Bestbuy extended warranty...worth it? (1 Viewer)

[Dan_R_M]

Should I bother with the bestbuy extended warranty...its pretty steep at $350 for a $2000 tv. Any comments are appreciated.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

$350?? That's pretty steep. If you want an EW, use it as a bargaining chip for the TV itself.
I got them to knock off $50 on my Panny 53" for the 4-year EW, and that EW cost $300, not $350.
As to value/worth, you'll get different answers from different people. And I'll agree that EWs are usually not worth it, but I decided differently for a large HD RPTV given the right price. People like to say they offer EWs because they make $$$ from it, and that's certainly true in general. BUT sometimes, even a casino(!) can lose $$$ to a shrewd gambler.
IF you want a cheaper EW, you might consider the online plans offer by Philips. I believe they're only $200(?) for 5 years(?). Check here for more info on that:
http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/gener...rviceplan.html
Unless your local Best Buy has its own in-house techs who are actually any good, you'll probably just end up getting service from the same pool of local "authorized" techs if/when a problem arises. Of course, Best Buy (or whoever else) might treat you better if you become a "loyal customer" via the EW. As far as I can tell, you can cancel BB's EW anytime for refund of prorated remaining share of the plan.
And oh, READ THE FINE PRINT before buying any EW. Don't take the salesperson's word for anything in the EW.
_Man_

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I bought the plan from Best Buy when I bought my SD-582, Labor Day 2000. But it was about $400 on a set that cost me $4000 back then. So $350 on a $2000 set is quite steep. As mentioned I'd look into getting the warranty from another source or getting a better price from Best Buy. Talk to the store manager directly.

 

[Patrick Sun]

If you purchase with a Visa credit card, here's another option for warranty coverage:
https://usa.visa.com/visaWarranty/ex...xtwarranty.jsp
I wished I'd known about this option when I bought my RPTV last month.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Thanks Patrick. I'm gonna keep this in mind for any big purchases. Much better prices on service warranty than Best Buy.

 

[Jeramy_K]

I'm still in this boat as well. At first I wasn't going to get a EW but now I think it's best that I do. In doing my homework I've asked at Sears, Best Buy and Circuit City. So far, Sears has had the best price on a EW. For the 51" Hitachi I am looking at for $2199 the Sears EW would be $279 for 3 years and $399 for 5.

I previously looked at the 43" Hitachi at sears for $1699 and that EW was priced at $229 for 3 years and $349 for 5.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Well if you buy the bigger one from Sears, according to Patrick's link, the warranty there would be $267.99 for 5 years.

 

[mike_frontier]

damn,, Yesterday I just bought an new 42" HDTV and the X-warrenty for $1700.00 cost me $299.99 extra @ BEST BUY.. did I pay too much you guys think?

but what I think is cool of BestBuy is that if in those 4 years it goes down,, they told me that they do not service it,,, but instead they give you an new one of that model... but they said if that model is no longer avaliable they give me the new model compared to the one that I owned that brokedown. Does this sound legit or an good deal for an 4 years for 299.99?

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Pat (and others),
Don't be too sad about the Visa EW just yet. Their EW is not as good as typical EWs since they don't offer a "no-lemon" guarantee or anything else that the manufacturer warranty doesn't cover:
Under "What items are not covered?":
"Any costs other than those specifically covered under the terms of the original manufacturer's written U.S. repair warranty, as supplied by the original manufacturer, or other eligible warranty"
Also, it sounds like this EW would not be transferrable should you want to sell the TV or just give it away to a friend.
As for Sears, Michael Fusick pointed out not long ago that their "no-lemon" requires 3(?) repairs w/in a 12-month period before it kicks in. That may have changed, but definitely read the fine print as usual. The BB EW I bought says 3 repairs for the entire 4-year period, not 12-month period, for the "no-lemon".
Mike, you should doublecheck the BB EW also since things could've changed for the new year. In any case, they told you incorrectly. NOBODY guarantees new replacement w/out any minimum servicing requirement in their "no-lemon" policy. They would have to be crazy to offer that.
Also, in all cases, make sure you get documentation for repairs. They will want that for the "no-lemon", especially after you've owned the TV for a long while.
If it's still true, according to Michael Fusick, the EW from Circuit City is probably the best one w/ the lowest repair requirement for "no-lemon" and coverage of "no repair/defect" service visits plus preventive maintenance coverage like lens cleaning. Again, read the fine print to be sure. CC's EW is, however, more expensive than BB's, IIRC.
_Man_

 

[Scott_AH]

I just wanted to give a quick comment on the Visa EW. First, that only extends the manufacturer's warranty. Local retailer's warranties cover a whole lot more than the manufacturer. Power surges, wear & tear, the remote, dust, humidity, and free in-home service are often not covered. Secondly, anyone who's dealt with a few manufacturers knows that getting an item serviced through them is often not the easiest thing to do. Add to that, dealing with someone like Visa that probably has no direct ties to a service center and I can't imagine the hassles that might be involved. Just a thought...

Scott

 

[GordonL]

Warrentech extended warranties are available on-line for almost any electronic/appliance product. For instance, a 4 yr extended warranty on a $2500 TV goes for $145 here
Complete list here I've never bought one so I don't know what exclusions they may or may not have.
Terms & Conditions listed here

 

[DanielKim]

Man haven't posted in a while. But just to throw this in, the BB service plan will also cover burn-ins.

 

[mike_frontier]

Daniel.
Thanks man... I was hoping some1 would say that. Now I am happy I got the X-warrenty for my 42"

 

[Patrick Sun]

The CC and BB EW's will only give you up to the purchase price of the TV (if a direct replacement is not available, and comparable models are more expensive, i.e. you got a steal of a deal on the initial purchase) after so many "repair attempts".

Is there really verbage that the BB EW will cover burn-in? I find that hard to believe. I still chuckle when I recall that the CC salesdude told me that the BB EW allows them to use refurb parts for repairs (not that it can't be true) but it was definitely one of those sales points to charge customers more for the CC EW.

My officemate bought a Sony 57" HDTV RPTV from Sears (with the EW) last April, and there was a small part that burned out, and now unavailable to be ordered from Sony (according to the service tech). Here's what happened: If you manually turn on the TV, then the remote for the TV doesn't work at all. You can only use the controls on the TV set. To compound the problem, the remote would not turn on the TV at all due to the burned out part. Well, this is a problem for just about any living couch potato with a TV. So Sears' solution (under their EW) is to deliver them a newer 57" Sony model and take back the old TV. He's waiting for delivery of it today or tomorrow. I was amazed that a small burned out part would cause my officemate to get a new RPTV under the EW.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Here's another plan called Purchase Sheild, you simply pay $60 per year to cover any credit card you will be using for your purchase(s):
https://www.metrisdirect.com/purchas...de1=PMZZ0IZPDC
1-800-570-2961
Repair Rebate- PurchaseShield reimburses 25% of the repair costs of covered appliances and electronic items you already own regardless of the item's age.
Product Return Guarantee- Get your money back within 90 days of your original qualifying purchase when your card is protected with PurchaseShield - even if the merchant won't take back your purchase.
Extended Warranty- PurchaseShield extends the manufacturer's warranty for covered repair work up to 2 years from the date of purchase when you use a card protected by PurchaseShield.
Sale Price Protection- PurchaseShield will reimburse you with the price difference if your covered item goes on sale for a full 90 days after your purchase.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Daniel and Mike,
The BB EW does NOT cover burn-in. NOBODY's warranty covers it AFAIK. In a case where you are clearly not at fault after taking all the proper precautions, you might try to argue w/ them that it should be covered as "normal wear and tear" and they might give some consideration on a case by case basis, but as a rule, they do NOT cover burn-in. They would all lose mega $$$ if they covered burn-in for what they charge.
Pat,
The CC people are correct that the BB EW does allow provision for using refurbed parts in repairs, but that's really not that important in my view. As long as they fix the TV so that it performs as it should, that's good enough for me. And that IS written in the EW. And if the refurb part causes them to do extra repairs, then that just makes it more likely to be declared a "lemon".
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the $$$ refund part in case the TV cannot be repaired unless you really got an incredible killer deal. If my new Panny dies 12 months from now, I'll be happy to replace it w/ a new Panny that comes w/ DVI/HDCP input and probably cost less than what I paid already.
One additional note though. In the BB EW, if the "no-lemon policy" kicks in AFTER the original manufacturer warranty has expired, ie. 1 year, the EW will also expire and not carryover to the new replacement. Of course, I suppose one would be happy enough to get a new TV in that instance, but that might be one more little kink to consider in your choice of EW.
_Man_

 

[len j]

in my case the EW was worth the money.i bought a 46 inch panasonic in 98 for 2000 can,christmas day this year the tv broke down.i just had the tv fixed last week and it would have cost 650,but the EW that cost 200 covered the repair and it was repaired right in my living room.

 

[Philip_T]

Hmmmm, To Buy EW or not,,,,
If I didn't buy the EW on my Sony 43HT20, it would have definitely crapped out on me within 5 years; Since I did buy the 5yr EW, I'm sure the unit will work perfectly for me until 2-3 days after the EW expires. That being said, Sound Track (where I purchased the TV) will refund 50% of the price of the EW for in-store credit if I don't have any service required on the set over the 5 years. Since I only had to pay $165 for a 5yr warranty, it was a no brainer.

Years ago, I worked in sales for a (now bankrupt company) major electronic chain. Selling EW to consumers was the only thing that mattered. If your warranty #'s were down, you got fired. EW is pure profit for the chains and was the major discussion of every meeting we ever had. Some managers would rather lose the sale on high end units than not get the EW for it.

According to a book I recently read (the millionaire next door), one should always opt for the highest deductible for car insurance because over the long haul, the money you save paying a lower premium month to month will out way the money you have to spend on one single accident (in most cases). Using this philosophy, one should never buy an EW, as the $ you save over the long haul would out way the money saved by cashing in on EW served. I use this philosophy for every piece of electronics I purchase, except for the units that have a record of breaking down (like a rear projection tv).

Personally, I would never spend $40 for an EW on a $250 DVD player when that $40 could go for the current years model if my unit broke. However, for a $1,500+ unit and the EW was reasonably priced, Im more inclined to get the EW as I would hate to pay hundreds of $'s for repairs.

I think the whole thing is a gamble no matter which way you decide to go. If you buy the Ew, you'll never need it. If you don't buy it, chances are, you won't ever need it,,,, except for the time when your color guns explode and you end up spending another $1,500+ for your next big screen.

I guess what it boils down to is what kind of risk taker you are, and if you would rather spend the money invested in an EW toward a better unit. In most instances, I would vote against any EW and use the money to upgrade, but big screens reliability scare me so I opted to get it.

Blah Blah Blah, ramble ramble ramble.

No-one can tell you how secure and satisfied you are with your purchase but yourself. Buy a reputable unit and you wont have to worry about service.

Best Regards,
Phil

 

[DanielKim]

Man Fei Wong, sorry to differ, but I'm a BB service tech. Burn-ins are covered.

 

[Jeff Drumm]

THE BEST BUY PSP DOES NOT COVER BURN-IN.
Go to the Best Buy web site, add a TV (projection or not) and its PSP to your shopping cart, and Read the PSP. In the "General Exclusions" section, it is explicitly stated:

• This Plan does not cover image burn.

Better to believe a written contract than what Best Buy will tell you to make a sale, IMHO.
--
- Jeff