Extended Warranties
Most consumer experts do not recommend buying an extended warranty. These can add considerably to the cost of an item, and the cost of the warranty is often about the cost of the repair if a repair is ever needed.
You may have extended warranty protection and not be aware of it. Some gold or platinum credit cards will extend the warranty of an item bought with that card. In many card agreements, the warranty is doubled, for example. See your credit card agreement for details.
You will often be given the hard sell, as stores make a lot of money on these warranties (which are really more like insurance policies). If you try out your new camera immediately, you will know if your camera is working properly. If you give it a thorough workout, it is unlikely that anything will go wrong during the extended warranty period, which usually starts right after the normal year-long warranty ends.
Generally, an extended warranty kicks in after the manufacturer's warranty ends. If your camera has worked well during the original warranty period, it is very unlikely that it will fail in the next year. In addition, repairs can take longer under an extended warranty. While there are always exceptions, most consumer experts agree that you will save money by avoiding these warranties.
