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Home audio & video: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it????
Extended Warranty may be or not good..
by lizardo_manson - 12/5/07 6:31 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI could buy an extended warranty only if it's for replacement or if the price really worth it.
I got an EW from gamestop for a psp ( 1 year), and the idiot told me it was repleacement, thing that is hard to read in the receipt because is all codes and little names. I asked recently in naother gamestop store about what covers..what i heard made my heart beat fast, lucky the device still works like day 1. So my 2 cents..ask, ask before making a bad move.
Got a new camera thanks to extended warranty
by stiner123 - 12/5/07 6:31 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieHi. I got a Sony digital camera (DSCW-30) for my birthday (May, 2006) from my parents. They bought it at Future Shop (canada) and got the extended warranty.I think it cost about $60 or so for a total of four years. Camera was $299. Well... it paid off getting this warranty. I took my camera with me up into the bush when I worked (hiked around looking at rocks, slept in a tent) during the summer of 2006. Worked good. Then with me to geological field school. Tiwce. Was more than halfway through a second summer (2007) at a gold exploration camp when my camera quit working. Just couldn't turn on properly to take pictures. Tried Sony's fix on their website. Didn't work, so I took it back to Future Shop. They told me it would take 3 weeks to be repaired. Well it was 5 weeks later and I got my camera back. Then they told me they couldn't fix it so they were just replacing it. I had to run home to get the accessories (yes, they want those) but didn't have the cd. I got lucky though, guy didn't charge me! 
Ended up getting the DSC-W55. Better camera (7.2MP instead of 6 MP) that used the same accessory pack (included an extra battery and case) and was almost exactly like my camera. If I hadn't had that warranty, I would have had to have bought a new camera (likely at least $150 for one that would work with my battery and stuff) cuz it would have cost more than $200 to fix mine. SO I ended up saving, which is why I got extended warranty on my new camera.
Only if you buy proprietory hardware
by Mark Molloy - 12/5/07 6:31 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf you do as I do, (usually) recommend generic hardware then the time and effort involved in arranging a warranty claim far outweigh the cost of replacement hardware.
It Depends
by genebean66 - 12/5/07 6:32 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf you buy a computer then it will be worth it to get one in case Your computer get a virus that screwed it up. always compare warranty prices at all Dept. stores always ask questions to make sure it covers everything no questions asked! I bought a laptop in 04 at office max I got a 3yr warranty for $113 thats a good deal. so when electronic stores
have sales on their products always compare warranty prices at other stores!
Extended Warranty.........are they worth it????
by RClayton - 12/5/07 6:32 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieHere in Canada when I was searching for a new TV I found that in almost all speciality stores the E.W. was way over priced compared
to the same products in the US. Some places were as high as 1/3 to 1/2
the price of the TV (42" Plasma in my case).
Unlike Wal-Mart in the US, Wal-Mart Canada does not offer any E.W.
They will do the 90 day exchange for defective products like TV's
but that is about all.
Also I have not found any company in Canada that will do an E.W.
except at the time of purchase or in the case of quite new cars the dealer of the same make/model will but that to is way too rich for my blood!
My vote is no on this topic!
my warranty story.
by chadmak09 - 12/5/07 6:35 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiealmost 2 years ago I bought the KDSR60XBR1 at Circuit city and went ahead and got the 5 year extended warranty. At that time this TV was around 4000 bucks......Well about a month or so ago the television would not turn on correctly. It just blinked the standy light 3 times over and over again. I called circuit city and they sent a guy from a local television repair shop. After waiting on this moron from the repair shop for almost 4 months to fix my television, I called circuit city and let them have it. They decided to replace the television. Since my televison is no longer availible I got oone of the new HDTV's out today (KDL52XBR4). I am much happier now.
Rarely, if ever, worth it.
by movieflow - 12/5/07 6:39 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieThe fact is, its the retailer who benefits the most...and its all about expanding their margins in an already tight-margin market. Don't feel sorry for them, though, their salespeople get rigorous training on preying on the buyer's fears, just like the insurance industry as a whole.
IF THE PRODUCT IS MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECT IT WILL MOST LIKELY FAIL IN THE INITIAL WARRANTEE PERIOD.
I have installed thousands of A-V receivers, TVs, VCRs and CD/DVD players since I started doing it professionally in 1988. There is not that high of a failure rate, and like I said, when gear is bad, it shows its ugly head pretty quickly.
So buy with confidence and find amusement in the tactics sales staff use to try to get you into that extended warrantee! It can be fun...for a second.
Are extended warranties worth it?
by jaykay33442 - 12/5/07 6:41 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIn a weak moment when I bought my 1st Olympus digital camera I purchased a warranty from Office Depot for $49. It could not be repaired during the extended warranty period, so I got all my money back. I also purchased and extended warranty for my new Le Sabre in 2003. One month before the mfg warranty was due to expire 3 expensive things went wrong. including the window motor, which would have been over $500.I'm glad that I have this warranty for the next 2 years. Usually I don't buy the warranty, though I did buy one for my HDTV. I got a good deal on an "open box" model, but didn't want to take a chance.
NO! NEVER! A different point of view.
by spartacus51 - 12/5/07 6:46 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIt seems all of these posts are relying on personal experience point of view. Well I say that's dumb. Think about it from the retailer side. Reasons...
1. Quite often 10% of extended warranty purchase price goes as commission to the person that sells it, including a lot of places that normally pay no commission.
2. Retailers have countless hours of training on how to sell extended warranties. I mean ridiculous. They spend more time training extended warranties than all of product knowledge.
3. Salespeople get in trouble for not pushing warranties. Some so far as to get fired.
My point then is if it is that important to retailers to push these things the margin on them must be huge. Anytime you buy something at a way inflated margin you lose. So no, absolutely never should you buy an extended warranty. Frankly anyone that does is dumb, gullible or both. Which makes sense... I always managed to sell above the 10% minimum attach, and I'm pretty sure 10% of the population is dumb and/or gullible.
EXTENDED WARRANTY IS WORTH IT AT BEST BUY
by jbmc98 - 12/5/07 6:46 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIn all honesty, the extended warranty is only as good as the company. If you buy an extended warranty make sure it is with a good company. I have bought MANY extended warranties from Best Buy on TV's, Digital Cameras, CamCorder, Applicances, & computers. If I had a problem it was taken care of. If I didn't have the warranty, it cost me. Best Buy now has a warranty good for 2 years which is for replacement. So, if the camera gets broken it takes care of it. I intend to buy a new digital camera at Best Buy for the wife & it will have the warranty.
I also bought the bumper to bumper 100,000 mile coverage on our 2001 F-150 SuperCrew & when it had 87,500 miles, it had 2 cracked heads! Because of the extended warranty -- all I spent was $50! So in short, an EXTENDED WARRANTY will give you PEACE OF MIND on major purchases. For items that cost less than $100 I don't get it. But I do on ALL MAJOR PURCHASES! Have used it! & Everything was taken care without costing alot. If I wouldn't have had it --- it would have cost me a lot.
Buy the exteneded warranty at Best Buy or other good companies & you will not have problems.
Good Luck!
Hell yes..buy it if you can afford it.
by rob10865 - 12/5/07 6:46 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieEvery electronic item I have bought..well almost..has bit it. High end, bottom end it didnt make a difference. I buy them and I use them! If its new technology def. get it. And the old technology seems to be getting made worse to fit an affordable market.
Extended Warranties - are they worth it????
by BabaKarn - 12/5/07 6:48 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI thought it had been decided! There was more than one study done by Consumer Groups both here in Canada and the US. IT IS NOT WORTH IT! Yes, there is the insurance, expensive though it is for peace of mind.
My wife would buy it always, no questions asked. Here is how I got her to agree not to buy it. First, the studies done and the conclusions reached - announced over the radio. Second, simply add the cost of the insurance for ALL the appliances in the house. Most will have more than 5, closer to 10 appliances? Now for each of these the average cost is say $200.?\ That is = +/-$2000? That will pay for a lot of repair. Remember, most appliances have a 1 - 2 year Manufacturer warranty and that the extended warranty only comes into effect at the expiry of the mfr warranty.
Our Washer had a problem after the mfr warranty and we had to pay $300. to fix it, which my wife reminded me would not have had to pay had we listened to her and got the extended warranty for only $250. when we bought the Washer. I did convince her that the money we had not spent on the warranty, the $250., I had invested, (wisely) and we had a 10%/year appreciation in the investment and that the $250. was now worth $300.! The point is you can in fact take the amount of the warranty and keep it in very safe bank account to get at least 5%/year. And further remember that not all the appliances will have problems, so the amount of funds available for repair are actually higher. When accounting for all the appliances, you will be setting aside say $2000. (for 10 appliances) and the interest being paid is on the full $2000.
Why do you think almost all sales persons push it? It is very profitable for everyone involved in the sale of the insurance product.
It Depends WHO Is Fixing Your Purchase
by lyama - 12/5/07 6:49 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggie2 situations that happened to me. Dell laptop with a 2 yr extended warranty. In month 3, the video card goes out and fries the motherboard. Called Dell and they indicated that a DHL rep was going to come to my place of employment to pick up the laptop on Monday. DHL driver gives me a box with foam cushioning the laptop and in 4 days, my laptop is back and I'm able to complete project for customer.
Not one like of problems with Dell laptop since then but the "insurance" was there knowing if something went wrong, it would be repaired.
Now the bad situation. Bought a desktop with 3 yr extended warranty from Best Buy previously to the Dell laptop. 6 months later, a virus hits my machine and reboots my system like crazy. The motherboard shorts out. Take desktop to Best Buy for repair but am told this desktop gets shipped out to LA to some huge facility for repair.
8 weeks without a computer because they send it to a generic shop that just repairs computers on an assembly line. Meanwhile, I need to work on project, so I get a Dell (see above story).
10 weeks later, desktop comes back and while setting up the computer (old USB 1.0), I boot it up and the motherboard goes out again. Goes back to Best Buy and I am told it's going to be another 8 weeks. Upset as heck, they offer to take back the system and go buy another one for the same price. Well, prices went up for new system and there's no way I can match what I had.
Sales associate even offers to give me a copied (pirated) version of MS Office ... which I later contacted Microsoft about this.
Ended up getting credit for what I paid on the system. Contact Dell Small Business Dept and they offer me a desktop system as part of a lease deal (hint: tax advantages) with extended warranty (at home service and periodic checkup).
I currently use an HP zd8000 and the extended warranty is now over but I had insurance knowing that if this system ever fails, HP direct would be there.
Why I'll never buy another computer or high end electronics from big box stores. Read the warranty terms and ask dumb questions.
Extended warranties are a Go for me....
by Stephanie Bassett - 12/5/07 6:51 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieWould not hesitate to get an extended warranty after needing to use mine twice after the manufactures warranty expired.
When I purchased my digital camera was very hesitant when the sales person brought up the extended warranty, have never bought one in the past and never ever thought of making a claim. But after the first claim when one of my selection keys on the camera failed to function correctly it was sent back, with no cost to myself through the store, and fixed and returned as good as new.
Then the next time the camera malfunctioned, different problem altogether, they replaced the camera, but as mine was superseded, they replaced it with the latest model. BONUS!!!!
yes on big screens
by mikebay - 12/5/07 6:54 PM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI wouldn't buy a big screen without it and would in fact measure carefully where you buy your tv because extedned warranties vary greatly. If it includes lamp replacement than the cost of the warranty practically pays for itself from this alone. My Mitsubishi had so many problems but Ken Crane stood behind it (I needed help from Ken Crane because their warranty company was difficult at times) and now my TV is from Best Buy who seems to have a good plan as well. Without it if something goes wrong it can cost you significantly and new technology is not as reliable as they might lead you to believe.
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