should i get *extended warranty* with an XTi?

first off, this is my first post and so begins my noob status on this forum.

i ran across an opportunity to get the XTi for just over $700. BUT i will not be able to get an extended warranty.

i usually buy most of my electronics from circuit city. if it is a more expensive item that has significant likelihood of having something fail (car audio, etc.), i get their extended warranty. and in the past, i have had to claim things with this warranty and never had a problem (always prompt evaluation of problem and usually replaced or store credit given back).

if i get it from circuit city or any other place, i will obviously have the option to get an extended warranty but i will not be able to get the discounted price above.

so, is the warranty worth it? (in this case, it will be the cost difference in the camera + the additional cost of the extended warranty).

i guess it comes down to asking if anyone has had any issue with his/her XTi thusfar.

TIA.

In a nutshell: NO!

If you want to go into details, follow THIS link.
Warranty question is discussed here quite often..

Welcome to POTN!

my first XT i had issues w the pop up flash not working at times...Luckily I purchased an extended warranty. I went to the electronic store where I purchased the camera (Fry's)….i told them my prob. They sent it back to Canon and it was fixed within 2 weeks (BTW: i aslo told them to give it a good cleaning)….so yeah if you have the extra cash get it. If not, take extra special care of your camera

EYE KNO wrote in post #2357892
my first XT i had issues w the pop up flash not working at times...Luckily I purchased an extended warranty. I went to the electronic store where I purchased the camera (Fry's)….i told them my prob. They sent it back to Canon and it was fixed within 2 weeks (BTW: i aslo told them to give it a good cleaning)….so yeah if you have the extra cash get it. If not, take extra special care of your camera

Did the flash fail in the first year? If not, how much did the extended warrantee cost compared to the cost of repairing the flash? My experience has been that most failures will happen early on, say within the first few months. When it does so, it is handled under Canon's standard warrantee anyway. If it does fail say two years down the line, the repair is generally cheaper then the cost of the extended warrantee.

If you have enough gear, it would be cheaper to just get it all insured instead of getting a warranty on each individual piece. I have $12,000 in personal property insurance and pay about $225 a year for it, with a $25 deductible. If its stolen, broken, or damaged, they'll give me a check for the current retail value of the item (which is always more then I paid for it ). Extended warranties don't usually cover theft, fire, or dropping the camera into the ocean so insurance is the better option IMO. Plus you can file a claim if something happens to any other piece of property you own (laptop, SCUBA gear, etc.) Its the best way to go!

You can get a policy much cheaper if you only want it for a few grand; probably about the same price as an extended warranty.

i wanna say withn 6 to 8 months i had the pop up flash fail on me but i didnt send it in right away b/c it was a intermittent prob. and i didnt use the pop up flash that much. So I wasnt worried about b/c it was my back up anyways. at that time money wasn’t an issue for me to get the warranty and plus I dint want to hassle w contacting Canon....this was easier for me to get it repair'd/cleaning. This was more of a convenience for me…I can send it in as many times if needed….i also have renters insurance which covers everything else…..

wan2bfast4vr wrote in post #2357846
first off, this is my first post and so begins my noob status on this forum.

i ran across an opportunity to get the XTi for just over $700. BUT i will not be able to get an extended warranty.

i usually buy most of my electronics from circuit city. if it is a more expensive item that has significant likelihood of having something fail (car audio, etc.), i get their extended warranty. and in the past, i have had to claim things with this warranty and never had a problem (always prompt evaluation of problem and usually replaced or store credit given back).

if i get it from circuit city or any other place, i will obviously have the option to get an extended warranty but i will not be able to get the discounted price above.

so, is the warranty worth it? (in this case, it will be the cost difference in the camera + the additional cost of the extended warranty).

i guess it comes down to asking if anyone has had any issue with his/her XTi thus far.

First of all, extended warranties are a rip-off. The only people who win with them are the ones selling them. OCCASIONALLY someone will have a failure that will be covered, and occasionally those folks get their repairs done properly and get them paid for without hassle.

If you banked the price of extended warranties for everything you could have bought them for, you will probably have enough cash in the bank to cover any failures (which are typically quite rare).

Who are you planning to buy the camera from? Is it a reputable dealer? So many people who shop for price get snared by some really sleazy scam artists. Let the group here know who the vendor is, and you will get feedback before you commit your cash and you might save yourself a real hassle.

gjl711 wrote in post #2357945
My experience has been that most failures will happen early on, say within the first few months.

I pretty much agree. I didn't buy any xtra warranties, but when i got my xti, i really ran it non-stop--- shooting every day the first 2 weeks i had it. Low & behold on the 6th day, a pixel died on my LCD screen. it's in rma turn around right now at B&H- who've been great about it, btw.

when i get my next new one, i'll also run it through the gamut the 1st two weeks i have it. make sure you check-test every function the camera is capable of within the first month.

EYE KNO wrote in post #2357892
my first XT i had issues w the pop up flash not working at times...Luckily I purchased an extended warranty. I went to the electronic store where I purchased the camera (Fry's)….i told them my prob. They sent it back to Canon and it was fixed within 2 weeks (BTW: i aslo told them to give it a good cleaning)….so yeah if you have the extra cash get it. If not, take extra special care of your camera

I have read that large retailers like Circuit City and Best Buy break even on their retail operations. The profit comes from extended warranties.

The president of one of these stores, I don't remember which one, said "extended warranties are for suckers".

Jim

EYE KNO - you said "i also have renters insurance which covers everything else…..".

Renters insurance will cover theft, fire, stuff like that but it won't cover your equipment if you drop it, leave it on top of your car and drive off, drop it in water, etc. You may want to look into an "all risk" policy or rider on your renters insurance. I recently did this through State Farm. It costs me $1.58/year for each $100 of equipment covered. This is a business policy. You could also go the personal all risk policy. I was quoted $1.07/year/$100 through State Farm for the personal use all risk policy.

i worked at ccity for the summer and sold plenty of cameras...in OH at least, we can sell accidental damage..such as dropping the camera in water, we'll replace it...but its mad $$ but a lot of people get it. My deal is if you take care of your camera, dont get it, but if youre gonna take it travelling like on a cruise, or if youre going to the beach, there are a lot of hazards...so it depends on you, but as most have said, any problems with your camera will be aparent in the first few months of use...if you get it from a store, talk to a manager, intorduce yourself, be a concerned shopper and ask questions. Yes it pisses us off when you simple walk away from a $1000 purchase...even though we dont get comission..its just effort wasted....but like said before...most warrenties are never used or forgoten about so yes...it is all profit... if its just an extended warrenty...dont get it, but if its accidental...consider it...nuff said...

-Tom

Would you consider getting from Costco? They have a great return policy and stand by their warranties. Only once did I buy an extended warranty when I had an issue, they found all kinds of small print to make it a nightmare for me anyway. Now, the only extended warranty I will buy is from Apple, they treat the warranty period the same as if it were on the new warranty. I say NO to you buying an extended warranty, they are usually a rip off, IMHO.

Reptile Bob wrote in post #2358650
If you have enough gear, it would be cheaper to just get it all insured instead of getting a warranty on each individual piece. I have $12,000 in personal property insurance and pay about $225 a year for it, with a $25 deductible. If its stolen, broken, or damaged, they'll give me a check for the current retail value of the item (which is always more then I paid for it ). Extended warranties don't usually cover theft, fire, or dropping the camera into the ocean so insurance is the better option IMO. Plus you can file a claim if something happens to any other piece of property you own (laptop, SCUBA gear, etc.) Its the best way to go!

You can get a policy much cheaper if you only want it for a few grand; probably about the same price as an extended warranty.

You are one smart cookie! Who did you buy the insurance from? I am right now getting a quote from State Farm who does all of my insurance, but I doubt they will cover normal repair stuff, and I think they will only give me replacement value.... not full retail, but what is it worth used, which sucks. My initial quote was like $120 additional, which adds the coverage to a $19K watch I have had insured for many years. If you have a better plan, I would love to hear about it and check it out. I am still waiting for State Farm to give me the actual contract, as of yet, they have only given me the brochure. I told them no, I want to see the fine print too!