Is it worth buying an extended Warranty ?

[admin_exported]

Ok, after a visit to the Sony store today, i have decided to buy a Sony KDL40X3500. Store price was £1699, but have found it online for £1065. The TV comes with a 1 year warranty, but you can extend that for the below deals, which look very expensive to me.

Is it worth extending the warranty do you think ?

Warranty Supplied (1 year)
2 Year Repair Protection Plan £134.00
3 Year Repair Protection Plan £179.00
4 Year Repair Protection Plan £214.00
5 Year Repair Protection Plan £299.00

 

[John Duncan]

No, in my opinion. Most defects occur within a month, never mind a year, and in five years time 299 quid would buy you another telly twice as good as this one.

Though having said that, personally I'd buy from John Lewis and get their free five year warranty and excellent service - admittedly they don't have that model, but they have plenty of others

 

[radovantz]

Another option, provide monthly saving in a bank for personal AV maintenance fund.. It generates profit and useful for AV expenses in future. Much smarter than buying extended warranty

 

[Anonymous]

I have been informed by Trading Standards, and it does work, all equipment purchased in the uk from a shop or online over £100 in value has an automatic FIVE YEAR warranty. Just keep the receipt. If it does go wrong you need to be very firm with the supplier, your credit card company and the manufacturer. It has worked with me.

 

[Anonymous]

hello. i purchased a pioneer pdp 436 xde for £3058.99 and paid a further £399.00 for curry"s whatever happens insurance policy (warranty) a 2 year cover which run out in march 2009 i had a small white dot what came up on the plasma screen . I phoned curry.s warranty about it. currys said will send the tech guys ronud to take the tv away. the tech pick the tv up. the tv is covered up to price paid under (warranty) and same spec under (warranty) .that mean you can get a tv to same value as paid. but when the tech guys took my tv away it was drop and smashed to bits when the tech guys phoned me to tell me about what had happened they said i can have £ 1700 compemsation for my pioneer which i paid £3058.99. currys said its not down to them what as happened and its not covered by them. for currys to suggest that this insurance policy dose not cover this situation is frankly ridiculous and quite frankly a shocking attempt to evade responsibility. when i took the policy out with them and phoned them about my tv to get fix . the pioneer i purchased was top of range at time in your magazine and the best tv you could buy in your magazine and came with the media box. I am now taking currys to court with my solicitors after so many letters being sent to currys with no joy

 

[Greenwich_Man]

william pyne: I am now taking currys to court with my solicitors after so many letters being sent to currys with no joy

Hope you win mate - I have found Currys to be very unhelpful too

 

[Anonymous]

thank you mate. i am claiming for £3058.99 for the tv. £399.00 for the insurance policy that dont cover me so currys say. compensation for telephone calls/stress/loss of enjoyment of my tv. and solicitors costs of £450

 

[bigblue235]

Digitalpete: I have been informed by Trading Standards, and it does work, all equipment purchased in the uk from a shop or online over £100 in value has an automatic FIVE YEAR warranty. Just keep the receipt. If it does go wrong you need to be very firm with the supplier, your credit card company and the manufacturer. It has worked with me.

Forgive my cynicism, but I can't see how that's correct. I'd love to be wrong though

 

[Anonymous]

hello bigblue235 .could you tell me if you have had to claim for a tv or something like it mate. and how you won and what you did thank you

 

[bigblue235]

Hi William, I was just referring to DigitalPete's comment about TV's automatically having a 5 year warranty, I'm afraid I can't see how that's correct. I wish it was though!

But personally I have had a few claims for faulty TV's. Three Toshibas and a Panasonic

All to my satisfaction, luckily enough. I was fortunate that I'd had a bit of Sale of Goods act training in a previous job, so knew how to go about getting a refund.

I had a few issues with the Panasonic though, from... you guessed it, Currys! I was put on to the manager, who I was told was 'a bit of a rottweiler'

He tried everything to get out of it, from starting off politely telling me about 'company policy' not to give refunds (he was equally politely informed that this was entirely unenforceable) then trying to 'bargain' with me (no bargain to be done, I wanted my dosh) and he then got quite arsey with me and left me hanging about the shop while he made calls to head office (I had all day

). Got there in the end!

It can be a bit tricky though, especially if you don't like face-to-face disputes, so the best thing to do is go to Consumer Advice/Trading Standards, who will often act as an intermediary. Did you do this, or go straight to a lawyer?

 

[Anonymous]

hi mate i give up after hours and days on the phone to currys and then went to a lawyer and i will not give up till i win

 

[bigblue235]

Good luck with it mate, it can be a nightmare.

I always went in to the shop, just to have it out face to face. It's too easy for them to fob you off on the phone.

What exactly are they offering you currently?

 

[Anonymous]

bigblue235:
Digitalpete: I have been informed by Trading Standards, and it does work, all equipment purchased in the uk from a shop or online over £100 in value has an automatic FIVE YEAR warranty. Just keep the receipt. If it does go wrong you need to be very firm with the supplier, your credit card company and the manufacturer. It has worked with me.

Forgive my cynicism, but I can't see how that's correct. I'd love to be wrong though

I think what digitalpete was reffering to is correct as under the Sale of Goods Act electrical goods are covered for 6 years in England and 5 years in Scotland. I found a couple of links to back this up:

http://www.fool.co.uk/news/money-saving-tips/2007/01/30/when-electrical-goods-go-wrong.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/jun/01/yourrights.legal4

 

[MRB]

It's true! Products are expected to function for a reasonable period of time, regardless of how long the manufacturer guarantees them for.

A lady once bought an electric iron from a shop I worked at and returned it after around two and a half years because it was faulty. We told her that the guarantee expired after 2 years but Trading Standards told us that an iron should be expected to work for at least 4 years, so we had to give her a new one.

BTW It was the shop who had to foot the bill for the replacement product, not the manufacturer.

 

[Anonymous]

hi mate what they did offer me was £1700 when i paid £3059.99 for the tv and £399.00 for currys whatever happens" insurance policy which run out march 2009 a 2 year cover. and then on friday 10/10/08 offered me a pioneer PDP507XDT but my tv had the media box and in the currys insurance policy it say EQUIVALENT OF SIMILAR SPECIFICATION UP TO ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE PAID if an appropriate product is not available, YOU MAY USE THE VALUE ORIGINALLY PAID TOWARDS A REPLACEMENT OF YOUR (CHOICE" but this is all coz they offered me £1700 and not what the currys insurance policy said mate . so i am claiming £3059.99 for the tv. £399.00 for curry:s whatever happens" insurance policy. telephone calls/stress/loss of enjoyment 9this product has now not been repaired or replaced within the time allocated in the insurance policy which is 21 DAYS and solicitor cost of £450 mate

 

[bigblue235]

Ginder: I think what digitalpete was reffering to is correct as under the Sale of Goods Act electrical goods are covered for 6 years in England and 5 years in Scotland. I found a couple of links to back this up

You are covered to an extent, but not in the same way as an extended warranty. The period of time in those reports is a fair estimate of how much usage you should get from a product. A set being expected to last 5 years is different to:

Digitalpete: all equipment purchased in the uk from a shop or online over £100 in value has an automatic FIVE YEAR warranty

Say you had a TV for nearly 5 years, it becomes defective and you wish to make a claim under the SoGA. At best, you may be entitled to a free repair. However, if the retailer claim the repair is disporportionately expensive compared to the value of the set, they could decline to repair it and instead compensate you for your unfulfilled usage. Which wouldn't be much, if the set theoretically only has a month or two left to fulfil it's expected lifespan.

Whereas, if it's under warranty, dependent on the terms, you may get a full replacement. Hence why they can legally charge you for extended warranties, as they offer more compensation than the SoGA.

 

[bigblue235]

MRB: It's true! Products are expected to function for a reasonable period of time, regardless of how long the manufacturer guarantees them for.

Partly true

Products are indeed expected to function for a reasonable period, but this isn't usually the same, nor does it give you the same rights, as a typical extended warranty.

A lady once bought an electric iron from a shop I worked at and returned it after around two and a half years because it was faulty. We told her that the guarantee expired after 2 years but Trading Standards told us that an iron should be expected to work for at least 4 years, so we had to give her a new one.

Well, you could also have compensated her (either for loss of use or the cost of a repair) or you could have had her faulty iron repaired.

BTW It was the shop who had to foot the bill for the replacement product, not the manufacturer.

You should have spoken to the manufacturer

FWIW, I've taken back thousands of items and have probably dealt with several hundred 'out of warranty' and SoGA claims. I've had many telephone conversations with Trading Standards, lawyers and irate customers. Some of which have caused punters to storm out of the shop shouting things about me being a 'con man', but it's never been proven

 

[Anonymous]

Its always worth a shot if you forgot to purchase an extended warranty. Most warranties only cover the terms of the Act anyway, nothing in addition. I think insurance on ur product which covers accidental damage is always better even if it costs more. Normal extended warranties are a mere selling point for customers who really dont know their rights, that is why more and more companies are starting to give them away for free or very cheap.

 

[bigblue235]

Ginder:Its always worth a shot if you forgot to purchase an extended warranty.

Yeah, agreed, it's worth a shot no matter what. I've helped a few folk on another AV site get compensation, so I'm all for trying

Most warranties only cover the terms of the Act anyway, nothing in addition.

Maybe some do, but I dunno about most of them. I'm sure unscrupulous dealers try to get away with it, but I'd imagine it's illegal to sell a warranty that offers no more than your statutory rights.

I think insurance on ur product which covers accidental damage is always better even if it costs more. Normal extended warranties are a mere selling point for customers who really dont know their rights, that is why more and more companies are starting to give them away for free or very cheap.

Personally, I think accidental damage cover is more of a waste, as may household insurance policies cover you for this, as I found out to my joy a while back

 

[cmf]

elstimpo:

Ok, after a visit to the Sony store today, i have decided to buy a Sony KDL40X3500. Store price was £1699, but have found it online for £1065. The TV comes with a 1 year warranty, but you can extend that for the below deals, which look very expensive to me.

Is it worth extending the warranty do you think ?

Warranty Supplied (1 year)
2 Year Repair Protection Plan £134.00
3 Year Repair Protection Plan £179.00
4 Year Repair Protection Plan £214.00
5 Year Repair Protection Plan £299.00

I would recommend you save money and go online to www.johnlewis.co.uk and buy the sony KDL40w4710 with free 5 year warranty for £1099. this tv has the same features as the 40w4500 which are better than the 40x3500.

if you are still determined to get the older x3500 with a five yr warranty, get the warranty cheaper on the net.

 

[Anonymous]

bigblue235:
Personally, I think accidental damage cover is more of a waste, as may household insurance policies cover you for this, as I found out to my joy a while back

Doesnt household insurance premiums go up if you claim on them, whereas you will only be paying a one off fee for tv insurance which will last 5 years? I got a quote on the Domestic and General Website and 5 year coverplan for breakdown and accidental damage cost about £210, for the Sony 40w4500.

I also noticed if you buy your tv from amazon you can get breakdown and accident cover with either D&G or Allianz for about £120 as an offer from amazon. Is that not worth it because alot of internet retailers charge about 100-300 quid for just a 5 year mechanical breakdown warranty?

On the matter of warranties that seem to mirror statutory rights, im sure there maybe some kind of loophole where if the warranty is given for free it wouldnt be regarded as selling to you what is already your legal right. Im sure the offer of a free warranty would entice many customers at no cost to the retailer.

 

[bigblue235]

Ginder:Doesnt household insurance premiums go up if you claim on them, whereas you will only be paying a one off fee for tv insurance which will last 5 years?

Mine only went up a few quid, I'd imagine it depends on how much you claim for. But if your household policy includes accidental damage cover, you're paying for the privilege, so I feel that if you take out another policy you're paying twice. I guess if you have to make a big claim, then such additional cover might work out better value, but I personally don't see myself ruining my TV accidentally, clumsy as I am

But it's personal preference, each to their own and all that?!

I got a quote on the Domestic and General Website and 5 year coverplan for breakdown and accidental damage cost about £210, for the Sony 40w4500. I also noticed if you buy your tv from amazon you can get breakdown and accident cover with either D&G or Allianz for about £120 as an offer from amazon. Is that not worth it because alot of internet retailers charge about 100-300 quid for just a 5 year mechanical breakdown warranty?

Sorry, I don't quite get you? It is late though, and there has been wine involved

If accidental damage cover is included in the premium, so much the better, but personally I wouldn't pay any extra for it.

On the matter of warranties that seem to mirror statutory rights, im sure there maybe some kind of loophole where if the warranty is given for free it wouldnt be regarded as selling to you what is already your legal right.

Nah, there is no loophole really. You can't make an 'offer' under false pretences, which is what a warranty with no actual cover would constitute. That'd be one for Watchdog

Compulsory manufacturer warranties rarely offer much more than your rights under SoGA, but that's a different kettle of fish.

I'm sure the offer of a free warranty would entice many customers at no cost to the retailer

It would entice customers, but I'm not sure how profitable it would be, or they'd all be doing it already! They'd lose warranty sales for a start, which is where much of their profit comes from. Also, if anyone claimed, and the claim wasn't covered by SoGA, the retailer would have to pay out of their own pockets.