Best Buy Rant

[oryx]

I went to Best Buy the other day and bought a mouse for $7.50, (my old mouse was dying). Guess what. They asked me if I wanted an extended warranty on that item for $5.00. I know they push those warranties pretty hard there, but that was un-believable!

Oops wrong forum.

[audiyoda]

Originally posted by oryx I went to Best Buy the other day and bought a mouse for $7.50, (my old mouse was dying). Guess what. They asked me if I wanted an extended warranty on that item for $5.00. I know they push those warranties pretty hard there, but that was un-believable! Oops wrong forum.

Okay -- you buy your $7.50 mouse that the salesperson knows is cr@p and come back in three months asking why it's doesn't work. Sure, just buy another $7.50 mouse -- or get it replaced for I think a three year period for $5.00.

They ask about those things on everything. Stop whining.

-Craig

[SARGE]

Craig, that is comical and has happened, as you say, on just about everything. Be surprised how many takers would pay the $5 on a $7.50 mouse.

[shecky981]

my question is, for $7.50, how good of a mouse could ya possibly get that it would be worth replacing if it broke?

Logitech Optical Wheel mouse. $19.95. There is no substitute.

EDIT: fergot to say:

profit margin on an average PC in a retail big-box store = 3% to 7%

profit margin on a warranty at the same store = 60% to 70%

amount of people who send in mail-in-rebates when buying a PC = 30%

amount of people who bring in a broken PC that is out of manufacturer warranty, get irritated, and still end up paying the $100 digagnostic fee CompUSA charges to look at it = 84%

amount of that 75% of people, who, when polled, wish they had gotten the extended warranty when they bought their PC = 92%.

so, why do ya think they package PCs by manufacturer with mail-in rebate and then offer the extended warranty so much? hmmmmm?

[morriswindgate]

The one that all ways got me, was when I bought a cheap joystick that after rebate was free and they ask me if I wanted to spend $10 on the sercon.

[oryx]

The reason I got a cheap mouse is that it was for a Windows 95 system.

I wasn't trying to whine. It's just that I seldom go to Best Buy and found their tactics amusing. IMO the cost benefit ratio never works out in your favor on those extended warranties. The ratio here was 3:2, that's what I found funny.

[audiyoda]

Originally posted by SARGE Craig, that is comical and has happened, as you say, on just about everything. Be surprised how many takers would pay the $5 on a $7.50 mouse.

I agree Sarge. In this case, I doubt I'd buy the warranty -- but there are people who just want that sense of 'safety'.

One of my best friends is a manager at a Best Buy -- you'd be amazed at how many people purchase something without the Best Buy warranty and actually think the mfg will take care of things. Case in point: guy bought a monster home theater system (Toshiba 53" HDTV, Yamaha audio components, JBL speakers...the works). Didn't buy any warranties. He had a problem with the TV about 6 months into owning it -- HDTV's are crazy things and there just aren't a lot of people capable of fixing them. Well, Toshiba was willing to fix it -- but he had to get the unit to them at his expense. Seems that's a common part of a mfg warranty -- fixed at their location. So this guy spent over $600 to send a projection TV off to Toshiba's Califonia repair center. Best Buy's 4 year warranty is 1/2 that and it's in home service. Best part -- it was a power spike that killed his TV -- not covered by the mfg but would have been covered by Best Buy.

-Craig

[HAL9000]

Research and common sense have to come into play when it comes to extended warranties. I had Future Shop want to sell me extended 3 year warranties on my washer and dryer at $150 each when they told me that they were only covered for 1 year. I checked the web site and the actual warranty is 10 years (onsite for 5). So what exactly would I get for my $300?