Exposed: the extended warranty rort

[admin]

ELECTRONICS and whitegoods retailers have been accused of using high-pressure tactics and making misleading claims while adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of big-ticket items.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/digital-life/articles/exposed-the-warranty-rort/2008/11/18/1226770488807.html

I must admit, this is one that I fell prey to.

[doctorhardware]

When I worked for bb, The cost of the extended warranty plans were dirt cheap. Normally I do not buy the extended warranty plans. That is were companies make the big money on the extended warranty plans.

[Wombler]

When I got married we didn't have a lot of money and as we were starting from scratch we had to buy a stack of different electrical goods.

I looked at the cost of all the various extended warranties and made the conscious decision to put the money saved against the cost of repairs if any.

I've never bought an extended warranty since and have saved a small fortune over the years despite having to get a few things repaired on the odd occasion when something does go wrong.

The only thing I would ever possibly consider it for is in relation to new technology with known reliability issues.

Camcorders used to be like that years ago when they first came out.

Colour TVs used to be like that in the early days too as the tubes were very unreliable.

Other than that it's no extended warranties for me ever.

I had an interesting experience a few years ago in relation to extended warranties when buying a new washing machine.

My wife and had looked around various shops and settled on one on sale in a particular shop for £199.

We went back there and a sales assistant came over and I told him we'd like 'One of those' and also mentioned that I didn't want any extended warranty'.

He started to ramble on about warranties and I told him I never take out warranties.

He continued to persist and I told him very politely 'Look I'm sorry but I'm not even remotely interested in an extended warranty'. To which he replied 'Well hold on and I'll just get you the details anyway' and disappeared.

ARGGHHH!!!!!

Anyway he came back and the price of the extra two years cover was £210!!!

I was amused to be able to point out that 'If it ever did break down I could buy a whole new machine for less than that and still save money!'.

He mumbled something like 'hmmm I see what you mean' and then sold me the machine like I'd originally asked.

BTW I think we've had that particular machine for about twelve years now and it's still going strong.


Wombler

[Derree]

The only extended warranty I have ever got was for my plasma tv, but the store has it set up that if you don't use the warranty after 2 years you get the money back...as a store credit but still you get the money back...

[doctorhardware]

I like the idea that the money for the extended warranty is refunded after 2 years if it is not used.

[jmet]

I bought one with my LCD TV I bought...I opted for the 3 year extended warranty cause I have bad surges and spikes because my electricity company is run by hillbilly rednecks trying to McGyver everything together

[doctorhardware]

Why not buy a UPS and plug in your LCD TV into it.

[jmet]

I have with several electronic devices but, they still blew up...lol

[doctorhardware]

Your power must really suck then. There is a ferro-resonant transformer that is also good for power problems. The only problem with them is they buzz like a sob. The UPS's that I have, the warranty covers the cost of the replacing any equipment connected to them.