Hot take: That pushy customer service rep was actually right about extending my warranty

I bought a laptop from Best Buy last November for $850 and the guy at checkout kept pushing their $200 3 year warranty. I thought he was just upselling me for a commission so I said no thanks. Six months later the screen developed a vertical line of dead pixels that spread to about 15 pixels wide over 2 weeks. I called customer service and they told me since I didn't buy the warranty and it's past the 30 day return window, I'm out of luck. Now I'm stuck with a $150 repair bill from a third party shop that couldn't even match the original screen color. Has anyone else had a sales rep push a warranty that actually saved them money in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

noran2110d ago

$200 for a 3 year warranty on an $850 laptop is actually a decent deal when you break it down. I manage rental properties and handle all the appliance warranties for my units. People think they're getting scammed but electronics fail way more often than manufacturers admit. That dead pixel line you mentioned is a common issue with cheaper LCD panels. Next time you buy something expensive, check if your credit card offers an extended warranty benefit. Most Visa and Mastercard cards will double the manufacturer warranty up to an extra year for free. Also, some states have implied warranty laws that cover defects for a reasonable time after purchase, so you might have had a case if you pushed harder. Sorry about the botched screen repair, that's why I always tell people to go through the manufacturer for warranty work even if it costs more upfront.

henderson.mason9d ago

Credit card warranty doubling is the real pro tip here. Most people don't know they already paid for that protection.