Archived Copies of Warranty Week

December 2002 to Today

Service Contract Pricing: Electronics: Though the overall average is 17%, there's a wide range of pricing variation based on the duration of coverage and the inclusion of accidental damage coverage. And then there are retailers and administrators that price high because they can. A simple shopping survey of product and protection plan prices reveals the difference.
December 8, 2016
Service Contract Pricing: Printers: Despite the well-known risks of printers breaking down through normal wear and tear, some administrators and retailers are willing to sell service contracts for them that last four or even five years. Prices vary widely, and some even cover accidental damage.
November 3, 2016
Service Contract Pricing: Blu-ray Disc Players: The price of the product varies tremendously among top retailers. And so does the price of the protection plans they pair with these units. Some plans are priced low because they don't start coverage until the manufacturer's warranty ends, and they don't cover accidental damage. But others vary for more mysterious reasons.
October 13, 2016
Motorcycle Service Contracts: As with passenger cars, the policies exclude consumables, accidental damage, and routine maintenance. And as is done with RVs, they are starting to cover perils such as being stranded far from home. But some say that takes them dangerously close to the line between service contracts and insurance. Others wonder if these new bells and whistles are all that necessary.
May 6, 2010
Warranty Analysis: Rather than becoming another "accidental" warranty software vendor, SAS Institute was driven into the market by customers such as GM and Ford.
August 16, 2005
The Accidental Warranty Software Developer: Manufacturers pressure an electronics testing software vendor to do more to help them avoid warranty costs. As has happened to so many others, they find themselves pulled into an industry they barely noticed was there all along.
July 20, 2004