Dave Cohen wrote:
> C J Campbell wrote:
>> On 2008-05-10 20:27:35 -0700, webgirlwendy@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Webgirl Wendy)
>> said:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Given that digital cameras depreciate rapidly and that some repairs
may
>>> be very costly, should I invest in the extended warranty when
purchasing
>>> a new DSLR camera body?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <html><http://joanlally.lbbhost.com/sigs/sig30.html><html>
>>
>> Why? Planning on sma****ng the camera and getting a new one when it
>> depreciates enough? :-)
>>
>> No, generally these extended warranties are far more expensive than
>> regular insurance.
>
> In general I agree. When I got a new computer, I was asked if I wanted
> an extended warranty. I said no. Then the salesman said he couldn't
> offer a cash discount, but could give the extended warranty for free.
> Since there seemed to be no catch (and the machine was already on sale),
> I of course accepted. Nine months later the machine wouldn't power up.
> Fixed for free so, yes, if the purchase goes belly up purchasing
> extended warranty pays off. But the statistics are on the side of the
> seller and I wouldn't pay for one. However, based on that one experience
> it might be worth seeing if you can strike some sort of a bargain.
> Dave Cohen
My usual reply when a salesman tries to sell me an extended warranty is
"if your product needs it, I don't believe I'll buy your product". I
make one exception, though--automobiles. After having ridiculous
expensekeeping one car on the road after the various warranties expires
(e. g., a new transmission at 38,000 miles) I starting buying extended
warranties and have come out ahead. I just traded in a Hinda Odyssey
with 98,000 miles on it; I went back and checked and found I had spent
$18 for repairs over the life of the car, which included, among other
things, a new transmission at 87,000 miles. In short, I think I would
sum up my policy as looking at the price of an extended warranty vs. the
replacement cost and the expected life of the product. Computers, for
instance, have a short lifespan, not because of failure but because of
obsolescence. Most EWs are voided if the owner does any work on the
device. Considering how many internal hard drives, new burners, and
additional memory I've added to my various machines, extended warranties
would have been useless no matter what happened.
Allen
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