Are extended warranties worth it or
 

are they just a scam. What are the chances of a new Sony HDTV breaking within like 4-5 years?

For tvs I wouldn't buy it. But for for things you use every day like cd players or cell phones, I would...

If you drop your cell phone or cd player and it breaks you can go and get a brand new one.. That's for futureshop aka Bestbuy.

so TV's have a very low failure rate?

Extended warranties are always a bad buy -- that's why they sell them.

It's insurance, and you should basically never insure anything you can afford to replace because -- playing the odds -- you'll probably do better without the insurance.

i got the extended warranty on my 47" LCD from bestbuy. yup i plan on fucking it up right before the ext. warranty ends so i can get a new one :BangBang:

and they're not a bad buy it depends on what the cover. if it covers, bestbuy will replace it if you break it. so get the extended warranty from them. a lot of other places won't and it also depends on the product. you wouldn't get it on something like a pair of headphones or and item you can throw away and don't really care about replacing.

anyway they can get more money they will.

but ive seen some products go bad shortly after original warranty date expire.

well I basically want to know what are my chances? I havent heard of TV's failing, especially a good brand like SOny

hahha how are u going to do that exactly

From my experience with tvs yes. I've still got a old tv that's 20 years old that works fine, my current one I bought in 2001? 32" sony hd tv still works like new.

not worth it, by the time your tv goes bad you'll be thinking how to get rid off it and get a new one

Killing the pins from the connector port? :p Just gussing :winkwink:

Yeah they wouldnt sell them if they were worth it to you statistically.

plug the tv into a huge power source or just drop it. that's my plan =) they'll either give me a replacement or newer like model. it'll be a one time thing though cause best buy keeps records of any huge returns and warranty replacements.

yeah that is what i am thinking also. Alright great. tHanks for the advice guys

it happens with laptops too,
your laptop breaks near end of warranty, dell comes in and gives you a brand new one because they can't get old parts anymore :)

The percentage of 5-year-old products that have been repaired or had a serious problem:

Desktop PC 37%
Lawn tractor and riding mower 32%
Self-propelled mower 26%
Side-by-side refrigerator(With icemaker and dispenser) 24%
Washing machine 21%
Projection TV 20%
Push mower 18%
Over-the-range microwave oven 17%
Gas range 17%
Top-and-bottom freezer refrigerator(With icemaker only) 15%
Vacuum cleaner 14%
Dishwasher 13%
Camcorder 13%
Clothes dryer 12%
Digital camera 11%
Electric range 11%
30- to 36-inch TV 11%
Top-and-bottom freezer refrigerator(No icemaker or dispenser)10%
25- to 27-inch TV 9%
Countertop microwave oven 7%


Consumer Reports 2002 annual questionnaire

With TV's generally if they are going to fail it will be within the first few weeks. If they don't fail within that time they are probably good for 10-20 years.

In general, extended warranties make most sense for products that cost a lot and are based on new, largely untested technologies. One example: big, flat-panel TVs. "They're very expensive and haven't been on the market long enough to know how reliable they are," Heim says.

For those products, the plans are typically what is called a break/fix warranty, says Michael Neumann, manager of culture, training and enrichment at Service Net Solutions, a provider of warranty and service contracts. That means if a big-screen TV goes on the fritz while under the extended warranty, the service company will fix it rather than simply replace it with a new one.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/...-mym_x.htm#how

no LCD's and plasma have a higher failure rate. the old tube tvs have a low failure rate. plasma and lcds both can burn out and everyone should know an LCD screen can get an image burn in if you let and image set to long.

play a video game and leave it paused for a few days on your new wide LCD screen. =) my damn screen has a screen saver on it that moves around to prevent burn in so much for that idea :(

i didnt thinkthey would replace it due to human error

Bestbuy/futureshop sales people are like tiger sharks. They'll try to sell you in on any warranty product you buy, cause they get commision for it.

Not on low ticket items.

I bought the extended warranty for my BMW though.
It was $1800 for 3 years....but if one thing breaks it'll probably cost me that much to fix it, they're not cheap to repair.

I wouldn't buy it for a replaceable item like a TV or toaster though.

:2 cents:

yeah for a car, especially an expensive one its worth getting.

They saved my ass a bunch of time ... a BUNCH of time .

But I agree they must make a lot of $ on thoses ... I know sellrs get a big cut @ futureshop

Bull shit! They don't replace for obuse or neglect. Happen to me at Best buy!