Buy a warranty on a new, untested, fragile, break-prone technology,
writes in Consumerist tipster Zoe,
and you could find yourself essentially leasing the newest, sexiest gadget every nine months for the rest of your life.
While hardly a revelation, it’s nice to see some areas where the customer still has the upper hand.

Four years ago she bought two Creative Zen 40GBs for under $300 apiece, along with a 2-year Replacement Plan for $40.

Both players broke, from the same faulty headphone jack. She mailed the player to Best Buy who sent her back a voucher for the full amount.

This time she got a Rio and a new two-year plan. In due course, the player’s hard drive failed.

She handed it in and “grudgingly” settled on a fourth-generation iPod which lasted for 18 months until the battery life
went south and the click wheel stopped responding.

Yesterday she took the iPod in to a Best Buy and got herself a new one with a fresh warranty.

And wouldn’t you know it, but they play video now!

Sincerely,

Zoe

Readers, have you ridden the same warranty train for other sexy widgets?

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.