Customer Reviews

2-Year Extended Warranty for Kindle (6" Display, Free 3G, 2nd Generation) U.S. customers only

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This is extending the Amazon warranty against product defects for ONE year NOT two years as it runs parallel to Amazons original one year warranty. The benefit of paying for this warranty is if you are like me and need accident protection for your device. The original amazon warranty does not protect against drops, spills, adventurous two year olds, etc...., where as this one does. So if you're clumsy, or seem to have bad luck with electronic devices, the $65 dollars is probably worth the cost. Also keep in mind that the warranty is ONLY valid in the US.

I had a Kindle die on me after about 8 months of solid use. I called Amazon and they cross shipped me out a new one on Christmas DAY! (Amazon is so great! Love them. Love the Kindle).

But with my bit of bad luck, I figured I should buy an extended warranty for mine and the wife's. Net Solutions sold a warranty to me for both units. Then AFTER I got the "contract" they suddenly decided to cancel it. Zap. Turns out Amazon will let you buy a warranty for a replacement Kindle but Net solutions will void it unless the replacement is shipped within 30 days of the original purchase. HEY! I'm not trying to rip anyone off. It's not like I got a Kindle, sat on it then decided to buy a warranty. My replacement kindle was still in transit. Are these guys so rich they don't need my money?

Then to add insult to injury I found out that the "2 year warranty" they let my wife have was no such thing!

The Kindle comes with a 1 year warranty. So you buy a 2 year extended warranty. Now do the math: 1 + 2 = ?

If you said 3 you would be wrong. In NetSolutions land 1 + 2 = 2

This item is misleadingly called a "2 year warranty" but it's really just a 1 year warranty that they tack onto the end of the Kindle's existing 1 year warranty.

As for the economics... It costs $65 which is about the industry standard 25% of purchase price - BUT - usually you really do get 2 extra full years of coverage PLUS the manufacturer's warranty. So this thing is way over priced. Typically these ripoff's are used about 3% of the time and you bet Net Solutions knows that. That's good coin for the seller but a bad deal for you. Unless of course you are one of those 3%. Then you will be happy you have it.

I guess it all depends on how clumsy you are, right?

You can get the exact same thing for free if you buy your Kindle with an AMEX card. AMEX will double the Amazon warranty and they do it for free.

I was about to purchase this warranty but wasn't sure if it covered the battery. So, I checked out the terms and what an eye opener. Good luck to anyone who can get a claim passed this small print. Come on Amazon, is this coverage worth about 25% of the cost of the Kindle with all of these exclusions?

Check this out for what IS NOT covered:

This service plan protects against operational failure of a covered Product if a failure occurs while connected to a surge protector approved by the Underwriter's Laboratory. Your surge protector may be collected by Us for examination.

This Contract Does Not Cover: A. Any equipment located outside the United States.

Damage or other equipment failure due to the failure to maintain the equipment according to the owner's manual instructions (except accidental damage from handling claims), abuse, vandalism, theft, fire, flood, wind, freezing, power failure, inadequate power supply, unusual atmospheric conditions, acts of war, acts of God or other force majeure events.

D. Service or replacement necessary because of improper storage, improper ventilation, reconfiguration of equipment, or the failure to place the equipment in an area that complies with the manufacturer's published space or environmental requirements.

E. Any utilization of equipment that is inconsistent with either the design of the equipment or the way the manufacturer intended

Q. Any cost recoverable under an insurance policy (in such case, this Contract will cover any applicable deductible).

Having been a manager for a large computer retailer I can tell you that the accidental portion alone is worth the price. So often people are weary of spending "extra" money for an insurance plan. Yes, you may never need it, but the one time you do, and you never purchased it, you'll regret it. I have had many customers with laptop problems like liquid-spill damage or LCD-screen "bleeds" and I've been able to do nothing for them because they did not have coverage. They are justifiably FURIOUS. They now have to spend $400 to $600 to fix thier laptop or they have to buy a new laptop and pay for a data transfer because they were not proactive enough about backing up thier data. Avoid all of this....Spend the 62 cents a week to protect yourself, especially if you travel or have children. And by the way....the "accidental" portion of the plan starts on day #1 (not day #366). Based on the regular warranty, the provider will not be interested in talking to you when you call to say that you dropped your Kindle and its not working. Best regards to all. Have a safe holiday season.

For starters, this is not a warranty from Amazon - it is from a third party so Amazon has nothing to do with it.

It is a two year extended warranty because, it not only adds one year to the warranty Amazon gives for normal use damage, it also gives Accidental damage protection (for if you drop it or spill on it or whatever) for the two years. I know at some point I will probably drop my Kindle or spill something on it and I would much rather pay 65 now then 300 for a new Kindle.

Since it is from a third party and not Amazon, I bet they will be adding an extended warranty for the international at some point, if they can work out how to do the returns and replacements, since you do have to have certain licenses to send electronics out of the country.

There are some valid reasons for not buying the warranty listed on other reviews but you need to consider buying any warranty like this on any and all products. If they included loss or theft I could see justifying it. But, when you consider that you are paying almost 26% of the cost of the device that might break, you have definitely lost money as opposed to possibly. If you are a complete disaster with electronics and break everything, I get that. Yes, it might make sense. But if you continuously buy warranties on all your expensive purchases "just in case" you are essentially paying a steep premium for everything you own. Hey, some people like to spend more because they think they get more value. If that is you, call me and I will be your personal shopper. If not, do the math. Also consider that this technology is taking off now and competition is getting steep. Look at the cost today vs. a year ago. Remember how quickly prices go down with competition too (dvd players, vhs players, TV's, etc.). Keep backing up your Kindle on your computer, save yourself the cost of "what if's," and read what Consumer Reports says about extended warranties. Some companies and products offer crumby warranties and then offer extended on top of it. Consider sticking with companies, like Amazon, that do support their products and the potential failures they may face due to manufacturing as opposed to companies that don't take accountability for their own products. As to why they are offered? Two reasons, people will pay for them and can you say, "cash cow?"
Stop buying these warranties, consider how much $65 actually costs you pre-tax, find out what the warranty costs that you want to buy on everything you purchase from this point forward and instead of buying it, put that money in a savings account and insure yourself!

Amex doubles the manufacturers warranty, and also provides coverage for accidents--all at no extra cost! Just use your Amex card to buy the Kindle 2. You can call Amex for details.

My Kindle 1 "died" 1 3/4 years after I bought it--well beyond the Amazon 1 year warranty, but still within the doubled 2 year warranty period from Amex, which refunded in whole my original purchase price for the Kindle 1, even though prices had dropped substantially since then.

I understand that not everyone has an Amex card, but if you do, buying this extended warranty makes absolutely no sense. I don't know if other credit cards extend the manufacturers warranty, but it is definitely worth checking out before you buy this.

Update April 17, 2010: In case you don't read the comments, here is what I confirmed today in a phone call with Amex:

1. All Amex cards are covered, but you must be a US resident, make the purchase in the US, and your account must be current.

2. There are two free programs: Buyers Assurance extends the mfrs warranty for 1 year; Personal Protection guards against accidents--but only for 90 days from purchase.

Called to order this warranty and was told the Kindle was not eligible because it was a gift and I was not the original purchaser. Some advice to the wise, veracity does not pay in some situations.

Here is how I look at it.... I buy a lot of electronics and never buy the extended warranty because rarely would I use it. If I bought an extended warranty for everything I purchased it would total into the $1,000s of dollars. Nearly always cheaper to be self insured if you buy electronics - These companies are not offering these warranties to be "nice" - they know they can make a large profit off of them... If you want "peace of mind" then put the cost of warranties into a savings account (everytime you buy something) and draw from it to replace broken stuff. You will find your savings account growing and will find you can even use it to replace obsolete electronics.

dunno who the other respondent spoke to, but when i called they said gifts were absolutely covered.