As if you needed further proof that buying the store-offered service plan is a bad deal, Terri says that it took Best Buy to 115 days to repair her LG front-loading washer. That’s a lot of days to go without clean undies. [More]
extended warranties
Best Buy Salesguy Won't Let You Buy An iPad Without $129 Warranty
By 4.25.10
Reader Ed says he tried to buy an iPad from Best Buy, only to be told that someone was on the phone buying all of them, and that he could only get one if he bought the “black tie protection
plan” for $129. Ed told them to get lost and instead reported them to Consumerist and Best Buy. [More]
Yes, You Can Still Make Claims On Your Circuit City Extended Warranty
By 4.3.10
If you bought a TiVo with an extended warranty at Circuit City before the chain died and came back as a retail zombie, TiVo forum poster Mark has good news and bad news for you: It is still technically possible to use your warranty, but doing so requires superhuman levels of persistence. [More]
SquareTrade Replaces Item Out Of Warranty, Almost Makes Extended Warranties Worthwhile
By 4.1.10
Like most readers of Consumerist, Adam is cynical about extended warranties. However, he writes that he had a surprisingly good experience with a SquareTrade warranty that he purchased, and wanted to share. [More]
Geek Squad Finally Replaces My Linux-Infested Laptop
By 1.15.10
An anonymous Best Buy customer told us in December that the Geek Squad refused to honor his extended warranty on his laptop because he had installed (horrors!) Linux. [More]
U.S. Fidelis Stops Selling Useless Car Warranties
By 12.31.09
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 11.20.09
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 11.20.09 — Updated: 4.26.13
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 11.19.09
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 11.17.09
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 11.9.09
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 11.9.09
Last month Best Buy gave Ian a free Xbox 360 due to a snafu while handling his extended warranty.
Build Your Own Extended Warranties
By 10.16.09
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 10.7.09
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 10.4.09
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 8.11.09
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 8.11.09
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.”
