Home audio & video: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it????
In my experience YES
by coronan - 12/5/07 5:39 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI've had mostly good luck with extended warranties. My PC always fails after the warranty is up BUT I have yet to have a printer go the long haul.
-Printers Average life span less than 3 years. And Ive tried nearly all the brands.
-Digital Cameras - yes! I just got great service from Olympus. I had my camera back in 2 weeks. (and that included time in the mail.)
-PC's - average life is 3-5 years
-Laptops - Dell has great service that covers accidental damage. They have also sent parts "next day". How thick the accent of the Techie varies.
-Cell Phones - What happened when you didn't have to get a warranty plan form your carrier???? Any body getting 3rd party warranties on phones?
I'm learning to compare factory warranties. Usually there's 1 underdog. I was just in the market for an air compressor. Rigid offers a 5 year warranty. Where all else is only 3.
My Extended Warranty Experience
by Joel Myron - 12/5/07 5:40 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieAlthough I've had to use extended warranties in the past, my experience is mixed. You are usually required to ship the equipment on your own dime, which can be expensive. You then have to wait weeks until it comes back to you. In my case it was a computer, and although I did receive it back repaired, I had to scramble hard between the time I sent it in and the time I got it back.
In another instance, it was a cell phone. In that instance it was replaced, but it still took a couple of weeks.
Even when they claim there is a local service center you can take it to, you still need to be wary. Many times all the local service center does is look at it to see if it's easily repairable, and if not, they tell you to ship it back.
Depends on the item, and how you use it.
by torestov - 12/5/07 5:42 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiePersonally I would only consider extra insurance on very expensive items except for items that may be too easily lost or stolen. Like costly mobile phones, portable PC's, Ipods filled with expensive music etc. And then only if the warranty covers loss and theft, and only if these items are not covered by other insurances.
Otherwise I would look for items that have a reasonable warrantee.
The reason the shops are so interested in selling these insurances are because they make a big profit on them. And that is why we should avoid them.
Extended Warranties Are Unnecessary
by pemaco - 12/5/07 5:44 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieKeep in mind that most problems occur during the warranty period. Major box stores (Circuit City for example) make almost of their profit selling waranties. They don't do so expecting to payout. Last but not least, many credit card companies double the manufacturers warranty up to a certain period.
EXTENDED WARRANTIES
by trizzity - 12/5/07 5:45 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieWELL, IT HAPPENED LIKE THIS, I'M SITTING THERE WATCHING TV AND THE PHONE RINGS, AN OPERATOR ON THE OTHER END ASKS ME IF I WANT TO EXREND MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAD TO ASK WHAT EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE I USUALLY DON'T GET THEM. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THERE WAS A SLIGHT PROBLEM WITH THE TV SET THAT HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (THE ONE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I HAD)THERE WAS A FINE GREY LINE ON THE EDGE OF THE SCREEN YOU HAD TO BE REALLY LOOKING FOR IT TO KNOW IT WAS THERE. THEY SENT A TECH TO LOOK AT IT. HE SAID IT COULDN'T BE FIXED AND I WOULD BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FINAL SOLUTION. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I WAS CALLED BY THE EXENDE3D WARRANTY CARRIER AND WAS TOLD THAT THER WAS NO REPLACEMENT FOR MY "PROBLEM 5 YEAR OLD 36" TV, AND THAT THEY WERE GIVING ME A $1000.00 CREDIT TO BUY A NEW SET. THE MORAL *IF YOU ARE BUYING A TECHNOLOGY THAT MAY BE OUT OF STYLE BY THE TIME THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS UP *GET THE WARRANTY*
Re:What's everyones opinion on the subject of purchasing ext
by teacee90 - 12/5/07 5:48 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIt depends what the item is, on how long you plan to keep the item, and is the item subject to accidents. For instance, you can purchase an accidental and extended warranty on a laptop, sat you spill a soda on the keyboard its covered, and it is most likely something subject to being abused, especially for younger users, college students. If you do purchase an extended warranty, buy it from the manufactures website, not the retailer. Cut the middle man out and you will save money. Also most electronic and computer companies allow you to purchase an extended warranty up to the last day your standard warranty is valid.
probably not
by verschoor2 - 12/5/07 5:48 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieYou have to remember that the company extending the warranty is making money on this product so when you pay for a warranty you are actually putting out more money than the actual risk of loss you are facing. Your best bet is not buying the warranty on items that either are quickly becoming obsolete or that are inexpensive. If you have an expensive item that you do not have the funds to replace with a slow progression in its technology, the warranty might be worth it. I buy lots of electronics and gizmos and rarely have any problems with them so a warranty on each of these items would have been money flushed down the drain. If however you lose an item such as a cell on a regular basis or drop it into the toilet, coverage might be a wise choice. My daughter and her hubby lose or damage phones on a regular basis so they have really cashed on their insurance.
Some are better than others-
by Bluerider - 12/5/07 5:49 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI don't buy an extended warranty for a $49 telephone, but a $3,000 compter system, probably. But they vary in worth depending on where you buy it. At one national electronics store I have gotten a new computer with no questions asked. Also a new Ipaq when mine failed. They told me to get what I wanted to replace the defective one. But at another national electronics store, it was like pulling teeteh to get a TV repaired, let alone replaced.
According to Murphy Yes...
by lecastangt - 12/5/07 5:49 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieLet me tell you my story and you be the judge. About a year ago I bought an HP Pavilion notebook, at the time I was offered 3 year extended warranty, but I refused. I was in Orlando and saw the opportunity to get myself a notebook and why not buy a $1500.00 one. For one year the notebook performed better than I had hoped, but just shy of the original one year warranty from expiring I experienced a serious problem, and my notebook died from overheating. This came as a shock since I was always careful not to use it in bed or otherwise where it did not have proper ventilation, but I used it heavily every day so it still happened. After contacting HP they said I had to send the notebook to them, but I was outside of the US and shipping alone would have cost me as much as the spare needed so I asked if there was anywhere I could send it for repairs elsewhere of the US and they said NO, because I had only basic warranty. If I had purchased the extended warranty then it would have been different and I wouldn't be waiting for the part to arrive, because that extended warranty does cover repairs anywhere in the world, funny huh.
No to extended warranty
by rick.d.downs - 12/5/07 5:50 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI always research the product so that I have the utmost confidence in my purchase. I would not buy it if I was concerned about it's reliability. Therefore, I do not buy extended warranties.
Also, if you add the purchase price and the extended warranty price, the average person is not going to pay that amount for the product if you feel good about the product in the first place.
Sometimes extended warranty
by Windrider6 - 12/5/07 5:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieComputer: My experience with computers is that if nothing goes wrong with them in the first year, then probably nothing will go wrong for 5 years. Thus a 1 year warranty for computers is enough.
TV: I bought my first HD wide-screen LCD a year ago, and since I have not had any experience with big TVs, I went for the extended warranty. Just for piece of mind.
I don't know about other items.
They are not worth it.
by Jill - 12/5/07 5:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieHere in Wellington New Zealand, I bought an HP Deskjet 830c about four years ago. I was told that warranty covered parts, but not consumables. I paid for a 2-year warranty, 15 months later, the printer stopped working. Took it into the retailer, and they sent it to be repaired. It came back with a $98:00 price tag. I complained to the retailer - and was told that the paper roller had to be replaced. I of course asked why I was being charged for a part. The answer was that the paper roller is a consumable! Money wasted! The printer has been working well ever since then.
Extended warranty? It was a rip-off for me
by kittywerner - 12/5/07 5:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI bought a $1,000 laptop with a $225 extended warranty from Circuit City years ago as I was about to board a plane and didn't want to lose/bust that computer while away. Nothing happened during the trip, and my son used it at college for a year. So, now it's a year old and having problems, but the warranty is for 4 years, complete replacement if something goes wrong. Well, it did go wrong. The computer became unusable. Over the next 3 years we periodically called and spent hours on the phone trying everything we could to get it to work. When it got to the point that the warranty would get me a new computer, suddenly the warranty didn't cover "software" problems -- which is "now what you have. So we can't cover it."
Funny enough, months later, after filing a complaint with our State office of Consumer Complaints, I got the $225 back, but no satisfaction on the computer.
I offered the remnants up on Freecycle with another matching one my friend had bought and gave to me to see if we could get at least one to work, and the geek who took the parts switched hard drives. Guess what!? It worked! It was a "hardware" problem and I should have gotten a new replacement computer.
No, I won't buy another warranty.
Extended as a rule are not worth the cost
by harlor - 12/5/07 5:52 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieFirst, I assume most people pay with a credit card, my card company
had and extended waranty whe purched with their card.
Harold Gautreau
I eat DVDRs
by evileddy - 12/5/07 5:56 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI don't know what it is but I but I eat DVDRs. They only last about 6 mnths. The last one I bought is a USB Sony. I don't bother with internals any more because I know I'll be replacing it. The last one I bought was a Sony. I bought a 3 yr warranty and have burned up 3 of them so far. I backup a lot. I bought a LG VCR/DVDR which I don't use much.I hardely ever burn with it since once the MOXI (Charter TIVO) box is in HD mode even the RCAs are in HD and the DVR can't read it. So far it has had to go back twice once the decoder chip bit the dust and the next time it was the drive itself. We have never used the VCR part.
With the big TV I bought a warranty, especially since they will come here to fix it. They had to come out once. It turns out the MOXI box is supposed to send out a signal to the TV saying its in HD mode. But it doesn't. The only time it sends out the signal is in bootup. So everytime I turn on the TV I have to reboot the MOXI, which can take 5 mins. No big deal but I toddler who thinks turning off the TV is fun.
I also bought a wareenty for the washer and dryer. I know no big deal, but they'll come here to fix it. It just seems like they are not building anything that last any more. But then after 3 years its out of date any way. But hey I have a 25 yr old MG frig thats still trudging a long keeping the drinks cold.
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