Warranty Dilemma : What Would You Do ?

 Bought a portable dvd player at Best Buy in April for $130.   Magnavox
brand name MPD850 to be specific.  Didn't use it a heck of a lot, only
for occasional trips in the car to keep our four year-old from asking
"Are we there yet" a hundred times.  Never dropped it and thought we
took good care of it.  Last week tried to power it up in the car and
it's dead.  Doesn't work with the car charger, doesn't work with the
AC adaptor in the house.  Dead as a doornail.  Called Initial today,
which is the actual manufacturer of this unit, and was told after 90
days labor will cost me $49, even though the parts are free.  Plus, I
have to mail it back which will cost a few bucks.

Would you get it repaired for what is about half the price of a new
unit, or just buy a new one and this time purchase one of the store's
replacement warranties, which in the past I have always thought to be
a joke?

There oughta be a  law I tells ya!

 
They still are and you dont necessarily get it fixed for free.


You're always welcome to consider the warranty detail before buying anything.

 Jeffy3 wrote:

You could buy a refurbished unit for about half the price of this one.

Care of froogle.com
http://www.overstockdealz.com/products.asp?id=PDM0822BDR
POLAROID 8 In. Portable Widescreen DVD Player w/ Rotating LCD Screen
Your Price: $59.99

Anthony

 I wouldn't have bought the replcmnt warranty either - not for a 130
dollar item.

I wouldn't replace it - teach the kiddo the cow-horse-cemetery game.
Cheap and he might learn something.

 Jeffy3 wrote:

There may be.

Consumer protection law can be very State specific. What you want to
find out is the law regarding "implied use and merchantability" in the
State you reside in. The basic concept of this type of consumer
protection is 1.) The item you buy must perform the function it is
supposed to, based on the manufacturer's claims, and not be
misrepresented. and 2.) The item is supposed to function for a
reasonable period of time. It's item #2 you want to check out.

I would call the Attorney General's office in the State you reside in
and ask for a Consumer Affairs division to find out what your rights are
regarding this somewhat dubious split warranty. There's little point in
warranting the parts against a manufacturing defect for a one year
period if the Consumer is expected to foot the bill to pay to repair
should the defect show up after 90 days. It's somewhat non-sensical and
you may have protection in your State law regarding this somewhat bogus
warranty.

There are a couple of assumptions about the warranty terms I had to make
based on your statement. Have a copy of the warranty right in front of
you when you call your AG's office to ask questions. Depending on what
Consumer protections you have, either the manufacturer or Best Buy could
be held liable.

Would I pay to repair it? Well if it's already crapped out once in a
matter of months - hell no. Would I pay for an extended warranty the
next time? No - I'd look for a product with better initial warranty
terms to begin with. In my State when requested the warranty terms have
to be available to the consumer for inspection before you purchase.

But the very first thing I would do is see if you have any legal rights
to blow the existing warranty right out of the water and get the unit
replaced or repaired (no one repairs this stuff - it's just exchanged)
at no charge. That would be the most frugal option.

Rick