Well, admittedly I didn't go high end with my appliances so YMMV. I never ever bought extended warranties -- and never needed one. But something inspired me to get the 5 year Sears warranty for the Frigidaire dishwasher, and I am so glad that I did! Have had 2 major repairs in the 2nd and 3rd years of use.

Consumer Reports and other 'authorities' used to say extended warranties are a waste of money. That was 20 years ago. Now I believe even they recommend it. With all the electronic circuitry to go bad these days, we have bought it on all our major appliances. Haven't needed it yet-touch wood, but I know many people who have.

Given all the problems with appliances these days -- even high-end ones -- I would recommend getting the extended warranty.

It depends on the appliances and the dealer. If you know the dealer you're buying from and they have successfully repaired appliances for you then it might be worthwhile. Otherwise, it could be a total waste. Here's why.

Most appliances today carry waranties from the manufacturer. Many manufacturers offer their own waranties.

I would check with each manufacturer and see how it works before spending $1100.

Irene, I've never in my life bought an extended warranty on anything. But, I had a conversation about them with an appliance serviceman who was here last month (3 yr old Maytag) and he said I may want to 'revisit' that, begin to view it differently. His suggestion was to not buy at time of purchase but to buy right as the factory warranty was about to expire, and buy it from the manufacturer so as not to be paying the store salespersons commission. That will take some kind of calendar note to yourself, some way of being aware of the date....if you are not bombarded with mail that your appliance factory warranty is about to expire ;-)

Almost no brand of appliance has the longevity and years of use built into it like once was, times are changing. I hate that we have to 'insure' our purchases will perform as described, reliably and for a given number of years. But I'm learning ;-) There was a 25 cu ft Amana refrigerator in this house 5 1/2 years old when we bought the house. The compressor failed the day before we closed on the house, seller had the compressor replaced ($580). It failed a second time 3 years later, and I replaced the refrigerator, not quite 9 years old.

I must admit I don't have high-end appliances, so have not bought warranties. I think in general, if you're going to have issues, they generally occur in the original warranty periods. So a new dishwasher is around $400, and the extended, five-year plan is $120. That math doesn't work for me.

I agree with Michael M - $1100 is a LOT of money for a warranty! (I did buy an extended warranty in my previous home, but it was $99.00 for 4 appliances)

morz8 - I agreed, they don't make it like the way they used and thus don't last as long. sjhockeyfan325 - how many years of extended warranty was yours covered for?

Michael M - I've checked, unfortunately, Sub-Zero and Wolf do not sell extended warranty directly :(

I would buy the extended warranty for the Samsung fridge for sure. I'd skip it for the dishwasher, range, and I'm not familiar with the range hood but I'd probably skip that as well.

Samsung has a lot of issues on their refrigerators it seems, though they are still very highly rated. For what it's worth, we've ordered the Samsung RF28HMEDBSR fridge for our new house as well as Samsung 6300 washer/dryer and will be getting the extended warranties for all of them. In our case well be paying about $800 for the warranties on the three pieces. The good news is that if we don't use the warranty before it lapses it turns into store credit so it isn't too big of a waste...but I can almost guarantee we'll need to make a claim between now and 5 years from now!

That works out to $275 for each appliance and the chances of all four failing are small. Does the insurance cover the cost of the repair person as well as the replacement parts?

It was for four years, through Lowe's, all mid-level appliances.

Thanks Lisa. I hear you on the Samsung. We are getting the RF23HTEDBSR fridge and the warranty from the appliance store told us the same as well. If we don't use it on any of the item, before it expired, we can turns it into store credit but if we use even once on one of the item and none on the other 3, we will get 3x$250 in store credit in 5-6 years.

I was told by an experienced repair person that before buying warranties, I should find out who the service company will be for each appliance. Then check the reputation of that service company in your area.

Michael M. has the best answer here. You're better off to do your research first, and if you know Samsung refrigerators are likely to fail, buy something else. Keep the insurance money in your own pocket and when something maybe does break, you'll be prepared to pay for that one thing rather than paying for everything in advance and then hoping the insurance'll cover it.

Personally, I've never bought an extended warranty on anything in my whole life, and I've only had one appliance break /need a repair -- ever. That is, I've only had one major appliance break when I wasn't ready to replace it anyway /didn't feel the item was at the end of its lifespan anyway.

I would rethink the Samsung frig. We have a French door model, less than 4 years old. For the past year or so (so out of warranty) we have had to completely empty and defrost it every 3 months because the coils in the back freeze up and the fan quits working. You have probably seen there is a class action lawsuit against them for this. We also have their dishwasher, and while not quite as bad as the frig, never again would I consider buying either of those two appliances.

Our local appliance store (which is part of a regional chain) has a pretty good deal on their extended warranties. I got them on my washer and dryer, and will plan to get one on my refrigerator before my 1 year factory warranty expires this summer (but not on the stove, dishwasher, or microwave). It extends the warranty for an additional 4 years, and if we don't use it, we get the same amount back in store credit. I figured with the cheap way most appliances are built, I may need something in 5 years. Plus they sell lighting fixtures and some other items, so I can always splurge on something with a little bling :)

When I bought my last car, they tried to sell me an extended warranty. It would have come out to an additional $100 per month on top of the monthly payment, and would only have really extended the warranty, given how much I drive, two years on a five year loan. Instead, I took that money, $50 every two weeks, and stuck it into an account I easily set up online with my credit union. My bet was, if I had a huge thing happen (like a transmission failure after the original warranty runs out), I'd be able to cover it from that account. If not, then it's the next downpayment on the next car. And that's what happened.

Try the math. How much, per month, is this warranty, and set it aside in an account. If you're buying a high-end appliance, set aside the money, and keep setting it aside. If the appliance fails, you pay out of the account. If not, it's 'free' money. Oh, and with a little interest.

The one we bought through a store, Sears, on a water heater ended up paying back twice (yikes on the quality there). For the new build, I bought the appliances with Discover (and immediately paid off).

They have (at least the card I have at least) an extra one year warranty on appliances (with some caveats) after the manufacturer's warranty runs out (plus I got the cash back). I have never had to try to file on such a warranty extension, so YMMV.

My Amex had a similar warranty, but I found less negative reviews about the claims process with Discover.

YES! My four-year-old Samsung French door refrigerator failed after a power surge when it was three years old. $600 to fix the mother board. Repairman said one in four appliances in the landfill are less than 5 years old. He said it doesn't seem to matter if it's a Samsung or a Sub-Zero, it's a crap shoot. I learned three things: 1) Steer clear of Samsung (my stove is starting to act up, and my Smart Tv can't hold an internet connection); 2) Have a surge protector installed in my braker box; 3) Sears, for one, offers a great deal on their appliance extended warranties; if you don't use it over the course of the term, you get the credit back on your next purchase.

I'm in the market for new appliances and have spent time trying to anaylize the best decision. Each company offers different coverage so you have to be careful with that. I just purchased a fridge, range, and microwave and the extended warranty only offered a continuance of the manufacturers basic warranty which does not include control boards which I see as the major defect. I opted out. I still have many major appliances to purchase and may change my mind if I find better coverage. I can't see the odds in paying for it. Many people recommend the inexpensive Lowe's type warranties, but where I live the options are limited. I can't purchase a counter depth fridge off the floor much less an Electrolux appliance. On-line the prices don't compare to others with different warranties. It's a complex walk and at this point I decidided not to be taken advantage of. But it's a very important decision that I'm analyzing in the next few days.

I need to go into the extended warranties business.

A lot of people are saying that they have used their extended warranties. But, keep in mind that the majority of claims are covered by the original manufacturer's warranty OR cost less than the cost of the warranty. (Source: Consumer Reporta) Not all - but MOST.

Also, while store credit sounds like a good deal, think of it this way. If you just bought all new appliances and in 4 years NOTHING breaks, how likely are you to buy ANOTHER appliance? That store credit most definitely has an expiration date, and it's not in 10-20 years (I assume) :)

If you can afford the cost of a repair or two, or worst case, a new appliance, then pass on the warranty and put it in your weekend getaway fund.

Funny- I usually don't buy extended warranties, but I got one on our Bosch DW- and they're still trying to fix it after more than a year! It works great- when the soap door opens, which seems to be hit-or-miss.

Oh goodness, please don't get me started on how I think there is a conspiracy for every appliance brand. I swear that every appliance I've ever owned dies the very day or shortly thereafter that the extended warranty ends!

maybe extended warranties cause you to hold on to a lemon and all the frustration that goes with that when otherwise you would just dump the pos and move on.