SquareTrade 3-Year TV Warranty ($200-$250 LCD, Plasma, LED)

Inexpensive and painless service, September 8, 2010

By 

Richard Stone “Layfull” (Boston, MA) –

  

I’ve been getting SquareTrade warranties for some time now, since they are much less expensive than the store ones (the store ones don’t hit my price ‘sweet spot’ and are more than I want to spend).

I recently got a solid black line down a 2-year old plasma TV. I called ST and the next business day a technician showed up, examined it, and said the plasma was shot. Two days later, I got an email saying that the original $1200 had been deposited in my PayPal account. I went out and bought a new one (much better than the original because TVs improved in the last 2 years). I like the $1200, but I like better that it was so painless.

P.S. I talked my daughter into a iPhone warranty included if you destroy it yourself. Sure enough, her daughter stepped on it and she also wound up with a new one.

BIG TIP!!: Before using it for a large item, get a warranty for something very small (like a $10 item). This puts you on their list and you get 20% discount on the next purchase.

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Squaretrade is as good as their word! (don’t throw away your receipt), April 6, 2009

By 

Senor Zoidbergo (Washington D.C.) –

  

  

I purchased a 42″ flat screen tv a few years ago, and was naturally concerned about what to do after the 1 year manufacturer’s warranty had expired. The store offered its own extended warranty program, but I was hesitant about putting down hundreds of dollars for a 3 year extended warranty. Surely there was something more economical with the same, or better service?

I heard, via word of mouth, of a third-party alternative called Squaretrade. Intrigued, I checked reseller ratings, and was very shocked to see a lifetime rating of 9.7. I read many of the reviews, and they all consistently praised ST’s dedication to fulfilling its warranty promises. Of the few that were not pleased with ST service (and some of them were the customer’s fault), I was impressed by the follow-up messages left by ST’s representatives to resolve the situation.

Convinced, I ended up purchasing a 3 year warranty through Squaretrade, for just ~$40. ST runs monthly %-off discounts, so you can always get a very good bargain. To clarify, if I remember correctly, the 3 year warranty is really a 2 year warranty, since the first year overlaps with the first year of the manufacturer’s warranty. However, you should read the fine print to double check.

Talk about knocking on wood. My TV broke recently, and so I submitted my claim form to ST, which primarily comprised faxing a copy of my receipt to them (don’t throw it away!), and describing my problem. I was expecting a reply a few months later, but Squaretrade promises resolution in less than week. I was shocked to find in my email inbox, a message from ST indicating that since it was cost prohibitive to ship my TV back to them for repairs, they would instead be refunding my original purchase price in its entirety, through PayPal. Sure enough, the money was sent the next day.

This is legendary service, the kind consumers dream about. You can buy a ST warranty with complete confidence, and be assured of their guarantees. Regarding TVs, they will not cover certain issues, e.g. burn-in on a plasma, and lamp replacements on DLPs. Again, check the fine print (don’t worry, there’s not too much to read).

I’m going to be buying all my warranties through ST in the future, recommending them to my friends and families, and making sure my children, and my children’s children buy Squaretrade warranties. I wholeheartedly recommend them (and no, I’m not getting paid by ST to write this review).

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