An FYI on the Ebay/Squaretrade warranties

billbillw

Long story warning:

For those of you who buy on Ebay and have considered or bought the Squaretrade warranties that are offered on many auctions, there are some things you should be aware of before buying one (or if you already have one).

Ok, for starts, the Squaretrade warranties are administered by VAC Service Corp. Supposedly a reputable company. I couldn't find anything negative about them before I purchased the warranty on my Denon 4802, so it seemed like a good deal for peace of mind. It was like $29 for 2 years parts and labor. Not a lot of details given upfront. Nothing was said about limitations.

I started having some minor problems with my Denon a couple months ago, so I called VAC to find out how to get service and they directed me to Norman's, a large service center in Atlanta. I asked at that time if there were any limitations to the warranty and they told me no, as long as the repair was "economical". I asked what that meant and I was told that the repairs were pretty much limited to the "retail value" of the item. I asked who determines that value, and I was told it is equal to the price you paid on Ebay for the item, not including shipping or tax. Not what I had hoped for, but better than nothing.

So I took it into Norman's and 2 weeks later, I was told that Norman's doesn't direct bill to VAC anymore. I would have to pay for service out of pocket and a deposit would be needed.

What?

I call VAC and they were not sure what was up. Of course, there were no other service locations in my area, so they offered to reimburse me for repairs as long as they were approved (from an estimate). I paid the deposit and waited to hear back with an estimate.

A week later, I get an estimate in the mail from Norman's. They diagnosed it and the repair estimate is almost double what I paid for the item on Ebay. The DSP board is failing. I look up the part and find out that its the most expensive part in the whole damn receiver! **** Of course, VAC won't pay that much for a repair, so my only option is to take a settlement.

Long story, short, VAC will reimburse me for the value that I paid on Ebay. Normally they require that you send the item in for scrap, but in this case, I get to keep the receiver because it is so heavy and expensive to ship. I was told that for heavy items, they accept a cut power cord as proof that the item was scrapped. I don't really believe they are that naive, but that's what the guy in claims told me. He told me "off the record" that it didn't matter where the cord comes from. He suggested I take an old dead appliance and cut the cord from it. So I cut the cord from an old DirecTV receiver and sent it in. I'm waiting for a check now. Hopefully no surprises. The amount of the check will almost pay for the part that is needed, and the service tech told me that it souldn't be a problem for me to replace the part myself. So it looks like I'll only have to spend about $120 out of pocket (including the service deposit) to get the part and replace it myself. Not bad, all things considered.

Overall, I can't complain too much because I'm getting a decent payout from VAC and after all, it was only a $29 warranty. I just wish Denon's parts weren't so expensive. I have to keep telling myself that this was a $2000 receiver when it was new and its worth it.

So, before you buy one of these Squaretrade warranties, realize that they are limited to the price you paid on Ebay. If that is ok, then they are probably not a bad deal.

I'll let you know if I run into any problems getting the payout from VAC.

F1nut

What about Denon's warranty or was it a used item?

shack

F1nut wrote:

What about Denon's warranty or was it a used item?

Unless it was from an authorized retailer/etailer Denon is not going to touch it. And I have yet to see Denon offer a warranty for anything on Ebay sellers unless it is a factory authorized refurb.

Ricardo

I got a squaretrade warranty for a digital camera; I never recived any documentation from them, and called them a couple of weeks ago; they said they would send it. Did you ever get any proof of thw warrant from them?

billbillw

F1: Used item. No Denon warranty, never expected it.

HTRookie: I waited almost a month and called them. They finally sent out paperwork, then they sent it again, and again. I've probably received 5 or 6 copies since originally calling.

steveinaz

Sounds like they gave you a fair shake in the deal.

Ricardo

billbillw wrote:

F1: Used item. No Denon warranty, never expected it.

HTRookie: I waited almost a month and called them. They finally sent out paperwork, then they sent it again, and again. I've probably received 5 or 6 copies since originally calling.

I guess one of those was mine ...:D

nadams

Sounds like you actually got a good deal, as long as they follow through with it...

billbillw

nadams wrote:

Sounds like you actually got a good deal, as long as they follow through with it...

If the Norman's diagnosis was correct, I will be ok with everything. I spoke to the tech and he was confident on his diagnosis. They are a Denon Regional Super Service Center, for what its worth. I will be extremely screwed if I go ahead and buy this special order part for $520 and it doesn't fix it. No returns on special order parts. I'd be out the money and still have a flakey receiver.

reeltrouble1

wow, I dont think its really a good deal when a warranty does fully cover a repair during the warranty period, but then again I have a very old school way of thinking about companies who take money for something. Heck, I still get upset that you have to buy a warranty for something that should just, well, work!! I suppose complicated electronics with cheap parts on a pcb are different though. At least you got what you paid for it, so in a sense your not out anything until you buy that part, then hope it fixes the problem.

RT1

RT1

shack

A full Mfg. warranty DOES have some value IMO.

billbillw

shack wrote:

A full Mfg. warranty DOES have some value IMO.

No doubt.
My Toshiba HDTV proved that. 3 repairs to fix a static problem, not able to fix it, so I finally got a new set that was also a newer model year.

Also, the warranty repair I had done on my Yamaha S2300 (now amulford's) probably would have cost more than it was worth as well.

Didn't want to spend the $ for a new Denon though. I was replacing an out of warranty Denon with another out of warranty Denon unit. The option for the SQ warranty made it a little safer and in the end, I think I will make out alright.

EDIT: Post Script, November> I did finally receive the check from VAC (back in April) for the full amount that I paid for the receiver (minus tax). 8 months later and the receiver is still working just the same. Haven't replaced the part, probably won't. So I got a free receiver that acts a little flakey sometimes. No problem, mon!

doggie750

like to bump this thread........guys any 2cents on ebay squaretrade warranty? It's 2012 and things may have change for good or for the darkside.....

PEr google, it's 50/50........

gdb

Squaretrade isn't limited to ebay, I just got a warr. on a new all in one PC bought from Office Depot. All your money back....what's not to like about that? (if they decline the repair)