iHP Extended Warranty

[Mike]

I pass the following extended warranty information on, should it be of interest or value. I must admit that I spent MUCH too much time looking into this.

Viking Warranty (vikingwarranty.com) : Seems good and reliable, at least if its webpage is indicative; $60 for a 4-year extended warranty, starting when the manf. warranty runs out; Warrantech (of Repairmaster warranty fame--see below) provides the service; service thruout the U.S. (I don't know about outside the U.S.).

Mack: Good pricing; available from many electronics sellers online. Note that the item must be sent back to Mack for repair, on the East Coast of the U.S., and the shipping costs seem to knock out (if not more) any savings over Viking.

Warrantech Repairmaster: Can be found online through search engines for as little as $38 for 4 years, starting when the manf. warranty wears out (a credit card warranty extension does not effect this); service thruout the U.S. Various of their extended warranty policies cover MP3 players; per Warrantech when I contacted them, the RMH4500 policy does (it covers audio; the computer policy which also provides coverage is more expensive).

A few things to note:

-- It sometimes is permissible to buy an extended warranty AFTER an item has been purchased but still has a certain amount of time remaining under the original warranty--the purchases do not need to be made at the same time (but be sure to check this out). This is the case with Viking.

-- Most online stores I contacted were happy to sell an extended warranty as a separate purchase item by itself, regardless of where the MP3 player was purchased. Extended warranties seem to be seen simply as another product to sell. Having said that, one store flatly refused to sell a warranty by itself. Perhaps that store's low cost of the extended warranty was a way to try to attract other purchases. Or perhaps the salesperson didn't understand what she was selling--I think this latter was the case.

-- I found that salespeople at electronics stores online tended to know nothing more about the extended warranty than what was on the item webpage. Frustrating, to say the least, especially when stores gave seemingly contradictory advice.

-- A big note: The term of some extended warranties overlapped with the manufacturer's warranty--be sure to check this out, to be able to compare the total length of time that the player will remain protected. Viking and Warrantech get tacked on to the end of the original warranty period.

-- My recommendation: Consider if an extended warranty is worth the cost, for your needs. A U.S. consumer magazine routinely questions the worth of extended warranties, although noting that they may be good for some purchases, such as large items that cannot be brought in for repair easily (such as treadmills). Likewise, if a player is going to be used a lot mobily (?), such as while exercising outdoors, an extended warranty may provide extra insurance.

I hope these thoughts help--

[jaguarlover7201]

on battery too?

[Mike]

It depends on the policy. Warrantech/Repairmaster and Viking Warranty exclude "consumables," which includes batteries--however, I think one could argue (but I wouldn't count on this) that the iHP's battery is not a "consumable" battery like some AAs. In that case, it might turn on, did the battery die or malfunction in a nonexpected way?