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…
extended warranty protection
Sports Authority Is Selling An Extended Warranty For Shoes
By 6.14.09
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?
Garmin Puts Good Customer Service On The Map
By 1.20.08
The battery on Bryan’s Garmin Streetpilot lost the will to hold a steady charge. Figuring that the unit’s warranty had expired, Brian asked for a replacement through MasterCard’s extended warranty protection. MasterCard required documentation from Garmin, which Bryan requested. Instead of providing the documents, Garmin responded with something else.
TV Breaks Right After The Warranty Expired? Call Your Credit Card Company
By 1.15.08
Reader Brendan’s TV decided to die right after the manufacturer’s warranty expired. He tried asking Polaroid to extend the warranty. (They wouldn’t.) He tried getting the TV repaired. (Too expensive.) Not knowing what else to do, he sent us a 1,000-ish-word-long complaint detailing the frustrations one could expect when dealing with Polaroid. (It was very well written.)
