Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
chac_mool_gw

Extended warranty from VISA

chac_mool
13 years ago

I am learning lots of stuff on this board. Thank you all.

Today I called my VISA card people, in anticipation of getting some kitchen appliances pretty soon here.

Specifically, I wanted to know if my card offers protection from lemons or if it provides extended warranties on these large purchases.

What I learned was that my card offers three different kinds of benefits (note that YMMV):

(1) All "eligible purchases" have one year added to the manufacturer's warranty -- so, a one year warranty is covered for two years; a two year (Miele) warranty is covered for three years. In the first year (or two for Miele), you call the manufacturer or retail store; after that you would call VISA. Ominously, more on "eligible purchase" below.

(2) I can buy an "extended warranty" on any "eligible purchases" from VISA, for stuff I bought with this card, for five years. Cost depends on the purchase price. But this really only adds three years of coverage (less, for Miele), since coverage starts before a manufacturer's warranty ends -- there is double coverage during the initial warranty period(s).

(3) I can send in copies of my sales receipts and warranty information for the stuff I bought with my VISA card and they will keep it safe for me (for free). That way, if a new Electrolux range burns down my house and all my receipts (but not me!), then I can prove I bought one.

But the plot thickens when I asked about what exactly is an "eligible purchase": Built-in stuff isn't. So, I'm covered for my FD CD fridge (if I can find a Samsung #238 anywhere), but the dishwasher and speed oven (both to be built-in) are not covered. I asked specifically about a range. The guy didn't know about that -- sounds like they'll cover a free-standing range, but not a built-in one. If its a "slide-in" (like EW30IS65JS), he didn't know. Even after they put me on hold and looked into it, still not for sure -- this may be a matter of how the purchase is described to them. Note that both benefits -- (1) and (2) above -- use the same definition for what an "eligible purchase" is.

Perhaps this is a new restriction; I never asked about it before. Certainly, other credit card protection plans (e.g., AMEX, etc.) might not have similar weasel words in their fine print. But excluding "built-in" stuff (which they consider "part of the real estate") does stand to reduce big payout$ to any chumps making kitchen appliance claims.

Comments (13)

  • mojavean
    13 years ago

    I think I would rather just cough up the dough myself than endure the death of a thousand cuts that awaits anyone with a warranty claim wading into the "Customer Support, Visa Purchase Protection Warranty Services Phone Menu Swamp."

  • barbarany
    13 years ago

    Actually, this came in handy for me a few years ago. bought a new LCD TV - mfg warranty was 1 year. Visa covered for a year after that - and guess what? a connection port in the back of the TV broke - during the covered VISA portion - they reimbursed me to the tune of $1,000 for the repair. All done online and within 1 week, I had the check in my hands. No death of a thousand cuts etc. !! I was pleasantly surprised and have since bought most of my appliances with my VISA card for that reason

  • chac_mool
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yale Appliance Blog has a brief entry today (Wednesday, June 23, 2010) on extended service warranties. They don't mention credit card warranty programs, but comment on out-of-state or outsourced extended warranties, as well as other things to consider such as which appliances are most expensive / least likely to need repairs.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Yale Appliance Blog, re: extended warranties

  • aprince
    13 years ago

    Another alternative is offer the dealer cash for your appliances. There is a good chance they will discount the items 3-5%. On 3 items totalling $5000, you could save up to $250. A three year warranty on 3 items would probably be under $200. Therefore, you have 3 years of warranty instead of two AND spent less money up front, not to mention doing it with your own money.

  • gitzo1028_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    Just tried to put in a claim for $100 for a new motor I had to install on my 3.5 year old Kenmore dishwasher and Visa denied it. How convenient that they advertise all these benefits but when you try to collect they tell you it is not covered. What a crock and waste of time.

  • saphire
    10 years ago

    Anyone else have experiece with this? I have an 18 month old GE Dishwasher that is leaking badly. I just submitted initial paperwork.

    Jo, if you are still around can you tell me why they denied you? Was it the built in aspect of a dishwasher?

  • saphire
    10 years ago

    I looked at Amex, if I had used Amex it definitely would have been covered! The built in exclusion really only applies to things like tiles that have no utility except when built in and cannot be moved once installed as a dishwasher can be. I am annoyed by Visa's definition, they do not exclude dishwashers but I am not sure what hard plumbed means? Like a pipe?

    I used Visa so waiting to hear

  • weissman
    10 years ago

    Hard plumbed generally means connected to the plumbing. Some built-in coffee makers, for example, are hard plumbed and some require you to pour water into the machine.

  • gursg24
    9 years ago

    Has anyone been able to verify the built-in exclusion in the VISA warranty? Just bought an oven and speed oven that will be built-in and was thinking they would be covered by the VISA extension. Now it appears they are not, but would like to confirm with anyone that has experience in submitting claims. Was definitely going to skip the extended warranty, but now am not so sure.

    This is their wording on what is not covered:
    "Real estate and items which are intended to become part of real estate including, but not limited to, items that are hard-wired or hard-plumbed, garage doors, garage door openers, and ceiling fans."

    The ovens will not be hard wired, but the "not limited to" phrase certainly provides a lot of wiggle room. Going to my business law class days, what would a reasonable person expect? A reasonable person would not expect a built-in oven to be removed upon purchase of a home, but be included as part of the sale so as to become "part of the real estate". Darn, I think I just answered my own question.

  • Haver99
    9 years ago

    I've been looking into this as well. I've had good luck with the Visa warranty in the past on laptops, etc, but the built-in language is too ambiguous (Amex seems to use the same language). I've been thinking of purchasing a Square Trade warranty on some items, since after a coupon these can be pretty reasonable.

  • gursg24
    9 years ago

    Just as a follow up, I did call and Visa verified with me that built-in appliances are not covered.

  • classicmds
    9 years ago

    I just encountered this restriction, and I think the exclusion of dishwashers is very misleading. I''m not a plumber, but I don't think a dishwasher is "hard-plumbed" in the same way, say, a toilet or bath is hard plumbed. It is connected more like a fridge water supply or an aquarium might be - with soft, removable hoses. Is a washing machine also hard-plumbed? I'm not sure there is a strong enough technical definition of "hard-plumbed" for them to exclude dishwashers (doesn't the addition of the word "hard" actually suggest there is another type of "plumbing" other than hard plumbing? What would this be?). Also, at least mine is not "hard-wired" - it came with a three-prong plug. While I accept most people sell their dishwashers with their house, I don't think this makes them "real estate" .You could remove the dishwasher and move it if you wanted,perhaps installing a cheaper model before you left. By their definition they would not warrant a refrigerator with a water line, but more or less the same model one spec down without the line would be covered no questions asked. Seems an arbitrary decision.

  • xedos
    9 years ago

    It's totally arbitrary, and the arbiters get to make the rules , and you're not paying for the insurance anyway.

    Repairs , and paying for them are necessary for just about any kind of complex machine whether it's a car, airplane, or a dishwasher.