Extended warranties... Maybe, maybe not.
Buying appliances makes me wish I could see into the future.
Last month we purchased a new washer and dryer. Red, front-loaders. Very pretty, kind of pricey. I had come to terms with the cost... until Mr. Washerman asked if we wanted to buy an extended warranty too. Whoa! If these machines are so good, I asked him, why doesn't the company stand behind them longer than one year? He could give me no reason and continued to push the benefits of an extended warranty. I was ready to walk out of the store and reconsider things when he, thankfully, backed off. I am not a gambler, but I don't want to spend money on something I am not going to need. Or will I...
One year and 2.5 months ago I bought a very nice microwave. It died unexpectedly this week. It had a 1 year warranty. I called GE service and they arranged for a technician to come. The moment Mr. Repairman stepped into my home I owed GE $69.95. He wiggled some wires, looked at the circuits and, magically, resurrected my microwave. His visit cost me $166.00! Fortunately, no parts were needed. That was just for his time. He said he gave me a deal on the labor since he did not have to do very much. Really?!
I just might take Mr. Washerman up on his suggestion of an extended warranty. It would pay for itself with one simple service call. Unless, of course, my washing machine or dryer never break down!
Has anyone seen my crystal ball?
Well, would the cost of the unit breaking exceed the cost of the extended service plan? To put this in perspective, you have Apple Care on your computer. The Apple Care was about 1/5 of the cost of the computer. If anything goes wrong with your computer within three years from the time of purchase (of the computer, not the service warranty) that is NOT physical damage, then it is covered (except for batteries, but that is a different story.) You might not ever need any kind of service done on your computer, but if you did, the labor and parts will exceed the cost of the service warranty. You have an Apple computer. It is awesome. But there is still that chance...
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