Tv warranty
- Thread starter swatch
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The internet is filled with complaints from people who bought extended warranties from BestBuy and then were blocked obstructed , hindered or frustrated by the company when they made a warranty claim.
The service paradise they promise when they sell the extended warranty is not matched by what happens in the claims process afterward. People with defective merchandise complain about being put on hold for hours, transferred from one representative to another and epidemic, systemic rudeness by claims people.
Costco gives you an automatic extra year of warranty coverage beyond what the manufacturer provides if you buy a TV from them and I've heard they are pretty good with the service they provide if the TV breaks down during the extra year of coverage.
The service paradise they promise when they sell the extended warranty is not matched by what happens in the claims process afterward. People with defective merchandise complain about being put on hold for hours, transferred from one representative to another and epidemic, systemic rudeness by claims people.
Costco gives you an automatic extra year of warranty coverage beyond what the manufacturer provides if you buy a TV from them and I've heard they are pretty good with the service they provide if the TV breaks down during the extra year of coverage.
My experience with Future Shop for extended warranties have been a disaster, I'll neve buy it again. When I would claim a problem and bring in my laptop, video camera or TV, they will take it away and have up top 30 days to repair it. In the meantime you have no TV or laptop, I really needed it for business so if you rent one you're basically paying for the extended warranty.
As mentioned, use a credit card that will extend the manufacturer's warranty by 1 or 2 years, that should be sufficient. I usually change the product within 3 or 4 years as technology is rapidly changing and I like to have the latest technology.
As mentioned, use a credit card that will extend the manufacturer's warranty by 1 or 2 years, that should be sufficient. I usually change the product within 3 or 4 years as technology is rapidly changing and I like to have the latest technology.
An extended warranty is a bet where you are betting the product will break down and they will fix it for you, the store is betting that the product will not break down and the get your money for free.
I bought an HP printer from Staples once and I bought the extended warrantee.
The printer fracked up at about 1.5 years and Staples replaced it without any grief whatsoever with the new model even
I recently bought a new lap top. The extra 2 years was $149.00, (again from Staples) and it covered the battery and charger. I know from experience that no battery in a laptop will last 3 years and it will cost $100.00 easily, so I figured it was worth it.
As far as a TV goes, I would agree - it will either die in the first year, or it will last at least 5 years. (Funny, if it was an old Tube TV, I would have said it would have lasted 15 years, but the flat screen technology just doesn't last as long. You get bright spots, lines, all kinds of shit happening to the screen.)
The printer fracked up at about 1.5 years and Staples replaced it without any grief whatsoever with the new model even
I recently bought a new lap top. The extra 2 years was $149.00, (again from Staples) and it covered the battery and charger. I know from experience that no battery in a laptop will last 3 years and it will cost $100.00 easily, so I figured it was worth it.
As far as a TV goes, I would agree - it will either die in the first year, or it will last at least 5 years. (Funny, if it was an old Tube TV, I would have said it would have lasted 15 years, but the flat screen technology just doesn't last as long. You get bright spots, lines, all kinds of shit happening to the screen.)
The cost of a TV repair is usually going to exceed $199.
There are more efficient ways to protect one's purchase. Another thing to factor in is the price of the product and the exception of its life.
Asus.
15" Intel I7 with 750 gig hard drive.
The only thing I'm not liking is the cursor seems to jump around when I am typing. I don't think I'm touching the key pad, but just some times, bam, off goes the cursor to somewhere of its own choosing. (My last laptop did the same thing though.)
15" Intel I7 with 750 gig hard drive.
The only thing I'm not liking is the cursor seems to jump around when I am typing. I don't think I'm touching the key pad, but just some times, bam, off goes the cursor to somewhere of its own choosing. (My last laptop did the same thing though.)
Nice. Was it that Republic of Gamers laptop with the big vents?
With your trackpad issue, get an external mouse. Windows (or the trackpad driver) should have an option to disable trackpad when an external mouse is in use.
I get that with my Asus, as well. Very aggravating.
Also it won't scroll down for me, like I think it should, when I run two fingers down the keypad.
John Pinette had a funny bit in his act where he goes to the store to buy a new TV.
Salesman: So you want to buy the extended warranty right?
John: Why would I want to buy the extended warranty?
Salesman: In case the TV breaks.
John: Well if the TV is going to break I'm not going to buy it.
Salesman: The TV is not going to break.
John: Then why do I need to buy the extended warranty.
Salesman: In case the TV breaks.
And around and around the loop they go until John beats the tar out of him.
John: So why should I buy the extended warranty?
Salesman: Because they give us a $100 bonus each time we sell one.
Salesman: So you want to buy the extended warranty right?
John: Why would I want to buy the extended warranty?
Salesman: In case the TV breaks.
John: Well if the TV is going to break I'm not going to buy it.
Salesman: The TV is not going to break.
John: Then why do I need to buy the extended warranty.
Salesman: In case the TV breaks.
And around and around the loop they go until John beats the tar out of him.
John: So why should I buy the extended warranty?
Salesman: Because they give us a $100 bonus each time we sell one.
Extended warranties are at minimum 50 points to the retailer and the salesperson will usually make half of that. When the math is done, merchants can cover payroll with warranty sales. Watch out for dealers who "self-warranty". Most reputable merchants will use a third-party underwriter, hence the 50% margin, other less scrupulous merchants self-warranty, assuming the risk themselves but thereby pocketing the entire price of the warranty. Nothing wrong with this I suppose if you feel safe in thinking that they have set up an accrual account for potential liabilities for the life of the contract. (they don't). Easier to go bankrupt.
Save the money.
Save the money.
I did something similar about 15 years ago. An insane charge on the warranty so doing the math I figure if the equipment had a 1/4 or 1/3 chance of breaking after the first year but before the end of the extended warranty is what it would be priced at without any profit. So I gave him those numbers, reminded him that most stuff will break in the first year and ask why his store was selling such garbage.
Which of course is a complete waste of time because many commission types are as full of shit as your typical politician. They just want you to shut up and fork over the money.
O
OnTheWayOut
Might as well get a desktop if you want to be chained to a desk with an external mouse. Kind of defeats that whole "laptop" idea. My laptop rarely sees an good surface to use an external mouse on.
Seriously, not a bad idea for the times you are at a desk with it. My wife has had touchpad issues with her last 2 laptops, in fact hers is being replaced as we speak. Seems to be the latest big issue with laptops these days.
As for extended warranties, Staples sucks for laptop warranties. Always had bought from The Source and had good service. As noted above, for laptops batteries never make it 3 years so an extended warranty that includes batteries is a good deal if price is right. 2 laptops, both needed new batteries in last year of warranty. (Side note, if your battery has issues in 1st year, deal direct with manufacturer. That way your one time battery replacement of extended warranty will not be used.) In fact The source gave me a larger capacity battery on one of them as the original was not available in a timely fashion. We bought her last laptop from Staples as it was a super deal to purchase. Warranty we were told was same as The Source. Difference is that they kept the laptop for a month (less than a year old) and sent it back with a new issue, the touchpad.
As for TVs, my wife bought me an HDTV when they first came out, spent over 2 grand. I would not have done it, but it was a nice present. She got extended warranty on both TV and HD DVD player, it was a package deal. BlueRay won out over HD DVD format so player was scrapped before warranty was up. TV had no issues until about a year after extended warranty expired. Samsung had bad caps in the power supplies and i fixed it myself for $4 in parts. But the extended warranty was all profit for the Brick in this case. We bought all new energy efficient appliances and did not get warranty, they all had no issues.
So an extended warranty on laptops and used cars may be a good deal if you read the fine print and pay a decent price. anything else, forget it.
Being counter productive is the Windows way!
Maybe there's a utility out there that will allow you to set an option that when you're typing on the keyboard, the trackpad is disabled. Or maybe its in Windows 7. Not sure, no idea.
