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Should I get the extended warranty?

19 years ago

I bought a Toshiba Satellite last Sept. and my warranty year will soon be up so I'm debating whether to pay for a couple more years or would I be just wasting my money? I have not had any problems whatsoever with this laptop. I was told that if you haven't had any problems in the first year that 'more than likely' you won't have any. Is this 'usually' true?

Thanks~

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Comments (11)

grandms
19 years ago
Mary, I've been debating the same thing with my HP laptop, purchased last October. I think I've finally decided not to purchase the extended warranty. I, too, believe that if anything about the hardware were to go, it would already have happened. Of course, I guess a HDD or any other drive could bite the dust without much warning, but I think I'm willing to take the chance. If I should decide to go with the extended warranty, it would be the manufacturer's, not the merchant where I bought it (both have offers on the table).
jane__ny
19 years ago
I've always extended the warranties because I cannot fix things when they go wrong. I've been very luck with my machines, but there have been times when I needed to pay someone to help with a problem. It is so expensive to pay someone by the hour. Where I live it's $85.00 an hour and it usually takes longer than that to do something. I find it's cheaper to buy the warranty.

I had connection problems and my ISP said it was my computer. I had to pay someone to spend hours trying to figure out what was wrong. Along the way, he found other problems and it cost me over $300 and it was an ISP problem.
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Ok, sounds like you had a bad associate at sears helping you out, or you possibly didn't let him/her go over it fully. So I'll explain it in detail real quick. Normal warrenties cover for defects and that's it these days. The typical extended warrenty takes that coverage and extends it out to 3 or 5 years, then they normally add in power surge protection and a no lemon policy to where if the same problem occurs 4 times within 12 months then they replace it, however the plan then expires upon replacement. The main downside is that the service is almost always done through a 3rd party company that attempt to chickenscratch their way out of giving you a repair without charging you. The sears PA covers just about anything as long as you aren't using the machine for commercial purpouses and/or intentionally breaking it. With their no lemon it can be ANY 4 product failures within 12 months or if they just flat out cant fix it for any reason, and then when the product is replaced the plan still continues without you having to purchase it again. So even if you have to have your washer replaced 3 times you buy the plan just once. You still get powersurge protection, and it also covers cosmetics for the first 3 years which would be very nice if you got a color with your LG machine. Now the main advantage to the sears PA is the service checkups each year. They send out a tech at your request to do a full checkup/tune up on the machine. They run individual checks on the cycles, check water temps, spin/drain cycles, bearings, belt systems, suspension, hoses, pump, electrical connections and grounding, and level the machine as well. By doing so it's going to keep the machine running smooth and help prolong the life of it, because whenever you have moving parts, particularly at those speeds, it will wear down the machine through time. Then there's also the factor that there are many problems that can be caught and fixed before it becomes a serious problem...just like when you hear a rattling in the back of your car :p Also, another way I look at it is that throughout a year I spend around $1200 on car insurence....suddenly 250 for 3 or 5 years doesn't seem so bad. And you do get a LOT of use out of your washer. Personally I buy the PA on everying as long as they come out to my house to do the work, but if all you want is a standard extended warrenty then you can purchase that from another 3rd party company....I highly recommend giving sears a chance though. There's also the fact that when you get it you only deal with sears which is nice.
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DA_Mccoy
19 years ago
It is really an individual decision based on ability-to-pay and the necessary piece-of-mind an individual user requires.

Historically from postings here and my readings elsewhere, extended warranties favor the purveyor whether the item in question is a computer, an appliance or an automobile. They are a money machine.

If I might say, I for one didn't purchase an extended warranty two months ago when I purchased my new system.

Before you make your decision, ignore everything the salesperson says. It is the consumer's responsibility to read what is and is not covered. Be informed about deductibles, down-time, lemon coverage, liability, shipping, data loss, just to name a few.

If you feel you should have an extended warranty I would recommend if possible one offered by the manufacturer rather than a third party.

I am sure you will make a wise decision based on what's best for you.

Good Luck! Enjoy!

DA
owbist
19 years ago
Damccoy wrote:- Before you make your decision, ignore everything the salesperson says.

How true, I have an LCD monitor in for repair under warranty. On delivery I was told 2 to 10 days. Nice. After 12 days I phoned and was told it takes 15 working days. (They really mean 3 weeks) "But the receiving tech said..." is worth nothing.
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
19 years ago
My Dell extended warranty and tech support has saved the day numerous times. I'd hate to think what it would have cost by the hour.

I am quite computer challenged, get things all crapped up beyond recognition every so often, and it requires emptying it all out and reloading it all anew...something I just cannot do myself.

The extended warranty has gotten me back up and running, and has helped my piece of mind, that I have not 'broken' it.

I have friends who have paid $200-$250 to get their computers fixed just one time, and have them tell me that 'things' still are not right. They usually don't report it again for fear of yet another big bill to get it back working 100% right. I for one wouldn't welcome a bill like that...would rather put the money to a warranty and peace of mind.

Sue
marylmi
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks so much for your views on this. Some good points to consider before making the final decision. Toshiba's three year extended warranty is $134.10...but I'll now go back and read the 'fine print' for sure!

Thanks again!
iowagirl2006
19 years ago
I think who you buy it from can be a factor too - be it the manufacturer or the seller - I have heard ONLY buy from manufacturer, if at all.
owbist
19 years ago
$134.10 for 3 years = about 12 cents a day.

Not too shabby if a person is unable or unwilling to do the repairs themselves. My post above on warranty repair time could be relevant if the computer is needed in a business environment or similar situation. A computer being fixed for instant income would probably be fixed faster than the one under warranty
mikie_gw
19 years ago
The Three yr Toshiba extended warrantee - I bought from toshiba , actually covered years two and three. So actually what they called three yr extended warrantee was just an additional Two Years.
Around $150 on sale when I bought it. Major telephone and faxing hastles at first to get it activated and then they activated it twice. So I had two extended warrantees covering the same two years.

Guess it didnt matter.
Extended warrantee was never used here. Sometimes I feel like I wasted $150 because I never need it. But had I needed it and not had it,,, I would have fixed it myself with expensive parts - Or bought a new bottom dollar toshiba.
marylmi
Original Author
19 years ago
Oops, your right Mikie. At one place they said "coverge for three additional years ", but at another, it said "2nd/3rd year extended plan. Reg. price is $149 on sale now for $134.10. I called the 800 Toshiba number but they are closed so will try again tomorrow, but I'm certain now that is for 2 yrs, not three, and when I talk to them I will ask more questions on what is covered.

Thanks again!
msm84
19 years ago
I think the key word here is "Laptop". Atleast that is what she said she bought and I think that paying the extra for the extended warranty would be the thing to do. Laptops are not like desktops where parts are easy to replace and if the monitor or keybard go bad then you just buy a new one. Not so with a laptop! Things can get real costly and the screen alone can cost as much as the laptop to replace from what I've read.

Just my 2 cents.....

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