[toptenmaterial]

Hey y'all. I'm going to be getting a mirrorless camera off of amazon. The extended warranty is always offered when you check out. Is it worth the investment? Thanks.

[Rondec]

I don't usually get one unless they are very cheap. They don't typically cover things like drops and accidents, which would be the most common cause of a big repair. Smaller repairs are typically in the 120 to 200 dollar range and so if your extended warranty is in 50 dollar range, you are better off "self-insuring."

[Lord Lucan]

Generally, no.

[Wheatfield]

Extended warranties are a goldmine for the people selling them. Not so good for the people buying them. The profit margin on them s something like 95%. They aren't worth it.

[lesmore49]

Depends who offers them. I've had insurance plan extended warranties (one) where they went out of business. I've had factory extended warranties from GM . GM has always stood behind their warranty and as a result I have no problem getting a GM extended warranty but will not get an insurance plan extended warranty after my one lousy experience. Once bitten, twice shu=y for me, even though maybe this type of extended warranty is ok now and I just had a lemon.

For an expensive piece of camera equipment that I intend to keep a long time, I will get an extended warranty.

Modern stuff...cars, cameras, etc...have a lot of electronic gizmos in them that can sometimes be less than robust and expensive to repair. In 2012 we bought a new fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher as we were redoing our kitchen. Every piece of equipment listed has broken down, and required use of the extended warranties...a couple have required 2 or more repairs. All of the kitchen appliances, listed, are made by well regarded manufacturers.

We have paid for the extended warranties in our kitchen equipment alone.

In contrast the 40 year old stove and fridge we got rid of....never needed any service. But they had no electronics, they were basic, simple, heavy duty machines. We gave them to a small time metal salvage guy, who had to really grunt and groan to lift them onto the back of his trailer. He said he notices the significant weight difference between new (lighter) and old (heavier).

[Rondec]

You definitely tend to lose your money on extended warranties. That said, if your camera is relatively expensive and you can't afford to replace it if it goes kaput, then it might make some sense.

If you purchase with a credit card, then the credit card will often give you an extension on your manufacturer's warranty. Also, if you aren't a professional, you can probably add your camera gear to your home owner's insurance. Just some thoughts...

[JimmyL]

Almost 3 years ago Adorama was offering a "free" 3 year warranty on my Pentax 18-135 WR zoom. In July my lens quit focusing altogether (wouldn't focus automatically or manually). The warranty was up this coming November. I paid for shipping to send it in and received it back in perfect working order in about 6 weeks. Was very glad to have the warranty.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Depends on the warranty, who offers it, and value of item/cost to replace out of pocket. I've worked in retail for quite a while and let's put it this way... if your general office supply/electronics store/furniture store is offering, it's usually not worth it (or if offered, it's because the product itself is notorious for defective returns). Store just wants the free income from the upsell of warranty (and if you do make a claim, it's usually a nightmare).

Ext. warranties offered by the manufacturer aren't usually bad. same deal with gratis warranties from credit cards.

[Mark_Gelder]

As above in terms of it depends. I'd probably consider getting good home insurance which covers breakages of electronics even if it happens out of the home.

[mee]

Definitely depends on the company offering, their terms, and the price.