Are Extended Warranties Needed for Mini Digital Cameras?

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t get a warranty on expensive electronic equipment like a mini digital camera. In fact, warranties are almost certainly assured in any electronic equipment package you buy today.

The catch is, every sale person will try to sell you the extended warranty that covers your equipment beyond the existing warranty period. But of course, extended warranties don’t come free, and one of the hardest things to do is deciding on the need to for the extended warranty.

No one buys their digital cameras expecting it to fail. But the fact is, sometimes bad luck happens. That is why all digital cameras come with an existing warranty. Beyond the existing warranty, it is assumed that there shouldn’t be anything wrong with the camera during the manufacturing; any defect from the factory should have turned up within the warranty period.

Therefore extended warranties aren’t actually meant to cover against factory defects, but it takes into account of the wear and tear from use, including possible rough handling from the user. But you shouldn’t assume that extended warranty means cover for any damage or failure. Some stores may offer such an extended warranty, but extended warranties mean different things for different stores or products.

Typically, an extended warranty adds additional time to the coverage of your digital camera. And without surprise to anyone, extended warranties also varying in added time and the longer the time coverage, the more expensive the warranty will be. Note that extended warranties are also offered by the store itself and not the original manufacturer. Some extended warranties may even provide concurrent warranties that run together with the original manufacturer’s warranty, but provide more extensive coverage than the standard warranty.

Remember, standard warranties is meant for covering factory defects, so the original manufacturer's warranty definitely will not cover a broken camera that you dropped on the ground, but in contrast, some extended warranties might cover repairs on damages that you’ve caused. Of course, the best extended warranties cover fully any repair cost or replacement for your camera, no matter if it was a factory defect or damaged that you caused yourself.

Make sure you read the details on the extended warranty carefully before you decide to purchase it. Not only can it add a lot more to the cost of your mini digital camera, it could be that you’re buying a warranty that covers exactly the same troubles as the manufacturer's warranty. Sounds ridiculous? But you will be surprised to know that that happens more often than you think. If a extended warranty is only going to cover factory defects and not any wear and tear, then there is little reason for you to pay for a warranty that will not cover the real problems that is more likely to turn up after the original warranty.

Even if an extended warranty does benefit you, the next question to ask is then, how much should you actually pay for the warranty? You could think of the extended warranty as an insurance policy for your mini digital camera. Naturally, if your camera costs only $200, you shouldn’t be paying $100 on the extended warranty; on the contrary, if your camera costs $800 instead, $100 might seem much more reasonable a sum for warranty. The number of additional years of warranty should also be considered when gauging the price for the extended warranty. $100 for an additional two-year extended warranty is $50 per year; in comparison, a more expensive warranty of $150 for an additional four-year extended warranty is less than $50 per year.

In the end, it all depends on how necessary you think a warranty is required. If you’re likely to change for a new digital camera by the third or fourth year, then it doesn’t make sense to need any warranty beyond that. But if you’re looking to extend the life of you camera significantly, you may find it more economically to pay slightly more to protect yourself over more years.