I’ve gotta give props to one of my favorite HTML newsletters, WinXPNews. They also have a feed, but it sucks. Today, they wrote about extended warranties. Extended warranties are like clocks - everybody’s got at least one, and they eventually run down. Here’s the editor’s take:

If you’ve purchased computer equipment, a major appliance, or just about any big-ticket item recently, you’ve probably been hit up at the cash register with the inevitable question “Do you want our extended warranty with that?” In fact, some sales people get so aggressive about it that you figure they must be getting commissions on the warranties. I once had to argue with one for several minutes when I told him I didn’t want the extended warranty on a digital camera. It’s not like I’ve never bought one. In fact, I’ve paid hundreds of dollars over the years for extended warranties. I’ve used them exactly zero times. Of course, most people don’t ever use them.

That’s why the stores push them so heavily — it’s free money for them. That doesn’t mean I would never buy one again. When a piece of equipment is particularly expensive (a $2900 laptop or a $4000 plasma TV, for instance) and the extended warranty is relatively inexpensive ($100-200), it might be worth it “just in case.” Buying the warranty is like buying insurance — you take a gamble and hope you’ll lose (that the warranty or insurance won’t be needed).

Am I the only one who feels guilty when I don’t purchase an extended warranty when I’m asked?