From cars and houses to iPads and phones, no one wants to pay to replace a high-end purchase. But that doesn't necessarily mean you should pay for an extended warranty, either.
"From a purely economic standpoint, it usually doesn't make sense to buy an extended warranty," according to Rajiv Sinha, a marketing professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Consumer Reports goes so far as to call most extended warranties "money down the drain," noting that "retailers may push hard to get you to buy these plans because they're cash cows for them. Stores keep 50 percent or more of what they charge for these contracts. That's much more than they can make selling products."
Still, there are four extended warranties you should always buy, or at the very least seriously consider:
Protection for previously owned products
Used cars in particular often warrant the price of an extended warranty, Sinha said. Owners usually hang on to well-maintained, problem-free cars, while the substandard, poorly maintained cars make it to used car lots and online sellers. The odds of defects and damage in the pool of used cars makes buying an extended warranty a smart financial move.
A home warranty for This Old House
Even older homes that have been lovingly cared for can benefit from a home warranty, Sinha said. This is especially true if the appliances included in the sale are dated.
Extra coverage for items added to a home
After noting precisely what a home warranty covers and what conditions you are accountable for, it usually makes sense to buy a warranty for items you add to a home, including windows, fireplaces and shutters. U.S. News cites the example of Margaret King, who bought a lifetime warranty from Home Depot for all 26 windows of her Philadelphia town house. The warranty cost was added to the initial purchase, increasing the price by nearly 20 percent, but she's already replaced windows six times, avoiding $500 in out-of-pocket expenses. "It's quite refreshing to pick up the phone, not your checkbook, to correct any problems – from stains to breakage to track issues," King told the magazine.
When you need the peace of mind
If you're the type who experiences excessive stress and sleeplessness worrying about a smartphone emergency or laptop catastrophe, the $100 or so for an extended warranty is probably "money well spent," according to U.S. News.
Still, there's no need to cave to pressure at the checkout counter. For example, you can usually wait until just before your new car warranty expires to buy the extended version. According to U.S. News, ProtectCELL, which sells protection plans for tablets and phones, also allows some wiggle room, letting customers buy a warranty 30 days to 12 months after purchasing a device, depending on the product.
