The only extended warranty I’ve ever thought was a good deal was the one Fujifilm offered on my F20. Which is a great little camera that isn’t made any more but, along with the similar F30 and F31, sells on eBay for more than the original new price (~£100-150). The really good thing about this warranty? Unlike every other digital camera warranty anywhere, it covered liquid damage! For £12/year!
(The camera has since been accidentally ruined by the older teenager, who got something jammed in the zoom lens barrel. I have the F70, the ostensible successor to the F20/F30/F31 series, but it’s really not very good at all. Need a compact with ridiculously high ISO that is at least as nice.)
Note that statutory warranties (of fitness for purpose) are much better in the UK and Europe than in the US. This particularly applies to anything bought mail order. But the shops (particularly the Dixons Group) still try to sell you a near-useless shop extended warranty.
Consumer goods are all disposable, and especially electronics. This is why I’ve always experienced terrible unwillingness to spend more than £100 on a computer—I think of computers as things employers buy and depreciate quickly.
Edit: And just nabbed an F30 on eBay for £90.50 inc post. w00t!
Note that statutory warranties (of fitness for purpose) are much better in the UK and Europe than in the US. This particularly applies to anything bought mail order. But the shops (particularly the Dixons Group) still try to sell you a near-useless shop extended warranty.
That sounds interesting. How much more are the warranties worth, do you think? My little essay is necessarily biased by my US perspective; maybe the point is even stronger for you foreigner-types.
I don’t know of a comparison between US and UK. I do know that if you’ve been messed around and the shop won’t make good on it, Trading Standards have a fine selection of very effective LARTs, and if you bought something mail-order the distance selling laws kick in as well, which are remarkably consumer-favouring. The consumer can, with sufficient persistence, apply the fine British bloodsport of bureaucracy to a satisfactory conclusion.
Extended warranties sold by the shop are pretty much useless—if the offered warranty is a year and it breaks in 366 days, you will have an at least arguable legal case that the device was not quite fit for purpose (YMMV, be prepared to put it quite a bit of effort). Extended warranties sold by the manufacturer if they do repairs in the country may not be useless. Be very sceptical of such offers in general.
The only extended warranty I’ve ever thought was a good deal was the one Fujifilm offered on my F20. Which is a great little camera that isn’t made any more but, along with the similar F30 and F31, sells on eBay for more than the original new price (~£100-150). The really good thing about this warranty? Unlike every other digital camera warranty anywhere, it covered liquid damage! For £12/year!
(The camera has since been accidentally ruined by the older teenager, who got something jammed in the zoom lens barrel. I have the F70, the ostensible successor to the F20/F30/F31 series, but it’s really not very good at all. Need a compact with ridiculously high ISO that is at least as nice.)
Note that statutory warranties (of fitness for purpose) are much better in the UK and Europe than in the US. This particularly applies to anything bought mail order. But the shops (particularly the Dixons Group) still try to sell you a near-useless shop extended warranty.
Consumer goods are all disposable, and especially electronics. This is why I’ve always experienced terrible unwillingness to spend more than £100 on a computer—I think of computers as things employers buy and depreciate quickly.
Edit: And just nabbed an F30 on eBay for £90.50 inc post. w00t!
That sounds interesting. How much more are the warranties worth, do you think? My little essay is necessarily biased by my US perspective; maybe the point is even stronger for you foreigner-types.
I don’t know of a comparison between US and UK. I do know that if you’ve been messed around and the shop won’t make good on it, Trading Standards have a fine selection of very effective LARTs, and if you bought something mail-order the distance selling laws kick in as well, which are remarkably consumer-favouring. The consumer can, with sufficient persistence, apply the fine British bloodsport of bureaucracy to a satisfactory conclusion.
Extended warranties sold by the shop are pretty much useless—if the offered warranty is a year and it breaks in 366 days, you will have an at least arguable legal case that the device was not quite fit for purpose (YMMV, be prepared to put it quite a bit of effort). Extended warranties sold by the manufacturer if they do repairs in the country may not be useless. Be very sceptical of such offers in general.