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Recommendations

Here's something that


I, Jeremy Duffy, actually recommend and think is worth checking out.
No web-bugs, no bs, just a legit recommmendation that I have personally evaluated before allowing it to be listed here:

Think something's here that shouldn't be? contact me!

Surprise! You’re Not Covered

Whee! Money!

The thing about warranties is that you are giving a company money for nothing. At some point in the future, they MIGHT have to pay for repairs to your product, but they've run the numbers and know that statistically, you are less likely to get your money's worth than they are to keep your money.

Even if that wasn't the case, they are able to use your money for as capital, sometimes for years before having to pay out. It's very much like offering insurance with the profit margins being VERY high. From a store point of view, these plans are pure gold.

So imagine the scenario from the perspective of the sales-person. Because of the profits, management pressures salespeople to sell them, but many customers resist (At times, I've had people walk out of the store just because I tried to explain the service plan to them). To be successful, sales-people will keep their pitch short, simple, and focus on the positives.

Warranties are profitable. Very profitable

I'm not necessarily saying that sales-people are dishonest, but they are pressured to meet goals above anything else. This means that you have to take the time and effort to make sure it works as simply as they say it will. As an example, here are some fictitious scenarios where you might not be able to collect:

The details of the service plans were taken from information available on respective company websites as of 3/11/2006

A $59.99 phone at Office Max is offered with a 1 year warranty for $11.99 and a 2 year for $19.99. In their case, your coverage begins after expiration of the manufacturer warranty. Let's assume that something goes wrong in the first year.

Standard warranties often require that you ship the item, so add that amount to your total warranty cost. If the shipping was around $7 dollars, you've now paid $19 for your 1 year plan and $27 for your 2 year plan on your $60 item.

That's still a pretty good deal assuming all goes as planned, but what if it doesn't? Now let's say that the manufacturer, for whatever reason, decides that you're not covered. Since Office Max's coverage doesn't start until after the manufuactuer warranty period has expired, you have the choice to buy a new phone now and cut your losses or wait until the manufacturer warranty expires (which could be many months or even years).

You buy a $854.99 camcorder at Sears. The warranty is five years for $239.99 and starts immediately (not after the manufacturer warranty expires). With the warranty coverage, you get an annual "preventative maintenance check".

Let's say you go to the beach every weekend during the summer. After a few trips, you notice that the camera's buttons are gritty with sand and remember your service plan. You take it in and they send it off for service, but determine that the amount of sand is excessive and void your warranty due to abuse.

You point out that their plan covers "normal wear and tear" and that you didn't use it in any abnormal way, but they don't budge. If you had known this would be a problem ahead of time, you could have vacuumed or shaken out the loose sand before taking it in, but either way, it's too late now. You have few choices but to pursue legal action or try to get a refund of your warranty (minus the recent service costs and time deprecation).

For fun and education, try this trick the next time you go to a store and they offer you a service plan: Open the legal brochure (ask them for one if they haven't handed it to you already) and ask them to summarize each section. Then read the section and see if it matches what they described.

Not only will this make it easier to read, but you'll learn very quickly how much the salesperson knows about what they're trying to sell you.

In the end though, you'll need to know which circumstances make your warranty worth buying and which make it worth skipping (next) or you'll just be throwing your money down the toilet.

First, always learn what coverage you get for free from the manufacturer.
When offered an extended warranty, make sure you understand the basics.
They want you to buy it, but is it as easy to use as they say?
Know beforehand what circumstances and terms put the purchase of a warranty in your favor
Once you need to use the warranty, make sure you know the steps to take.
Finally, learn why you should even bother with this mess.
Now it's time to make the decision of whether to buy or not.

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If you want to learn more about my professional background, click here to learn more.

Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

Citizens Against Government Waste - CAGW
Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion And Numbering - CASPIAN
The Electronic Frontier Foundation - EFF
The American Civil Liberties Union - ACLU
Public Citizen
The Electronic Privacy Information Center - EPIC

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Manufacturer Warranties

Products you purchase in the store almost always have warranties already. Depending on how good it is, you could be completely wasting your money buying an extended one when the default one will do.

[Click for full description]

Extended Warranties

What is an extended warranty and how do you know when you see one?

[Click for full description]

Surprise! You're Not Covered

If you're going to spend your money on a warranty, first consider all the factors.

[Click for full description]

Learning the Warranty Odds

Learn what important aspects of a warranty you need to look for to make sure you're getting a good deal.

[Click for full description]

How to Use Your Warranty

Once it's time to use your warranty, make sure you know how to navigate the system.

[Click for full description]

Warranty Successes

Read some examples of how I've personally used warranties in my favor over the years.

[Click for full description]

Warranty Decision

In the end, how do you decide whether to buy the warranty or not?

[Click for full description]

Citizens Against Government Waste - CAGW

Citizens Against Government Waste - CAGW

[Click for full description]

Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering - CASPIAN

Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion And Numbering - CASPIAN

[Click for full description]

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (a.k.a. the EFF) - a nonprofit group of passionate people — lawyers, technologists, volunteers, and visionaries — working to protect your digital rights.

[Click for full description]

The American Civil Liberties Union - ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union - ACLU

[Click for full description]

Public Citizen

Public Citizen - A group of non-profit lawyers specializing in freedom of speech and other basic American rights.

[Click for full description]

The Electronic Privacy Information Center - EPIC

The Electronic Privacy Information Center - EPIC

[Click for full description]