UNITED STATES—I know many of you have encountered this issue in the past or you will encounter it in the near future. Warranties, what good do they actually serve us. Do you really need that warranty on that big screen TV you purchased, how about that laptop, what about that washer, that refrigerator, that stove? Yes, we are inundated day in and day out about the importance of a warranty, but does it really benefit the consumer or the retailer in the long run.
It’s a question that I have raised time and time again because I have seen people purchase warranties and never use them, but literally less than a week of month after that warranty expires, the TV goes out, the laptop breaks or that device or equipment you paid hundreds of your hard-earned dollars for goes caput. I feel your pain America; I absolutely feel your pain because it has happened to me. I have purchased multiple big screen TVs in the past 5 years.
The first was a 3D Panasonic television that was the elite of the elite at the time it hit stores. This was no cheap TV clocking in a little over $1k, so I did purchase a warranty, but what boils my blood is literally 1 week, I mean 1 week after the warranty ends, my TV goes out. I go to the retailer and they would not help me in the lit bit, I wasn’t livid, I was pissed because I just lost valuable dollars that I cannot get back.
The circuit board was fried, so it would cost nearly $500 to fix the TV, at that rate I might as well just toss that TV in the trash because it’s not worth the cost to fix it. This is what peeves me, what good is a warranty for 2 years. It seemed like the retailer knew the TV would go out, and as a result the consumer is at a lost, even though they paid for a warranty that they never go to use. To be honest most warranties should last 5-10 years; it only seems feasible for most situations. I mean I would expect a TV to last longer than 2 years. Nope, because the same thing happened to the TV in my basement, however, I did have a warranty to cover that device because it was 4 years, not 2 years like that pesky retailer where I have decided to stay away from.
I feel like companies nowadays are purposely making subpar devices because they want the consumers to constantly spend their money to continue to purchase their devices. How about you make quality products that don’t dissolve or fail to work after a year or so? No one has money to just toss in the trash people, I know I don’t. So it begs the question should you purchase that warranty when you are asked at the register? Yes, but it comes with stipulations if you ask me.
First, be sure you ask the cashier what are the details of the warranty plan. I’m not a fan of them telling you if anything goes wrong you come back and get a new one. A lot of them tell you this, but it’s not the case. What they mean is if it breaks, you come back and they try to fix it. If that doesn’t work THEN the will give you a new one.
No, I want a warranty that makes it crystal clear, if anything, and I mean anything happens to my device, you give me a new one no questions asked, especially if I have a warranty, plain and simple. Second, if the cost of the warranty is so minute it’s worth it to buy it to protect yourself in the long run. Or is the amount a bit larger than you think it should be. If it’s larger and the warranty doesn’t offer that new one no matter what guarantee, I’d skip it. If you feel the need to have to spend extra money on a device it’s clear it will not have a long shelf life, and might not be worth the investment.
In the end, when it comes to a warranty, you need to know what the warranty offers YOU instead you pay extra money for something that might not benefit you at all!
