amazon's service net EW policy DOES NOT necessarily mail someone a new kindle before asking for the damaged one back. everyone really does need to read all that fine print on these contracts. for example: service net specifically says, 'We will replace the original purchased Product specified on your Amazon.com order with a new or REFURBISHED [my emphasis] unit, provided such replacement is authorized and necessitated by Product operational or mecanical failure during normal usage...You must obtain authorization prior to the receipt of a replacement Product by calling 1-877-441-3836...You will be REQUIRED to provide a credit card to secure the return of Your failed Product. If you do not return the failed Product within a reasonable time period (which will be communicated to you at the time of your claim, your credit card will be charged for the replacement unit. Once authorization is obtained, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO RETURN THE PRODUCT USING A PREPAID SHIPPING LABEL PROVIDED BY US. At Our determination, You will receive a replacement Product of like grade and quality...We reserve the right to replace the Product with a remanufactured or refurbished Product.'
for ADH (accidental damage from handling) issues: service net says, 'ADH only covers operational or mechanical failure caused by an accident from handling and does not include protection against theft, mysterious disappearance, misplacement, viruses, reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct..., cosmetic damage and/or other damage that does not affect the unit functionality, damage caused during shipment between You and Our service providers and ANY OTHER LIMITATIONS LISTED IN THE LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE SECTION. (there's lot of goodies there, so plz read that section)...
plz note that if you purchase the square trade EW (extended warranty, pronounced EWWWW) for your kindle (which is actually $39.99, only $10 cheaper than the service net policy), and you submit a claim for accidental damage (the operative word here after all is 'accidental' since both policies have disclaimers regarding 'reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct...cosmetic damage, etc.'), YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A $50 DEDUCTABLE. add that on to the $40 bucks you parted with for the EW and you have half the price of the kindle 3. also, square trade says, 'If protective items such as covers, carrying cases or pouches, etc., were provided OR MADE AVAILABLE FOR USE WITH PRODUCT, it is expected that You will continually use these product accessories for protection against damage to the product. Abuse is defined as Your intentional non-utilization of protective items during product use...Any resultant damage from this type of treatment in NOT covered by the ADH progam.'
so, gentle readers, it all comes down to that customer service rep that takes your call or handles your claim online.
you can expect your claim to service net to result in this: 'The use of this coverage (ADH) REQUIRES AN EXPLANATION OF WHERE AND WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS WELL AS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTUAL EVENT. FALIURE TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN CLAIM DENIAL.' period, case closed.
be careful with your kindle, use a case or protective pouch, and keep your $40 or $50 bucks to buy new reading material or save up for the next generation. dealing with these EW claims will be frustrating at the very least. kudoos to those above who escaped the pain. 2-Year Extended Warranty for Kindle (6" Display, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, Latest Generation), U.S. customers only
In this writers humble opinion, and that of nationally recognized and syndicated consumer advocate Clarke Howard-- as well as Consumers Report-- this is a bad deal for you and totally unnecessary. First of all, IT IS NOT a complete 2 year extended warranty. Read the text carefully. They clearly say in print that it is only in effect AFTER your normal 1 year warranty that comes with the product. So, it is actually only a 1 year extended warranty for a mfg. defective product for $49 dollars. NOT a good deal on a quality product.
Now, with that said, if you are a person who breaks everything you lay your hands on and are prone to dropping things out of your hands ( you admit you are a clumsy person!) then this might be a good thing for you. For most of us however, this is too expensive to make it a good deal. If they offered it at $19.95, it might be something to consider. Maybe.
Consumer advocates say to carefully limit your extended warranty purchases to big-ticket items.
When one buys a quality product (like my Kindle--love it!)you will rarely need to even glance at these profit-making offers. Spend your money elsewhere.
Bought a Gen2 Kindle for my wife (she loves it) WITH an extended warranty ("EW"), on which I based my rating, but to be completely accurate, its true rating won't be known unless and until I ever have to make a claim. I have on order a Gen3 for my daughter and am debating (with myself) whether to order an EW for her Kindle. My general feeling about insurance (I know, I know, an EW isn't insurance, but I think the decision making factors are the same for both) is that one ought to insure only those risks one can't afford to assume. In other words, if you happen to be Bill Gates you don't have to insure your $20+ million house because if it burns down you can afford to replace it. Insurance is always a bad deal because (1) the premium is based on risk of loss, which the insurance company knows very precisely; (2) the premium includes its cost of doing business; and (3) the premium includes its profit. Therefore, the premium cost is greater than the risk of loss and you should not buy insurance if you can afford to shell out the cost of buying a new Gen3 should it break or be damaged.
So, for $50 you/I get "protection" (I'll use that word to avoid the "not insurance" argument) only for the second year, since the first year is covered by the warranty, plus Accidental Damage for two years. And keep in mind that the EW doesn't seem to include loss or theft, and only includes one battery replacement. For that you/I would be paying MORE THAN 25% OF THE COST OF THE GEN3 KINDLE!!!! Are one out of every 3 or 4 Gen3 Kindles going to break in the second year or be damaged in the first two years? That seems extremely unlikely to me and, since I can afford another $180 if I lose my "bet," I have made up my mind, as I write this, not to buy the EW and I will insure it myself. (I can call it insurance if I want to because I am the one insuring it. I can call it anything I want to, including "covering my own bet."
I have had the EW item in and out of my cart for a while due to my indecision, but I am now going to remove it permanently. Even if I have to buy a new one within the next two years, I think I will have won the "probability game," and I would not be surprised if a Gen4, at a lower price, will be available by the latter part of the two year period if I do have to buy a new one.
Thanks for helping me make up my mind.
BTW, in case you're wondering why I don't have an eReader, it's because I listen to audiobooks when I commute. I found it difficult to read and drive at the same time.'
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