Product warranties: deal or no deal?

With the holiday shopping season here, the question of whether to buy product warranties for electronics is sure to come up — again and again — as retailers try to push one of their most lucrative products. Sometimes the retailers push very hard. Stand your ground: The decision is yours.

The biggest reason not to buy a product warranty? They’re rarely used.

Here are some things to consider before you hand over 10 percent to 50 percent of the cost of your product to buy a warranty you might never need.

•Are you already covered via your credit card? Chances are if you have one of the major cards, there is an automatic extension to the manufacturer’s warranty.

•Does the warranty you buy cover the same time period as the manufacturer’s warranty, or does it begin after that warranty ends? There’s no need to double pay for the first year of coverage.

•A big issue is who is going to service what you buy. Is it a local company? If they’re the only one in your area, are they backed up with work? Do you have a choice about who to use?

•Does the warranty allow you to seek advice from those who can walk you through the fix, or do you have to go through the aggravation of sending the product back? If you do get tech support, does it cost you anything additional?

•You don’t have to buy the warranty immediately. Take the product home and check it first. Hopefully you’ve done this before you made the purchase, but if not, get online and read customer reviews. They’re not always reliable, but if 20 people all say the same thing — “Great product. I’ve been using it for four years with no problem.” — you probably don’t need to purchase a warranty.

Check, too, the reputation of the store when it comes to doing in-house warranty work. There are forums galore on the Internet where people post opinions and experiences.

•Ask if the sales staff is on commission. If so, they likely get a piece of the price you pay for a warranty.

The big issue, and why so many warranties sell, is consumer peace of mind. Sometimes it’s worth it. Most of the time it isn’t.