Abob Teff

This wasn't quite "Video Game Forum" appropriate, so I guess I'll dump it here. Went to Walmart tonight to pick up a Wii (with $50 giftcard -- loving the gift card deals, they've given me $250 in the last few weeks). Of course, the clerk tried to sell me the extended warranty on the following basis:

"It covers everything. There is a hack code that you can download to modify your Wii to play other games and DVDs, but Nintendo doesn't like you to do that. So Nintendo created a patch that will kill your Wii. Our warranty will even cover Nintendo killing your Wii if you should decide to illegally modify it. And it will cover your controller also."

Wow ... man ... just ... wow. So what is the craziest story a store-flunky has told you to convince you to buy the warranty?

Heat

Are you sure about the Wii? I bought one a year ago, it is pretty lame. I just bought a Playstation 3 for the household.

stingermck

I picked up a game at Best Buy last night and it had a sticker on it "Geek Squad Optimize for $5" WTF is he going to do, farm trophies/achievements for me?

cpgator

The Wii has been out for a little while now... I would guess he has already formed an opinion.

UAIOE

I guess this doesn't apply as I was never told "why" I needed it....but

I remember buying a clearance game and CD at Circuit City and being offered a "protection plan" on each of them for $1.

If you take care of your stuff, then this is protection plan is goddamn pointless.

Abob Teff

That reminded me ... a few years ago Toys R Us was offering it on DVDs! I had completely forgotten about that ...

zekeburger1979

When I bought my TiVo at Circuit City last year for $2.96 + tax, the cashier asked me if I wanted a protection plan for $20 or so. I said no, because if it breaks, I'll just buy another one. Now that they're out of business, I don't have to worry!

Groucho

And if you don't take care of your stuff, it's still pointless because these plans don't generally cover damage caused by you.

MrSmearkase

They still do offer it on DVDs. I noticed a bunch of stickers when I was in there a few weeks ago.

UAIOE

Then my decision to use those two bucks towards a Mello Yello was a much better investment.

story

I'd be curious to know what TRU's warranty on DVDs actually takes care of. I can imagine parents of little kids picturing scratched-beyond-recognition movies and thinking it's a good idea to get the warranty only to learn it doesn't cover that sort of wear and tear.

My favorite instance of someone trying to get me to buy their extended warranty was, where else? At Best Buy. I was living in Wyoming at the time and was buying my parents their first DVD player while I was on a trip down to Denver back in 2002. I had done all my research online, checked out the different brands and models, did price comparisons, etc. It was too close to Christmas to deal with shipping so I figured I'd just pick one up at the store. I go in, they have exactly the one I want at the price I want. I pick one up off the shelf and I don't get two steps before a young guy blocks my path.

HIM: Hey, there, can I help you find something?

ME: (already holding the DVD player I want) No, I found exactly what I want.

HIM: Are you sure you want that one? It's not top-of-the-line.

ME: It's for my parents, their first one. They don't need top-of-the-line, thanks, just one that's easy to use. I did my research online, I want this one.

HIM: Well, if that's what you want I guess I can't stop you. What I can do to help you is get you set up with one of our extended warranties so when that thing breaks, you're covered.

ME: Absolutely not. Thank you. (I try to walk past him, he blocks my path again.)

HIM: Hold on a sec. Where do your parents live?

ME: Iowa.

HIM: Iowa? Man. Well, you're definitely going to want an extended warranty for out there. I mean, you think it's dusty here? Man, it's so dusty in Iowa and you get any little bit of dust in that unit, man, I'd hate for you to not walk out of here covered.

ME: A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

And that was the last time I stepped foot in Best Buy.

Deftones

unfortunately BB essentially forces salespeople to do whatever they can to sell extended warranties. when i worked there for a brief moment in time, they would come around and check hourly how many you sold. that and accessories.

UAIOE

I worked in the music department and even *I* had to deal with that stuff.

Before I quit I was supposed to list all the CD holders I sold or saw people walk to the register and purchase on a clipboard. I never did it, I'm there to assist people finding movies/music not to pester some dude buying a Rage Against The Machine CD that he needs a 200 cd holder. Never mind the fact that and they were paying me a measly $6.50 an hour and telling me I *had* to sell $500 of accessories a night.

The only plus from all that crap is that I'm better at handling myself against the current blue shirts who try to sell me this stuff...plus it seems current management isn't quite so zealous into having their floor walkers *sell* stuff (media department only).

BJacks

I was at Best Buy helping a friend look at laptops and the associate told us batteries only last a year so we needed to get their extended warranty.

glassdragon

I'd have been like

"Well since I'm not a fucking criminal I guess I wouldn't need that now would I?"

Then I would tell their supervisor that they are condoning piracy.

fujishig

my laptop batteries usually lose their charge after some time... but I have a hard time believing that the warranty covers that...

UAIOE

The best I heard (not personally, on the net): Needing a service plan because CD drives will spin the CD so fast, they make the disc break apart and damage the insides of the computer.

Deftones

yep. i worked in media too. they wanted blank cdrs and cases sold. screw that. i was their video game expert so i just sold tons of accessories and they left me alone. i basically helped to turn a store who was in the 500's to a top 100 store in about 4 months. then i left and they went to shit.

Abob Teff

You should watch Mythbusters ... it can happen! (If you replace the motor with a high speed drill!)

UAIOE

Unless Jamie and Adam are working the Geek Squad to supplement their income, I don't think I have to worry.

My problem (at least in their eyes) was I *didn't* sell accessories. I can't sell karaoke machines, keyboards, overpriced bookshelf stereos, or 300 CD holders to someone either asking:

Where a CD is
What song this is and what CD is it on
"Where is your bathroom?"

Some "good" times had there at ol' Best Buy. A supervisor who never wanted me to take breaks and being written up for helping a customer.

Doc Moonlight

One of the things that convinced me to buy an extended warranty when I bought my cell phone at RadioShack was that the associate told me that it covered one replacement of the cell phone battery and thus essentially paid for itself. He was right. The lithium ion battery died after about a year and they replaced it at the store without any questions or problems.

Heat

I still think you should return it and pick up a Playstation 3. It could double as your Blu-Ray player...

And I was in Toys R Us tonight picking up a couple of games for the PS3, the clerk tried to sell me some warranty for the games (I declined).

They had their "greatest hits" PS3 games (and the equivelant XBox 360 games) at buy one, get one half off.