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How is PC Richard's extended warranty service?

chanj
10 years ago

I'm thinking about getting a washer and fridge from PC Richards, and buying their extended warranty service.

I also have the option to buy the same appliances from Home Depot / Lowes. How does the extended service from these companies compare to each other? I have read a lot of negative reviews online so far..

Thank you in advance!

Comments (2)

  • foodonastump
    10 years ago

    I have positive and negative things to say about PC Richards service/service plan.

    About 12 years ago I bought a large (at the time) TV from them. The picture was distorted in the lower right corner and they sent a technician over right away. They are factory authorized, so it was nice going through them rather than having to deal with Sony. They couldn't fix it on site so they took it away and left me with a loaner. In the end I opted to buy a different TV rather than have it repaired, and they accommodated that with no problem. That was a good experience.

    Some time later I bought a set of phones, and for some reason was talked into the extended warranty. It was pretty cheap, something like $20. When the phones stopped working a couple years later I took them to the store and they let me exchange them for a similar current model with no hassle. That was good, but what I didn't like was I was informed that this exchange satisfied the conditions of the extended warranty. The balance of the warranty was not applied to the new phone. I'd definitely recommend reading the fine print to be sure your appliances are covered for the duration of the warranty period regardless of whether they're serviced or replaced under the plan.

    About two years ago I bought a washer/dryer set and paid for delivery and installation. This was not performed by PC Richards technicians but rather outsourced to another company. After telling me they hated my house (difficult to get the units to their final location) they sat on the dryer when installing the vent line, leaving a depression in the top. It wasn't enough for me to complain about, but I was still annoyed. I was also annoyed that they insisted the front-load washer didn't need to be leveled perfectly, just four feet planted firmly on the ground. The manual states otherwise, so I ended up doing the leveling. Lastly, when the washer didn't seem to be working correctly I realized they hooked up the water supply backwards. None of this was a huge deal, but I was not impressed.

    Take from this what you will; personally if I were buying appliances from them and wanted to buy and extended warranty, I'd do it as long as I liked the fine print. Also know that unless you're getting a rock bottom price from them already, you'll often be able to haggle the price lower if you buy the warranty. Others might disagree with this, but I look at it as paying less for the warranty. Evidently commissions are higher on the warranty than the appliance itself, so it works out in the salesman's favor. In the case of the TV my net cost difference was zero.

    Sorry to ramble on so long but I hope it helps.

  • chanj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the stories. This is such a difficult decision (but it shouldn't be!!!) :-(