Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

To me, the entire purpose for buying a high-end surge protector/UPS is *protection* against loss of expensive equipment, and in the case of a computer attached to a UPS, protection against loss of work. The APC UPS units do what they are advertised as doing, as far as functionality is concerned; I cannot complain about that. However, the thing that really broke my heart on these units was the draconian "Equipment Protection Policy" which many users will overlook until it is too late. I did not read the fine print until months after I set up my UPS, after a blackout killed an Xbox360 I had attached to the unit. To summarize my complaints on this policy: 1) You must register within 10 days of *purchase*, using a warranty card that comes inside the product box. Considering normal shipping time for internet orders, this requires you to *really* be on your toes. You're probably better off buying one of these in a brick and mortar store so you have more time to submit the required info. 2) You must provide a detailed listing of all equipment that you will connect to the unit; any equipment not listed (i.e. anything that you decide to connect in the future) will probably not be covered. 3) This policy only covers damage from AC line transients (surges). Nothing else is covered; presumably even damage caused by manufacturing defects in the unit are not covered. 4) You need to pay to ship the unit back to them. 5) You may need to pay to ship the damaged equipment to them or bring it to "an authorized service center". In addition, some other users who have suffered from surges and attempted to submit claims, even after following the above restrictions, have been rejected. I cannot comment on their situations, but I will let them speak for themselves: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SKL73LLAYV4U/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R3SKL73LLAYV4U Even some plain old surge protectors I've bought in the past have less restrictive policies... Here are some excerpts from the actual policy, which is also available online: [...] Eligibility for coverage under the Equipment Protection Policy: 1) You must register the product by returning to APC the warranty card provided with the product within 10 days of purchase. All information must be filled in, and you should retain a copy for your records. The warranty card must clearly identify the types of electronic equipment that will be plugged into the APC product for which protection under this policy is claimed. All connected equipment must be UL or CSA approved. 2) The APC product must be plugged into properly wired and grounded outlets; no extension cords, adapters, other ground wires, or electrical connections may be used, with the sole exception of other standard APC 120 volt products. The installation must not include power protection products made by any manufacturer other than APC. The installation must comply with all applicable electrical and safety codes set forth pursuant to the National Electrical Code (NEC). 3) Any claim under the Equipment Protection Policy must be made within 10 days of the date of alleged damage to the connected equipment. 4) The Equipment Protection Policy covers only standard APC 120V products used in the 50 U.S. states, Canada, Bermuda* and/or Puerto Rico*.