Extended Warranties

[CalgaryJenn]

Don't you hate it when you buy something and the sales person tries to push the extended warranty? Especially for something $100 or less...
I find it odd that most companies only offer a 1 year limited warranty for major products. When you spend $3000 on a plasma television, you should get a real warranty with the purchase.
The way I look at it, offer a 3 year warranty with your product. If a compan offered more than a 1 year warranty, I would think, "Wow, a company that knows their product isn't a piece of shit and stands by their product because they know it's THAT GOOD."
Take my motorcycle for example. $10,000 for a motorcycle, and it only has a one year warranty. Something like a motorcycle, which is only driven 6 months out of that year, should have a REAL warranty.
I think I would trust a brand name who offers a 3 year warranty more than a brand who offers a 1 year warranty.

 

[smackyo]

can be handy on some products and on others there is no need. if you're dealing with a good company its more a convenience thing in being able to bring it back to the store and have them deal with it as opposed to you.

one of the reasons jen why manufacturers no longer offer those long warranties like they did in the past is because the technology changes too quickly. after one year there is something bigger and better and made differently and there is often times the parts needed not available to re-furbish.

also most products if they are going to fail will fail in the first year. manufactures are under a lot of pressure to get their products out before the "next guy" does and then you got all the after market brands out of china flooding the market with their cheap shit. its relentless competition and top notch quality kinda gets lost along the way i guess.

 

[Lady Companion]

Keep in mind all the things an extended warrenty doesn't cover

I purchased an extended warrenty for my last laptop (as Cadman expressed, it is considered a good option). It turns out that the only two things which went wrong with my computer in the 3 years (dead battery, and keys lifting from the keyboard) were not covered.

In general, an extended warrenty seems to be a way for the sales rep to earn a much larger chunk of commission per dollar.
______________

Now available for duos with some of the finest escorts Vancouver has to offer.

604 583 4998
Discretion always assurred

 

[GroupGuy2005]

warranties on electronics vs mechanical products

there is some good points brought up here.

On electronics, statistically they either work out of the box and for a reasonably long time, or they fail very quickly & need replacing. There is always that pesky "planned obsolescence" thing working against the extended life of the product.

With retail margins on the electronics products so low the extended warranty is a real profit booster for both the retailer and a commissioned sales person. The sales person is incented to push these on the sale as they are rewarded with a nice chuck of commission on the sale.

Because products change very frequently and are not designed to be repaired easily, the warranty gives you some asset value protection so that the value of the covered failed device can be used to uplift you into the newer unit for a difference in price. This has worked for me a couple of times with PalmPilot organizers that each failed after a couple of years.

For mechanical devices, such as Jenn's motorcycle a longer manufacturers warranty period does speak to many of us about better quality. It worked for Chrysler autos in years past didn't it?

Finally, many of us do try and get a bargain and ask what the warranty really costs, nothing's for free. Manufacturers do study their failure rates and costs of returns and repairs, it's built into the cost of the item and then they add the options and mark up with a profit for themselves these add on warranties so those of us that want the protection can get it.

 

[geek]

Consumer reports did some research on extended warranties a few years and they found it's only useful on laptops, because they travel a lot, and plasma tv's when plasma's had burn-in issue's. I'd also add if you had a lot of young kids around an extended warranty might be useful.

 

[tedsweettangv]

Sears, Best Buy, the Source, Visions etc. know that extended warranties are a scam. They don't even count them as outstanding liabilities but put them straight to the bottom line. Electronics typically suffer infant mortality (fail right away or very soon after use) or when they get quite old. Extended warranties tend to cover the sweet spot period when you are unlikely to get failures.

 

[mistressfreyja]

On the news the other night

Some guy that had purchased extended warranty, and in the fine print, read something along the lines of depreciated worth being assessed.

So, even with his warranty, the full product wasn't replaced. He received a pay-out of depreciated value.

I think it was at Staples?

 

[AA_Train]

Extended warranties used to mean something but because most products are of such poor quality these days, companies don't want to stand by them for any extended period of time. i talked about this with my friend but ithink (andcertainly hope) that all these big box stores will crumble in the next 10-15 years and it will shift back to a mom n pop small business style economy because people will want better services and better quality products, even if they have to pay a little more.

 

[tedsweettangv]

AA I respectfully disagree. My parents used to talk about how "Quality" was much better in their day too. It is just a sign of getting old. Cars are vastly superior both in safety and build quality. Electronics now virtually never wear out and you replace them when you are sick of them. I had a Sony 24" CRT monitor that I eventually gave away free on Craigslist because it wouldn't die. I have a 15" LCD that I have hooked up as a 3rd monitor that I run stuff on every day that won't die either. 99% of the time now if you replace your TV it is because you want a new one, not because the tuner or the picture display (they don't have tubes anymore) had issues. Lightbulbs now last an incredible amount of time. Service wasn't higher when it was mom and pop stores, it was just more expensive with less selection. If things go well most the stores will disappear all together and you will buy straight from the manufacturer online.

 

[trackstar]

AA I respectfully disagree. My parents used to talk about how "Quality" was much better in their day too. It is just a sign of getting old. Cars are vastly superior both in safety and build quality. Electronics now virtually never wear out and you replace them when you are sick of them. I had a Sony 24" CRT monitor that I eventually gave away free on Craigslist because it wouldn't die. I have a 15" LCD that I have hooked up as a 3rd monitor that I run stuff on every day that won't die either. 99% of the time now if you replace your TV it is because you want a new one, not because the tuner or the picture display (they don't have tubes anymore) had issues. Lightbulbs now last an incredible amount of time. Service wasn't higher when it was mom and pop stores, it was just more expensive with less selection. If things go well most the stores will disappear all together and you will buy straight from the manufacturer online.

That is true if you buy good quality products. You buy bargain electronics and you get what you pay for. Warranties on cheap products make a lot more sense than quality products, as cheap products are destined to break down quickly while high quality ones generally are not.