How much do you trust your Home Appliances?

By: Sebastian Lawrence Mills, Warranty Direct
06-Jan-2010

When you think about the number of domestic appliances in the average household; TV, fridge, cooker, freezer; you begin to realise quite how much our daily lives rely on these appliances working perfectly.

Where would you be if your TV, fridge or cooker suddenly stopped working?  What would you do? Who would you call? And if you're unable to fix it yourself (and let's face it, most of us are not equipped with those skills), what would it cost you to get it fixed? It's a nightmare you really don't want to think about.

When you buy a new appliance, it is very likely to come with a standard warranty from the manufacturer (promising to refund your money should the product stop working within a set time period).  You will also often be offered an extended warranty at the counter. An extended warranty gives you a longer time period within which you'll be refunded or reimbursed for repairs if the item you bought breaks down - essentially, it's an insurance product.  

It's important to be a little wary of the hard sell at the counter, since some sales staff actually make commission on the home warranty products that they sell.  As you have the standard warranty in place for a few months to a year (depending on the product and the manufacturer), you are under no time pressure to buy an extended warranty whilst still in the shop.  Therefore, rather than potentially paying more than you need to, bear in mind that you may be able to get a better deal by approaching a specialist appliance warranty provider for a quote.  

Another tip is to choose a multi-appliance warranty, rather than getting an extended warranty for each individual item.  Firstly, it will work out a lot cheaper that way, and secondly, you don't have to try and be psychic and predict which of your appliances are more likely to break!  Taking out an extended warranty on your home appliances is by no means essential, but it does offer you the peace of mind of knowing that if your fridge or television does suddenly break, you're not faced with a repairs bill running into tens or hundreds of pounds.

So what benefits would you receive?

*  Call out fees, replacement parts and labour charges
*  Up to 8 items of your choice covered, provided that they are less than 8 years old.  
*  Flexibility - you can start with a smaller number of items and add more to the list over time.
*  Access to a nationwide network of professionals for easy repairs
*  Unlimited repairs by engineers approved by the manufacturer (although there is a cost limit of £2000 per insured item)
*  Pay monthly or annually, depending on how you prefer to budget

Why should you consider getting an extended warranty?  Because life has a habit of letting you down - usually just after the manufacturer's warranty has just expired.  Repairs can be very costly - £1200 for a flatscreen TV that cannot be repaired - £500 for a new Blu-ray disc player - not to mention the fridge/freezer and washing machine because things often seem to go wrong at the same time.

For a little sensible investment you can protect your most important appliances and we'll take care of all the hassle.  Click here to get a free no-obligation quote for extended appliance warranty cover from Warranty Direct.

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Sebastian Lawrence Mills, Director of Finance and Insurance Partnerships

Warranty Direct, established in 1997, is the leading consumer car warranty provider accounting for 80% of the consumer extended car warranty market