Extended Warranties - Why?
Discussion
I have just had a letter from Mastercare....
Now let me think for all of two seconds..... Four years @ £30 = £120, or approximately the cost of a new Dyson. Thanks, but no thanks, if it breaks I'll just buy a new one with the money I've already saved
Not only that, but you can be sure if you make a claim you will miraculously have used it in such a way as to invalidate the warranty anyway!
Bloody begging letters
They said:
Dear BliarOut, as you know, your Dyson is now nearly four years old. As you know, the cost of repairs is down to you and as machines get older, they are more likely to break. Did you know that from as little as £30 per month you can have complete peace of mind... Bullshit bullshit etc.
Now let me think for all of two seconds..... Four years @ £30 = £120, or approximately the cost of a new Dyson. Thanks, but no thanks, if it breaks I'll just buy a new one with the money I've already saved
Not only that, but you can be sure if you make a claim you will miraculously have used it in such a way as to invalidate the warranty anyway!
Bloody begging letters
in business.Anyone noticed how sulky they can get with you in certain major electrical/electronic goods retailers these days when you turn them down for the extended warranty, being as that is where they make such a whopping profit (and commission) when they can convince some poor mug to buy one?
AlexH said:
Anyone noticed how sulky they can get with you in certain major electrical/electronic goods retailers these days when you turn them down for the extended warranty, being as that is where they make such a whopping profit (and commission) when they can convince some poor mug to buy one?
I got a load of hassle from a staff member in a large electrical retailer. After telling her I didn't want to extend the warranties she started badgering my wife. Wife got narked and asked her to get the manager as she would like to lodge a formal complaint. Girl went white and tried to talk her way out of it, instead she got a dressing down from the manager.
I remember being in the queue to pay behind an elderly couple in a large well known electrical retailer (Pixons?)
They tried to sell her a £24 warranty on a £35 toaster. I remember them really trying to pile on the pressure and they were about to sign before I stepped in and explained to them just how bad value it was.
Shop assistant was really narked with me but I wasn't going to stand back and watch them confuse and con this couple.
They tried to sell her a £24 warranty on a £35 toaster. I remember them really trying to pile on the pressure and they were about to sign before I stepped in and explained to them just how bad value it was.
Shop assistant was really narked with me but I wasn't going to stand back and watch them confuse and con this couple.
Yeah, extended warrenties are crap. In fact, consider the economics, unless you have a specific risk factor that the insurance company can't know about (like living next to a nail distributor for tire road hazard) they can't be worth what they charge, or else the insurer would go broke.
It only makes sense to insure against risks that you can't absorb.
It only makes sense to insure against risks that you can't absorb.
BliarOut said:
I have just had a letter from Mastercare....
They said:
Dear BliarOut, as you know, your Dyson is now nearly four years old. As you know, the cost of repairs is down to you and as machines get older, they are more likely to break. Did you know that from as little as £30 per month you can have complete peace of mind... Bullshit bullshit etc.
Usually I would agree with you.
However, I got one of these about a week after my dishwasher had gone bang in a very nasty and expensive way.........
...I checked *very* carefully, and nowhere did it state that the item to be covered actually had to be working when I took out the cover.
Result. One new dishwasher for about 100 notes.
Few months ago I spent a couple of grand on a projector and screen for a kind of "home cinema" experience. I told the chap that I want a reliable one because on a previous occasion I'd had problems. He assured me that the product was very good and he'd never yet had a single complaint. So I agree to buy the product.
He then goes off on one doing has best to persuade me to spend a few hundred quid on an extended warranty. So I said, "five minutes ago you told me it wasn't going to wrong". He then said "well you never know".
Anyway, I elected not to buy the extended warranty because my consumer rights protect me virtually to the same degree.
He then goes off on one doing has best to persuade me to spend a few hundred quid on an extended warranty. So I said, "five minutes ago you told me it wasn't going to wrong". He then said "well you never know".
Anyway, I elected not to buy the extended warranty because my consumer rights protect me virtually to the same degree.
I hate the pushy bastards who try to get you to buy these things. If you took out extended warranties on everything you bought you'd be paying thousands a year on it. In reality one thing might go wrong which you need to replace. Far better value to "insure" yourself...and just replace stuff as and when it goes wrong.
I no longer buy anything off Dixons, Currys etc etc as I simply could not stand the hassle of telling Sales staff that they could piss off if they wouldn't shut up about the extended warranties...
Buy on the net. From reputable net companies. Not these high street shysters.
Isn't that a switch!?
I no longer buy anything off Dixons, Currys etc etc as I simply could not stand the hassle of telling Sales staff that they could piss off if they wouldn't shut up about the extended warranties...
Buy on the net. From reputable net companies. Not these high street shysters.
Isn't that a switch!?
Used to work for a large computer shop who sold service agreements. They made approximately 30% on each one sold compared to 5% on their average home computer. They made more selling a couple of ink cartridges! Still, as long as you know how you're covered they're quite good value on the right products. "Oh no, I've just dropped my laptop down the stairs and the screen doesn't work any more" will furnish you with brand new replacement.
The best value after sales package has got to be the one offered by Richer Sounds though. £20 odd for cover for 3 years or so and you get it back if you don't use it when the policy runs out. If you do lose it you get a loan unit while your one is sent off to be fixed / replaced. Can't say fairer than that really. If Richer can do it for £20 / free you can see where the real money in retail is these days.
The best value after sales package has got to be the one offered by Richer Sounds though. £20 odd for cover for 3 years or so and you get it back if you don't use it when the policy runs out. If you do lose it you get a loan unit while your one is sent off to be fixed / replaced. Can't say fairer than that really. If Richer can do it for £20 / free you can see where the real money in retail is these days.
I remember a guy on the telly saying never take out an extended warranty, instead just put a few quid a month away into a seperate bank account and it anything goes wrong out of warranty, use the money to buy a new appliance.
In the mean time you are earning interest and if nothing goes wrong you have a nice savings account.
In the mean time you are earning interest and if nothing goes wrong you have a nice savings account.
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