Extended service plans - worth the cost?

[dnastrau]

Any thoughts on the need to purchase the extended service plan on a Maytag Epic? I am still wrangling with Home Depot trying to get a price match through on an Epic; I don't want to throw money away, but $89.99 for a 4 year ESP from HD seems like cheap insurance. Based on what I have seen, these are complex machines and even one service call is likely to be a lot more than $89.99.

Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

Andrew S.

 

[toggleswitch]

Most consumer advocate groups (IN MY OPINION) say these are a waste of $.

SEARS makes sales associates sell "maintenance-agreements" which are basically pure profit that is given to the stores.

Now with computer-boards instead of timers (or other mechanical controls) I myself do get them. Prevents wasting the whole machine when it inevitably dies a premature circuitry-death.

I have had two appliances blow a comuterized circuit board for apparently no discernable reason.

 

[seeitrun2006]

Repair agreements

I worked for Sears in the lawn and garden division in 2002. We had to...repeat had to sell those repair agreements. The money from the sell of the repair agreements goes to the Sears stockholders. If you didn't meet the number of RA's to match the percentage of your sales for the month you got written up.

In my opinion they are a waste of money. The ones for lawn mowers covers basically nothing. No oil changes nothing!

We purchased a Kenmore feezer from Sears about 4 years ago after I quit them (in favor of full time work). For some reason I purchased a repair agreement with it. Got the freezer home and it would not work. Took it back and got all my money back. Then went to Home Depot bought a GE and have had no problems with it. I did not purchase an repair agreement with it. Repair agreements are a bunch hype and a way to make easy money.

The other thing I disliked about working there was we had to get a certain number of instant credits. A lot of times people would come to apply for instant credit when all the other credit cards they had were all max out. So sad!

So that's my 2 cents worth about Sears!

Later!

 

[chachp]

I don't agree that they are a waste of money!

I keep them on all my appliances and have used them many times. Most recently I had to have the icemaker fixed for the third time. Each time they (Sears) come out, no questions aaked and put in a new one.

I have my washer covered under my Home Warranty. The motor burned out on my Bosch washer when it was five years old. I waited 2 weeks for the motor that was on back order. Istead of making me wait any longer, they sent me a check for $1198 to replace it with a new machine. And let me dispose of the machine so you know how I handled that.

I paid about $80 for the warranty on the frig and certainly got my money out of that. The home warranty costs me about $600 per year. I am on year two and have used it for the washer as noted above, my garage door opener, and twice for a plumbing issue. We have a problem with two bathtubs draining slowly, they are coming out this week to take care of that.

I carried one on the old house and had to replace the furnce at no cost and had both Central Air units serviced. I really think they are well worth the money.

 

[rp2813]

I got my money's worth on extended maintenance almost every year of the 9 that I owned my Amana washer/dryer pair. When I bought my Duet pair earlier this year I thought that an extra 4 years for coverage on BOTH machines at a cost of only $129 was a bargain. The cheaper coverage from HD is an even better deal (if it covers both washer and dryer) and in the scheme of things I wouldn't hesitate to go for it. The Duets and the Epics are complex machines and any repair call is going to cost you $89 minimum. If you only have them out once in 4 years, you will have more than recovered your costs. Don't even think twice. Spend the $89.

 

[dnastrau]

Good feedback

Once again, thanks to everyone for their feedback. It looks like it is $89 well spent on a machine as complex as the Epic. Our DD KitchenAid toploader was another matter - very simple in comparison.

Andrew S.

 

[toggleswitch]

At my local appliance retailer (P.C. Richard and Son), they won't really negotiate prices. But they WILL throw in the extended warranty at the ticketed prices.

(i.e. technically mark the appliance down such that appliance + warranty = original sticker/ tag price.)

The sales-help gets pressure to sell the warraties as well. So to save-face, better to discount slightly and sell the warrany any way possible. Everyone is happy.

[CONGRATS boy and girls and girly-boys did you notice that opinions differed radically and no one felt the need to attack or slaughter anyone else? LET'S GIVE OUSELVES A HAND! Was that so hard?]



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