Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[west-palm-steve]

there are so many reasons why Best Buys extended warranty program is a rip off that I am now willing to pay more for a product elsewhere if the warranty program is more reliable.  I purchased an extended warranty for a $399 Sony camera with all the false and misleading comments that others have heard from the sales staff.  The usual, if it can't be fixed we'll give you a replacement that is equal to or better than the one you bought.  The warranty price is based on the cost of the camera, in this case $89.  Now that the camera needs minor repairs, I am told that is not worth it for Best Buy to repair it but will replace it with a camera costing $119. It may have similar features but looks like a cheap piece of plastic. I was told that the camera could be repaired by Sony but Best Buy believes it would be cheaper for them to replace it with a $119 camera. I use the camera in a medical office and have three batteries for back up which won't work on the camera they want to give me. The cost for the battieries alone (which of course they won't pay for) exceeds their offer of a new camera. How does one justify paying $89 warranty to get a $119 camera. At the very least BB should proprate their insurance program based on what they are substiuting. Also, if BB replaces your camera, any remaining term  for your coverage is cancelled and you have to buy a new extended warranty for the new camera, which probably is an added incentive for BB not to repair your item. i spoke with the manager of the store in west palm beach who basically said this is our current policy and any assurances provided in the past don't matter

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Good afternoon west-palm-steve -

Allan, from our Social Media team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern. Thank you for your continued patience!

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi west-palm-steve,

I was truly disappointed to hear that you weren’t happy with what model camera they were offering as a replacement, after your Performance Service Plan (PSP) approved your camera to be replaced, and that because of this you will be shopping elsewhere for your digital imaging purchases.

I do see that you purchased a Sony DSCW200 Point-and-Shoot camera on 10/15/2007, and that you purchased a PSP to protect the camera beyond the one year manufacturer’s warranty. I also see that you dropped your camera off to be repaired on 9/9/2011, and on 9/22/2011 the camera was approved to be replaced by your PSP due to the fact that we were not able to get the part needed to repair the camera.

The store should be replacing your camera with the most comparable camera we currently carry, and I should point out that per the terms and conditions of your PSP “technological advances may result in a replacement product with a lower selling price than the original product”.

I would love to look into this for you, and see if there is some other option we might be able to provide you. I will be honest that almost any point-and-shoot camera we currently carry will meet or exceed the specifications of your four year old camera, and it sounds like it is likely the store is processing this replacement as it should be. I am sending you a private message to gather some additional information. To check your messages you should log into the forum, and then click on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for posting,