Happiness is Warranted

While we’re on the subject of Best Buy (above post), it’s been four and a half years since we bought our refrigerator, washing machine, and dishwasher at the San Carlos outlet. In late spring of 2003 appliances were on sale and one-year financing was interest-free, but we resignedly gave the economic benefit right back by buying a five-year warranty for $300.

I haven’t had a good record with extended warranties---when I’ve purchased them the items either never break or break after the warranty expires anyway. (Of course declining the warranty contract is a nearly infallible predictor of product failure, regardless of the manufacturer’s reputation.)

The broken black mechanism sits on top of the washer.

But every dog has its day. The handle broke on our front-loading washer, a Whirlpool Duet, which has performed excellently otherwise. I was able to locate the Best Buy contract--a victory in itself--and give the number to customer service. The repairman fixed the washer within a week and even tuned the softener dispenser, which had a minor timing problem.

The warm afterglow of making the right decision has lasted several days. It doesn’t take much to make me happy; that’s one of the few attributes I have in common with Charles Schwab. © 2007 Stephen Yuen