Consumers should avoid “worthless” extended warranties on technology and appliances to save cash, according to Which? Extended warranties from some of the UK’s biggest retailers are not worth the extra cost, and half of buyers who make a claim experience problem.
One in five shoppers bought a retailer’s extended warranty for a technology or appliance product in the past two years, taking out a policy for an average of just over two years at a cost of £84.80 a year, a Which? survey found. It concluded that consumers might be better off organising any unexpected repairs themselves, with a laptop fix costing an average of between £68 and £78. The average repair cost for a washing machine was between £82 and £108.
Which? also found that comprehensive cover was not guaranteed with extended warranties and consumers could also be paying for breakdown cover that is already included in the manufacturer’s guarantee. Most of the products Which? looked at came with a manufacturer warranty of at least one year, with some lasting two or five years.
