MORONS!!! (Language)

[FuzzyKitten99]

Ironically, I just called Best Buy on my extended warranty coverage for my digital camera that I only bought back in January. My kids got a hold of the camera, and now the lens is scratched. I had purchased the accidental damage and loss coverage, and I wanted to ensure it was covered. It is, so I will be bringing to the store tonight.

The whole reason I bought the coverage is because earlier this year, I went to take my older camera to get repaired (I bought it brand new in Jan 2007). It had a focusing problem and I needed it in good working order for my cruise in March. Well, I get to Best Buy (where I bought it) and they told me that the manufacturer's warranty had run out a week prior. I hadn't purchased the accidental coverage, cuz I figured I didn't need to spend the extra $$.

So, Best Buy takes the camera and calls me a week later, telling me that it is $160 to fix the problem. One of the nodes or something was worn out, and the problem will just get worse over time.

But I didn't want to spend $160 on the camera, when I could get a brand new one for just a little more. So I convinced my husband to let me get a new one. I looked and looked, shopped and viewed ratings, and finally decided on a really nice 12.0 MP FujiFilm. It cost $239. More than I originally wanted to spend, but I really liked the camera and it takes the same media chip as my old Olympus (I have since learned that they're actually the same company), and it takes BEAUTIFUL pictures and video. Being as I didn't want to be in the same position next spring (hopefully going another cruise next March!), I bought the extended plan with accidental damage coverage. Good thing too, because my 5yo and 2yo decided to be amateur photographers with it (they snuck it off my dresser yesterday) and ended up scratching the lens (I can actually see it) and it now has focusing issues.

So I just called BB, and they said to bring 'er on in and they'll either fix it or give me store credit to get a new one, equivalent to what I bought the camera for originally. No hassle, no questions.

I am glad I spent the $39.99 on the extra coverage.

[walking with scissors]

That's what my co-worker's son thinks. He just got his driver's license and told his dad he didn't want to pay for car insurance because "it's a rip-off"

He's in for a rude awakening.

It'll seem like a bargain next to the tickets he's going to be getting for driving without insurance.

[walking with scissors]

It is not required because the state is interested in you getting your own car repaired, it is required so that if you hit and injure someone, or cause huge amounts of damage to someone else's property, that expense will be covered by your insurance company.

Right. It's only mandatory to carry liability insurance.

[42_42_42]

If lightening struck my house (example given in OP), my homeowner's insurance would replace the items in my house, including the "$2000 TV".

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Bump

Today, during our team huddle, we learned about the new Extended Protection Plans that are going to be rolled out next Tuesday.

They will cover electronics, jewelry, and furniture.

When the floor was opened up for questions about the EPPs, here's what I asked:

Me: Is the company still paying out the 50 cents for every EPP you sell?
Manager: Yes they are. So for all you floor people, if you're explaining the EPP to a customer and they agree to purchase it, you may leave the floor, take the person to the front registers, and then hop on a register and check them out so that you get the 50 cents for selling the plan.
Me: What if I'm not register-trained?
Manager: Then you wouldn't be able to get that 50 cents. It would go to the person ringing them up. Sorry.
A Co-worker: Well then if we aren't going to be able to get this 50 cents for selling the EPPs, how do we benefit then?
Manager: You benefit whenever we reach a goal or win a contest, and we'll get pizza, ice cream, bagels or something else in the break room to celebrate.

Woo! I get to pad the cashiers' paychecks out of the hopes that one day, we'll get a food day! Needless to say, I will not even try to sell these dumb things. If the cashiers are the ones getting paid for it, let them do it.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

That's what my co-worker's son thinks. He just got his driver's license and told his dad he didn't want to pay for car insurance because "it's a rip-off"

He's in for a rude awakening.

He'd hate living here in NC - insurance is required by law for a motor vehicle.

Back to the service plans:

Personally, if it's something I'm using on a daily basis I'd much rather have one than not.

For example: I got my first cordless phone back in the early 90's (birthday present from Mom and then-stepdad.) With it, they had purchased the extended service plan which stated in the print that if the item was repaired 3 times before the warranty expired (12 months from date of purchase) that it would be replaced.

I was so glad we had that plan . . . phone became staticy after about 4 months. We took it back to the store (national chain known as CC) - they repaired it. It worked fine for about another 3 months, then it was returned a 2nd time for repair. Again, no problems with that - phone was repaired and worked fine up until a month before the warranty was to run out.

They replaced it with a similar model (the exact model I had was discontinued by that time.)

That sold me on extended plans right there. I had one with my flatbed scanner (also purchased from CC) that died on me after 8 months. Took it back, box and all (yes, I'd kept the box and all paperwork just in case) and explained that I wanted it repaired, as the light and the motor had just stoppped working (and I suspect the reason for that was involving a spoiled gray Manx who thought the scanner was her bed.)

Instead of sending it out for repair, they simply took a brand new one off the sales floor and sent me home with it. And, as an added surprise: the price had come down by $10 for that particular model - so I left with $10 more in my wallet than when I went into the store.

Not only are they a good idea overall, but it also helps if you purchase your items from a reputable retailer.

[smileyeagle1021]

why not spend the extra money to protect that investment, especially if you have the extra money just sitting there?

if I may, in the example in the OP... they DIDN'T have the extra money... they had the extra CREDIT... so I think it is safe to assume they don't even really have the $2000, much less the extra $200.

[ditchdj]

You really should have car insurance, whether it's required or not. For one thing, it keeps you off the hook for being stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills if you accidentally hit and injure someone. Also, my wife's got a crippling leg injury because she was riding with her sister and her sister wrecked the truck they were in. She can't collect anything in compensation because her sister didn't have insurance and will eventually just have to stop working and collect disability because a body part that gets seriously injured ages much faster than the rest of your body does.

As for "insurance" for consumer products: SCAM! For one thing, most electronic products don't even last for but a few years anyway due to our increased reliance on cheap labor. Secondly, I've heard too many horror stories on people trying to file a claim and getting the screws put to them from stores trying to get out of honoring them through "Phone Tag" and other bullshit runaround games so they can help pump up their profits. Besides, if this Dell laptop I just bought a few months poops within a year I just won't buy Dell anymore.

[cinema guy]

He'd hate living here in NC - insurance is required by law for a motor vehicle.

It is here in the UK, too.

[Mark Healey]

Right. It's only mandatory to carry liability insurance.

Unless you're financing the car. All lenders have in the contracts a requirement to have comp and colision.