Then anywhere from a few months down the road to a few years down the road the thing breaks down and you must take it in for repair, happy that you paid for a 4 year extended coverage plan that covers everything. But there's only one problem. In order to receive warranty repair you absolutely MUST have the ORIGINAL receipt that came out of the register. Now normally this wouldn't be any big deal...BUT Best Buy uses thermal paper for their receipts and they fade into nothing after a few months! That's right, they will not honor an extended warranty if the ORIGINAL receipt has faded to a blank piece of paper or is even simply not readable. They will not accept a photocopy either!

Contact your state attorney's office. "Best Buy" has had some legal problems with their extended warantees and tread on thin ice in many states. As an "insurance" these warantees are regulated by state laws. Their policy of requiring the original sales slip is undoubtedly illegal. Local newspapers like to hear about things like this as well, if you catch my drift.

FWIW, I refuse to shop at CompUSA because of their rebate scams. I was burned twice on those.

Like with theatres, management and staff makes a big difference in customer satisfaction at electronics stores.

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One thing about Best Buy that pisses me off is when you try to buy something that you can also purchase their stupid warranty for, like a camcorder, etc... Anyway, before they sell it to you they ask if you would be interested in the extended warranty. When you reply "No" they ask for a reason. They literally will not let you buy the product until you give them a satisfactory reason. They will keep asking and asking for a reason. So if this ever happens to you, simply tell them that the reason you aren't interested in the warranty is "Because pushy staff and policies that require them to obtain a reason from me are stupid, and I don't want to support stupidity."

Or:

"You're an ugly bastard! I don't feel comfortable giving ugly people any more money than I have to."

Or if you are a religious zealot:

"Because God told me so."

Or maybe:

"Because Elvis told me so."

Or lastly:

"I need to save that money for my hooker."

Always works for me!

Yes, they are a way for the store to make extra $$ on the purchase. It's basically free money, just like any other insurance.

On the other hand, even the best products need service. Blow a picture tube in a 35 inch Sony TV or get your computer struck by lightning and you'll be glad you did buy that warranty.

The caveat is that the store that sells them (or the "insurance company" that handles the contract) must be reputable. I don't think Best Buy is the company to buy from.

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Stick to manufacturers that already offer a warranty.

RCA
Pioneer
JBL
Ford

Worthwhile products will be warranted by the folks that built them, not by some store selling a "contract" (provided by a third party).

If the guy asks "Would you like to add extended coverage for only..." Just say no!

Manufacturers want you to have a good experience with their products. The good ones tend to take care of you without the aid of outside "helpers".

I mentioned the four companies that I have had personal experience with. I'm sure that there are others.

Russ

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Asheville School?
Ben Lippen?

I worked at SEARS for years. I sold alot of maintenance agreements, and most of the customers never took advantage of them. The ones that did got lots of free check-outs and free parts.

First, a JVC surround receiver, at the time, a $999 unit in 1988, got hit by lightning, knocking out its surround output and some of its functionality. It still worked, but I waited until a few months before the $40 4-year warranty I bought expired. The unit was repaired, with nearly $400 worth of parts, and worked flawlessly after the repair, which cost me nothing. So, I got what would have been a $400 repair job for the cost of the $40 warranty. The unit was repaired neatly and carefully. I couldn't tell that the unit had been taken apart when I got it back, and I used it for years afterwards. That was $40 well spent.

Second, a Hewlett-Packard laser printer. I bought one in summer 1997 and after nearly a year, the printer stopped working. I took it back, expecting it to have to be shipped away for repair. Instead, I was given a NEW printer, new in the box, in exchange for the one that had stopped working. That means not only did I get a new printer, but I got a new toner cartridge with it. I have not yet had to buy a toner cartridge.

I tend to buy extended warranties only if they're cheap enough and cover a significant time period. A 5-year warranty for $50 on an expensive surround receiver that costs near $1000 or more is well-worth it, but such warranties that cost much more are not. I wouldn't buy such a plan on a DVD player, CD player, or VCR these days, since the items can be replaced cheaply. On an expensive unit that I plan to use for many years, I'll consider one.

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