Extended warranty: buy or not?

[schwarzie]

I went last night and bought a new laptop. Very happy with the deal I got, I PM'd, I got free software, and I researched!

The person who helped me was amazing, he walked me through all of pros and cons of each of the three I was considering. I ended up buying the extended warranty at $180 for the three years (one is manufacturer). So, I have to ask, is it worth the money for a laptop that is in the $800 range? He told me that I can always return my laptop and extended warranty and re-buy it etc.

I have heard so many conflicting ideas, I would really like to hear what anyone here has to say!!!!

[Chantel]

YES. Freakin YES. Honestly I'd get the warranty for everything electronics like TVs, computers etc. Maybe not a phone, maybe not a toaster, but anything big-ticket, get the warranty.

Would you rather pay $800 again in 2 years if your laptop goes kaput due to some random equipment failure? Heck no. You're paying $180 for 3 years ($60/year) instead of $800 for a new laptop. Laptops aren't built to last, so the warranty is a great idea.

Honestly I'd invest in an external hard drive too if you have ANY photos or videos on there you would not want to lose. You can always get your computer fixed with a warranty, but that doesn't cover what's lost when something fails.

[slayer_glade]

I didn't get a warranty when I bought my new PC. I've never had issues with HP so I didn't bother (found it expensive). The price of the computer wasn't that expensive that I'd regret it later on.

However, I do buy warranties for mostly everything else. When I got my iPhone, definitely yes to warranty. When I buy my first ever flat screen TV, yup, warranty.

For a laptop, I wouldn't even hesitate. It's worth it.

And I agree with Chantel about backing up externally. It'll be useful for that 'what if'.

Also, you need to read your warranty. Most have standard items, but make sure what's covered is going to benefit you in the long run.

[mulock]

I don't buy the extended warranties. My credit card automatically doubles the warranty of any item I purchase and charge to the card. No charge for that card feature.

There are a lot of perks to credit cards......the card's car rental insurance coverage is also a sweet perk.

[DavidY]

Depends on the laptop brand. If it's a HP, definitely since it has the worst reliability among laptops. A better option is get a laptop that has the best reliability....Asus. Toshiba isn't too bad either. Dell and Lenovo are in the middle. Acer and Gateway are a bit better than HP.

I personally would get an Asus laptop from NCIX or Memory Express and no extended warranty. IMO, $800 should get you a pretty good laptop. In a few years, that same laptop will be worth maybe half of what you paid.

Dave

[ribeena]

I purchased a $2000 TV with extended warranty, which ended a month ago. Didn't have any issues with it until last week. The store said they can't do anything about it since the warranty has ended. I paid $380 for the warranty. I don't think I would get the extended warranty again after that.

[Denna b]

We never get extended warrany. The way I look at is how often have I used manufacture's warranty's when compared to how many electronics, appliances or whatever they are offered for. I was offered an extended warranty for $5.00. The other night for a lighted mirror that I paid 39.99 for from Walmart. I asked if that covered me from not having seven years bad luck if I break the mirror. The cashier chuckled and said no. So I politely declined.

[MrsSunshine]

we've always purchased the extended warranties. for my laptop its an HP. i had 4 problems with it sadly the 4th occurred shortly after the warranty ended. now it is nearly 4 years old. so its done me well.. as for Acer we've always been told its crap.. if it is better then HP i wish i'd bought it while it was one sale at SDM. my laptop is literally in two pieces.

[marstec]

I never buy extended warranties because I usually buy the best I can afford - this has served me well. I think it's a big money maker for stores, but if it gives a person peace-of-mind, that's okay too.

That said, I did buy Applecare for my iMac and MBP. I didn't buy a warranty for the new gaming PC we bought this summer - between my husband and myself, we can usually figure out how to fix a PC, whereas I'm not anywhere confident about mucking about with an Apple product.

[TempletonPeck]

For a laptop I would generally say yes. So I think you did the right thing.

It is much easier to take care of problems on your own when it comes to desktop computers, but laptops can be more of an issue (that's not to say you can't do your own repairs to a laptop).

They also tend to break down more than desktops. They usually have poorer cooling and take more abuse in general.

[FallenPixels]

I don't because 1. I typically open the computer which voids the warranty anyway and 2. they rarely cover anything anyway

[gourmetsue]

Like others I get warranties for big ticket items that would kill me if I had to repurchase 1 year down the road. We bought a washer and dryer three months ago and bought the warranty on both of them because $1500 a year down the road would just not be feasible, plus Sears will give you the money back in a gift card at the end of the warranty if you don't use it, so to me it's a win win

[osita]

yes it is worth it to buy extra warrante because when i purchase my tv the first time i purchase 5 years and now my tv is giving a little problem i have to caried in future shop and see if they can fixed or they going to give me a new one so it worthto get your extended warrante

[Cocozzzzzzz]

It depends who you buy from too. I purchased a $250 warranty for 3yrs through dell. About a yr and a half into it there was a burn in my screen. This happens to all these t.v i guess. Westinghouse. After being on the phone for about 3 weeks to a million different departments, having two tech guys come out, and reps giving me bad info. They came to the conclusion that since there were no replacement parts. (becasue this issue happens to all these t.vs) In my fine print it says for no replacement parts, they just refund my money, for the deposit. So they mailed me a check for $250, and I got a busted $3000 t.v. Ha ha. Needless to say I will never buy anything through dell. I hate dell, worst experience ever.

[marstec]

yes it is worth it to buy extra warrante because when i purchase my tv the first time i purchase 5 years and now my tv is giving a little problem i have to caried in future shop and see if they can fixed or they going to give me a new one so it worthto get your extended warrante

If you get five years of use out of a television these days, consider yourself lucky. Our television habits have changed greatly...it is on for a lot longer than before and the components aren't made as well either...the prices for lcd/plasma/led tv's have dropped drastically over the past five to ten years...some of that cost difference has to come at the expense of quality.

It depends who you buy from too. I purchased a $250 warranty for 3yrs through dell. About a yr and a half into it there was a burn in my screen. This happens to all these t.v i guess. Westinghouse. After being on the phone for about 3 weeks to a million different departments, having two tech guys come out, and reps giving me bad info. They came to the conclusion that since there were no replacement parts. (becasue this issue happens to all these t.vs) In my fine print it says for no replacement parts, they just refund my money, for the deposit. So they mailed me a check for $250, and I got a busted $3000 t.v. Ha ha. Needless to say I will never buy anything through dell. I hate dell, worst experience ever.

What was the exact model of your tv? I can't see Westinghouse having one that was worth $3000 only three years ago. It is a lower end brand -perhaps do some research before spending your money on expensive electronics.

Dell isn't known for having the best customer care or warranty, but they might be more inclined to give you service on their own brand of products.