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Extended warranty worthwhile on RP-91? (1 Viewer)

BrianO

Auditioning
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
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10
I am on the verge of purchasing the Panasonic RP-91 and am trying to decide whether or not to purchase an extended warranty. I will likely buy it from an on-line retailer such as ecost or etronics. They seem to range in cost from $60 to $180 for a 4 year warranty. Any thoughts on whether or not its worthwile?
I wouldn't have considered it before, but I just go burned on a Pansonic DVD-A120 which died 13 months after purchase.... I would hate to pay $500 for the RP-91 and have it die on me after a year.....
Thanks.
 

Prentice Cotham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
768
If you are going to buy the RP-91 from an online retailer, then I would not buy the warranty. The volatility of the e-tailers is so great that they might be out-of-business in the next year and your warranty would be void. If you do decide to purchase it, make sure the warranty is insured by an outside company just in case they do close their "doors."
 

Matt_Stevens

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 3, 2000
Messages
747
Doesn't Panasonic include an extended warranty offer with their products?
I would never, ever buy a DVD player without an extended warranty. Try and price match at Sears or Tweeter or Circuit City and let them know you want an extended warranty. THAT is how they make their money.
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Mike LS

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jun 29, 2000
Messages
838
I would never, ever buy a DVD player without an extended warranty
Why exactly? What makes a DVD player more apt to fail than a more expensive (and important) piece of equipment? Granted, your DVD player has more moving parts than a receiver, but when you think about it, it's really no more complex than a CD player.....how many people buy overpriced extended warranties on their CD players (other than my dad...he's hopeless)?
If the original poster bought a $100> warranty and say it breaks down in the last year of the warranty.....how much will an exact replacement(if they're still made) sell for then? Maybe $75?
The extended warranty is a gamble that works out in the sellers favor 99% of the time. If they were really such a great thing for electronics (and a good value) they wouldn't sell them because they'd be losing money on them left and right.
 

Mark Zimmer

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
4,318
I would agree, except for Panasonic DVD players, which are notorious for failing 13-18 months in. If I were going to buy one of those (why, I ask?) I would insist on the extended warranty because odds are good that it'll be scrap metal otherwise.
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"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."
 

Nicholas A. Gallegos

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 19, 2001
Messages
138
If you are going to buy the RP-91 from an online retailer, then I would not buy the warranty. The volatility of the e-tailers is so great that they might be out-of-business in the next year and your warranty would be void.
Several online retailers' extended warranties are actually backup up by insurance companies. So even if an "e-tailer" actually did go out of business, you can still make claims against the supporting insurance company.
Buying extended warranties though is a mixed bag. I'm forced to sell them at work or it's my job, but I wouldn't necessarily buy one on everything. But I can recall two cases where an extended warranty had actually worked to my favor:
1. 17" Viewsonic computer monitor. A power surge went straight through my supressor and fried it. As it turned out, my particular model was a "non-servicable" item that was simply sent back to the manufacturer and I got a new monitor right on the spot. This happened two years after I purchased the extended warranty. Not bad for the $30 I paid...
2. Cellular phones (several incidents). Extended warranties on cell phones are far more beneficial than you might think. I've almost come to the conclusion that cell phones are made to be throw-away items anyway, because PCS technology advances so fast. My store offers 3-year extended warranties on cell phones for $60. Might seem expensive (especially if you're buying a $100 phone), but the fact remains that it's very rare that a malfunctioning cell phone can actually be repaired as cheaply as simply just replacing it. Add this to the fact that the majority of cellular carriers who have contracts with retail stores require that you sign a new 1-year service contract AND conduct an activation with the purchase of a new phone (to my knowledge, Sprint PCS is the ONLY carrier that differs, since their normal rate plans are non-contract based). This means if you need to get that phone replaced with most carriers, you actually have to buy a replacement phone through them at FULL retail (this typically costs up to 50% more than buying the same phone at a discount retailer like Best Buy or Circuit City).
But even with the two incidents I described, a staggering 80% of all extended warranty sales are pure profit and this is why they are so aggressively sold.
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Matt_Stevens

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 3, 2000
Messages
747
An extended warranty for a DVD player should NOT cost $100. I paid $49 for a 3 year on my Toshiba.
And I would not buy ANY expensive piece of equipment without a warranty. Any time I have NOT, I have been burned, big time. No thanks.
Heck, if I didn't buy the extended on my Sony Wega, I would be stuck with a set that has huge problems after just one year. Instead, I am getting a full credit for replacement.
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Brian Glaeske

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 22, 1999
Messages
94
An extended warranty is not really a warranty, but an insurance policy. You buy insurance policies for events that will cause you financial ruin if they happen.
Here is a good article on extended warranties: Link Removed
Further, if you are worried about it failing after 1+ yrs of use, how about 2+. If you really only care between 0-2 yrs (because if it breaks beyond that you'll probably convince yourself that you need a better one anyway with ), get yourself a credit card that doubles the manufactures warranty. Most Mastercard's do this.
Brian G.
 

Dustin B

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2001
Messages
3,126
My parents have had a Panasonic A120 for a little over 2 years and it's still going strong. I've had one for a year and half and it's still going strong.
 

BrianO

Auditioning
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
10
How often do you/they use your A-120s? I watched 2-3 movies per week, so its not like I wore the thing out. From what I have read on this and other forums, I would say you/your parents are lucky.
Thanks to everyone above for your comments. I am not sure I agree that an insurance policy against getting screwed for $500 after a year is a waste....although I would agree that anything over $100 is too much. Anyway, I am still not sure what I am going to do....it just ticks me off to think that we are pumping this kind of money out to companies like Panasonic and they won't even stand behind their products for more than a year.
 

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