The Camera: A Must-Have Home Item

The digital camera is fast becoming a must-have household item, with at least a ratio of one camera per every household. With its rising necessity, the question of purchasing a camera extended warranty arises. Should one spend the money and purchase an extended warranty – or should you take the chance that your camera will operate for years without defect?

Will My Camera Be a Lemon?

There is a very slim chance that a digital camera will have manufacturer defects. According to the 2006 Reader Response survey conducted by Consumer Reports Magazine, digital cameras only had a 10% three-to-four year failure rate, along with direct view televisions with greater reliability.

Your TV, however, doesn’t go out of the house; it doesn’t stay in your pocket or sit in the car. When something goes wrong with your camera’s circuitry, it’s most likely you’re going to shell out a lot of money to have it repaired.

What Does The Camera Extended Warranty Cover?

A purchased camera extended warranty covers and extends the warranty offered by the manufacturer, thereby giving you more years in the warranty period. Common camera extended warranty durations are three to five years.

You’ll also have coverage for labors and parts resulting from a defect in a camera. If your camera is suffering from electrical problems, like it doesn’t take photos, which means it’s a manufacturing defect in the camera.

If your camera fell out of your pocket and landed on hard cement, then it won’t be covered by the manufacturer warranty since warranties don’t cover circumstantial and accidental defects.

Your greatest concern would probably be your camera’s lens, since most manufacturer warranties don’t cover this part. I would like to recommend that you consult with a manufacturer first before purchasing a camera.

Some Factors to Consider

Before deciding on purchasing a camera extended warranty, here are some factors which you might want to consider:

• Is the camera expensive? It makes more sense if you purchase the extended warranty for a SLR camera than a cheap point and shoot camera.
• An extended warranty won’t be useful if you’re the type to keep on buying the latest technology every few years.
• Are you risk tolerant? Some people sleep better at night, knowing they’re protected by insurance coverage. If you fall under this category, then there’s no doubt you should consider buying an extended warranty.

A good amount of research on the product and manufacturer is needed in order to buy a digital camera with an extended warranty. A good place to buy these would be stores that have affiliated with camera manufacturing companies, since they would be in direct contact with the manufacturers. With today’s financial situation, it’s best to prevent any money being wasted on replacing or purchasing a new unit because your old unit broke down.