Home audio & video: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it????
It all depends
by wasnot - 12/5/07 4:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieThere's so many factors:
-The kind of product,
-The cost ratio,
-The TYPE OF COVERAGE (some don't cover squat, but others are out right replacemnet policies),
-The store it's bought from (anyone who watches the TV show "Chuck" knows what store Buy More is modeled after--poison).
Once stores that are corporations whose stockholders demand performance start to rely on this insurance money to boost their bottom line, then you must walk carefully as a consumer. To them it is like a bad drug addiction that would kill them were they to quit cold turkey.
I've bought quite a few and used several to great advantage. Others went never being used. But overall,I'm sure I'm ahead of the game. I've not bought extended warranties on items that I later wished I had.
Look, if it only extends the manufacturer's warranty, then it likely isn't a good deal unless the price is cheap. If it goes over and above the manufacturer's warranty, then it could likely be a good deal on things with moving parts sepecially.
Grace and Peace,
A former retail A/V salesman
Warranty
by HarryJL71 - 12/5/07 4:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI purchased extended warranties on my Gas Grill [stainles] and also
on a weedblower/vacum [both from Sears]. Since I only use the grill now and then, the last time I used was a good 8 months after purchase, after spending a day cleaning after use and now liking the results, I called Sears and an agent came to see the grill, ordered all new internal parts[I'm happy]. The weed blower started smoking and lost power and although the warranty was not in effect it helped in obtaining a new unit. Some years ago my water heater went bad after
almost 10 yrs. the warranty got me a new one at no cost.
I buy warranties depending on the item purchased, how often used and likelyhood of failure.
Harry
warranties...
by w0by - 12/5/07 4:55 PM In reply to: Warranty by HarryJL71Some of the warranties have really helped me out. I bought a warranty for like $50 on a $600 stereo receiver for my car...3 years later the stereo went out and Best Buy let me pick a brand new $600 stereo off the shelf...I would've been out $600 if I didn't buy that warranty. Another time I bought an expensive radar detector...it broke..best buy let me pick out a brand new model off the shelf..I would've been out $200 if I didn't buy that $25 warranty.
Extended Warranties
by rjones97 - 12/5/07 4:57 PM In reply to: Warranty by HarryJL71I bought an extended warranty on a Nikon camera. After sending it in to service three times (required) for the same problem they gave me a $700.00 credit,and bought another camera. I am sold on the warranties.
Sometimes
by spminis - 12/5/07 4:53 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI always get the extended warranty for my computers because something always seems to go wrong with hardware after 18 months which would be when the regular warranty is not in effect.
I once got the extended warranty for a Sony digital camera and when I got the warranty and read it, I fell over. The camera originally came with a 90 day warranty and the extended warranty did not kick in until 1 year from the date of purchase which meant that it would not be covered for 9 months. The second problem is that it would not cover commercial use and I bought the camera to use for commercial use. These restrictions were not stated up front.
Whenever I buy hardware and get the "why you need the extended warranty pitch" I tell the salesperson that if the system is so delicate and prone to failure that I shouldn't be buying it and I start to walk out. Suddenly the salesperson decides that the extended warranty is not really necessary.
Carol
Bank the Warranty cost
by twelch99 - 12/5/07 4:53 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieWhat I do is find out the cost of the warranty and put the money in the bank... the few times i've had to get a repair the bank account has more than enough funds to pay for the repair
extended warranty
by dconsult - 12/5/07 4:54 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieonly if it is a big ticket item.
yes and no
by Robocoastie - 12/5/07 4:56 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf it's a laptop or proprietary device like anything from Apple then yes it's worth it. I had to use my extended warranty on my Dell laptop twice. (The Inspiron 51x line are overpowered and overheat).
If it's a desktop computer and not Apple then it's not worth it all because desktops are so easy and cheap to fix. I don't know about the new fandangled tv's though, in fact probably no one knows because they haven't been around long enough to see if they have lasting power like the old solid state tube devices do.
Remember that many things are covered (less deductible of course) by your car and home insurance policies as well.
Credit card warranties...
by Skydiver069 - 12/7/07 7:03 PM In reply to: yes and no by RobocoastieIn addition.. Many Gold and Platinum credit cards offer coverages as well. I remember having to call up my CC company once and invoke the "accidental clause" after I slipped on some tax paperwork and my laptop broke my fall. Regardless, if the CC will extend the manufacturer's warranty, by ...., then that may be good enough for the average person.
Sometimes
by fpinkney - 12/5/07 4:57 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieYou have to look at the entire package (does it include battery replacement) and consider what extended benefits your credit card may offer (some double the manufacturer's warranty). Generally I only consider extended warranties for things that may get highly stressed during "normal" wear and tear. Fragile looking cell phones may, in fact, be fragile. Electronices, especially for youth, that have headphone connectors can benefit from extended warranties (those connectors take a torque). Stereos and desktop computers - definitely not - if they survive the initial warranties they'll probably live forever (of course there will be exceptions).
Absolutely not
by crazyd - 12/5/07 4:58 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiepoint blank, the extended warranty is beyond the manufacturers warranty
if an item is going to fail, it will fail immediately,not five years and one day down the way
ensure the retailer will back up the product in addition to the manufacturer
if the retailer wont without their extended care, dont buy from them
in addition, beyond the manufacturers factory warranty, in the case of failure, do you really want it repaired, or are you goin to upgrade to the newer model?
i say make it easy on yourself, just buy it at costco, no hassels just drop it on the counter (have your reciept) get refunded in full and buy the newer model
everybody comes to the answerman
extended warranties--not a chance
by mittens - 12/5/07 4:59 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieMy feeling is, if it's that poor a quality that something is apt to go wrong with it in the first year, then I'll look for something a bit better to start with.
Extended warranties, to me, seem to cover exactly what the regular manufacturer's warranty covers, price included in the box. the EW is an extra layer of nuthin'.
It gets so ridiculous. A few weeks ago I bought a steam iron which had been taken out of production and thus reduced in the store to $13.97. The clerk offered me a warranty on it and I looked at her. The EW would have cost more than the purchase price, and then she explained that it would cover replacement of the iron with the same model. Um, excuse me, there are no more of this 'same model'.
EW is just a fancy term for gambling that your new freezer will break down before the warranty runs out, and do you really want an appliance that's that much of a risk?
Extended warranty
by mevn - 12/5/07 5:01 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieAre they wouth it?, absolutely not. If you were to have it on one product then why not have it on all of your appliances. Then if you do, instead, why not put all the money aside and be your own extended warranty provider with the money you have set aside for that purpose. ...Mel
Ext. Warranty - the win-win scenario for the educated buyer
by paris99 - 12/5/07 5:01 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieAn Extended Warranty offers the sales person a commission on the sale, which may be a good reward if he's negotiated a great price for you on the item that you desire.
Just a thought to consider... 
How much would you pay for peace of mind?
by n.eagle - 12/5/07 5:03 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf you're curious about this, try an experiment. For a year, turn down any extended warranties. But every time you buy something where an extended warranty is an option, make a note of how much the warranty cost, and keep a tally of the total. Similarly, every time something you bought during that year breaks and either needs to be replaced or needs to be repaired, subtract that cost from the tally you've been keeping.
I know what the average result will be, because plenty of consumer groups have done tests like this before me: on average, you will spend lots and lots of money that will never be recouped in saved repair/replacement costs.
That said, it's not like you're purchasing nothing: you're purchasing some peace of mind. You don't have to feel like you're making a gamble on that new item. And when we're talking about something big, that might be worth it. When I bought my new iMac, I finally had to admit that I was willing to pay $300 not to worry about it for three years every time something little went wrong.
So: be honest with yourself, know exactly what you're buying, and don't make decisions based upon superstition.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
