Are Extended Warranty's Worth It?

[snoborder351]

I got my Panasonic TH-37PX60U back in February. At the time i didn't want the extended warranty, but now that the 1 year warranty is almost up I'm considering it. I got the letter from Panasonic a few days ago and it costs $200 for 1 additional year or $500 for 3 years. I know I won't go for the 3 year one, that is just way too much money.

I haven't had a single issue with the TV yet and hopefully won't. Has anybody on here had any issues with a Panny Plasma? And is this warranty worth it?

[School]

Waste of money you can put that money towards a replacement after you sell the broken tv on ebay and trust me it will sell broken.

[zepherman]

Actually paying that much for an extended warranty is a bit on the steep side for your TV. $500 for 3 years? Ouch! A more realistic price would be between $200- $300.

For my Sony 70XBR2 a 4 year through Sony was a bit over $300, all in all not a bad price. When it comes to mega buck TV's I think an extended warranty makes sense. One may never need it, but if you do it's nice to know you're covered. Like the saying goes, better to have and not need than to need and not have.

You might want to check into warranty places like Warrantech or Service Net. They can at times offer a better deal on a warranty than through the manufacturer.


Seth

[Sirtalon]

Actually if it is a DLP HDTV the bulb is almost $250 - I got the extended for my Mitsubishi 62" and they come and clean it and replace the bulb as many times as needed - I saved a lot of money this way – You just need to research what it covers and if it is worth it - most of the time it isn't, but in my case it worked to my advantage.

[Maxell]

those prices are very steep.

On a regular basis I'd say yes, especially buying it on the spot when you buy your tv. I personally put an extended warranty on everything over $300 worth.

[Kayne314]

I paid $280 bucks at the time of purchase for the 3 year warranty on my Panasonic Plasma TV. I wasn't going to drop the extra bucks, but I got to thinking (this is usually where I get into trouble). "What If?" Crept into my mind. I'm dropping $1800 bones for an amazing TV. Do I really want to be without it should it break down two months out of warranty? For me it was worth it, and I have a little extra piece of mind.

That being said, If you've already had your TV for a year with no problems, then you should probably be okay. As your TV ages, the cost of buying an extended warranty goes up. Had you bought the warranty at the time you bought the TV, it probably wouldn't have cost as much. $200 bucks for just 1 year seems a little too steep. At this stage I'd say skip it.

[krinkle]

Are Extended Warranty's Worth It?

No.

Don't believe me? Go read Best Buy's 10K, extended warranties are basically pure profit for retailers.

[gvortex7]

For a company that's historically always overpricing things, believe it or not Sony has great prices on short and longer term extended warranties for their products. They even offer accidental damage plans as well. So, if anyone has a Sony and doesn't feel like buying a Best Buy or Circuit City extended plan, then just visit Sonystyle.com for their offers.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Are Extended Warranty's Worth It?

Only if you are a nervous nelly. I for one only chose to purchase a warranty on my TV because I was going to be dragging it 4000+ Kms across the country in a U-Haul about a month after purchase.

[PS3_Kiwi]

I never buy the extended warranties.

Seems like the companies are saying that their products can't be trusted, instead of having faith in the reliability of their product

Save your money!

Well, whaddya know... My 100th post!

[kingofgrills]

If you really want to protect your TV and audio gear at this point, make sure you have it connected through a high quality power conditioner and surge surpressor. Power surges or just plain voltage swings will kill the best systems in a second.

We had a drunk driver knock down a power pole a mile from my neighborhood, and it sent 3 spikes through the neighborhood. Pretty much everyone in the neighborhood lost something due to the surges. One neighbor lost over $20k of home theater gear and appliances. I lost a cheapie free ink jet printer and an Onkyo DVD player that had the power button pushed in and was in stand by mode. My two big screen TVs, receivers, subs and all other gear were protected by my Monster Power conditioners. Losing all that stuff would have made me cry.

Since the accident I also had the power company install a whole house surge supressor, which installs at the meter. It was $170 installed, and if it ever needs replacing, they'll replace it free. It's worth checking into. Our power grids are not very stable.

As for warranties, make sure you read the fine print to see what is really covered. Technology moves quickly, so I would be hesitant to add a warranty unless I did it at the time of purchase. Buying them later is more costly.

[mystiksuicide]

Bottom line is you never know if a TV is going to go on the "Fritz" A lemon can happen with anything a TV, Car, Air Conditioner. If you read carefully the manufactures warranties usually cover manufacturing defects.

Yes, they are pure profits to BB and CC but if you happen to be the poor sap who's TV goes bad in 13 months, well your simply sh-- out of luck.

We buy extended warranties on all high tech devices and we have had a few go bad (Nikon camera GPS) and had them replaced at no charge to us

[Mr. Joshua]

Clark Howard says not to buy extended warranties, they are pure profit centers for BB and CC... I would rather be on the safe side in case the TV blows up... It didn't break me to get the extended warranty... I'm not big on TV's being fixed I would rather have a brand spanking new replacement out of the cardboard box with that nice new smell....

[tidalmoon]

in todays world warranties ar'nt really worth much also equip
ment is so much reliable...

[U4K61]

I don't go for any kind of Extended Warranty. I can get get super charged oxygen steel braided HDMI cables for my set with the money saved, though I would really get them for $9 at monoprice. The TV is covered by the factory when it is new. When it is old, and perhaps in need of repair, the warranty has expired. Electronics loose their value almost over night because the of all the new stuff comming out. I baught a 32" LCD 18 months ago for $1700. Now it is on sale for $699. So what am I covering by an Extended Warranty?

[actionhank]

Originally Posted by snoborder351

And is this warranty worth it?

No. Warranties are like friggin put options 99% of them expire worthless.

It all depends on how risk averse you are. You're basically making a $200 bet with Panasonic that your TV will break in the next year. They're betting it won't so they can pocket the 200 instead of having to pay: (price of new tv - $200)

Do you think it's a fair bet?

[tommyboy81]

They're pretty much sure if something is going to happen it would most likely be within the first month maybe two. But you pay for three years with them. Then they tell you after the three years you can come back to extend it for another 3 years. The T.V already comes with a 1 year warranty from the company who made it. Oh yeah, I was one of those one of those ones who paid the 3 year warranty. I guess I will see if I needed it. Most likely I will buy a new one. I would like to have a full 1080p T.V

[htguy]

I say buy em. They save you in the end. Seems like every time Idon't get one, my equipment dies.

[Robmx]

I purchased mine from sonystyle.ca as the Best buy one was much more. After trying 2 Sharps give out within a 30 day period. As much faith as I have in the Bravia I still got it just incase. Alot easier to relax knowing i have it since I use it so much !