We bought an extended warranty on one. I'm glad we did -- we have already broken even on the cost of the warranty and we still have two more years on the five year warranty.
We didn't buy an extended warranty on the other car. I'm glad we didn't -- we haven't spent a cent on anything other than gas and maintenance in the eight years we have owned it.
One car was manufactured Toyota and the other was manufactured by Chrysler. I expect you can determine which one hasn't given us a dollar of trouble.
My point is, warranties CAN be good and they CAN be wasteful. It generally depends on the quality of the product that you are purchasing.
I appreciated this post and all the comments; making this decision is the toughest part of any major purchase for me.
I too bought AppleCare for my laptop when I was in grad school. I had the money for the plan when I bought the laptop, and correctly assumed that I would not have the money for a major repair later. I was disappointed with the limitations of AppleCare - they replaced my hard drive, but recovering my data (a semester's worth of notes and half a paper) cost over $200; when my battery refused to hold a charge for more than 5 minutes, this was excluded also.
I bought a used Land Rover that I was able to get an excellent deal on, fleet car with low miles. I loved the car but was so worried about the reputation for being troublesome. A 5 year extended warranty was pricey, but the total price for car + warranty was less than I would have spent on a new Jeep or Toyota. The car is now paid off and has 2.5 years of warranty left, which is a nice comfort. However, my next car purchase I will be more practical and not sink that kind of money into a car I expected trouble from!
When I bought a Samsung LCD TV, I declined the warranty. The thing caught fire the first time I turned it on. I feel like with electronics, if it's going to fail, it's going to fail immediately, and can be returned under typical store warranty.
The one that I am still undecided about was a new GE front load washer. We wound up getting the warranty at the last minute because the salesperson said we could use it for a service call/cleaning at the end of the first year and then cancel and get our money back. I still felt suckered, but dangit if the thing didn't blow a hose last month! Sure, I got my money's worth out of the extended warranty, but that does little to make up for the fact that a $750 washer had a serious (completely non-functioning!) problem after only 3 months!
Another great way to host the club is to make it potluck-style - the host chooses the theme and everyone brings a dish in that theme. I've been in a cooking club for almost 5 years now, that is how we do it and it works great.
Another reason we do this - we live in an urban area where some people have small kitchens. The potluck setup eliminates the possibility of 10-15 people trying to cook in that environment.
MinuteClinics really aren't for emergencies (try your doc, urgent care facilities, or the emergency room instead). They do offer specific services (like flu testing, vaccinations, and strep testing) -- in fact I took my son there one Sunday recently because he was complaining of a sore throat and was running a fever. I wanted to get a quick strep test so that if he had strep, then he could get antiobiotics quickly and get back to school quickly. The clinics do have on-site lab testing plus they can send samples to labs.
The clinics in this area also post the availability of vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal), and offer these at times convenient to people who may work or go to school -- something that my physician's practice doesn't do (though it is owned by a large organization with the resources to give relevant info to patients but chooses not to advertise vaccine availability -- and actually lists MinuteClinics as a source of vaccinations rather than their community practices).
These clinics follow strict guidelines for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, something I have found that doctor's offices may or may not do. In my area, the nurses (Nurse Practitioner) have master's degrees whereas the physician offices tend to use LPNs (about a year of community college). NPs are clear about their scopes of practices; on my last visit, my physician's LPN did not know, for example, that she was not qualified to render independent medical advice (a source of confusion for me, as I thought she knew Board of Nursing regulations).
I will mention though that the morning I took my son in, there was a long wait as he was 10th in line. There was just one person working the clinic (NP) and she was dedicated to the patient she was seeing, so there was no one to ask questions about the wait. There were no available chairs and no one passing out pagers, and though I gave my cell phone number (at the computerized kiosk), that number wasn't used for alerting me to our place in line. He was seen eventually, and it turned out that he had a flu virus based on the onsite testing, and given a prescription for Tamiflu.
None of these services (flu testing, prescription to speed flu recovery, convenient times for vaccinations) have ever been offered to me by my family practice. Still, I would probably opt to go to my regular practice as they do offer a.m. clinics (M-F) for established patients; and just keep asking more questions based on what I've learned from the quick clinics.
being African, this post makes me turn green with jealousy because it seems that the health care in developed countries is oh so good. If you compare this to the medical situations in My continent there is such an ungodly difference. I can just imagine the world of good such an arrangement would benefit people in Africa. I dont want to paint a bad picture of my home country but it is really very bad. I think this is one of the reasons why there is such a high level of braindrain to developed countries
I need to know the loan balance and where you are in the mortgage schedule (first year or 10th year, for example) to give a reasonable response, and it depends on your inclinations. The 15-year schedule will force you to pay off early whereas you'll have more flexibility with the 30-year schedule.
the rude calls only effect new hires. When you've done it long enough, you know how to avoid a call like that. For example, if I sense a customer is really annoyed because of the frequency of the calls, I'll make sure to let them know that I'm going to get them off our lists within 3 days.
The problem is that when you say "DO NOT CALL HERE EVER AGAIN" and hang up, it works, but if you'd said "can you put me on your do not call list," I'd tell you I would, and would also inform you it can take up to 30 days to remove you from our system. You don't just get removed from that product's list, but all of the lists that our clients run. A more efficient way of taking care of the calls is by requesting to be put on the call center's do not call list. This removes you from any and all telemarketing program that our center may contract.
that's exactly what you should do. Leaving the phone off the hook doesn't work. If no one comes back within 30 seconds, we hang up and mark it as a call back. If they don't put you on the call list, or if they still call you after they've reqested, google the number and sue the company responsible.
I DREAM TO BE A SINGER BECAUSE I'M GIFTED IN SOUND IN MUSIC AND CAN SING IN MANY LANGUAGES WITH THE ACCENT. I'M ALSO A LYRICIST IN ENGLISH AND GREEK. MY NATIVE LANGUAGES. I SPEAK SOME ITALIAN AND LEARN WORDS AND PHRASES QUICKLY IN OTHER LANGUAGES, EVEN IN DIFFICULT LANGUAGES LIKE ARABIC.
I DREAM OF BEING A TEACHER IN ESL AND HAVE A CERTIFICATE TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO DO IT. I ENJOY HELPING CHILDREN EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS AND WISH TO BE A PRIVATE TUTOR!! TO WORK FOR SOMEONE IN NY IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS REQUIRES SOME DEGREE SO THAT MAKES ME HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TO FIND A JOB WHERE I'M NEEDED THE MOST. I DO HAVE AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD HOWEVER!!!
I DREAM OF BEING A DOG WALKER WHERE I CAN GET PAID TO WALK DOGS ALL DAY. FROM 8:30 TO 5. JUST A BREAK FOR LUNCH : ) IF I'M HUNGRY OR A 5 MINUTE BREAK IN BETWEEN. I LOVE ANIMALS AND I LOVE TO WALK!!!!!!!!!! SO THIS MAKES ME HAPPY BECAUSE I CAN DO SOMETHING I LOVE, BE WITH A SPECIES I LOVE AND GET PAID SINCE I'M UNEMPLOYED AND FEEL GREAT I'M DOING SOMETHING RATHER THAN SITTING HOME WORRIED ABOUT WHEN I WILL FIND A FULL TIME JOB.
ANYONE WITH THIS TYPE OF JOB OFFER PLEASE CONTACT ME. I WALK ALL OVER FROM WHERE I LIVE IN EAST ELMHURST 11370-11372 AND ASTORIA 11105. ALL THE WAY UP TO 31ST AVENUE
I buy my US iTunes cards from this online store to be used anywhere in the world. I've sent their link to my friends living abroad and they are very happy with the quick and efficient service. Check out their website. http://itunes-giftcards.com/FAQ.html
A little background on AppleCare from the Terms and Conditions:
"Limitations. The Plan does not cover:
(ii) Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty
installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service
Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme temperature or
humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surgpower, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes;
(vii) Covered Equipment that has been lost or stolen. This Plan only covers Covered Equipment that
is returned to Apple in its entirety;
(xi) Defects caused by normal wear and tear or otherwise due to normal aging of the product;"
They also don't cover data. If your drive dies, they won't save it.
Basically, if you drop it, break it, spill anything on it, or otherwise cause the harm - you will be billed before its fixed. Techs / Geniuses are expected to inspect the hardware for damage. AppleCare isn't a save-all, its a 2 year extension to Apple's free 1 year warranty.
This is a great idea! To cut down on the cost, so that it is truly frugal, I have heard of cooking clubs getting together to exchange the pre-made meals.
Each person commits to making one dish, those in the cooking club order X amount, and they pay the "Treasurer" for the cost of the meals ordered. Presto! You have a freezer full of homemade meals that were made in bulk for a fraction of the cost (and the time).
Thanks for your tip.it works.it opens the door of mind.what our subconscious mind has within it.it represents creativity.actually, we don't know our goal.we are looking for that,but it is embedded in our mind.just we have to peep inside our mind.what we want to do? what is the purpose of our life? why were we born? this exercise answers all that questions. So,Look inside you and take your desire outside and think about it.how to fulfill it?try to look for something new and adventurous which gives you joy and and never let you get stuck........................
once again
thank you
If you get joy from gambling then an extended warranty might be interesting to you. Otherwise you have to take a big picture view. If you purchased every available extended warranty you would lose big, so why buy 1?
Face it, these insurance companies would not be selling the warranties if they didn't bring in more than they pay out... think about that.
If you are in debt and don't have the money to replace a product, then maybe you shouldn't be buying it in the first place.
It's possible to get decent used laptops and pre-owned cars, both would save you a ton and if they failed you would still have plenty for a replacement in comparison to new.
I unfortunately missed out on all counts. I closed the second week of January 09 so I missed the $7,000 "loan" and I owned an old garden apartment that was considered a condo so I was not eligible for the $8,000 credit and now they are offering $6,500 for move up buyers but not starting until Nov 09. So although I LOVE my new house, I can not take advantage of any of the credits. I did my job at helping the economy. Oh well.......
But what if you can't cook?
If I hooked up with a girl who cooked and she brought me to one of these parties. Would I be okay to eat? I figure I could save so much money on food. I assume you can take stuff home with you afterward. I would bring a bunch of those food storage container things they show on the infomercials at night. I figure I would have to average two or three parties a week to cover all my meals. I just have to track down a girl to get me in the door.
Thanks Tisha, good lookin' out! I'll keep you updated!
If I'm buying something that costs more than lets say
$300.00 I will buy an extended warranty for it.
However, I won't buy it from the store or site I bought
it from. Square trade warranty in most cases is alot cheaper.
The people I've known who have had to use it don't
have any complaints. I haven't had to use mine yet
and I hope I dont.
Sometimes it is worth it to buy the extended warranty. I purchased a new SUV 6 years ago, financed it at 0% for 5 years and took a 7 year warranty.
Use it a few times, Still have a year and an half left on the warranty and am driving a Paid-Off car! Feels pretty lucky to me. The warranty was $2100 at the time I purchased it.
I totally agree with Tony. We usually don't buy warranties for our electronics, but when we bought a $1K Macbook for our son, who's harder on his possessions than anyone I've ever known, it turned out to be a huge money-saver. During the 3 years of the warranty, he had that laptop in for repair any number of times, just from "using" it the way he does. They happily fixed it every time at no cost and usually within 48 hours. They often upgraded the OS software, too, while they had it open. I would definitely do that again if we were to buy him another Apple product.
All those who want to get free money from the government please raise your hand. Ah, yes, looks like a majority.
All those who want to pay the government debt with interest so that others can get free stuff from the government please raise your hand. ... um, don't all jump as once...
My wife and I own (outright) two cars.
We bought an extended warranty on one. I'm glad we did -- we have already broken even on the cost of the warranty and we still have two more years on the five year warranty.
We didn't buy an extended warranty on the other car. I'm glad we didn't -- we haven't spent a cent on anything other than gas and maintenance in the eight years we have owned it.
One car was manufactured Toyota and the other was manufactured by Chrysler. I expect you can determine which one hasn't given us a dollar of trouble.
My point is, warranties CAN be good and they CAN be wasteful. It generally depends on the quality of the product that you are purchasing.
I appreciated this post and all the comments; making this decision is the toughest part of any major purchase for me.
I too bought AppleCare for my laptop when I was in grad school. I had the money for the plan when I bought the laptop, and correctly assumed that I would not have the money for a major repair later. I was disappointed with the limitations of AppleCare - they replaced my hard drive, but recovering my data (a semester's worth of notes and half a paper) cost over $200; when my battery refused to hold a charge for more than 5 minutes, this was excluded also.
I bought a used Land Rover that I was able to get an excellent deal on, fleet car with low miles. I loved the car but was so worried about the reputation for being troublesome. A 5 year extended warranty was pricey, but the total price for car + warranty was less than I would have spent on a new Jeep or Toyota. The car is now paid off and has 2.5 years of warranty left, which is a nice comfort. However, my next car purchase I will be more practical and not sink that kind of money into a car I expected trouble from!
When I bought a Samsung LCD TV, I declined the warranty. The thing caught fire the first time I turned it on. I feel like with electronics, if it's going to fail, it's going to fail immediately, and can be returned under typical store warranty.
The one that I am still undecided about was a new GE front load washer. We wound up getting the warranty at the last minute because the salesperson said we could use it for a service call/cleaning at the end of the first year and then cancel and get our money back. I still felt suckered, but dangit if the thing didn't blow a hose last month! Sure, I got my money's worth out of the extended warranty, but that does little to make up for the fact that a $750 washer had a serious (completely non-functioning!) problem after only 3 months!
Another great way to host the club is to make it potluck-style - the host chooses the theme and everyone brings a dish in that theme. I've been in a cooking club for almost 5 years now, that is how we do it and it works great.
Another reason we do this - we live in an urban area where some people have small kitchens. The potluck setup eliminates the possibility of 10-15 people trying to cook in that environment.
MinuteClinics really aren't for emergencies (try your doc, urgent care facilities, or the emergency room instead). They do offer specific services (like flu testing, vaccinations, and strep testing) -- in fact I took my son there one Sunday recently because he was complaining of a sore throat and was running a fever. I wanted to get a quick strep test so that if he had strep, then he could get antiobiotics quickly and get back to school quickly. The clinics do have on-site lab testing plus they can send samples to labs.
The clinics in this area also post the availability of vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal), and offer these at times convenient to people who may work or go to school -- something that my physician's practice doesn't do (though it is owned by a large organization with the resources to give relevant info to patients but chooses not to advertise vaccine availability -- and actually lists MinuteClinics as a source of vaccinations rather than their community practices).
These clinics follow strict guidelines for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, something I have found that doctor's offices may or may not do. In my area, the nurses (Nurse Practitioner) have master's degrees whereas the physician offices tend to use LPNs (about a year of community college). NPs are clear about their scopes of practices; on my last visit, my physician's LPN did not know, for example, that she was not qualified to render independent medical advice (a source of confusion for me, as I thought she knew Board of Nursing regulations).
I will mention though that the morning I took my son in, there was a long wait as he was 10th in line. There was just one person working the clinic (NP) and she was dedicated to the patient she was seeing, so there was no one to ask questions about the wait. There were no available chairs and no one passing out pagers, and though I gave my cell phone number (at the computerized kiosk), that number wasn't used for alerting me to our place in line. He was seen eventually, and it turned out that he had a flu virus based on the onsite testing, and given a prescription for Tamiflu.
None of these services (flu testing, prescription to speed flu recovery, convenient times for vaccinations) have ever been offered to me by my family practice. Still, I would probably opt to go to my regular practice as they do offer a.m. clinics (M-F) for established patients; and just keep asking more questions based on what I've learned from the quick clinics.
being African, this post makes me turn green with jealousy because it seems that the health care in developed countries is oh so good. If you compare this to the medical situations in My continent there is such an ungodly difference. I can just imagine the world of good such an arrangement would benefit people in Africa. I dont want to paint a bad picture of my home country but it is really very bad. I think this is one of the reasons why there is such a high level of braindrain to developed countries
I need to know the loan balance and where you are in the mortgage schedule (first year or 10th year, for example) to give a reasonable response, and it depends on your inclinations. The 15-year schedule will force you to pay off early whereas you'll have more flexibility with the 30-year schedule.
I'd save them for emergencies only, when they are the closest place.
the rude calls only effect new hires. When you've done it long enough, you know how to avoid a call like that. For example, if I sense a customer is really annoyed because of the frequency of the calls, I'll make sure to let them know that I'm going to get them off our lists within 3 days.
The problem is that when you say "DO NOT CALL HERE EVER AGAIN" and hang up, it works, but if you'd said "can you put me on your do not call list," I'd tell you I would, and would also inform you it can take up to 30 days to remove you from our system. You don't just get removed from that product's list, but all of the lists that our clients run. A more efficient way of taking care of the calls is by requesting to be put on the call center's do not call list. This removes you from any and all telemarketing program that our center may contract.
that's exactly what you should do. Leaving the phone off the hook doesn't work. If no one comes back within 30 seconds, we hang up and mark it as a call back. If they don't put you on the call list, or if they still call you after they've reqested, google the number and sue the company responsible.
I DREAM TO BE A SINGER BECAUSE I'M GIFTED IN SOUND IN MUSIC AND CAN SING IN MANY LANGUAGES WITH THE ACCENT. I'M ALSO A LYRICIST IN ENGLISH AND GREEK. MY NATIVE LANGUAGES. I SPEAK SOME ITALIAN AND LEARN WORDS AND PHRASES QUICKLY IN OTHER LANGUAGES, EVEN IN DIFFICULT LANGUAGES LIKE ARABIC.
I DREAM OF BEING A TEACHER IN ESL AND HAVE A CERTIFICATE TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO DO IT. I ENJOY HELPING CHILDREN EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS AND WISH TO BE A PRIVATE TUTOR!! TO WORK FOR SOMEONE IN NY IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS REQUIRES SOME DEGREE SO THAT MAKES ME HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TO FIND A JOB WHERE I'M NEEDED THE MOST. I DO HAVE AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD HOWEVER!!!
I DREAM OF BEING A DOG WALKER WHERE I CAN GET PAID TO WALK DOGS ALL DAY. FROM 8:30 TO 5. JUST A BREAK FOR LUNCH : ) IF I'M HUNGRY OR A 5 MINUTE BREAK IN BETWEEN. I LOVE ANIMALS AND I LOVE TO WALK!!!!!!!!!! SO THIS MAKES ME HAPPY BECAUSE I CAN DO SOMETHING I LOVE, BE WITH A SPECIES I LOVE AND GET PAID SINCE I'M UNEMPLOYED AND FEEL GREAT I'M DOING SOMETHING RATHER THAN SITTING HOME WORRIED ABOUT WHEN I WILL FIND A FULL TIME JOB.
ANYONE WITH THIS TYPE OF JOB OFFER PLEASE CONTACT ME. I WALK ALL OVER FROM WHERE I LIVE IN EAST ELMHURST 11370-11372 AND ASTORIA 11105. ALL THE WAY UP TO 31ST AVENUE
I buy my US iTunes cards from this online store to be used anywhere in the world. I've sent their link to my friends living abroad and they are very happy with the quick and efficient service. Check out their website.
http://itunes-giftcards.com/FAQ.html
Please visit http://www.fiduciary.me for further resources surrounding 401k.
A little background on AppleCare from the Terms and Conditions:
"Limitations. The Plan does not cover:
(ii) Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty
installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service
Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme temperature or
humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surgpower, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes;
(vii) Covered Equipment that has been lost or stolen. This Plan only covers Covered Equipment that
is returned to Apple in its entirety;
(xi) Defects caused by normal wear and tear or otherwise due to normal aging of the product;"
They also don't cover data. If your drive dies, they won't save it.
Basically, if you drop it, break it, spill anything on it, or otherwise cause the harm - you will be billed before its fixed. Techs / Geniuses are expected to inspect the hardware for damage. AppleCare isn't a save-all, its a 2 year extension to Apple's free 1 year warranty.
If it contains a hard drive, I buy an extended warranty, otherwise no.
This is a great idea! To cut down on the cost, so that it is truly frugal, I have heard of cooking clubs getting together to exchange the pre-made meals.
Each person commits to making one dish, those in the cooking club order X amount, and they pay the "Treasurer" for the cost of the meals ordered. Presto! You have a freezer full of homemade meals that were made in bulk for a fraction of the cost (and the time).
Thanks for your tip.it works.it opens the door of mind.what our subconscious mind has within it.it represents creativity.actually, we don't know our goal.we are looking for that,but it is embedded in our mind.just we have to peep inside our mind.what we want to do? what is the purpose of our life? why were we born? this exercise answers all that questions. So,Look inside you and take your desire outside and think about it.how to fulfill it?try to look for something new and adventurous which gives you joy and and never let you get stuck........................
once again
thank you
If you get joy from gambling then an extended warranty might be interesting to you. Otherwise you have to take a big picture view. If you purchased every available extended warranty you would lose big, so why buy 1?
Face it, these insurance companies would not be selling the warranties if they didn't bring in more than they pay out... think about that.
If you are in debt and don't have the money to replace a product, then maybe you shouldn't be buying it in the first place.
It's possible to get decent used laptops and pre-owned cars, both would save you a ton and if they failed you would still have plenty for a replacement in comparison to new.
I unfortunately missed out on all counts. I closed the second week of January 09 so I missed the $7,000 "loan" and I owned an old garden apartment that was considered a condo so I was not eligible for the $8,000 credit and now they are offering $6,500 for move up buyers but not starting until Nov 09. So although I LOVE my new house, I can not take advantage of any of the credits. I did my job at helping the economy. Oh well.......
But what if you can't cook?
If I hooked up with a girl who cooked and she brought me to one of these parties. Would I be okay to eat? I figure I could save so much money on food. I assume you can take stuff home with you afterward. I would bring a bunch of those food storage container things they show on the infomercials at night. I figure I would have to average two or three parties a week to cover all my meals. I just have to track down a girl to get me in the door.
Thanks Tisha, good lookin' out! I'll keep you updated!
Can anyone help me with the codes to make my DVD player/writer region free?
If I'm buying something that costs more than lets say
$300.00 I will buy an extended warranty for it.
However, I won't buy it from the store or site I bought
it from. Square trade warranty in most cases is alot cheaper.
The people I've known who have had to use it don't
have any complaints. I haven't had to use mine yet
and I hope I dont.
No.
Sometimes it is worth it to buy the extended warranty. I purchased a new SUV 6 years ago, financed it at 0% for 5 years and took a 7 year warranty.
Use it a few times, Still have a year and an half left on the warranty and am driving a Paid-Off car! Feels pretty lucky to me. The warranty was $2100 at the time I purchased it.
John DeFlumeri Jr.
I totally agree with Tony. We usually don't buy warranties for our electronics, but when we bought a $1K Macbook for our son, who's harder on his possessions than anyone I've ever known, it turned out to be a huge money-saver. During the 3 years of the warranty, he had that laptop in for repair any number of times, just from "using" it the way he does. They happily fixed it every time at no cost and usually within 48 hours. They often upgraded the OS software, too, while they had it open. I would definitely do that again if we were to buy him another Apple product.
All those who want to get free money from the government please raise your hand. Ah, yes, looks like a majority.
All those who want to pay the government debt with interest so that others can get free stuff from the government please raise your hand. ... um, don't all jump as once...