Do you purchase "master protection agreements" or extended warranties? (Sears)

[Melrosgirl]

Do you purchase items from Sears? Many of my appliances are from Sears. If you do, do you usually purchase the "master protection agreements" with your appliances? (sort of an extended warranty, but also a maintenance plan.) Basically, if you purchase it, you not only extend the warranty, but also you can get annual maintenance on your appliance, etc. (Have someone come out and make sure your appliance is running like it should, etc.)

It costs roughly 18% of the item price.

Do you purchase these? I'm usually against basic extended warranties, but this is a bit different.

Just curious! TIA

 

[jel0511]

NEVER!! If you think about it, IF something were to go wrong during the time the extended warranty is going on, most likely the repair would cost less than the 18% they are charging on the item. I've never bought an extended warranty, never needed one, and never regretted it. If something major were to go wrong, that would cost almost as much as replaceing it, I wouldn't want it fixed anyway, regardless of warranty. If the appliance is SO broken that it costs (or would of cost if you have the warranty) an arm and a leg to fix, I'd want a new one, because it probably has some inherent problem that cannot be fixed and will always need repairs even after the warranty period is over.

 

[Melrosgirl]

thanks

 

[Allie322]

I used to work for Sears and the pressure that is put on salespeople to sell those agreements is incredible. I didn't do too well selling them and I think the reason was because I didn't believe in them! Those agreements typically overlap your regular warranty so you are covered anyway. And realistically, would you really ever schedule maintenance on an appliance? And that is what Sears (and other similar companies)are banking on--that you won't use the maintenance portion and they come out being the big winner!

 

[Tuffcookie]

I don't buy the extended agreements. If the product proves to be inferior, I will remember that the next time I replace it... with a different brand!

TC

 

[fireplug]

We bought a very expensive gas grill and bought the service contract. We have had to have a tech out and he fixed it right up no charge. It would be cost prohibitive to call for a repairman for little things that sometimes go wrong but with a contract you can do it. We also had one on a radial arm saw. I think if the item is very large you should cosider the ext warr.

Steve

 

[cinmell]

I don't buy the protection plans/warranties for anything. I've never regretted it because I've never needed it.

 

[DVC-Don]

Never.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

We just bought a refridgerator from Best Buy and we did purchase the extended warranty. Mainly because we bought a brand that we were not familiar with in the appliance world (Samsung) and it was less then 10% of the price. I think we just felt better, it was a big purchase for us. We need to buy a dishwasher now and I don't think we will, but who knows, we have been having some pretty rotten luck recently

 

[mtemm]

we rarely do, but did for the dishwasher we just purchased from Best Buy. It was only $60 or so for the warrantee, and somebody comes out to repair it if it needs it. Maytags warrantee (at least according to the sales guy...probably should have read it myself) has you remove it and send it in.

 

[ByTheSea]

It's almost always a bad deal... but I have bought them on things I am more likely to drop/break, like my cellphone and palm pilot, and I've used both replacement warranties (had to replace my Palm once and my cell phone 3 times)

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by mtemm
we rarely do, but did for the dishwasher we just purchased from Best Buy. It was only $60 or so for the warrantee, and somebody comes out to repair it if it needs it. Maytags warrantee (at least according to the sales guy...probably should have read it myself) has you remove it and send it in.

Unforunately, the salesman lied to you. I've had Maytag appliances, and Maytag has ALWAYS sent someone to my home to fix it. Remember the commercial about the "lonely" Maytag repairman? I actually prefer Maytag appliances, they are usually VERY reliable.

 

[DVC-Don]

We bought some appliances from a store that also services Maytag (& GE). They come right to the house for warrenty or any other work. I went to the Maytag web site and punched in our zip code and low and behold, that store was the closest factory authorized mobil repair. Have not had to call them yet.

The sales person "got" you.

 

[helenabear]

Nope, never do that for appliances! Never had a need for them either!!! The only thing I have ever bought a warranty for was my laptop... but that is a whole other ball game for me, and the are difficult and expensive to fix. It was less than 10% for four years and I feel very good with that. That is the ONLY item I would ever consider doing it for! All else (even regular computers) I wouldn't even think twice about saying no.

 

[Pat]

I once had it on a refrigerator with an ice cube maker. We had repair come out quite a few times for that.

I get a kick out of them asking if I want an extended warranty for something that costs under $50. I just laugh.

 

[*Flower*]

I did it on a few things......... not the least of which was my lawn mower. It wasn't a riding mower, but it was fancy enough that I wanted the coverage (just in case).

I had the Sears man out so many times (at $90 a pop) that we became good friends. In fact........ when the darn thing finally gave out- I ended up with a new mower because my extended warranty was still in effect!!!

So it really depends on your situation.

 

[BarryHom]

I never buy any extended warranties, especially with computers. By the time my computer breaks, it's time to get a bigger and better one anyway.

Cars might be OK with extended warranties, but nothing else. I got asked to buy an extended warranty for a MP3 player that costs like $80! Give me a break!

 

[Kitty 34]

I never have. Don't believe in them.

 

[my3kids]

The first thing my husband and I had to buy when when bought our first house was a refrigerator. When we got it and I think the extended warranty people must have been out to lunch when they came up with the extended warranty we were offered. It was some ridiculously low price...like maybe $40 or something insane. It was for, get this, 10 years, in home service. All parts for the term, labor for the first 5 years, and if it was the compressor, all parts and labor for the whole 10 years. We knew going into this, our first big purchase for the new house, that one should never never never buy an extended warranty. They offered this and we jumped on it. It was weird...a zeroxed sheet with the information....not like a fancy glossy plan. When I did need service I called them out. The repair man said he had NEVER seen a warranty plan like that one and how lucky we were to have it. The store didn't offer it shortly thereafter. The people on the phone said they didn't have any plan like that one, but luckily I could produce the paper. We called them out a couple of times and right before the 10 years expired.....New Compressor!!

Never have taken another one other than the one on the refrigerator. We kind of figure that if it an inherently "bad" product, that it will go during the initial warranty. Otherwise, the plan likely would cost more than the repair.

The exception was an Extended Warranty for a Dodge Grand Caravan. Oh my heavens, if you have a Dodge van....get that Chrysler warranty!!! It paid for it self many many times over before I got a new car....needless to say, it was not made by Chrysler!

 

[lsyorke]

" but I have bought them on things I am more likely to drop/break, like my cellphone and palm pilot,"

I always get the extended warrenty on cell phones! We have three in our family and have replaced all of them under warrenty at least once. Well worth the cost!!!(especially if you have a teenage with a cell phone, he just wears them out!)

These are the only warrenties that I purchase.