Canadian Help: IPhone 4 extended warranty at Future Shop??

[chimo2u]

I posted this on the budget board, but thought I would post here too to get some Canadian Perspective on this, TIA for any suggestions/help

I just bought the new iphone 4 at future shop for my 18 yo son for Christmas (Canadian Future Shop). Do you think it is wise to purchase the "extended warranty" for this purchase??? The phone was $159.00 with a 3 yr. contract. With no contract, the phone would be over $600.00....decided to go the contract route. The warranty is charged to your credit card monthly for the 3 yrs. at $12.99 plus taxes/month. It covers as a direct replacement warranty (no sending out to get fixed). The thing is, over the 3 yrs.@ 12.99 the warranty is costing over $400.00!!!! That's a lot of extra money!

I purchased the warranty a couple nights ago when I purchased the phone. Then got home and did some internet research on the pros/cons of purchasing extended warranty and went back to cancel it today (you have 30 days from purchase to make a firm decision regarding extended warranty purchase). My other option is Apple provides the standard 1 yr. warranty and I can purchase 1 more yr. of Apple Care for $79.00....thus making my warranty a 2 yr. one. I think this is the better way to go about it.
One final thought in this consideration is the thing most likely to happen to his phone (screen crack) is not even covered under either warranty.....so I don't know if it is a waste to purchase this or just go with the Apple warranty??? What do you think????
I'd hate to be the one who ends up with a lemon and has no recourse to replace this expensive phone!!!

 

[ccudmore]

IMHO extended warrantees are never a good idea. There's all kids of exclusions and most of the money goes straight to the salesperson as commission. With most electronics, they'll either die in the first 60 days or they'll go for years.

 

[sjsjbrook]

wow that is an expensive extended warrenty.

 

[DbleTheFun]

Extended warranties are a rip- off. This is an "upsell" that the sales people make a larger commission on at Future Shop. Apple Care is a good alternative, if you are set on having a warranty. I say cancel the extended warranty ASAP.

 

[chimo2u]

Extended warranties are a rip- off. This is an "upsell" that the sales people make a larger commission on at Future Shop. Apple Care is a good alternative, if you are set on having a warranty. I say cancel the extended warranty ASAP.

I did just that, Thanks! I am glad to hear that my misgivings where right, and it is an expensive upgrade. I will purchase Apple Care around my 11 month for an extended year, this is the most economical way to go, I think! If it was up to me alone, I wouldn't have bought such an expensive phone, but it was the one and ONLY thing my 18 yo son wanted this Christmas, I gave in of course!

 

[sjsjbrook]

My hubby has one and absolutely loves it. I opted to the ipod touch, it does everything the iphone does but work as a phone and text though you have to have wifi around to use some things. This hasn't been an issue for me.


I am sure your son will love it and use it all the time.

 

[Corbisblue]

I've been burned so many times by extended warranty that I no longer buy them. Most of the time if anything goes wrong with the product I had Futureshop say it's not covered under warranty. I'm the type of person that takes care of my electronics and am not careless what so ever. I had things just die on me for no reason and they wouldn't fix it.

Another good tip, this is what I do now. Instead of paying them the money for the extended warranty, take the money you would have spent on the warranty and put it in your savings. So then if something does go wrong you have the money to hopefully cover it.

Also the AppleCare is very good imo.

 

[chimo2u]

I've been burned so many times by extended warranty that I no longer buy them. Most of the time if anything goes wrong with the product I had Futureshop say it's not covered under warranty. I'm the type of person that takes care of my electronics and am not careless what so ever. I had things just die on me for no reason and they wouldn't fix it.

Another good tip, this is what I do now. Instead of paying them the money for the extended warranty, take the money you would have spent on the warranty and put it in your savings. So then if something does go wrong you have the money to hopefully cover it. Also the AppleCare is very good imo.

Thank you Corbisblue!! I love that tip....also if I don't need to use it I then have a nice little $400+ nest egg saved up!! GREAT TIP!

 

[canadianjovigirl]

I too frown upon extended warranties and never purchase them as feel they are a waste of money and if something goes wrong it is not covered anyway.

But i did purchase it for all the iphones in our house (3) due to the fact that there can be problems with the battery holding a charge and thankfully we have had 2 of ours replaced within the last 6 months...........

 

[Limmer]

I do not think all extended warranties are a rip off. However, $400 on a $600 item is insane. I have heard really good things about the Apple Care plans. Anybody I know that has had to use it had been really happy with their service.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Check your credit card terms - our Options mastercard and our Costco Amex have an insurance on purchases that doubles the warranty time. Also covers for the first 60 days if the item gets lost or stolen. My ds' had 2 ipods stolen from him at school (don't ask.... he obviously didn't learn the first time) and because it was within 60 days of purchase both were replaced 100% of the cost - all we had to do was provide the letter from the principal of the school stating that it was reported and the police report that was done by the officer in the school.

 

[chimo2u]

Check your credit card terms - our Options mastercard and our Costco Amex have an insurance on purchases that doubles the warranty time. Also covers for the first 60 days if the item gets lost or stolen. My ds' had 2 ipods stolen from him at school (don't ask.... he obviously didn't learn the first time) and because it was within 60 days of purchase both were replaced 100% of the cost - all we had to do was provide the letter from the principal of the school stating that it was reported and the police report that was done by the officer in the school.

Just checked my President's Choice Master Card terms and the extended warranty is offered for an additional yr. for free! Although reading all the legal mumble jumble makes me wonder if just purchasing an extra yr. of Apple Care before the manufacture warranty expires might me the easiest and best bet. I don't want to deal with a bunch of running around when/if the thing needs to get fixed!

 

[DbleTheFun]

Just checked my President's Choice Master Card terms and the extended warranty is offered for an additional yr. for free! Although reading all the legal mumble jumble makes me wonder if just purchasing an extra yr. of Apple Care before the manufacture warranty expires might me the easiest and best bet. I don't want to deal with a bunch of running around when/if the thing needs to get fixed!

Double check on your timing on Apple Care purchase. For my other Apple products which I have purchased it for, I only had 60 days from my original date of purchase to add it.

Dont want you to wait and be dissapointed! (Not sure if this has changed though, last item I purchased apple care on was my Ipad last year)

 

[glenpreece]

futureshop extended warranties are a rip off. i bought a stereo years ago and they replaced it with a cutomer return!!! the speakers and remote didn't work I had to exchange it 2 more times until I got a brand new one off the shelf instead of something from the back. and you're right neither apple or FS will cover a screen crack.

 

[Corbisblue]

Thank you Corbisblue!! I love that tip....also if I don't need to use it I then have a nice little $400+ nest egg saved up!! GREAT TIP!

It's a tip that I've used and it's nice having extra money tucked away!

 

[Shir Kahn]

futureshop extended warranties are a rip off. i bought a stereo years ago and they replaced it with a cutomer return!!! the speakers and remote didn't work I had to exchange it 2 more times until I got a brand new one off the shelf instead of something from the back. and you're right neither apple or FS will cover a screen crack.

Not sure what was going on in your case but I've never once seen a replacement item come from an open box product. I worked for Future Shop for a couple of years in the communications dept (cameras, camcorders and cell phones) and in the appliance department.

I bought my fair share of products from Future Shop (got to love staff purchase prices!) and for the most part I didn't get the service plan. The cell phone service plan however is incredibly fantastic if you end up having a problem. We were all blown away when we were told the details of the revamped cell phone service plan. It is pricy, but it can save you from going without a phone for an extended period of time.

Most of the things I bought at Future Shop have lasted longer than the service plan would have covered them for, but I did have a camera replaced due to a faulty screen. This was a couple of years after the purchase so the replacement was better than the camera I originally bought. Appliances, I would always buy service on appliances because repairs are incredibly pricey. Doesn't matter the brand, if you check your yellow pages, there are tons of repair places out there, all staying in business. All of them busy, as you can tell by the fact that you can rarely get someone out immediately to look at your appliance.

As for the credit card "double your warranty" comment, you really, really need to read the fine print on those. They're really restrictive and bare bones extensions for the most part.

I still only buy the service plan on major purchases and for stuff that has a fair amount of issues. But that's me, I'm a gambler for the most part. For a cell phone, I think the plan is worth it, even as pricey as it is, but definitely make sure you have some coverage. I've seen no end of angry people because they had to go over a month without their phone due to sticking with the manufacturer warranty.

 

[chimo2u]

Not sure what was going on in your case but I've never once seen a replacement item come from an open box product. I worked for Future Shop for a couple of years in the communications dept (cameras, camcorders and cell phones) and in the appliance department.

I bought my fair share of products from Future Shop (got to love staff purchase prices!) and for the most part I didn't get the service plan. The cell phone service plan however is incredibly fantastic if you end up having a problem. We were all blown away when we were told the details of the revamped cell phone service plan. It is pricy, but it can save you from going without a phone for an extended period of time.

Most of the things I bought at Future Shop have lasted longer than the service plan would have covered them for, but I did have a camera replaced due to a faulty screen. This was a couple of years after the purchase so the replacement was better than the camera I originally bought. Appliances, I would always buy service on appliances because repairs are incredibly pricey. Doesn't matter the brand, if you check your yellow pages, there are tons of repair places out there, all staying in business. All of them busy, as you can tell by the fact that you can rarely get someone out immediately to look at your appliance.

As for the credit card "double your warranty" comment, you really, really need to read the fine print on those. They're really restrictive and bare bones extensions for the most part.

I still only buy the service plan on major purchases and for stuff that has a fair amount of issues. But that's me, I'm a gambler for the most part. For a cell phone, I think the plan is worth it, even as pricey as it is, but definitely make sure you have some coverage. I've seen no end of angry people because they had to go over a month without their phone due to sticking with the manufacturer warranty.

Oh Wow, thanks for your post....I must admit, you have me re-thinking it again. I have already cancelled it....but apparently I have 30 days from purchase to decide 100%. With the iphone being over $600.00 to replace, I am really wondering if I did the smart thing by cancelling my Protection plan. Yes, it is $13.00/mo. but they said that the cell phone coverage would be a complete "replacement" if something where to go wrong...no waiting for servicing. Perhaps I need to re-think this more.

 

[Sue M]

When I got my I Phone I went with Apple Care. Not only is it a warranty but you also get unlimited technical support. If you have any questions, want to know how to do something, whatever. I was having a problem with my mail, and they walked me thru it over the phone. Great support.

My daughter got a Palm Pre with Bell, and she had their extended warranty. One week after she got the phone, she dropped it in the lake
The replacement warranty covered it, but she had to pay a $200 deductable.
She had the extended warranty for almost 2 years (I don't think it was attached to a certain phone, just a service plan or something from Bell). By the time we figured out how much she paid in monthly service charges for this warranty plan, plus the $200 deductable, she could have bought another phone. I know this is different then the Future Shop thing, but just saying.......Go with Apple Care

 

[damo]

Apple Care is very good but less convenient if you have a Future Shop near you and not an Apple Store. However, if you don't have either...I think I would stick with Apple Care.

 

[jwood]

I recently bought 2 Iphones,one for my 18 year old and one for myself. I am always reluctant to pay for extended warranties especially when they are almost adding up to the cost of just buying a new phone.With a phone however it probably is more susceptable to damage,even if I am very careful so I wanted some coverage. I examined the Apple Care warranty and I think it is worth the $79 for sure. You get the additional tech support for the 2 year period and of course the hardware warranty for the 2 years.After the initial 90 day period is up, its apparently $35 US just to talk to customer support without the extended warranty, which they will refund if it is a covered warranty item but they want the credit card info before they will start the conversation. Recently I had an issue where I needed to speak to them, I made an appointment on line and they called me on time the next day,promptly at the time I booked. They spent an hour on the phone with me,explaining how to use some of the functions (I never owned an Iphone before) and never once did I feel rushed or like I wasn't recieving first rate service.I didnt have to wait for an hour on hold listening to that dreaded elevator music, they called me!
Be cautious with credit card warranties. I had a laptop die 33 days after the manufacturers warranty expired so I filed with Costco Amex for their additional year of warranty. It is unbelievable how they make it near impossible to make a claim. I even had Costco head office involved,yet nothing helped. Eventually Costco themselves fixed the laptop. I think they were also frustrated with Amex and a little embarrassed at how their customer was being treated.
I think if you look at what you get for the $79 with Apple, you will be pleasantly surprised at what they offer. I have heard so many good things about their customer service. For that price, I don't think you could go wrong.I'm not sure that I would wait until you are near the end of the original period though,the price will be the same and the phone will need to be examined before they will allow you to add the coverage ,if there is any physical damage at all, you may not qualify not to mention its an extra 9 months of tech support that you could use...also as someone else mentioned there may be a shorter period to sign up,I'm not sure about that though.Good luck with whatever you choose. We both love our phones,I'm sure your son will be thrilled with it!