Remember US Fidelis, one of the nation’s leading companies in the useless auto warranty market? Since the company’s anti-consumer practices were uncovered this spring in a Today Show exposé, they haven’t been doing very well. The company has laid off over half of its employees, and now has stopped selling new service contracts altogether. [More]
Man Gets Defective Mini Refunded With Awesome And Polite Letter
By November 20, 2009
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.
Smoking Near Apple Computers Creates Biohazard, Voids Warranty
By November 20, 2009
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 of God Steve Jobs himself. Both lost.
The Most Alarmingly Typical Best Buy TV Buying Experience Ever
By November 19, 2009
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.
Geek Squad Turns Your Laptop Into An XBOX 360?
By November 17, 2009
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.
What To Consider Before Buying An Extended Warranty
By November 9, 2009
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.
Best Buy Says Ian Can Keep His Free Xbox
By November 9, 2009
Last month Best Buy gave Ian a free Xbox 360 due to a snafu while handling his extended warranty.
If Best Buy Gave You A Free Xbox 360 By Accident, Would You Give It Back?
By October 19, 2009
Build Your Own Extended Warranties
By October 16, 2009
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.
The Tale Of Lowe's And The Refrigerator From Hell
By October 7, 2009
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.
Auto Service Plan Promises Refunds, Then Goes Bankrupt
By October 4, 2009
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.
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
By August 11, 2009
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…
USFidelis: Sorry, You Can't Read The Contract Until You Agree To It
By August 11, 2009
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.”
Watch Out For Best Buy's Extended Warranties
By July 30, 2009
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.
Don't Threaten To Kill Telemarketers
By July 21, 2009
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.
RadioShack Will Say Anything To Upsell Extended Warranties
By July 19, 2009
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…
Macbook Pro Owner Caught In Warranty Catch-22 Thanks To Apple's Mistake
By July 7, 2009
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.
Why Do You Buy Extended Warranties?
By June 21, 2009
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…
