Do you really need the extended warranty with your purchase?

Retail stores push extended warranty plans on all sorts of merchandise especially electronic products. Have you received the ``extended warranty treatment``? You know what I mean, the persuasive, you are doomed in 30 days if something goes wrong so buy this extended warranty "if you know what I mean". Utterances from sales professionals purveying endless stories of product doom one day after the warranty expiration date. Do you really need the extended warranty? Not always ...

One Saturday morning I was on my way to the local mall where I purchased my expensive camera. I was on my way to get help with the defective behavior of my camera that quit only a week ago.

My camera was used under what most would consider ``normal usage`` and I was thinking that possibly my camera might still be under the manufacturers warranty. However, I wasn`t going to expect much since the camera was about a year old by now. The cameras age was only 14 months and due to the date of purchase was only really 13 months old.

I arrived a the mall hoping to get a quick close parking spot so that I can take care of business quickly on a busy Saturday morning. Things were going good, I found a parking spot and upon entering the mall, to my surprise there wasn`t much of a crowd.

I proceeded to the camera store and greeted the clerk and proceeded to describe my problem. That`s when I received the `` extended warranty treatment``. The first thing the clerk does before looking at my camera or my receipt is to pointedly ask if I`ve purchased the extended warranty. Seeing the clerk`s facial reaction and realization that I wasn`t actually there to purchase anything immediately made me realize his attention was already shifting to other customers wanting to purchase.

Preparing myself, I knew what was coming next! I was right, the clerk proceeds to tell me how I should have purchased the extended warranty and grudgingly asked to see my receipt. Annoyed-ly, scanning my receipt the clerk pronounces doom upon my camera after seeing that my camera is 13 months old, just one month after the warranty expired.

Protesting the determination of doom I complained that the store should be able to do something since, after all, this was an expensive purchase and the manufacturer well know and reputable. Surely, I said, your store could do something right? A quick no was the response. Realizing that I wasn`t going to get anywhere I proceeded to inquire about repairs. Still not giving me the total attention I deserved as a paying customer, the clerk proceed to ignore my question and spew case after case of persons that did not purchase the extended warranty and could not get help only 2 days after the manufacturers warranty expired.

Frustrated by the clerk`s lack of enthusiasm and attention I stopped him short and complained. Look I said, I didn`t ask you about the extended warranty I asked you about repairs. Can you please tell me what your repair policy and prices are? The clerk, with a blank stare on his face then fumbled around for the repair price listing. The clerk then scanned the listing and announced the price of repair without evening knowing what was actually wrong. One hundred sixty two dollars is the standard repair for what looks to be the problem. The clerk did not offer a price on sending the camera in for an estimate and I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking about how I should have purchased the extended warranty. Finally, I simply decided to give up and check at other repair shops for an estimate.

The store was Ritz Camera

The product was the Nikon N80

After working in electronics retail, I have to tell you that it`s simply not true that the retailer can`t do something, at least in most cases. Working in retail previously, I`m aware of the mounds of defective electronic equipment normally piled nearly to the ceiling in the stock room. Quite often, as a retail clerk, I was able to exchange a product that was close to the 12-month warranty without any problem. Simply, we sent the camera back to the manufacturer as defective and received a replacement that we sold. The store rarely lost any money in the deal.

I believe that the extended warranty can, and often does provide a useful service. However, I despise getting the `` Extended Warranty Treatment`` especially only a month after the manufacturer warranty expires.

The story doesn't end there either. I found a mom and pop camera shop that was very helpful and agreed to send my camera directly to Nikon as they were an official Nikon reseller. I only had to pay the shipping. Every week I stopped in to check the status and after about six weeks I managed to get the camera shop to call Nikon. Turns out that Nikon had record of receiving my camera but had lost it. I thought I was doomed, however the camera shop owner had convinced Nikon to send me a brand new replacement. Yeah! Mom and Pop shops!

The moral of the story is, screw the extended warranty treatment and help out those mom and pop shops that really care about you. They need you and you don't need the extended warranty treatment! And, NO, you don't always need the extended warranty because good businesses will take care of you!

By the way anyone want to buy a Nikon N80, film camera and lens? I just got a Canon EOS 40 D for Christmas. Nikon is great but man... this Canon Camera is awesome.