Clinton, thanks for the info on SpeedQueen. My GE washer and dryer are still working fine, although we've had to do some minor repairs here and there. But they're both 12 years old and I know someday maybe soon I'll need to replace them. Red sparkly appliances? Wow. That sounds over the top. I'm not fond of white appliances either (my fridge is a black Kenmore), but since the white GE W&D are out in the utility room, at least I don't have to look at them often.
Al, you did luck out. The only thing similar I've experienced is when Microsoft gave me a free replacement of the entire MS office package, back when it was even more hideously expensive (in relative dollars) than it is now, in recompense for a tech support screwup. Those were the days...
I agree with your "soft rule" on all counts, rickgtoc. A lot of stores make their money on selling warranties for products that will be superceded by better, cheaper models in a few years. They know that in 3-4 years, most people won't want to repair the old product. I also agree about warranties on cars. Today's vehicles are much better than those of 30 years ago. I'll take my chances with them.
rick, my rule is very similar, with the same cutoff amount (although that's a moving target). I learned the hard way, thankfully on small inexpensive consumer electronics. I also don't buy extended warranties on any white goods, even ones that cost more than $500. Good point about computers--they're a different animal.
I have a nominal "rule" for those things now. I made a mistake in buying a 4 yr extended warrranty on my first (and still only) plasma flat screen. About $2800 a the time, I worried that I would have an early failure and be faced with a buy/repair decision. What I neglected to consider is how fast prices would plummet on flat screens over the next 18 months. And the plasma is now 6 years old and running without incident.
My rule now is pretty soft, but it generally goes like this: If the device is likely to be superceded by newer cheaper models in the next few years, and/or the cost is $500 or less, and I wouldn't be terribly inconvenienced by a failure (or I might be able to fix it myself) -- NO EXTENDED WARRANTY. So flat screen TV's, smart phones, laptop PC's under $600, home audio and appliances like vacuums don't rate an extended warranty.
A high end laptop PC ($1200+) on the other hand, would probably rate the warranty, but for no more than 3 years, and perhaps only 2.
I'll still probably buy one on the next washer we buy, because I don't expect its design to be obsolete in 5 years, and I don't expect replacement cost to decline by much over time.
Now cars are another matter. I almost bought the maint. agreement for my last new vehicle, and then decided to cancel a couple of days later. After all, one of my reasons for choosing that particular vehicle was low maintenance costs and high reliability. And it hasn't disappointed me.
I have a nominal "rule" for those things now. I made a mistake in buying a 4 yr extended warrranty on my first (and still only) plasma flat screen. About $2800 a the time, I worried that I would have an early failure and be faced with a buy/repair decision. What I neglected to consider is how fast prices would plummet on flat screens over the next 18 months. And the plasma is now 6 years old and running without incident.
My rule now is pretty soft, but it generally goes like this: If the device is likely to be superceded by newer cheaper models in the next few years, and/or the cost is $500 or less, and I wouldn't be terribly inconvenienced by a failure (or I might be able to fix it myself) -- NO EXTENDED WARRANTY. So flat screen TV's, smart phones, laptop PC's under $600, home audio and appliances like vacuums don't rate an extended warranty.
A high end laptop PC ($1200+) on the other hand, would probably rate the warranty, but for no more than 3 years, and perhaps only 2.
I'll still probably buy one on the next washer we buy, because I don't expect its design to be obsolete in 5 years, and I don't expect replacement cost to decline by much over time.
Now cars are another matter. I almost bought the maint. agreement for my last new vehicle, and then decided to cancel a couple of days later. After all, one of my reasons for choosing that particular vehicle was low maintenance costs and high reliability. And it hasn't disappointed me.
rick, I've had the opposite kind of luck with extended warranties. Bought way too many of 'em I never needed, even on big-ticket items like washing machines. Sounds like you've had the kind of luck that makes them a necessity.
#1) Isn't ROLLS ROYCE now part of the VOLSWAGEN family of companies? So, I would NOT think that using a $100K to $150K priced vehicle IS necessarily a good analogy.
#2) I have owned several VICTORINOX pocket knives in my life, and I would agree w/ the other blogger. I don't think their price point is necessarily optimum. In fact, purchasing one with only a few basic functions is somewhat pricey.
#3) Is SPEED QUEEN still in business? IF SO, why does one NEVER hear of them, OR see any advertising for their products?
#4) In the 1950s / 1960s/ 1970s /1980s, we had a HAMILTON gas dryer. It ran & ran & ran, and NEVER got a "checkup" or saw the repairman in all those years, until one day part of the gas ignitor system failed. Unfortunately, HAMILTON had ceased operations, and this particular part was NOT available as a generic replacement. We bit the bullet & purchased a replacement, BUT not without much wailing & gnashing of teeth, as the it was carted out of the basement. I'd be willing to bet that the carcass served as a source of parts for other malfunctioning HAMILTON drtyers until it was picked to its bones.
The first house i bought had a Maytag stacked washer/dryer unit. the dryer leaked gas out of one of its components. Had the component replaced 3 times and finally just got in the habit of turning the gas off and on when using the dryer. The leak was slow enough not to be a hazard when doing this, but over time one could smell it.
I just remodeled a new house and asked a friend who "collects" washers what he would buy if he was going to buy new. (yes there are people who collect washers. they have websites and even post videos of the wash cycles on Youtube. Don't ask me.) He pointed me to Speed Queen. You may recognize the name from the quarter operated ones in dorms and apartments.
Made in the USA, heavy duty components and steel, and minimal electronics to go bad. And they come in white, white and I think, white. I asked the owner of the appliance store where i bought the washer and dryer if i should get the extended warranty. he laughed and said i bought the only brand in his store that he recommended against buying the extended warranty as it was unneeded.
But buy before 2014 when the government's green requirements will force them to change the mechanical systems. They are working on designing reliable replacements that will operate as well, but why take a chance?
My girlfriend wasn't happy with the white exterior versus the sexy red sparkly finish on the Samsungs, but I told her to go look at the cars to see nice paint jobs.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
The government wants to study your brain, and DARPA wants to use similar information to give robots true autonomy beyond any artificial intelligence developed to date. Sound like science fiction? It's not.
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