I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

john hamilton wrote:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


IME no.

the manufacturer normally gives at least a year, and statistically, a TV
set or any piece of electronics is most reliable after any manufacturing
defects have been found (up to a year) and before wear and tear takes
its toll (5 years+).

The '5 year warranty' - actually a 2-5 year warranty, is extremely
profitable because it is a one in ten thousand chance that anyone will
actually claim on it. And it makes up all the margin the dealer has
discounted away to get your business in the first place :-)

No, probably not unless the combined price is pretty keen for the model.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

john hamilton burst on the scene, and said:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer.
A friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it
really worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Personally, I think extended warranties on anything are a rip-off. I
embraced them fully when they first appeared but after a few years
realised that I had spent hundreds on them and had got nothing back -
even on products that you might expect to be at high risk of needing
repair, such as washing machines.

Why not buy your TV from a supplier that offers a free five year
warranty. I know someone who had a Sony TV from John Lewis. After about
4 years he noticed a group of dead pixels. The screen couldn't be
replaced because of its age - no longer available - so he got a new TV
of his choice (with cash adjustment) from JL. John Lewis include free 5
year warranties with most (all?) of their TVs, including Sony, whether
bought in-store or online There may well be other retailers who do the
same, JL just happen to be the one that I know of.

--
Michaelangelo
www.flickr.com/photos/mikenagel

Self-catering, holiday accommodation in the Scottish Highlands - for
disabled people:
www.woodhead-cottage.co.uk

Michaelangelo burst on the scene, and said:
john hamilton burst on the scene, and said:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer.
A friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it
really worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Personally, I think extended warranties on anything are a rip-off. I
embraced them fully when they first appeared but after a few years
realised that I had spent hundreds on them and had got nothing back -
even on products that you might expect to be at high risk of needing
repair, such as washing machines.

Why not buy your TV from a supplier that offers a free five year
warranty. I know someone who had a Sony TV from John Lewis. After
about 4 years he noticed a group of dead pixels. The screen couldn't
be replaced because of its age - no longer available - so he got a
new TV of his choice (with cash adjustment) from JL. John Lewis
include free 5 year warranties with most (all?) of their TVs,
including Sony, whether bought in-store or online There may well be
other retailers who do the same, JL just happen to be the one that I
know of.

I should have said that the above account re John Lewis happened at the
this year (February) - so it's not old history.

--
Michaelangelo
www.flickr.com/photos/mikenagel

Self-catering, holiday accommodation in the Scottish Highlands - for
disabled people:
www.woodhead-cottage.co.uk

On 30/07/2010 08:10, john hamilton wrote:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


COSTCO offer free 5 year Warranty on all TV's as well as seemingly being
best value obtainable.

If you qualify, or can "guest" your way into a COSTCO via a 3rd party
then it's worth a visit before you commit.

The negative is you cannot browse the deals online. You have to go
there in person.

"Michaelangelo" wrote in message
...
john hamilton burst on the scene, and said:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Personally, I think extended warranties on anything are a rip-off. I
embraced them fully when they first appeared but after a few years
realised that I had spent hundreds on them and had got nothing back - even
on products that you might expect to be at high risk of needing repair,
such as washing machines.

Why not buy your TV from a supplier that offers a free five year warranty.
I know someone who had a Sony TV from John Lewis. After about 4 years he
noticed a group of dead pixels. The screen couldn't be replaced because of
its age - no longer available - so he got a new TV of his choice (with
cash adjustment) from JL. John Lewis include free 5 year warranties with
most (all?) of their TVs, including Sony, whether bought in-store or
online There may well be other retailers who do the same, JL just happen
to be the one that I know of.


A relative buys from Richer Sounds, says good prices and good warranties.
Believe when he buys an extended one he gets money back if he does not make
a claim.
Regards
David

David wrote:


"Michaelangelo" wrote in message
...
john hamilton burst on the scene, and said:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer.
A friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it
really worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Personally, I think extended warranties on anything are a rip-off. I
embraced them fully when they first appeared but after a few years
realised that I had spent hundreds on them and had got nothing back -
even on products that you might expect to be at high risk of needing
repair, such as washing machines.

Why not buy your TV from a supplier that offers a free five year
warranty. I know someone who had a Sony TV from John Lewis. After
about 4 years he noticed a group of dead pixels. The screen couldn't
be replaced because of its age - no longer available - so he got a new
TV of his choice (with cash adjustment) from JL. John Lewis include
free 5 year warranties with most (all?) of their TVs, including Sony,
whether bought in-store or online There may well be other retailers
who do the same, JL just happen to be the one that I know of.


A relative buys from Richer Sounds, says good prices and good
warranties. Believe when he buys an extended one he gets money back if
he does not make a claim.

That is not how insurance works.;-)
Regards
David

The Natural Philosopher burst on the scene, and said:
David wrote:


"Michaelangelo" wrote in message
...
john hamilton burst on the scene, and said:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from
ebuyer. A friend says that LCD televisions are now very
reliable. So is it really worth paying extra for a five year
guarantee?

Personally, I think extended warranties on anything are a rip-off.
I embraced them fully when they first appeared but after a few
years realised that I had spent hundreds on them and had got
nothing back - even on products that you might expect to be at
high risk of needing repair, such as washing machines.

Why not buy your TV from a supplier that offers a free five year
warranty. I know someone who had a Sony TV from John Lewis. After
about 4 years he noticed a group of dead pixels. The screen
couldn't be replaced because of its age - no longer available - so
he got a new TV of his choice (with cash adjustment) from JL. John
Lewis include free 5 year warranties with most (all?) of their
TVs, including Sony, whether bought in-store or online There may
well be other retailers who do the same, JL just happen to be the
one that I know of.


A relative buys from Richer Sounds, says good prices and good
warranties. Believe when he buys an extended one he gets money back
if he does not make a claim.

That is not how insurance works.;-)
Regards
David

I think JL warranties are 'real' warranties - not insurance based.

--
Michaelangelo
www.flickr.com/photos/mikenagel

Self-catering, holiday accommodation in the Scottish Highlands - for
disabled people:
www.woodhead-cottage.co.uk

On 30/07/2010 08:10, john hamilton wrote:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


I tend to rely on the warranty and the Sale of Goods legislation. A TV
should last 5 years so if it fails you have some recourse against the
retailer. I also pay on my own credit card to get protection in case the
retailer goes bust.
Most electronic stuff is obsolete long before it wears out.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:10:10 +0100, "john hamilton"
wrote:

I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

No.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Lochs Long and Goil in Argyll, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

A relative buys from Richer Sounds, says good prices and good
warranties. Believe when he buys an extended one he gets money back
if he does not make a claim.

That is not how insurance works.;-)

"It's insurance Jim but not as we know it"?

Richer Sounds have for years now offered "Supercare". If there's no
claim after 5 years they refund the original payment. Of course they
have had the use of the money in the meantime (while inflation erodes
its value to the buyer). I assume they make their profit from that
(much as eg Lloyds underwriters used to).

And I think it is not strictly an insurance scheme: the whole thing is
run by Richer Sounds and they are not regulated by the FSA. So no
government bail-out if 100,000 TVs go pop
--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com

"Invisible Man" wrote in message
...


I tend to rely on the warranty and the Sale of Goods legislation. A TV
should last 5 years so if it fails you have some recourse against the
retailer. I also pay on my own credit card to get protection in case the
retailer goes bust.

I recently got a new dish washer from GM card because the free warranty I
got from Empire direct was useless when the WD broke. I could probably have
got it fixed but the wife hated it anyway and GM card just refunded the cost
without any hassle.

Most electronic stuff is obsolete long before it wears out.

Except stuff with water in it. 8-(

On 30/07/2010 13:12, dennis@home wrote:


"Invisible Man" wrote in message
...


I tend to rely on the warranty and the Sale of Goods legislation. A TV
should last 5 years so if it fails you have some recourse against the
retailer. I also pay on my own credit card to get protection in case
the retailer goes bust.

I recently got a new dish washer from GM card because the free warranty
I got from Empire direct was useless when the WD broke. I could probably
have got it fixed but the wife hated it anyway and GM card just refunded
the cost without any hassle.

Most electronic stuff is obsolete long before it wears out.

Except stuff with water in it. 8-(

I am old enough that I still think of things that work with water as
electrical rather than electronic even though they have electronics
these days. With all the clever countdowns and displays it never ceases
to amaze me that so few washing machines have a facility to sound a
warning when the cycle is complete. I tend to set the cooker timer for
the approx time our Bosch says it will take. Quicker the stuff is out
the less ironing.

On 30/07/2010 13:39, Java Jive wrote:
Over the years, consumer advice has consistently been against paying
for such extended warranties. They are a rip-off. In fact, if you
think about, there is a sense in which all insurance is a rip-off.

The best form of insurance is to have enough money earning interest to
replace whatever it is that is being insured. That is unlikely to be
possible with your life, your house, or your legally required car
insurance, but for anything else, don't bother with it.

You pay money out for something that you hope and may actually never
happen, and it's dead money - it's gone and most likely will never
be of use to you. However, if you took that same money and put it
into a suitable account, it would be earning you interest and could
still go to replace a faulty item in the unlikely event of it being
required, and otherwise will be of such use as you wish.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:10:10 +0100, "john hamilton"
wrote:

So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I worked
for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it. Car
insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do have.

On Jul 30, 8:10*am, "john hamilton" wrote:
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. *A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Comes down to the price of the warranty.
#1 - Is the standard warranty 1yr or 3rd?
#2 - Does anyone do the TV with a discount or free warranty?

In LCD terms 5yrs is quite a long time.
- CFL backlight brightness does fade over time.
- CFL backlight & invertor can and do fail.
- PSUs are another area that can fail

All those items are "discrete parts or repairable". A panel failure
writes the panel off in terms of the replacement costing more than the
TV.

LCD monitor experience is PSUs do fail at about 3yrs and by 5yrs that
rises. You can buy a PSU for about £25-40 or even repair it for less,
but dissassembly is a bit tedious in terms of getting it open,
removing the shielding shells & micro-plugs.

One note with Sony is their parts & repair service.
Sony laptop parts are hard to source and expensive, service from Sony
is hilarious.
Sony CRT parts are readily available, service from Sony is 90-day
warranty & expensive.

Most brands are not too different, but with a product such as a TV it
is likely the PSU, backlight invertor & backlight will be readily
available "in the spares marketplace". An issue will be getting one
fitted, because the local repairers are beginning to packup and it
merges into "central businesses" which can be like outsourced laptop
repairers. Selectron in the USA for example were good at shafting
Customers, IBM & product aesthetics over Thinkpad repairs for a time.
Dell likewise outsourced repairs in the UK and you got light-leaks,
distorted case and so on when it came back.

So if you can follow a (probable) YouTube video on PSU removal &
replacement, or backlight bulb removal & replacement then it may be
worth "self-insuring" and buying with a lower warranty.

I would still check what the standard warranty is, Sony often do 3yr
offers on some TVs at no cost - check around.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:46:12 +0100, Invisible Man
wrote:


I am old enough that I still think of things that work with water as
electrical rather than electronic even though they have electronics
these days. With all the clever countdowns and displays it never ceases
to amaze me that so few washing machines have a facility to sound a
warning when the cycle is complete.

That would need to be a switchable facility. Some of us run our washing
machines at night to use cheaper electricity. We DO NOT wish to be woken
in the middle of the night to be told the machine mashine has finished.

I tend to set the cooker timer for
the approx time our Bosch says it will take. Quicker the stuff is out
the less ironing.

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:49:55 +0100, Invisible Man
wrote:

On 30/07/2010 13:39, Java Jive wrote:
Over the years, consumer advice has consistently been against paying
for such extended warranties. They are a rip-off. In fact, if you
think about, there is a sense in which all insurance is a rip-off.

The best form of insurance is to have enough money earning interest to
replace whatever it is that is being insured. That is unlikely to be
possible with your life, your house, or your legally required car
insurance, but for anything else, don't bother with it.

You pay money out for something that you hope and may actually never
happen, and it's dead money - it's gone and most likely will never
be of use to you. However, if you took that same money and put it
into a suitable account, it would be earning you interest and could
still go to replace a faulty item in the unlikely event of it being
required, and otherwise will be of such use as you wish.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:10:10 +0100, "john hamilton"
wrote:

So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I worked
for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it. Car
insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do have.

Yes. For domestic appliances "self-insurance" is the thing. Keep enough
money in reserve to be able to replace just one or two of the kitchen
appliances, entertainment boxes, etc.


--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:01:08 +0100, Peter Duncanson
wrote:

in the middle of the night to be told the machine mashine has finished.

"mashine"? How did that get there?

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Invisible Man wrote:

With all the clever countdowns and displays it never ceases
to amaze me that so few washing machines have a facility to sound a
warning when the cycle is complete.

Zanussi WMs do this. And bloody irritating it is too! They beep at the
end of the cycle (so far so good) but, if you don't go and acknowledge
it, it'll just carry on until the end of time at short intervals.


--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

On 30/07/2010 08:39, Vortex7 wrote:
COSTCO offer free 5 year Warranty on all TV's as well as seemingly being
best value obtainable.

If you qualify, or can "guest" your way into a COSTCO via a 3rd party
then it's worth a visit before you commit.

The negative is you cannot browse the deals online. You have to go there
in person.

Returning items you've tried and don't like in Costco is a revelation.

Me: I'm returning this
Them: OK, here's your money.

As opposed to (in Currys)

Me: I'm returning this
Them: Why?
Me: It's ....
Them: Have you tried
Me: No, I just don't like the ...
Them: It was that displayed in the store
Me: Yeah, but when I took it home ...
Them: Ah, we can exchange it for ...
Me: I just want my money back!
Them: Hang on, I'll call my supervisor
Me: (drums fingers on counter, queue of customers builds from behind)
Him: Hello, how may I help?
Me: I'm returning this
Him: Why?
..
(later)
..
..
Him: Hello, Sir, please can you remove your hands around my neck? I
can't seem to breathe!



I'm expecting 'Best Buy' to be much the same as Costco, based on my
shopping experiences in the states.

Thing that I don't like about Costco, is their an 'anti-riff-raff'
policy on selecting only trade or professional status UK customers. I
don't see evidence of that in their American stores.

--
Adrian C

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:49:55 +0100, Invisible Man
wrote:

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I worked
for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it. Car
insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do have.

I ask them do have so little faith in the reliability of the product
that they think I need it. Some get very cross when pressed for a 'yes'
or 'no' answer.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Lochs Long and Goil in Argyll, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


Depends who it is and how much.

Some makers have longer guarantees - e.g. LG have three years on their small
ones (which are also monitors) - so not worth paying 10% for another two
years in three years' time.

Similarly if you buy from Richer Sounds, their extended warranty is only 10%
or £9.99p, whichever is more and in some cases you can get the premium back
if you don't claim in some cases.

Invisible Man wrote:

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I
worked for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it.
Car insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do
have.

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just come
up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35 years except one
in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage caused by a couple of ridge
tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it for
exactly? What are the most common claims?

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:09:19 +0100, Scott M
wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:

With all the clever countdowns and displays it never ceases
to amaze me that so few washing machines have a facility to sound a
warning when the cycle is complete.

Zanussi WMs do this. And bloody irritating it is too! They beep at the
end of the cycle (so far so good) but, if you don't go and acknowledge
it, it'll just carry on until the end of time at short intervals.

Our Zanussi tumble drier does the same.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking some articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.

On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I
worked for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it.
Car insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do
have.

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35 years
except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage caused by a
couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it for
exactly? What are the most common claims?



A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

Who in their right mind would want to watch an LCD TV for 5 minutes let
alone 5 years- when Plasma offers a far better picture..

Cheers

Richard

On 30/07/2010 16:53, r.bartlett wrote:
Who in their right mind would want to watch an LCD TV for 5 minutes let
alone 5 years- when Plasma offers a far better picture..

Cheers

Richard


Certainly used to be the case for larger models. Which? seem to be
scoring top LEDs and top LCDs above top Plasmas now though.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:35:24 +0100, "Norman Wells"
wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I
worked for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it.
Car insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do
have.

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just come
up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35 years except one
in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage caused by a couple of ridge
tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it for
exactly? What are the most common claims?

I have made 2 claims in the 40 years I've lived in this house. One was
for the replacement of a window and window frame damaged by someone
breaking in. The other was for the replacement of a post and rail fence
at the front of the house which had been comprehensively demolished by a
stolen car. In both cases I could have managed to pay for repairs myself
if I hadn't had house insurance.


--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?



you could always see what the john lewis price is - you get 5 years as
standard with them



--
Gareth.

that fly...... is your magic wand....
http://dsbdsb.mybrute.com
you fight better when you have a bear!

Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35
years except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage
caused by a couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it
for exactly? What are the most common claims?

A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

So, just one claim on house insurance and two minor ones on contents.
You've obviously made a substantial loss on premiums overall then, as I
have.

I'm thinking of not renewing mine (£300 quoted) as I think I'm relatively
low risk. You are too, so why do you pay to keep it going?

On 30/07/2010 17:21, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35
years except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage
caused by a couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it
for exactly? What are the most common claims?

A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

So, just one claim on house insurance and two minor ones on contents.
You've obviously made a substantial loss on premiums overall then, as I
have.

I'm thinking of not renewing mine (£300 quoted) as I think I'm
relatively low risk. You are too, so why do you pay to keep it going?

You talking buildings or contents?

I've got buildings, because should something go wrong like a house fire,
I simply can't afford a full rebuild. The chance is very low, but I'm
prepared to take a loss on the bet because the potential loss of not
taking it is catastrophic.

I'll agree contents is closer to optional, but again, take the house
fire example : there's a lot of stuff to cover. I could probably start
again, but it would be very tight for a while.

Contents also gets you third party insurance when out of your house,
which is potentially useful. My parents claimed on it for a bike crash I
caused when I was a kid.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:21:55 +0100, "Norman Wells"
wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35
years except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage
caused by a couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it
for exactly? What are the most common claims?

A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

So, just one claim on house insurance and two minor ones on contents.
You've obviously made a substantial loss on premiums overall then, as I
have.

I'm thinking of not renewing mine (£300 quoted) as I think I'm relatively
low risk. You are too, so why do you pay to keep it going?


There are low risk but costly events that are worth insuring against.
The most obvious one is fire.

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

On 30/07/2010 16:53, r.bartlett wrote:
Who in their right mind would want to watch an LCD TV for 5 minutes let
alone 5 years- when Plasma offers a far better picture..

With the exception of maybe detail in dark scenery (think goth like
horror films) the need for Plasma, 1080P etc... is very overstated, and
needless confusion for folks just interested in something to watch
normal programmes like Coronation Street.

Some just love turning the subject into a VHS/Betamax "wrong alley"
debate, and the timid run away - confused.

And at the other end of silliness, some get recommended the the top end
Sony thing that someone else has (or wants) - and haven't got a real
clue why it's oh so complicated to use. The worst is one of these sets
never seeing a decent HD source and spending a lifetime instead showing
SD Coronation Street...

--
Adrian C

Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Whenever someone tries to sell me a warranty or insurance I say I
worked for an insurance company for 36 years and don't believe in it.
Car insurance, house and contents insurance and travel insurance I do
have.

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35 years
except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage caused by a
couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it for
exactly? What are the most common claims?



Theft.

Fire.

Theft I claimed about £6000 off. Had a real battle with teh loss
adjuster who claimed all my second hand junk furniture bought for a
couple of hundred was worth thousands of pounds, so wanted to adjust my
loss downwards.

Lost some garden machinery to the moonlight boys from the traveller
camp,.. Claimed a couple of grand on that. Thst conetnts of course.



Fire can take the whole house. That's house insurance. I cant see I
would ever need it, but storm damage can run into a lot as can flood
damage. Neighbours had an oil line split under the house. Whole ground
floor up, and about 200 cu meter of 'contaminated' soil removed and
replaced..cost 50 grand plus, and took 18 months. Elfin safety innit?

Ditto subsidence. Anyway, unless you buy cash, insurance on house is
mandatory.

"R. Mark Clayton" wrote in message
...

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


Depends who it is and how much.

Some makers have longer guarantees - e.g. LG have three years on their
small ones (which are also monitors) - so not worth paying 10% for another
two years in three years' time.

Similarly if you buy from Richer Sounds, their extended warranty is only
10% or £9.99p, whichever is more and in some cases you can get the premium
back if you don't claim in some cases.


Why don't the government simply make all electrical retailers do the same
Aldi and Lidl, i.e. an automatic three year warranty (without affecting your
statutory rights)
on any electrical item sold, my daughter returned an electric rice cooker
that I had purchased (and given her) for the princely sum of £9.99, this was
almost two years after I had bought it, they didn't have one in stock so
refunded the money without batting an eyelid, I hasten to add that she
didn't return it for the paltry £9 99, it was just that she liked it so much
that she was hoping to get a replacement and was disappointed when the
refunded the money instead.
I've recently purchased a laptop computer from Aldi which has a three year
comprehensive warranty on it, Argos was selling a very similar model and
wanted £149.99 extra for a 3 year insurance contract.

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to buy a Sony television for about £500 from ebuyer. A
friend says that LCD televisions are now very reliable. So is it really
worth paying extra for a five year guarantee?


if its not too much YES...

On 30/07/2010 17:21, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35
years except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage
caused by a couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it
for exactly? What are the most common claims?

A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

So, just one claim on house insurance and two minor ones on contents.
You've obviously made a substantial loss on premiums overall then, as I
have.

I'm thinking of not renewing mine (£300 quoted) as I think I'm
relatively low risk. You are too, so why do you pay to keep it going?



We pay £180. I am retired and don't have £1/4M+ to rebuild and replace
the contents. That is why we have house insurance, not for day to day
small losses.
Fire, lightning, storm, subsidence and impact can easily run into 5
figures. £180 is a small amount to pay for peace of mind. Contents
insurance usually includes personal liability insurance so if you poke
someone's eye out with an umbrella, injure someone with a non-motorised
bike etc the insurance company pays.
Going back to the original topic we have a Sony KDL-52Z4500 which at the
time cost £2100 from Digital Empire but I have not felt a need to take
out any guarantee or specific insurance on that.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:09:19 +0100, Scott M wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:

With all the clever countdowns and displays it never ceases
to amaze me that so few washing machines have a facility to sound a
warning when the cycle is complete.

Zanussi WMs do this. And bloody irritating it is too! They beep at the
end of the cycle (so far so good) but, if you don't go and acknowledge
it, it'll just carry on until the end of time at short intervals.

WJS 1665W has the option to turn it off by pressing the temperature and spin
speed buttons simultaneously.

--
Geo

On 30/07/2010 18:16, Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 17:21, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:
On 30/07/2010 16:35, Norman Wells wrote:
Invisible Man wrote:

Have you ever claimed on your house insurance, I wonder? Mine's just
come up for renewal and I can't recall ever making a claim in 35
years except one in 1990 for a relatively small amount of damage
caused by a couple of ridge tiles being dislodged by high winds.

The house is unlikely to collapse or hit an aeroplane, so what's it
for exactly? What are the most common claims?

A very long time since I was involved in household business.
Theft
Burst pipes
Storm
Accidental damage - spills on carpets etc.
All risks - loss of jewellery, specs, dentures etc.
Fires caused by chip pans, smoking materials, electrics
underground pipes
accidental damage to sanitary fixtures etc.
Impact by vehicles
Flood
Malicious damage
subsidence
glass

I think I have personally had 1 claim for impact to a front wall and 2
for loss of specs

So, just one claim on house insurance and two minor ones on contents.
You've obviously made a substantial loss on premiums overall then, as I
have.

I'm thinking of not renewing mine (£300 quoted) as I think I'm
relatively low risk. You are too, so why do you pay to keep it going?



We pay £180. I am retired and don't have £1/4M+ to rebuild and replace
the contents. That is why we have house insurance, not for day to day
small losses.
Fire, lightning, storm, subsidence and impact can easily run into 5
figures. £180 is a small amount to pay for peace of mind. Contents
insurance usually includes personal liability insurance so if you poke
someone's eye out with an umbrella, injure someone with a non-motorised
bike etc the insurance company pays.
Going back to the original topic we have a Sony KDL-52Z4500 which at the
time cost £2100 from Digital Empire but I have not felt a need to take
out any guarantee or specific insurance on that.
....and we do use a $ky HD box and have it connected to the PC network
etc etc