Virtualeventmistakesrevealed.com

Whenever a person purchases a piece of technology, he is asked the question: “Would you like to opt for the extended warranty?” The usual knee-jerk reaction is a quick refusal, but a consumer would be wise to consider the question more carefully, especially when purchasing a printer.

First of all, the choice of printers today is no longer simply between inkjet and laser. The majority of printers now double as scanners, copiers and fax machines. Along with heightened functionality comes a heightened risk of something breaking. The more complex a product, the costlier it will be to service and, if one feature goes out, the printer is rendered nearly useless.

 Second, many manufacturers are reducing the lengths of their standard warranties. The days of the three-year, parts-and-service warranty are long gone. It is much more common to find standard warranties lasting a few months to only a year. While many manufacturing flaws are discovered within the first few weeks of use, other issues will only come to light after repeated use of the product, usually right after the standard warranty has expired.

Also, the standard warranty usually covers only “typical use” of the product while an extended warranty can cover much more. If a printer’s duty cycle is up to 3000 pages per month and it fails because it was called upon to regularly print up to 5000 pages a month, the standard warranty will be negated, leaving the consumer with no recourse but to purchase a new printer.

Finally, many extended warranties come with a specific phone number to call if the product needs service. This can be a lifesaver to someone who values their time and dreads being put on hold or bumped from customer service representative to customer service representative.

While purchasing an extended warranty is not a foregone conclusion, the benefits certainly suggest that a consumer considers the option carefully when buying a new printer. To learn more, please visit about.com.