B&H Warranty

[dstppy]

Hi guys,

Depending on what my boss tells me in the next 4 days (crossing fingers) my OTHER boss (the one I live with) has given me leeway to pull the trigger on the B&H deal on the 5DmkII.

My question:
The 3/5 year warranty seems like a good peace of mind (it's transferable, it handles accidental damage etc.). Would any of you with experience with this have any reason to talk me out of it? If it wasn't B&H (or comparable reputable dealer) I wouldn't even consider it, so what do you think?

Thanks.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Generally speaking, extended warranties exist for one reason - profit for the company selling the warranty. I'd say carefully assess what you think are the chances of a failure which would be covered by the warranty.

Personally, I am not a fan of getting extended warranties. For example, if I had bought AppleCare on each Mac I've bought over the years, the amount paid would have amounted to a brand new 17" MBP with all the bells and whistles today. I've never had a Mac fail out of warranty, except dead batteries which would not be covered in any case (and I've even had those replaced for free out of warranty at the Apple Store). Conversely, I did get AppleCare for our two iPhone 3G's, and over the two years of coverage we needed 5 replacement phones.

One other consideration...do you have insurance coverage for your gear? If not, I'd think that might be a better use of the money, since that provides coverage for theft as well as damage. Coverage is usually provided by your home/renter's insurer (provided you're not using the gear for business purposes), as a rider or separate policy. For example, I use State Farm and pay $7.60 per year per $1000 for my Personal Articles coverage.

 

[dstppy]

Okay; that'll make the wife happy. I have state farm as well (I really *HAVE* to get on to sending them my serial numbers etc.) -- does that cover accidental or no?

An extended warranty did save my arse on a used vehicle once (well, repeatedly but the same vehicle) but that was the one exception.

I'm not one for extended warranties either but didn't know if because it was B&H it might have been something better. Going back to reading it again, at that price I would have expected some extras like yearly sensor cleaning or something like that.

Well, looks like I saved some cash. Let's hope I don't get bad news this week and save a lot more cash

Thanks again guys.

 

[hippoeater]

Extended warranty saved my butt on my 5dmk2 twice now. Once was due to stuck pixels. All my shots had multiple red stuck pixels in them after a year of shooting and I took it in under the extended warranty I purchased - 1 week later they approved it for an exchange for a brand new one!

Honestly - for me - it's a huge investment in a piece of technology that is going to be used extensively. I like having that piece of mind if something happens, I'm covered. Accidents happen - how many times a day do I drop my phone/ipod/etc?

It's something I would rather have and not need than need and not have.

To the people that say they are worthless - good for you, you are a lot braver than I when spending 2k + on a piece of man made technology that is capable of breaking.

I would never buy a car without a warranty and in my experience, the same has held true with electronics. Sure it's a gamble, but I would rather be on the covered side of that gamble.

just my two cents.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I have state farm as well (I really *HAVE* to get on to sending them my serial numbers etc.) -- does that cover accidental or no?

Yes, accidental damage, water damage, dropping off a cliff, whatever, and coverage applies worldwide. It doesn't cover mechanical failure, though. Note that you do need the separate Personal Articles policy - coverage under the basic home/rental policy is pretty limited.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I paid $100 for a 3 year Mack warranty on my 5D MK II three years ago. I never used it, but even a simple trip to Canon for a problem would have cost much more than $100. I would not buy one for a three year old model, but at the time, its reliability was unknown.

There are only a very few things I have bought a extended warranty for.

1. My 1998 Dodge Caravan, paid out less than it cost. (I had just retired, and did not want a big bill hitting me)

2. My Maytag Neptune Washer, paid out several times its cost. There were warnings about its reliability, but we are on a well, and needed a water efficient washer, also in 1998.

3. My 5D MK II - never used. Never a issue with the camera. Warranty is now expired.


If I bought high priced a new LCD TV, I might buy one, the new ones seem to have a lot of reliability issues. however, by soon to be 7 year old Samsung 40 inch LCD TV has never had a issue, it gets used many hours a day.

 

[distant.star]

To answer the OP, if you're, clumsy and/or incautious/ and or careless and/or reckless, you might well consider buying a service agreement on a sophisticated piece of portable electro/mechanical/optical equipment that may be frequently subjected to risky situations and environments. On the other hand, if you exhibit the care and caution most photographers do with their equipment (especially those who frequent this forum), you'd probably waste your money.

Generally speaking, these service agreements were conceived by the marketing devils 20 or 30 years ago when the quality of consumer goods took a turn for the better. Solid-state circuitry, improved manufacturing processes, etc. all pointed to much improved reliability and endurance. They also knew if failure would occur, it would typically happen early (first month or so) when warranty provided replacement anyway. So, they decided to go into the insurance business, always a profitable venture. Buying the service agreement is simply betting against yourself, and the financial backers on these bets have been raking in money for years -- even better than gambling casinos!

Finally, an old story from personal experience. About 25 years ago, when these service agreements were just being introduced, I bought a stereo system from Circuit City (about $1000). While closing the deal the congenial sales guy asked if I'd like to purchase the "extended warranty." I told him, "No, I already have an extended warranty. If this thing stops working in the next year or two, I come back here and beat the hell out of you."

Well, he became somewhat less than congenial and was happy to quickly help me to the car with my purchase. I went on my way with a smile.

 

[dstppy]

Cool, thanks again guys. In a little over 1 year, my 60D has ZERO sign of use after 4400 photos; I'm neurotic about keeping my stuff in pristine shape.

I've already got personal articles for some other things; I have to update that too.

 

[Maui5150]

Cool, thanks again guys. In a little over 1 year, my 60D has ZERO sign of use after 4400 photos; I'm neurotic about keeping my stuff in pristine shape.

I've already got personal articles for some other things; I have to update that too.

Not to be nit picky, but wouldn't a shutter count about 4000 be a sign of use?



Just saying.

 

[JR]

My question:
The 3/5 year warranty seems like a good peace of mind (it's transferable, it handles accidental damage etc.). Would any of you with experience with this have any reason to talk me out of it? If it wasn't B&H (or comparable reputable dealer) I wouldn't even consider it, so what do you think?

Thanks.

+1 on the comments above. Extended warrantee are there to make money for the companies. I work in telecom industry and it is the same thing, extended warranty are one of the product with the most profit on it!

Not sure it is worthed...

 

[Maui5150]

My question:
The 3/5 year warranty seems like a good peace of mind (it's transferable, it handles accidental damage etc.). Would any of you with experience with this have any reason to talk me out of it? If it wasn't B&H (or comparable reputable dealer) I wouldn't even consider it, so what do you think?

Thanks.

+1 on the comments above. Extended warrantee are there to make money for the companies. I work in telecom industry and it is the same thing, extended warranty are one of the product with the most profit on it!

Not sure it is worthed...

Depends on the company and the product. I bought my Infiniti G35x used and picked up the 4yr / 100,000K mile extension. Still have around 20,000 left on the warranty, but I am already right around break even, to even have saved a little. It is worth piece of mind. It is also nice where it comes DIRECT from Infiniti, so pretty much no issues.

Most other things... nah. Like everytime I buy a printer of something on sale and I get offered a two year warranty... I sort of laugh and tell them my old printer was fine, but basically buying a new one because it is sometimes cheaper than buying replacement ink.

Know what you are buying, what are the costs, the quirks, the exceptions, as well as the coverage. what is wear and tear can be subjective. My rule of thumb is around 5%. With my Infiniti, my extended coverage cost me around 3% of my purchase price when I see $189 on an 1900 item... I tend to roll the dice, especially if I have SOME coverage out the door from the manufacturer.

 

[thepancakeman]

Cool, thanks again guys. In a little over 1 year, my 60D has ZERO sign of use after 4400 photos; I'm neurotic about keeping my stuff in pristine shape.

Sheesh, 4400 photos is just a long afternoon for me. It's easy to keep stuff in pristine shape when you don't use it!

 

[Ryusui]

I somehow don't equate extended warranties for electronics to extended warranties for a car. You're talking a difference of several thousands of dollars, not to mention the difference in cost of repairs. Most SLR repair work I've seen has run from $80-$200. A few have had costs of $250-$350, but not many. Vehicle repairs can easily run 5-10x more than that. Especially when you're talking a higher-end vehicle from a pricier company like a G35.

Also, if you're a professional photographer, you're better off just joining CPS. For $100 or $500 a year you get 30% or 60% off the cost of repairs, free clean and checks and much more than most extended warranties will give you. An extended warranty will cover defects but not damage. So you're getting free warranty repair but paying full price for OOW repair. Plus that $100/$500 gets you those repair discounts on all (qualifying) pieces of equipment you own, so no separate fees for each item.

I probably sound like a Canon rep pushing CPS, but no. I just really believe in the value of that particular program.

 

[JR]

My question:
The 3/5 year warranty seems like a good peace of mind (it's transferable, it handles accidental damage etc.). Would any of you with experience with this have any reason to talk me out of it? If it wasn't B&H (or comparable reputable dealer) I wouldn't even consider it, so what do you think?

Thanks.

+1 on the comments above. Extended warrantee are there to make money for the companies. I work in telecom industry and it is the same thing, extended warranty are one of the product with the most profit on it!

Not sure it is worthed...

Depends on the company and the product. I bought my Infiniti G35x used and picked up the 4yr / 100,000K mile extension. Still have around 20,000 left on the warranty, but I am already right around break even, to even have saved a little. It is worth piece of mind. It is also nice where it comes DIRECT from Infiniti, so pretty much no issues.

Most other things... nah. Like everytime I buy a printer of something on sale and I get offered a two year warranty... I sort of laugh and tell them my old printer was fine, but basically buying a new one because it is sometimes cheaper than buying replacement ink.

Know what you are buying, what are the costs, the quirks, the exceptions, as well as the coverage. what is wear and tear can be subjective. My rule of thumb is around 5%. With my Infiniti, my extended coverage cost me around 3% of my purchase price when I see $189 on an 1900 item... I tend to roll the dice, especially if I have SOME coverage out the door from the manufacturer.

I should have specified for consumer electronics in general. I agree for a car it cand certainly make sense! I had an Infiniti once but never had a snag with it in 4 years

 

[Caps18]

There was a guy who destroyed his camera at the beach last December and B&H replaced it. Maybe he had a warranty...

It is a tough call. I have enough money saved, that I could eat a $2,000 replacement expense. I wasn't always in this position, and a $2,000 loss would still hurt. So I am gambling a little that I won't have a problem, and Canon's products are pretty good. I have only had to send in a 85mm f/1.8 because the focus ring stopped working. It was less than a year old though. Everything else is still working well.