Re: Way OT: Extended Service Contracts (Was Re: u're my gods)

George,

Thank you for the suggestion about Sams and Costco.

Unfortunately, I own an Apple computer and both of
those shopping clubs focus on Wintel PCs.

Also if I want to buy a certain brand of whatever,
I've found that the clubs might not carry it and might
not be able to order it. For instance if I want a
Belkin USB 2.0 card, they might only have a PNY card
or Brand X.

So I'm pretty much stuck buying from other places and
need to rely on my charge card for buyer protection.

Oh and I love those salespeople with their offer of
ESC. I had a similar experience as you did. I think I
was buying something that I had no concern about it
failing (was it a computer cable?) and they wanted to
sell me an extended warranty for something like 50% of
the purchase price. Aghhhh!!!!!!

Again let me thank you for your suggestion,

Stuart
--- res1dvao@verizon.net wrote:

> The answer is to buy everything you can from Sam's
> Club or Costco. They stand behind everything
> FOREVER (except some computer equipment). No
> questions asked. Extended service contracts
> (ESC)are usually not a good buy. If electronics are
> going to fail they usually do so before the 90
> warranty runs out. I actually had a salesperson at
> Radio Shack try to sell me an extended warranty for
> $9.00 on a $3.00 item.
>
> George
>
> >From: STUART GOLDSTEIN <email_stuart@yahoo.com>
> >Date: Thu Sep 15 10:07:23 CDT 2005
> >To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> >Subject: Way OT: Extended Service Contracts (Was
> Re: u're my gods)
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> >Regarding extended service contracts (ESC), I heard
> >someone from Consumer Reports say that the ESC's
> are
> >not worth the money that you'd be paying for them.
> I
> >don't remember all of the particulars but the only
> >thing that he said that you should buy an ESC (odd
> how
> >that acrynym seems to imply escape as in run from
> >them) is a plasma TV.
> >
> >Ok, having said, I make all of my hardware purchase
> on
> >my VISA or Master Card. In the US, I don't know
> what
> >it is other areas of the world or California (only
> >kidding Californians), certain cards (platinum?
> gold?
> >silver?) give you an extended warranty coverage for
> a
> >year beyond the manufacturer's warranty (all
> included
> >for free with the charge card). But check with your
> >VISA and MC issuers to make sure you've got that
> kind
> >of coverage on your card (I think that they call
> >extended warranty).
> >
> >I've had to use this service a number of times: my
> >monitor suddenly started smoking (I didn't even
> know
> >that it had access to tobacco, and if it wasn't
> >tobacco...well I won't even go there), my CD burner
> >stopped burning (now if only the monitor hadn't
> >started burning and the burner continued to burn --
> >maybe it was a case of switched identities as in
> the
> >movie Freaky Friday), and there was another case
> which
> >slips my mind.
> >
> >You have to jump through a number of hoops to be
> >reimbursed (original receipts, charge card
> statements
> >showing that you purchased the item on the
> particular
> >VISA or MC, proof that the item is no longer
> working,
> >various forms, phone calls, etc) but I can't
> imagine
> >that the procedure is any different than if you
> paid
> >for an ESC (and it maybe worse with an ESC).
> >
> >But don't get me wrong, this is not a cash cow.
> They
> >will reimburse you up to the purchase price, but no
> >more (at least that's what I remember). And with
> the
> >cost of computer equipment constantly falling, they
> >will only cover the replacement cost (it may have
> >changed since I had my last set of problems). For
> >instance, I think that the monitor originally cost
> >something like $500 (years ago). I found a similar
> >monitor to replace the one that shorted out for
> $225
> >and that's what the paid me. The burner was $159
> and
> >the replacement only cost $106 -- again you get the
> >lower amount.
> >
> >And no I couldn't replace the bulky monitor with
> one
> >of those sleek flat screen Apple Cinema displays --
> >unless I wanted to pay the big difference. Ditto
> if I
> >wanted to go from a CD burner to a DVD burner. You
> >only get apples for Apples -- that's a little
> >MacIntosh humor. Okay bad pun but I know some
> members
> >live for them.
> >
> >But getting a replacement at virtually no cost
> saved
> >my (nonexistent) budget. It gives me piece of mind
> >knowing if something goes wrong 15 days after the
> >manufacturer's warranty expires that I'm still
> covered
> >by my credit card.
> >
> >Sorry about the length of this message. But I hope
> >that I was clear and that this info will save some
> >members some $$$.
> >
> >Stuart
> >--- Dave Rose <cactuscowboy@bresnan.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Extended service contracts or extended warranties
> >> are very common, whether
> >> you're buying a car, a refrigerator, or a
> printer.
> >> If you have any
> >> questions or concerns, read the contract before
> >> buying.
> >>
> >> Dave in Wyoming
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Adam.Waterson" <artistboi@speakeasy.net>
> >> To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 12:13 PM
> >> Subject: u're my gods
> >>
> >>
> >> What is the deal with this warranty? When I was
> >> talking with my friend
> >> at Showcase they mentioned only to buy a US
> >> warranty. Is this worth 60
> >> bucks for a printer i'm scared is going to break.
>
> >> Is this a real
> >> warranty? Or is this a 3rd party attempt for some
> >> extra cash, and
> >> nothing to do with the Epson R2400 I'm buying.
> >> Cheers!
> >>
> >>
> >> Mack
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >__________________________________
> >Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
> >http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>

                
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Received on Fri Sep 16 08:24:14 2005