Worth buying digital camera 'extended warranty' ?

   Our Kodak digital camera died during our recent vacation.  I won't spend
more than about $100 for a digital camera.  This is because I've had
relatives go on and on about how I just need to spend more money, and then
soon after they have trouble with their $300 digital cameras.  For me, it
all comes down to replacement cost.  If I get used to spending much over
$100 for a digital camera, the replacement cost gets burdensome.  Plus, the
technology is still changing rapidly in this field, so even if a camera
lasted a few years, I'm sure I would get the itch to upgrade.

  Unfortunately, nearly all of the digital cameras I've bought over the past
7 years have lasted little more than a year.  Some have lasted 8 months,
others a year and a half, but the average is about one year.

  This time, I really did my research.  Pretty much all of the sub-$100
digital camera reviews I found online were negative, except for those
relating to the HP E427.  It's a 6 MP digital camera that is available right
now at Circuit City for $80.  The vast amount of reviews for it I found
online were glowingly positive.

  Now that I've made up my mind on a replacement camera, I'm wondering if it
would be worth buying some sort of "service protection plan" for it.  I wish
Target sold this camera - they have a 3 year replacement warranty they sell
for $19.  Unfortunately, Circuit City has just a 2 year one they sell, for
$15.  With my history with digital cameras, it would probably die in about a
year anyway.

  With my bad luck with digital cameras, do you think it is worth getting
the Circuit City protection plan?  Would I be better off finding another
plan, or just passing on it?

                                                       Thanks!

 
Save your $15 or $20.  At that price point, if the camera dies, replace it with
a newer/better one.

About the only extended warranties worth it any more are for laptop computers,
when screen protection is included.  Of the 4 laptops I've owned, 2 of them
have needed repairs after the standard warranty period (screen for 1, keyboard
and motherboard for the other).

 

Saw a customer in Staples the other day.  She was trying to get
satisfaction on the "protection plan" on her digital camera, which had
failed in just a couple of months, and she was going on vacation.  

Store rep:  "The protection plan only covers you after the
manufacturer's warranty doesn't.  The manufacturer warranty is one
year."

Customer: "But the manufacturer wants me to send in the camera and
estimates it will be 8 to 10 weeks for repair, and if it determines
the problem was caused by mishandling, will charge me for the repair.
I thought the protection plan was supposed to cover that."

Store rep:  "Sorry."

I think the operative words might not be "protection plan" as much as
"protection racket."  

Funny thing is, the store manager and I were overhearing this somewhat
heated discussion while I was in the register line.  With that as a
background, he asked if I wanted to buy a "protection policy" on the
electronics I was just buying.  ...Uh, no...
  

 OhioGuy wrote:


Then keep on replacing cameras.  Not frugal, but you get to shop a lot.

We bought a Canon Power Sure Shot 450 about 4 years ago and it continues
to provide us with outstanding pictures.

Then again, you apparently enjoyed a vacation in a $500 69 van.  Not my
idea of an enjoyable trip, but to each his own.

    When a store tries to sell me an extended warranty I say that if ,as
they claim, I really need it they are telling me they have no faith that
the product will last beyond the warranty so perhaps I should not buy
it. The pitch usually stops at that point.