I'm about to buy the Nikon D80 18-135 kit. I see that Buydig (and others) sell this "Mack Extended Warranty" for $89, which covers digital SLR's up to $1000.

From their website and from some reviews, it seems like they charge you for shipping both ways, but that their repair reputation is solid.

I had an extended warranty on my D70 from BestBuy, and I ended up using it twice. Both times, I was very grateful to have it.

Any recommendations on DSLR warranties in general, and Mack warranties, specifically?

Thanks.

Sam

I have Mack warranty for my Pentax *istD, and I haven't used it (yet).

But then that is exactly the definition of warranty: pay for something you hope you will not need. Mack has a good reputation AFAIK. I got mine with the camera from BH. Just make sure you register on their web site.

no, that's the definition of insurance.

That they call it "extended warranty" is a misnomer. They're selling you an insurance policy, nothing more, nothing less.

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Quote
elmo3
no, that's the definition of insurance.

That they call it "extended warranty" is a misnomer. They're selling you an insurance policy, nothing more, nothing less.

Hmm... when I look up the definition of insurance, I see reference to, "the act, system, or business of insuring property, life, one's person, etc., against loss or harm arising in specified contingencies, as fire, accident, death, disablement, or the like, in consideration of a payment proportionate to the risk involved."

That's exactly what is not protected through an extended warranty (loss, damage, etc.).

From Mack's website: "Our extended warranty program is designed to provide you with additional coverage for manufacturer defects."

This is the definition of a warranty, "a written guarantee given to the purchaser of a new appliance, automobile, or other item by the manufacturer or dealer, usually specifying that the manufacturer will make any repairs or replace defective parts free of charge for a stated period of time."

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong reference materials, but it seems like I would be purchasing an extension of the manufacturer's warranty and not insurance. If I wanted insurance, I would put a rider on my insurance policy against loss.

It is *Always difficult to have a discussion with someone who
perpetually has his head placed deeply in his rectum.

just a thought *(:>*

Quote:
elmo3
no, that's the definition of insurance.
That they call it "extended warranty" is a misnomer. They're selling you an insurance policy, nothing more, nothing less.

the butt cheeks muffle the sound, especially if they get poo in their ears.

How many years does the extended cover? I wouldn't get it. Money would be better spent on getting a rider on your homeowners/renters insurance that would cover loss by theft, etc. Store extended warranties are generally a bad deal, and Nikon stuff is very reliable.

Extended warranties are a bad deal. They have done the math. They ARE insurance policies (so is the regular warranty, actually, but the manufacturer includes it in the purchase cost), they just cover the same perils as the manufacturer warranty.

If you are going to spend money to protect your new camera, at least get some insurance that covers "all perils". I can put my cameras as a rider on my home policy for about 1% of the value per year and it covers ANY damage. My 10D swam down a river and they paid.

Quote
thermarest
If you are going to spend money to protect your new camera, at least get some insurance that covers "all perils". I can put my cameras as a rider on my home policy for about 1% of the value per year and it covers ANY damage. My 10D swam down a river and they paid.

Does this also cover manufacturer's defects? What if the camera breaks, and I need to send it back to Nikon, and they charge me $500 to fix it... will an insurance rider (generally) cover something like that? I understand the loss part of it, but I'm equally as concerned with problems with the units itself. Like I said, my Nikon D70 needed servicing twice - to the tune of $500 or so, and the $149 policy I had purchased covered both instances in full.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2007 09:02AM by volcs0.

I guess I'm not sure if the rider covers that, come to think of it. A downside of a rider is if you make numerous claims it can affect your home coverage, I'm more likely to drop the thing than for it to break on it own. $150 seems like a lot for 2 years of coverage (NIkon already covers the first year) on a $900 item. That's just my opinion...I may just have a high risk tolerance. I do know from a large article in the newspaper that best buy makes 50% of overall profit from extended warranty. That says a lot.

I used to work at Ritz camera as a teenager. I remember they would push their extended coverage. They secretly called it "dummy insurance" and it covered drops, water and other means of destroying a camera. Read into what the policy offers. Some are replacement, some are repair, some are both. Then you have Ritz's "dummy" type which may actually come in handy if you actually can retrieve the camera from where you dropped it. I have heard no horror stories about Mack. If you are a Costco member, the D80 and D200 are on sale. The D80 is in store while the D200 is online. For the extra you pay for the warranty, the Costco return any time warranty might be comparable.

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