Engadget Says Most Extended Warranties for TVs, Laptops Are Not Worth Buying

Extended warranties typically focus on defects, Engadget said, while new TVs, laptops and similar expensive devices usually come with manufacturer coverage lasting 90 days to a year or more. Because defective products tend to fail under normal use, buyers are likely to discover faults during that initial coverage window, the report said.

Engadget also pointed to longevity data from RTINGS. In an accelerated test, 102 TVs were run nonstop from November 2022 to September 2025. Only two failed before reaching 3,000 hours, and most reached at least 8,000 hours. The tested TVs had already been used for hundreds of hours, so the results did not include an early failure spike that would appear if all sets were brand-new. Engadget said a person watching TV four hours a day would need more than two years to reach 3,000 hours, by which point about 2 percent of the TVs had failed. Those failures would often be covered by the manufacturer, the report added.

Reliability figures for laptops are harder to obtain, but Engadget said that matters less because of planned obsolescence. Within two or three years, a laptop is likely to be replaced by a faster model at a similar price, while equivalent products become cheaper, especially used or refurbished units.

The report compared warranty costs with repair or replacement savings. Best Buy charges approximately $160 for two years of Geek Squad TV Protection on a $1,300 TV and $280 for five years, Engadget said. Replacing a display panel could cost far more than either sum, but the retailer estimates that other repairs typically fall between $255 and $395. A buyer could spend most or all of a repair's cost on a warranty that may never be used and would still have old hardware after a successful claim.

Engadget warned that some warranties include loopholes. Clauses may block repairs if there are signs of liquid exposure or anything labeled user error, even when that is not the source of the problem. In other cases, customers may be required to use a manufacturer's warranty first if it is still in effect; Geek Squad Protection was cited as an example.

When an extended warranty can make sense, Engadget said, it is usually for professionals who cannot afford downtime with a laptop or other productivity equipment and who put their devices under heavy use. Such buyers should choose plans offering loaner units or rapid repairs and replacements, and may need business-oriented warranties not sold at the checkout counter. Non-professionals who strongly dislike downtime might consider AppleCare+, the report said, because some plans include theft and loss replacements and sharply reduced prices for fixing accidental damage, including liquid damage. With many cities having an Apple Store or authorized service site, same-day repairs and replacements are a real possibility.

Engadget said that when an extended plan is justified, buyers will likely know before entering a store.