I'm thinking about buying the Samsung 46" LCD LN-T4617F this weekend from circuit city for $2300. (Feel free to comment on this buy if you like.) The 5-year protection plan for this tv is $600. I was wondering if ya'll think that this high extra cost is worth it? What about a 3-yr plan for $370?

1/22/2008 6:05:08 PM

For those prices, no. Spend the money on a line conditioner.

1/22/2008 6:08:26 PM

a what?

1/22/2008 6:09:14 PM

Quote :

"A power conditioner (also known as a line conditioner or power line conditioner) is a device intended to improve the “quality” of the power (see power quality) that is delivered to electrical load equipment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_conditioner

1/22/2008 6:24:44 PM

1/22/2008 6:41:45 PM

Wow those are incredibly high. You can buy extended warranties from samsung directly. You can only do that within the last month of the normal warranty. My uncle got one because he needed a backlight replaced and they mentioned it while he was trying to order one from them. It cost him 189 dollars for 2 more years (after the original 1 that came with it.)

Checked and this was the number he called to get it:

1-866-309-9907

What's really important is to make sure it's on your renters or homeowner's insurance. If it survives its warranty period, the most likely problem you'd develop would be backlighting needing to be replaced. That's relatively cheap and easy most of the time (espescially if you use ebay or something to order the lamp.) What would kill you would be going to move and finding out you cracked the screen while moving the LCD. Many renters' or homeowners' insurance policies will cover that sort of thing. Mine does and costs me 112 a year for 40,000 in personal property coverage, and 250,000 in liability + 250,000 in additional flood or water-leak coverage. Got to love that liberty mutual NCSU alumni discount.

1/22/2008 7:27:48 PM

do you have a Wii?

1/22/2008 7:28:02 PM

Ahaha.

1/22/2008 7:31:40 PM

I buy them on high dollar items because I will sleep better at night knowing that if anything happens I can get it fixed.

Yea, I've only had to use it once on several items I've purchased, but it's still worth it to me.

1/22/2008 7:33:22 PM

Quote :

"What's really important is to make sure it's on your renters or homeowner's insurance."

do NOT make a HOI claim on anything short of catastrophe (such as a hurricane putting your roof on your driveway). You will seriously fuck yourself in the long term.

1/22/2008 7:35:58 PM

My dad made a claim when a nearby lightning strike took out the computers on the network. His rates did not go up, he was not dropped, the deductible was only 250 for him. This was late last year.

1/22/2008 9:45:28 PM

well, he's lucky.

1/22/2008 10:01:37 PM

or maybe you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

[Edited on January 22, 2008 at 10:39 PM. Reason : if you lived in a flood plain or a major hurricane zone, it would be different.]

1/22/2008 10:38:04 PM

Nah he knows what he's talking about and it was a good warning. Some companies aren't that bad though- haha basically find out what insurance companies stock is still doing well after Katrina.

1/22/2008 11:12:39 PM

^^IKE: Read these, and feel free to grab a spoon and eat the peanuts out of my shit.

http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2007/03/askkim.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/business/01shortcuts.html?pagewanted=print
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/KnowYourRights/WhenNOTtoFileaClaim.aspx
http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2003/07/disaster.html
http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/21/pf/insurance/filingclaim/index.htm
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/2004/q0223.htm
http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/newyorkteacher_051006nyt_19.htm
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/news/2007/06/home-insurance-traps/overview/0706_home-insurance-traps_ov.htm
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHome/InsurersKeepASecretHistoryOfYourHome.aspx

[Edited on January 22, 2008 at 11:18 PM. Reason : and that was just the first few results from google, IKE. ]

1/22/2008 11:17:13 PM

^i always just assumed that was fairly common knowledge

guess some people enjoy getting fucked

1/22/2008 11:22:58 PM

It's why it's good to read your policy first... and have an insurance agent who your dad helped with his homework and all that. I guess it also helped that when he submitted the claim he faxed a copy of the newspaper article listing the lightning strike and included a google map image showing how it was right next door.

But yeah, a 2300 dollar tv AND your stereo system is not a trivial thing. If you make sure you have it explicity listed on your policy along with your other electronics equipment you may end up paying a small extra yearly charge but they'll be much less likely to give you a hard time about it. Anyways, look at bobby's links and do research. And god damn it, read what you sign.

1/22/2008 11:26:42 PM

Quote :

"do NOT make a HOI claim on anything short of catastrophe (such as a hurricane putting your roof on your driveway). You will seriously fuck yourself in the long term."

true.

i have no idea why Charybdisjim's dad didn't get reported to CLUE. anyone who files a claim gets reported.

[Edited on January 22, 2008 at 11:56 PM. Reason : can you negotiate on the extended warranty fee?]

1/22/2008 11:55:02 PM

Quote :

"^^IKE: Read these, and feel free to grab a spoon and eat the peanuts out of my shit. "

you posted a bunch of articles about how people who file multiple petty claims and file claims for water damage get dropped, along with people in high risk areas. none of that applies to the subject at hand. You really don't know what the fuck you're talking about, as usual.

1/23/2008 10:04:18 AM

I have had the main board replaced on my HDTV by Samsung twice, $500 a pop, luckily my service plan was $300 from BB

1/27/2008 9:08:06 AM

You should try to purchase from Costco or put the item on your AMEX. I know with my AMEX I get the Manufacturers warranty doubled at no charge. COstco also has two year warranties on everything and they let you return just about anything that has a carbon makeup.

1/27/2008 9:49:39 AM

Buy a TV at Costco. They extend all manufacturer warranties on TVs to 2 years for free. Costco membership is $50 for a year. So for $50 you get an extra year. They also have a 60-day (I think, you may have to verify) no-hassle return policy on TVs so if you get a lemon you don't have to deal with the manufacturer. Their return policy is 3-years on everything other than a few electronics items (cameras and TVs mostly).

1/27/2008 10:25:26 AM

put that 600 in a money market account so it appreciates in value

1/27/2008 11:20:35 AM

buy it w/ an AMEX.

1/27/2008 7:24:20 PM

Quote :

"put that 600 in a money market account so it appreciates in value"

Hah, good idea. By the time something happened you'd probably have enough to buy a new comparable TV (if not a better one). Add that to something like the automatic extended warranties you get from cost-co and other things and you're WAY better off than spending that much on a store warranty offer.

Quote :

"I have had the main board replaced on my HDTV by Samsung twice, $500 a pop, luckily my service plan was $300 from BB"

What model is that? I'd like to know so I can avoid buying it.

Quote :

"i have no idea why Charybdisjim's dad didn't get reported to CLUE. anyone who files a claim gets reported."

Probably because in NC (and 10 other states) you have the right to lock your CLUE report... For people who act like they know a lot about this stuff you guys don't even seem to know your rights.

[Edited on January 27, 2008 at 11:06 PM. Reason : ]

1/27/2008 10:50:41 PM

Well, honestly Charybdisjim, its the fact that the system just power downs randomly, its a random flaw, probably the power supply but the tech refuses to change it out.

Considering my TV was about $3k, I doubt a $600 in a money market would make a scratch in anything for buying a new TV.

This is the new model of my TV:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8293376&type=product&id=1173577986348

A friend has the 63" model and doesn't have an issue, however, I don't have mine on a surge suppressor and a giant antenna connected to it. The largest reason is because after three times of service you can call lemon law with Best Buy. The benefit of doing that is there's an exclusion in service plans that says if the model is no longer carried (as in they have a newer TV model so on) then you can ask for your original purchase price in store credit. Managers typically grumble about doing this, but if you push it they will do it. Since the price of TVs is always falling, you can get a better TV for less money. (If you allow them to just give you the newer TV without store credit the store gets to keep the difference in price).

1/29/2008 9:15:39 AM

Service came yesterday, replaced the display / projector unit of the TV, felt a loose lamp might have been causing the issues, cost of parts alone was over $1.2k!

Yeah, that PSP was worth it, however, NOW my television doesn't turn off on its own anymore.

1/31/2008 11:31:22 AM

the only thing about buying it on an AMEX that doubles the warranty is that the manufacturer's warranty isn't as comprehensive as a retailer's plan.

1/31/2008 4:01:34 PM