Worth buying digital camera 'extended warranty' ?
OhioGuy
more than about $100 for a digital camera. This is because I've had
relatives go on and on about how I just need to spend more money, and then
soon after they have trouble with their $300 digital cameras. For me, it
all comes down to replacement cost. If I get used to spending much over
$100 for a digital camera, the replacement cost gets burdensome. Plus, the
technology is still changing rapidly in this field, so even if a camera
lasted a few years, I'm sure I would get the itch to upgrade.
Unfortunately, nearly all of the digital cameras I've bought over the past
7 years have lasted little more than a year. Some have lasted 8 months,
others a year and a half, but the average is about one year.
This time, I really did my research. Pretty much all of the sub-$100
digital camera reviews I found online were negative, except for those
relating to the HP E427. It's a 6 MP digital camera that is available right
now at Circuit City for $80. The vast amount of reviews for it I found
online were glowingly positive.
Now that I've made up my mind on a replacement camera, I'm wondering if it
would be worth buying some sort of "service protection plan" for it. I wish
Target sold this camera - they have a 3 year replacement warranty they sell
for $19. Unfortunately, Circuit City has just a 2 year one they sell, for
$15. With my history with digital cameras, it would probably die in about a
year anyway.
With my bad luck with digital cameras, do you think it is worth getting
the Circuit City protection plan? Would I be better off finding another
plan, or just passing on it?
Thanks!
hchi...@hotmail.com
Saw a customer in Staples the other day. She was trying to get
satisfaction on the "protection plan" on her digital camera, which had
failed in just a couple of months, and she was going on vacation.
Store rep: "The protection plan only covers you after the
manufacturer's warranty doesn't. The manufacturer warranty is one
year."
Customer: "But the manufacturer wants me to send in the camera and
estimates it will be 8 to 10 weeks for repair, and if it determines
the problem was caused by mishandling, will charge me for the repair.
I thought the protection plan was supposed to cover that."
Store rep: "Sorry."
I think the operative words might not be "protection plan" as much as
"protection racket."
Funny thing is, the store manager and I were overhearing this somewhat
heated discussion while I was in the register line. With that as a
background, he asked if I wanted to buy a "protection policy" on the
electronics I was just buying. ...Uh, no...
clams casino
> Our Kodak digital camera died during our recent vacation. I won't spend
>more than about $100 for a digital camera. This is because I've had
>relatives go on and on about how I just nee d to spend more money, and then
>soon after they have trouble with their $300 digital cameras. For me, it
>all comes down to replacement cost.
>
Then keep on replacing cameras. Not frugal, but you get to shop a lot.
We bought a Canon Power Sure Shot 450 about 4 years ago and it continues
to provide us with outstanding pictures.
Then again, you apparently enjoyed a vacation in a $500 69 van. Not my
idea of an enjoyable trip, but to each his own.
George Grapman
they claim, I really need it they are telling me they have no faith that
the product will last beyond the warranty so perhaps I should not buy
it. The pitch usually stops at that point.
John Weiss
>
> With my bad luck with digital cameras, do you think it is worth getting the
> Circuit City protection plan? Would I be better off finding another plan, or
> just passing on it?
Save your $15 or $20. At that price point, if the camera dies, replace it with
a newer/better one.
About the only extended warranties worth it any more are for laptop computers,
when screen protection is included. Of the 4 laptops I've owned, 2 of them
have needed repairs after the standard warranty period (screen for 1, keyboard
and motherboard for the other).
bear...@cruller.invalid
"John Weiss" <jrweiss98155nospamatnospamcomcastdotnospamnet> wrote:
> Save your $15 or $20. At that price point, if the camera dies,
> replace it with a newer/better one.
>
> About the only extended warranties worth it any more are for laptop
> computers, when screen protection is included. Of the 4 laptops I've
> owned, 2 of them have needed repairs after the standard warranty
> period (screen for 1, keyboard and motherboard for the other).
FWIW, a couple of years ago, I bought a new Sharp microwave oven at best
buy because they were willing not only to match the lowest locally
advertised price I found, but return 100% of the difference in price to
me at purchase. The savings came to about $20, so when they offered me
their in-store extended warranty for $20, I took them up on it.
It was prescient. Although still in new condition, the microwave broke
just one month after Sharp's warranty expired. We now have a brand new
microwave similar to-- but more feature-laden-- than the one I bought
originally. Plus, the warranty is still good for two more years. Not bad
for $20.
This was the first time I had bought an extended warranty for anything
but computers and peripherals (I have never needed to use those). I
still don't know why I decided to purchase the microwave warranty, but I
am now glad I did.
Al Bundy
wrote:
Yea, and every year he buys a $100 camera and takes 100 pictures. He
ain't going to tell us the truth about what it cost himself to
complete that vacation in the van either.
Don K
>
> With my bad luck with digital cameras, do you think it is worth getting the Circuit
> City protection plan? Would I be better off finding another plan, or just passing on
> it?
The Circuit City protection plan looks out for Circuit City.
You want the OhioGuy protection plan.
Unless you like to play "where's waldo", looking for all the loopholes
that are there in the protection contract, telling you why they won't pay off,
you probably won't know what you've got until it's too late.
Personally I'd rather hold on to the 20 bucks. It's a sure thing. The
extended warranty is a craps shoot.
Don
Rick
As Nancy Reagan used to say "Just don't do it!!!" 8-)
All kidding aside I have to really question what the heck you are doing
to those digital cameras that you kill them off every year on average.
Either you have the worst possible luck choosing the worst possible
camera every time, or you are doing something with how you use/handle
them that brings them to a premature death.
I have three of them in a "paid" (not retail price) price range of 80
dollars, 120.00 dollars and 500 dollars. None of them have died. And the
$500.00 one - a five year old Fuji MX2900Z 2.3 megapixel - is still used
*heavily* and still works fine.
That all being said, you are not the person to by an extended warranty.
Because the first rule of voiding an extended warranty is saying to the
customer "you dropped it" and that's where your "protection" ends. With
cameras they will only fix *known* manufacturer defects. And
until/unless/after the manufacturer gets a few thousand calls from
consumers screaming bloody hell about the exact same problem you won't
see any camera repair under extended warranty.
Lap top extended warranties? The favorite way Lenovo voids extended
warranty coverage of late is to claim "water damage" to a lap top. Not a
half gallon of water in the lap top. The dried residue of what might
have been moisture covering less than a quarter centimeter of a board in
the lap top. That may have been deposited there and dried while the lap
top was being assembled... And usually not visible to the naked eye.
Rick
OhioGuy
> going to tell us the truth about what it cost himself to complete that
> vacation in the van either.
Pfft! Yeah, right! We have toddlers, and we take at LEAST 100 pictures a
month - more if we travel anywhere or visit relatives. So perhaps 1,500
pictures a year. We save at least $150 a year in photo developing costs
this way, not to mention we get to look at the pictures right away.
Even if it lasts just a year, I still feel like we've gotten our money out
of it. Of course, I wouldn't mind if it lasted 3 years instead.
al...@homelifeweekly.com
Personally I think the protection plan is a waste of time especially
with electronics, If there is a problem its usually at the beginning
of the items life. Companies know this and thats why they offer these
plans, its easy money for them and very profitable, its all in the
stats
Plus usually this cover is not for accidental damage which is really
what is most likely to cause repairs.
Sales Person "Oh sorry we don't cover accidental damage or wear and
tear it clearly stated in the policy" etc
I would spend the money on buying a bigger memory card.
Regards
Alex
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