Kitchen appliances and warranty

I would guess that one the most reliable appliances in our kitchen is the microwave.  After all, I have never had trouble with one, plus you never hear of one just going out.  That is until I decided to pop some popcorn the other day.  I pressed the popcorn sensor button and this strange sound came from the unit and the corn never popped.  This is not a cheap microwave-it’s one of those “professional convective oven combinations”.  I was shocked-what the microwave has gone out? It’s less than a year old-how can that be?  Fortunately, it is still under warranty and the manufacturer sent a tech out the next week-the magnetron had to be replaced.  I am sure that would not have been cheap if I had to pay for it.  In a previous home that I purchased-I did opt on the extended warranty. It was $400.00 and was never used…because I sold the home.  However, the extended warranty can be a good selling point-if that’s your goal. 

Here are a few points to keep in mind when deciding if you should purchase an extended warranty-

1.  How long will I own the home?  An extended warranty probably will not be the sole reason someone will buy your home.  I wouldn’t invest in it if you’re planning to move soon.
2.  Warranty details-read the fine print!  Some extended warranty’s have large deductibles that make the plans more expensive than the repair itself.
3.  Does the home have an extended warranty-if it does-chances are it includes coverage on the appliances

Extended warranties can offer peace of mind.  To some people that alone is worth the cost.  To others, it seems like a large unnecessary expense-and that may be true.  The decision-making process is different for everyone.  My recommendation is do whatever feels comfortable.  For example, if you purchased a large, commercial refrigerator for 12,000.00 A 4 year warranty shouldn’t cost more than four or five hundred dollars.  Just a small part of the original cost.  Again, there is not one answer for everyone-you have to do what seems best for you.