right there in the store when I purchased the protection. I was surprised that they didn't need the serial number and I specifically asked them to make sure it was covered and they looked at a few screens and told me not to worry. If I go back, they'll likely just tell me not to worry again unless I have some concrete evidence to point out that they haven't done their jobs right. Until then I have them thinking they know what they are doing when they probably don't.

To that end, if someone who has an SB and the Complete protection can tell me how it is indicated on their device and/or in their account then I can go back armed with more knowledge and demonstrate the lack of coverage in a concrete manner. The only place I've found to check the status is this web page:

Microsoft Surface warranty status | Surface accessory warranty status

Are there any other places I can check and show the problem to them?

 

[flar]

And I should point out that I was dealing with the store manager at the time when he told me that it was covered and not to worry. I don't think going back and asking for the manager will get me any more reliable information.

 

[sharpuser]

I have not suggested you "ask for a manager".
1. Suppose something was wrong with your Surface Book and you needed repair. Go through those motions.
2. The Warranty Status page will not necessarily show your Complete protection. Can you view your Microsoft Account purchase history? Complete should show there.

 

[flar]

Thank you for your many suggestions. I'd still like to know what Complete protection looks like from someone who has it. That's pretty much the one missing piece I need to proceed on my own at this point.

To respond to your specific comments:

- I realize you didn't suggest that I talk to a manager, but it was one more possibility of something someone might suggest which I've already done. I'm trying to be complete in describing my situation so that I can head off any further suggestions that end with "Thank you, I appreciate your suggestion, but I've already done that" or "I was planning to try that, but I suspect from prior interactions that it won't work as one might think" so we can get down to answering the primary remaining question which is "how does one determine successful association in a verified and measurable way that I can then use to demonstrate to them in very concrete terms that my status is not correct".

- I was planning to "go through the repair request motions", but given that my SB is still under the full protection of a regular warranty, both repairs and tech support still active without any Complete extensions, that may not provide the answers I need. Being able to point at a given web page and say "See, it's supposed to say Complete there and it doesn't" will likely be more foolproof in convincing them that something needs to be done.

- I did view my MS Account purchase history. It was one of the first places I looked after the Warranty Status page and I probably should have mentioned it for completeness sake. It only shows the transactions I've done through the online store and the Office registration that I bought via prepaid card, but had to enter into my online account, so I didn't consider that conclusive since I did the MS retail transaction at a store with a Credit Card and did not complete the transaction via my online account via the stored credit card listed there. It could be missing simply because of the different mechanism I used to purchase the Complete package.

I'm pretty good at investigation myself. I thank you for your many suggestions, but I really need one piece of information to help me proceed. I've found a dozen ways in which Complete is not showing up on my machine and in my online account - what I need is any single way in which someone who knows they have it can confirm that it does show up so that I know that I'm not barking up the wrong trees.

Can someone who has Complete on their SB please answer and let me know how it shows up on their device or their account? I would greatly appreciate that information.

 

[sharpuser]

I have Complete on a Surface Pro 3 and a Surface Book.

On these devices: Nno indication of warranty.
Online Microsoft account, Devices, Final date of warranty (1 initial + 2 Complete).

The final date of warranty was not updated until I asked at a mall Microsoft Kiosk. When a Store Associate checked, some kind of refresh happened because I was able to verify online.

The date of my Surface Pro 3 warranty also shows properly - but not until I visited the Microsoft Store once while shopping a year ago. I asked about my warranty of the SP3. A query did the update.

That is why I have been suggesting you go to the Store and have them check.


I suspect Microsoft accounts for extended warranty by not actually assigning it to the serial number until you have a problem and need to exercise your benefit. Then a look at your account finds Complete purchase, and its date, and does the permanent association.

 

[hughlle]

Regarding the warranty expiration stated on your MS account, it does not include the extra year, even when correctly applied. You have to go through all kinds of hoops to find a page actually confirming the date including the added year of warranty. Just get on live chat or go back to the store.

 

[flar]

Thanks all, with the details filling in, that is starting to sound similar to what they were trying to tell me at the store. I think I'll press the issue, though, because technically I was outside the 45 days since purchase. The store personnel saw fit to sell me the plan anyway given some combination of the MS apology, the holidays and the gift giving allowances. But if it isn't tested until I have a problem a year out then I may find that it will fail to associate at all. I want to make sure it is all set and baked in now just in case the exception they tried to extend me fails in the process due to mismatched receipt dates.

 

[flar]

I suspect Microsoft accounts for extended warranty by not actually assigning it to the serial number until you have a problem and need to exercise your benefit. Then a look at your account finds Complete purchase, and its date, and does the permanent association.

That is disturbing. They would be inviting people to buy several devices and then only get fewer Complete coverages and just hold them as a hedge against some of the devices failing.