The new freezer came with an envelope containing the instructions and so
forth. There was a large label on the bag: REGISTER NOW!" This would
'activate the free one year guarantee'. This seems to do no more than
duplicate our statutory rights. In the bag was a glossy brochure
offering 'Peace of mind'. Peace of mind is worth a lot so I read on. It
turned out that the peace of mind was limited to not worrying about the
freezer breaking down. But it was so cheap! The three year plan was only
£77! But hang on a minute! The first year is definitely covered by the
normal warranty (and if the freezer died during the subsequent months
I'd be looking at my consumer rights, since it is not a budget freezer.)
And the £77 is not a one-off payment; it is (as the tiny print implies
but doesn't explicitly state) an annual payment. So for £231 I would get
warranty for years two and three. And the price could increase: "We
reserve the right to alter the fee..." If payment is by direct debit
there's a £10 per annum reduction, presumably because you would continue
to pay during the second and third years without really being aware of it.
The warranty includes 'damage caused accidentally' (I just can't imagine
a likely scenario that would lead to a claim, having read through the
exclusions) but not the cost of spoiled food if the freezer breaks down
or there's a power cut. If the freezer is a write-off during the
warranty period and a new one is supplied the customer would have to pay
delivery charges, install the machine themselves, and dispose of the old
machine at their own cost.
£231 would go a long way towards the cost of a replacement freezer. That
would be with a statutory warranty of at least twelve months.
My experience of white goods extended warranties is that if the item
breaks down you have to wait hours for the phone to answer, then jump
through hoops during a very long phone call, then the repair man comes
many days later. We once had to wait ten working days without a washing
machine. That hardly brings peace of mind. Its better to use a trusted
local repair man. My experience of that is that the phone call lasts two
minutes, he comes the next day, and he charges SFA.

Bill