Home audio & video: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it????
Depending
by gaonah - 12/6/07 8:03 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI agree with RustyDallas. You probably could get a better deal through a third-party warranty vendor. If it is a known brand, I usually opt-out of any extended warranties. If it is a company you have never even heard of, then I would recommend getting the warranty.My friend was working as an independent contractor in TV repairs. When Vizio first came out he had a lot of repair calls,but these TVs have gotten better.
Yes, from someone in the idustry
by hogan - 12/6/07 8:05 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieFirst, electronic products are made to last these days, so if they work when you buy them, they will keep on working.
Second, companies do not do warranties in house, it is sub-contracted, so you can imagine how messy and expensive it is to organize.
Thirdly, it makes a profit, so whatever you are charged, it is usually more than the thing is worth to replace when it is a few years old (anyone but me got a phone more than 2 years old?)
Fourthly, I just told a company carrying out third party warranty repairs that it was no way to run a business - lost a job worth 90K.
Stick to your local repair shops, you can make sure the job is done and not for some spurious 'we have to wipe your hard drive, it's out procedure' rubbish.
For certain products....Definitely!
by domino8 - 12/6/07 8:09 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf the extended warranty is for printers, then it is definitely worth it. I have purchased expensive and cheap printers, but they all seem to break down within or after the original warranty period is up. That extended warranty came in handy when I purchased a Lexmark printer this year. If I had not had it, I would have had to have the printer sent back to the manufacturer. Instead, I was given a new printer right off the shelf.
Mostly Not Worth It
by gumbawakka - 12/6/07 8:10 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieExtended warranties are, I have read, about 98% pure profit for the company. Most people forget they have it and rarely use them.
I bought a $6000 high def TV from Best Buy 3 years ago. It totally failed September 12th. It took until the very end of November for a resolution, after 3-4 calls each week, after hearing them lie to me repeatedly (the parts were shipped this week, will be shipped next week, we're waiting for the parts, we canceled the order for parts because you didn't want them, the parts are on order, the parts are on back order, the parts will be there this Friday, etc.)
The local store claimed to have 'no control' and 'no say' because it's a different corporate division etc. Finally, they decided to 'replace' the TV which had a built-in DVR and they offered me a TV costing $2000 with no built in DVR. Take it or leave it, they said. So I took it and will leave them forever. I won't buy another thing at Worst Buy --- ooops, I mean "Best" Buy.
The warranty cost $400. You decide if that was worth it.
My experince with them is the same gumbawakka
by russkeller - 12/6/07 9:22 AM In reply to: Mostly Not Worth It by gumbawakkaI've been burned more than once but luckily only once with a high dollor item. Since then I have been kicked out of several stores when I hear a salesmen trying to sell a warrenty and I immediately start shouting "Fraud" at the top of my lungs.
You betcha!
by Call_Me - 12/6/07 8:15 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI never buy an electronic device from anywhere other than Best Buy. The BB that is near my home is also located next to a college that specializes in computer science and employees all the IT kids from that school. The service is phenominal and impeccible. That said, they always advise me, correctly, on when it's beneficial to me to buy the extended warranty.
For instance, I recently bought a personal DVD player. My sales person told me that they never last more than a year, aren't meant to last more than a year and are always upgraded after a year so a warranty would be futile. However, with my computers, ipods, Zune's, and Sony Reader I got the warranty for all of them and have had the FORTUNE to have needed them and they came through 100%! BB and iPod were at war with each other so unless you bought the extended warranty, BB was having all iPod users go directly to Apple. With the extended warranty, BB replace my daughter's iPod 3 times for various problems: 2 faulty motherboards and one mystery problem. I've had my computers serviced faithfully twice a year for the 3 year program and it cost me not one cent!
With my Sony Reader, I was told that the technology for it will continue to improve in a years time so I only got a partial warranty and not the full one.
For me, who takes extreme care of my accessories but they still manage to fail, the warranty has been a godsend.
Size of Item and its weight.
by chobcheski - 12/6/07 8:21 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieIf the item is large and heavy AND the extended warranty INCLUDES in home service it may be worth the cost.
Extended warranties are usually nonsense
by 747jock - 12/6/07 8:32 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieYou should only buy an extended warranty if it's on an exceptionally high-tech, expensive item. Most faulty electronics are going to break in the first couple months you own them, and they are thus covered by the manufacturer's (and often, retailers) warranty. After that, they tend to go on almost forever and you only get rid of the items because they're obsolescent (like a VHS tape or a CD player). Also, many "extended" warranties take effect right away, so in essence a 3-yr extended warranty only gives you 2 extra years of coverage. You're double-insuring for the first year of your purchase, a waste because the item is already covered by manufacturer. The truth is, companies like Circuit City and Best Buy make a ton of money hawking extended warranties because the number of items needing repairs are usually very small compared to how many have been sold. Even Consumer Reports recommends against buying most extended warranties because they're a poor value. If you set aside the cost of the extended warranty in a savings account and let it draw interest, you'd probably pay the same amount for later repairs that the extended warranty would've cost you up-front, so why not just save your money now and pay out of pocket for the rare times when you have an out-of-warranty problem? Electronics get obsolescent so fast, why get locked in on a product you'll probably replace in 2-3 years anyway?
Never Again
by eler.james - 12/6/07 8:40 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiePurchased extended service plan on a 2002 ford Ranger for $2,500
First the slave cylinder for the clutch went out
Was told that they don't cover clutches
Then it began running rough and the 3rd cylinder had oil in it.
by then the company that backed the warranty went bankrupt and none of the shops around here wanted to work on it without the money up front.
one excuse after another Extended service plans are a rippoff cause the company thats expose to make it good never own up.
Probably need a Lawyer but probably fix it myself.
Extended Warranties
by stevemidpk - 12/6/07 8:51 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieNormaly I don't buy extended warranties. However three years ago when I purchased a Panasonic Video Camera at 6th Ave Electronics and since I hadn't done a lot of prepurchase review of the product I went ahead and purchesed their extended warranty. This year I went to take my camera on vacation and found the CCD had gone bad. I am happy to report that I was able to find my exented service email I had received from 6th Ave and was able to avoid a $ 180.00 service bill.
My advice would be that if you do buy extened warranties be sure and save the purchase and contact information so you can take advantage of the service. I hear of too many people who purchace extended warranty then either forget they havfe it or can't find the paper work.
Good Luck
stevevmidpk
extended warranty for mac computers yes for appliances maybe
by hitsch - 12/6/07 8:54 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiei bought extended warranty for my ibook and again for my macboock!
the continuous telephone help alone paid for it several times over.
*every time my system broke down, they talked me through the repair work in about 20 min. the one and only certified mac tech in our city charges a minimum of $ 110.00 per hour or every fraction of an hour.
*just before the extended warranty on the ibook ran out, the extended warranty paid for a new HD and a new motherboard.
*on the macbook i had 2 calls so far = saved $ 220.00 and i'm in the first year.
i bought the sears service contracts for my appliances, they pay for themselves, because i could not find a service man to come to the house in this city, if i need one.
*they paid for themselves for the washers and dryers,
*they cost a little bit extra for the air conditioners
*the only provided peace of mind for the fridges.
that's my experience over the past 10 years !
extended warranty; what a joke!!
by tainony1 - 12/6/07 9:06 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggiewhat's the use of purchasing something for $100 with an extended warranty when after it breaks and you need to have it fixed or replaced and the same product is now either "old technology" or
it cost at least 50 to 75% less that when you purchased it originally a years before and it would cost less to replace it with a new up to date one or a better one for less than the price off getting it replaced or fixed again. Does that make any sense?
On the other hand if it something that cost over $750. then you may benefit from the extended warranty, assuming that they do don't give you a hard time when you need to use that extended warranty. Most of the times the extended warrranty becomes a hassle. I for one do not purhase it and take my chances with he product, so far I've been lucky. My thing is why to sales people push the extended warranty, it could be that they know that there is something WRONG with the product and don't want the consumer to know.?!? think about it.
I think they are
by mark0610 - 12/6/07 9:09 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI work in the Camera Repair industry and, as long as there isn't anything that would void the manufacturer's warranty, I find they are a big value to the consumer (we don't sell extended warranties just repair). We see no end of situations where parts need to be replaced and the grown when we tell them how much the repair is but under extended the repair just happens. Unfortunately with the new cameras they are not built as well as the ones of yesterday so I always suggest the extended when people ask.
yes and no
by chupathingy29 - 12/6/07 9:09 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieWorking for the Tech shop at a compusa store, I have come to find that some extended warranties are worth it, while others are not. For a laptop, if you spend a good amount on the unit, I am talking more than the $500 special, then more than likely, yes, get an extended warranty, otherwise for certain issues you may be spending that much in about a year's time to get the unit fixed, thus it would almost be better to get a newer, better unit as a full replacement for that price. Also, some extended warranties cover certain things that manufacturers don't. Case in point: that $500 laptop you just bought with a 1 year complimentary parts and labor warranty does not cover the screen if it cracks for any reason. No manufacturer covers screen cracks, not even apple under AppleCare, they consider this "accidental damage" or "owner abuse," and will not hesitate to void your warranty even if it has 11 more months of coverage. The manufacturers typically charge upwards of $300 for a replacement screen. So, first, find out what the extended warranty covers, and also understand when the coverage kicks in, many begin from the date of purchase, not at the end of the manufacturer's warranty.
Extended Warranties - you bet!!!
by gataone - 12/6/07 9:25 AM In reply to: Extended Warranty.........are they worth it???? by jraggieI've bought several high priced items over the years and most times when I didn't buy an E W I was sorry. About 3 years ago my friend and I bought Sony DVD Recorders from Best Buy - shortly before the Manufacters warranty ran out we both started having problems. We brought mine in, and used his - as soon as mine was back we took his in. After we brought his in for the third time - and about three months into the extended warranty - they gave him another, brand new, with the same extended warranty, and when I told Best Buy that I had to bring mine in, they told me to bring it in and pick out a new unit. We got two Panasonics and have no trouble with them. We have since purchased another Panasonic to put in my guest room. Extended Warranties? You bet!!!
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