*News Alert* Router signals can weaken over time!

[ZT3000]

Last year I was purchasing a Linksys wireless cable/dsl router at CompUSA, minding my own business at the checkout counter when the clerk asked me if I wanted to purchase extended warranty support. I replied "No thank you", whereupon a clerk at the next checkout counter turned and said to me "You should get the extended warranty protection." "How come?" I said, (trying my best "I don't know jack" voice), He replies "because after a year or so as the router ages, the signal on the wireless gets weaker and weaker and then it finally fails, you should get the protection!".

And here came the biggest dilemna of my life --

I didn't know whether to reach over and slap him squarely in the face (for insulting MY intelligence) OR
To immediately fall down in the aisle laughing so hard it attracted the entire store's attention. (to insult HIS intelligence)

And to top it off, I'm not sure he didn't believe what he'd just spit out.

[Tiger Shark]

I'm guessing because I know where you live... but isn't that CompUSA closed now?

Coincidence.... <LOL>

[Spyrus]

they are still around here where I am, and they have a problem with mentioning the wrong thing when it comes to selling warranties as do a lot of other retail locations.

[nihil]

Nice one ZT~

I worked in the electronics retail sector for several years, they make more on the bottom line out of selling extended warranty than they do out of selling the product! And they are trained more in selling extended warranty than they are in the products.

I once bought a £9.99 portable radio from Tandy (Radio Shack). The sales guy tried to sell me a £5 extended warranty. He was most confused when I told him that it was beneath my dignity to fill out a claim form for a paltry £4.99 difference. That was about 18 years ago and the thing still works just fine.

"because after a year or so as the router ages, the signal on the wireless gets weaker and weaker and then it finally fails, you should get the protection!".

If it had been made by Packard Bell I could well believe that

[MoonWolf]

Can someone point me out what is the deal with extended warranty.

The way i see it: Warranty is the maker/seller of a product saying. Well we make good stuff. And it should last x period without problems. And if you didn't do anything strange with it we will fix it because it shouldnt brake so soon.

Now if I give some more money the product suddenly gets a longer expected minimum life ?

[ZT3000]

As you know, Resellers are only too happy to give extended warranties on objects they consider WON'T break down during the entire warranty period.
You pay more money for the perceived protection (helping you sleep better) and they gladly pocket it (helping them sleep better).

What ....with everyone sleeping so well the world's a much nicer place, don't you agree?



(Sorry to awaken you from your supposedly sound and happy slumber, but,)
You just had a horrible sweaty nightmare watching your dearly loved computer slowly crash in flames when you were desperately trying to save your exam thesis. Your extended deadline is up tomorrow and if it wasn't for those crappy foreign computer parts you would have the cat in the bag. Ahhh... what to do?? Well...no problem, you got that extended warranty. 'Cept it doesn't cover any errors after normal working hours, during holiday periods or when any part of the earth is darkened, not to mention when anyone is using it (it has to fail all by itself, not with someone helping it along). Oh..by the way.., remember that $400 rebate? NADA!

[|3lack|ce]

I would've fallen over laughing - making a spectacle of a salesman's idiocy is always a fun thing. Usually you get to make an idiot of their boss, and their bosses boss, and so on...

More to the point however is why he tried feeding you this line of bullshit:
Because 95 percent of Americans can't set the clock on their freakin VCR, let alone understand signal attenuation and the non-degradation of solid-state electronics. It's his job to feed you the line of bullshit you don't need to sell you more bullshit you don't need. Evidently he sucked at his job, because it was also his job to judge whether or not your bullshit detector worked on that particular topic. Maybe if he'd fed you "in case it ever fries" you might've considered it, eh?

No $400 rebate? Sue their arses for violation of 'truth in advertising' - you'll get 10000x that amount, even from the bankrupt corporation.

[nihil]

Now if I give some more money the product suddenly gets a longer expected minimum life ?

Errrrrrrrrr, yes.

Most stuff that fails does it in the first 72 hours, which is within the manufacturer's warranty period. After that you can just think of it as taking out an insurance policy. Life insurance, house insurance, automobile insurance etc.

You will also find that most retailers do not take the bulk of the risk themselves, they re-insure with a regular insurance company, so effectively, a good proportion of what they earn is in brokerage/agents fees rather than underwriting the risk.