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Thread ID: 99868	2009-05-17 22:33:00	Extended warranties	Metla (12)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
774767	2009-05-19 02:27:00	If I bought a new car, TV, toaster, oven, play station, battery drill or hoover I would expect it to last for 5 years. How is a regular customer able to tell the difference between a 500w Enermax and a 500w Raidmax. The specifications would appear the same to the regular customer. Thats why they should stick to shops with a good rep. And why there are places like PressF1. You think all cars are the same? No-one walks into a dealer and says I'll have that pretty red one. Or a cheap drill from the Warehouse versus a De Walt? Buying a PC is not like buying a toaster. And Wainuitechs list I have to add 1)Acer 2)Packard Bell In order of crapness.	pctek (84)
774768	2009-05-19 02:33:00	Frankly I think the CGA is crap. What is the point of warranties if they're overridden in every case with this law? If I am a company and provide a product, and say, "I will sell you this product for $100, and guarantee it to work for 2 years," and the buyer is happy with that, then I believe that's the deal that should exist. The customer clearly understands what they are getting themselves into so what's the problem? If they want to be assured that it will last longer then they should go somewhere else or buy an extended warranty. If reasonable life is the average life of a product, why should retailers be expected to ensure that in EVERY CASE people get the average life out of it (or as many as it takes to get that life)? That messes up the market, because everybody knows you have high quality products and low quality products. Yet either way, it's only expected to last an "average" life for the product. So a $79 warehouse microwave should last the same amount of time as a high quality $500 one. If consumers use the CGA to its maximum potential, it strongly incentivises them to buy the lowest quality crap they can find that does the job, and then rely on the CGA to get the same life as an average quality product. This means that less people buy good quality products, and they may well gradually disappear from the market. They should just get rid of this reasonable life rule all together, and perhaps replace it with some kind of minimum warranty clause, such as that retailers have to clearly advise the warranty period, and it must by law be at least half of the average lifespan for the product.	george12 (7)
774769	2009-05-19 04:02:00	Simple: if the PC built with low quality parts was $2000 - then the PC with High quality parts, but same spec's would cost more than $2000 . Usually the Better the quality of the component the higher the price . Acer $1899 . noelleeming . co . nz/sku/11278" target="_blank">www . noelleeming . co . nz Toshiba $1899 . noelleeming . co . nz/sku/11489" target="_blank">www . noelleeming . co . nz Both these will do exactly the same job for 99% of customers . I know which I would buy, but do the other 99% of customers, why should they be disadvantaged by not being a computer expert . They would probally go with whatever the sales person says . In this case they would probally point out the Acer has a slightly bigger screen . You think all cars are the same? No-one walks into a dealer and says I'll have that pretty red one . Or a cheap drill from the Warehouse versus a De Walt?My missis bought a blue VW Polo, she liked the look of it . I would have suggested for the same $10,000 she would be better off with a Toyota . Warehouse drill = $20? DeWalt = $200? Frankly I think the CGA is crap . What is the point of warranties if they're overridden in every case with this law? If I am a company and provide a product, and say, "I will sell you this product for $100, and guarantee it to work for 2 years," and the buyer is happy with that, then I believe that's the deal that should exist . The customer clearly understands what they are getting themselves into so what's the problem? If they want to be assured that it will last longer then they should go somewhere else or buy an extended warranty . If reasonable life is the average life of a product, why should retailers be expected to ensure that in EVERY CASE people get the average life out of it (or as many as it takes to get that life)? That messes up the market, because everybody knows you have high quality products and low quality products . Yet either way, it's only expected to last an "average" life for the product . So a $79 warehouse microwave should last the same amount of time as a high quality $500 one . If consumers use the CGA to its maximum potential, it strongly incentivises them to buy the lowest quality crap they can find that does the job, and then rely on the CGA to get the same life as an average quality product . This means that less people buy good quality products, and they may well gradually disappear from the market . They should just get rid of this reasonable life rule all together, and perhaps replace it with some kind of minimum warranty clause, such as that retailers have to clearly advise the warranty period, and it must by law be at least half of the average lifespan for the product . What if your product lasts for 2 years and 1 day?? A microwave $79 or $500 should last for 5 years at least . Reasonable life for reasonable use, I would hardly think a builder is going to go to the hassle of buying the $20 warehouse drill, only to blow it up shortly after lunch time, then go back and swap it for a new one .	Rob99 (151)
774770	2009-05-19 04:28:00	because everybody knows you have high quality products and low quality products. So a $79 warehouse microwave should last the same amount of time as a high quality $500 one. If consumers use the CGA to its maximum potential, it strongly incentivises them to buy the lowest quality crap they can find that does the job, and then rely on the CGA to get the same life as an average quality product. This means that less people buy good quality products, and they may well gradually disappear from the market. No, thats NOT how it works. Like I said, I asked about it once, because yes, how do you know what is a "reasonable time"? And they said exactly that - it depends on the quality of the product, as well as other factors. It may not work perfectly but that is because if it does end up in Disputes, then the referee may or may not make a good judgement call on it - they are supposed to get independent advice on technical issues, but who knows.......	pctek (84)
774771	2009-05-19 06:30:00	From the Noel Leeming site "Extended Warranty - SuperCover" Is the BIGGEST rip off any one can buy. I was at a customers house a few weeks back, the laptop's screen was starting to fail - she rang up NL, and was told the Screen is not covered under the warranty :eek: Last time I looked the screen was part of the Laptop. The laptop was only four months old - she had one of those hopeless "super Warranties" and it went into get detail as to what Was NOT covered - just about everything that can go wrong. I told her to take it back, and tell them under the manufactures warranty it is a warranty claim - the idiot at NL actually rang me and started arguing it wasn't since the super cover replaced the manufactures warranty - I advised the customer to call HP and let them decide - HP replaced the whole laptop.	wainuitech (129)
774772	2009-05-19 09:32:00	To me the CGA is self defeating. Consumers always want cheaper goods so forcing prices and untimely quality down so hopefully reducing the average life as decided by a referee and so it continues on down. If a retailer gives a 1 year warranty then that's all you should get (give or take a bit of common sense). If you want a longer warranty then buy an extended warranty or buy a more expensive (hopefully better quality) product that comes with a longer warranty.	gcarmich (10068)
774773	2009-05-19 21:55:00	Noel Leeming "Extended Warranty - SuperCover" Is the BIGGEST rip off any one can buy. I was at a customers house a few weeks back, the laptop's screen was starting to fail - she rang up NL, and was told the Screen is not covered under the warranty The laptop was only four months old - she had one of those hopeless "super Warranties" and it went into get detail as to what Was NOT covered - just about everything that can go wrong. the idiot at NL actually rang me and started arguing it wasn't since the super cover replaced the manufactures warranty I've found getting the manager on the phone and mentioning the CGA does wonders in these situations. And do you know there is a large fine for retailers who try to tell the customer they aren't covered under the CGA or misleads customers about Extended Warranties? I found that online once when NL tried to sell me one for a DVD Recorder I bought and I'd told them I didn't need it. AND to Clarify the Crap versus Quality issue: (From CGA website) Taking all of these things into account, you ask the question “how long would a reasonable consumer expect these goods to last without developing this kind of fault?” So if you buy a $20 CD player at a secondhand shop and it stops working after six months, you may not be covered under the CGA. But if you buy a new $150 CD player and it stops working after six months, you should be covered. If you buy a low-capacity dishwasher but your family of eight runs it three times a day your CGA rights will not last as long as a family that runs the same dishwasher only once a day. And of course the CGA does not cover any problems caused by using the goods in an unreasonable way – for example if your small child fills the dishwasher with sand and you run it without noticing!	pctek (84)
774774	2009-05-20 08:39:00	Well $20 dollar drills are only good for drilling 5mm holes for about 10 mins whereas a dewalt or Makita will drill dozens of holes @ 13mm for most of the day. It's not the drill that costs its the batteries and chargers. A Dewalt or Makita will recharge in 30-45 mins whereas a cheap $20 drill needs 3 hours minimum to recharge and some need all night	gary67 (56)
774775	2009-05-20 09:25:00	My little experience of extended warranties is that on one of the rare occasions I have used, I bought a 4th generation iPod from Harvey Norman and took out an extra year's warranty for which I paid. The iPod failed after about thirteen months and I took back to Harvey Norman. Within a week I had a new replacement which is still going. :D If I had not taken out the extra year's extra cover, then I could have argued that the CGA should mean that the iPod should last at least two years or more. Still, I was glad that no argument involved - and I got a full replacement very quickly. I wonder how many 4th generation iPods are still in full operation ? :illogical Misty :)	Misty (368)
774776	2009-05-20 09:31:00	I do the repairs for Consumer Insurance extended warranties & we are told to quote for what it would take to make the computer fully functional again, then they either say go ahead or they give the customer a new PC or laptop	Greven (91)
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