Consumerist
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lemon law
Man Gets Defective Mini Refunded With Awesome And Polite Letter
At first he thought it was an earthquake, being in California and all. Then Eric realized, no, it was his Mini Cooper that was violently shaking. More » -
smoke gets in your imac
Smoking Near Apple Computers Creates Biohazard, Voids Warranty
Unless you've just arrived in 2009 on a time machine, you know that smoking isn't good for you. Did you know, that smoking isn't good for your computer, either? It's true, at least according to Apple. Two readers in different parts of the country claim that their Applecare warranties were voided due to secondhand smoke. Both readers appealed their cases up to the office ofGodSteve Jobs himself. Both lost. More » -
I've Seen Better Buys Actually
The Most Alarmingly Typical Best Buy TV Buying Experience Ever
Reader David wrote in describing the level of customer service he got while spending $1,300 at Best Buy. It's about what you'd expect. But... shouldn't it be better? According to David, the salesperson didn't know basic information, like how many inputs the TV had, tried to harass him into buying a $150 Monster Cable, and then made up some nonsense about the percentage of that particular model TV that came back for repair. More » -
magical
Geek Squad Turns Your Laptop Into An XBOX 360?
Reader Taylor is a little concerned about his laptop. It died on Halloween and he took it in to Best Buy the next day. Two weeks later, he typed his order number into the Geek Squad website and found that a little Halloween magic had taken place. His laptop was now an XBOX 360. More » -
bad decisions
What To Consider Before Buying An Extended Warranty
The New York Times has an article about why consumers buy extended warranties for electronic products and other appliances, especially since we rarely have enough information at the moment of sale to make an informed decision. Here are three things to watch out for the next time you're buying some fun electronic device. More » -
follow-ups
Best Buy Says Ian Can Keep His Free Xbox
Last month Best Buy gave Ian a free Xbox 360 due to a snafu while handling his extended warranty. More » -
ethics
If Best Buy Gave You A Free Xbox 360 By Accident, Would You Give It Back?
Ian wants your permission to keep the Xbox 360 Best Buy gave him by accident. More » -
how to
Build Your Own Extended Warranties
On his personal finance blog Consumerism Commentary, Flexo wisely advocates never falling for the extended warranty trap, instead setting aside the money you might have spent on the warranty and putting it into high-yield savings. The tactic lets you subsidize the cost of a replacement with interest, creating your own extended warranty. More » -
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repair
The Tale Of Lowe's And The Refrigerator From Hell
Reader Buddy has a lemon of a fridge that he purchased from Lowe's with an Extended Warranty. The store keeps sending people out to fix the appliance, but nothing seems to work. More » -
api
Auto Service Plan Promises Refunds, Then Goes Bankrupt
If you asked us, we would recommend that you not buy a third-party extended warranty for your car. If the main selling point for said warranty were that you would receive a full refund if you never filed a claim...we'd suspect that something might go wrong with this plan. More » -
above and beyond
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
I asked Apple this morning to replace my broken laptop now that they've reintroduced the anti-glare option on their 15" MacBook Pros. Apple agreed, and soon a new laptop will leave China destined for my apartment. This isn't the first laptop Apple sent me this month. It's the second. Here's why... More » -
avoid
USFidelis: Sorry, You Can't Read The Contract Until You Agree To It
We were poking around the July issue of Consumer Reports (which, like Consumerist, is published by Consumers Union), when we noticed this little nugget of information. CR was investigating USfidelis, the auto repair coverage company. They called and asked about the coverage available for a 2002 Toyota Camry with 104,000 miles. When they asked if they could read the contract before signing up for the coverage — the answer was, "No." More » -
empty promises
Watch Out For Best Buy's Extended Warranties
HD Guru took a deeper look at the extended warranties and service plans Best Buy pushes on customers who buy expensive electronics like hi-def TVs. You probably won't be surprised to find out that the fine print negates a lot of what the person or pamphlet on the sales floor will try to promise you—but you might be surprised at just how useless these plans can be when you get right down to it.
More »
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advice
Don't Threaten To Kill Telemarketers
We know how you feel; telemarketers suck. But no matter how much they're in the wrong, please don't threaten to burn down their place of business and then kill them and their families—even if they call you a jackass—because they may report you to the police. Then, if your police are anything like the ones in St. Louis, Missouri, you'll likely be arrested and charged for making terrorist threats, like poor Charles Papenfus. More » -
insiders
RadioShack Will Say Anything To Upsell Extended Warranties
An anonymous RadioShack employee sent us what he considers unethical talking points distributed by the corporate office to help employees upsell the RadioShack Replacement Service Plan. According to our tipster, "each example encourages lying." Read the deceptive talking points, inside... More » -
warranties
Macbook Pro Owner Caught In Warranty Catch-22 Thanks To Apple's Mistake
Because of an Apple technician's mistake, Gennadiy had two options for repairing his 2009 Macbook Pro: either pay $1240+tax to replace the logic board because Apple said water damage voided the warranty, or push the unseated cable back into place and prove that there was no water damage—which would void the warranty. Gennadiy took the second option and saved himself over $1300, but now has no warranty should something actually happen to the logic board that should be covered. More » -
warranties
Why Do You Buy Extended Warranties?
We all know that most extended warranties are wastes of money that generally go unused, so why do people buy them? According to a study in the Journal of Consumer Research, guilt-racked and nervous consumers are willing to shell out the extra cash to buy a little peace of mind... More » -
odd
Sports Authority Is Selling An Extended Warranty For Shoes
Sports Authority is pushing a new "Extended Coverage Plan" for footwear that runs for one year after Sports Authority's 30-day warranty expires. The extended warranty, which costs between $4.99 and $15.99, supposedly even covers normal wear and tear. So how is this profitable? More »
extended warranties
New York, 3:50 PM
Sat Nov 21
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