Is Noel Leeming product protection worth to buy?

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kail85

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#280593 27-Dec-2020 08:40

Just bought a surface go 2 tablet from Noel Leeming, and learnt Product Protection is available to purchase. I wonder if it's worth to buy such cover incase there's a breakdown? Previously I bought apple care for my macbook and it did a great job saving my macbook from death. Just not sure how good is such third party insurance. Thanks.

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#2627089 27-Dec-2020 08:44

That's what the Consumer Guarantees Act is for. That "product protection" crap just makes the retailer more money. Consumer did a story on those schemes a few years ago, and found they were a waste of time (and money).

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#2627090 27-Dec-2020 08:50

depends. in theory you are covered by the CGA. eg i had plenty of out of warranty repairs done when i quoted CGA. from car brakes to xbox controllers and malfunctioning laptop screen.

however ... if you have a 1 tonne fridge and that is turned on 24x7 ... those things i'd buy a 6 year protection - coz if they break i don't have a truck nor 4 big strong dudes to cart the fridge to NL and argue a CGA and wait 2 months for them to agree to sort it out. i pick up the phone and it gets sorted ASAP and I have my fridge back stat. in fact i've had a lot of household items giving problems 1 month before the 6 year protection expired!

YMMV

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#2627094 27-Dec-2020 09:20

sbiddle

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#2627097 27-Dec-2020 09:23

quickymart:

That's what the Consumer Guarantees Act is for. That "product protection" crap just makes the retailer more money. Consumer did a story on those schemes a few years ago, and found they were a waste of time (and money).

Just because Consumer magazine says something doesn't mean it's gospel. Consumer also don't recommend people take out excess reduction when hiring rental cars which IMHO is a truly stupid view to be taking. People need to make up their own minds when it comes to "insurance" type policies such as these because it comes down to people's views when it comes to risk.

As much as I hate TWG and wouldn't give Noel Leeming a cent unless I couldn't get something from another, to say their policy is crap is simply not true. It's effectively just insurance on the product, that in some cases (such as accidental damage to a product) goes well beyond the CGA and can't really be compared to the CGA.

As a classic example the CGA won't cover you if you spill coffee on your laptop and it died. Their cover can. The CGA doesn't protect you if your device is lost or stolen. Their cover can.

It's really up to an individual to determine whether they feel they're getting value for money and more importantly whether goods may be covered by an existing household insurance policy and what the excess might be for that. If you're going to argue this policy is a waste of money you could just as easily argue there is no point insuring your house and contents because most peopole don't get burgled or have their house burn down.

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#2627101 27-Dec-2020 09:37

For sure, but the CGA covers most things doesn't it? (overlooking what Consumer has said for a second). If I spill coffee on a laptop, agreed, that's my problem to sort out. But if a fridge just dies for no reason after 3 years of use...what then?

Note that I didn't see the report you're referring to on rental cars, their one on extended warranties was some time ago, and it uncovered some sales people (mostly Harvey Norman ones) saying some outright incorrect stuff about people not being covered by the CGA at all.

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#2627102 27-Dec-2020 09:42

sbiddle:

...

As a classic example the CGA won't cover you if you spill coffee on your laptop and it died. Their cover can. The CGA doesn't protect you if your device is lost or stolen. Their cover can.

...

Your standard household insurance would cover this. Why buy the same insurance twice?

There is no doubt that store insurance schemes are poor value because most situations are covered by CGA (faults) or household insurance (misadventure).

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#2627103 27-Dec-2020 09:46

I wouldn't go for the noel leeming type of insurance. I did it once many years ago with a mobile phone which stopped working after about a month. I read all the documentation they had given me carefully, looked on their web site and saw I should be covered for anything bar a lightning strike. Great! I took it in, they sent it away, came back saying it was liquid damaged (NO idea how that could have possibly happened) -- but okay -- so replace it/fix it under your policy, as that clearly isn't a lightning strike? Nope. Oh you now want $60 to look at it too? I just laughed in the angry woman's face and told her to get stuffed and left, and I haven't been back to any of their stores or their partner stores since. Absolute criminals.

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#2627104 27-Dec-2020 09:54

snnet:

I wouldn't go for the noel leeming type of insurance. I did it once many years ago with a mobile phone which stopped working after about a month. I read all the documentation they had given me carefully, looked on their web site and saw I should be covered for anything bar a lightning strike. Great! I took it in, they sent it away, came back saying it was liquid damaged (NO idea how that could have possibly happened) -- but okay -- so replace it/fix it under your policy, as that clearly isn't a lightning strike? Nope. Oh you now want $60 to look at it too? I just laughed in the angry woman's face and told her to get stuffed and left, and I haven't been back to any of their stores or their partner stores since. Absolute criminals.

If it just ‘stopped working’ why wasn’t it covered by CGA?

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#2627108 27-Dec-2020 10:25

BlinkyBill:

sbiddle:

...

As a classic example the CGA won't cover you if you spill coffee on your laptop and it died. Their cover can. The CGA doesn't protect you if your device is lost or stolen. Their cover can.

...

Your standard household insurance would cover this. Why buy the same insurance twice?

There is no doubt that store insurance schemes are poor value because most situations are covered by CGA (faults) or household insurance (misadventure).

That's precisely why I made the references comparing this to household cover and people determining what their excess may be. Not everybody has house contents insurance, so in that context this could be a good insurance policy for items.

I agree that for most people that this cover may not be good value, but when people say it's a waste of time and money things need to be put into some context because for some people this cover can be a great thing.

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#2627129 27-Dec-2020 11:09

eracode:

If it just ‘stopped working’ why wasn’t it covered by CGA?

Because they cited liquid damage (which baffled me as it was always in a case nowhere near liquids) and, since their own documentation said anything bar lightning strikes were covered, I expected their policy to take care of it

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#2627135 27-Dec-2020 11:24

No - that is what the CGA is for.

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#2627150 27-Dec-2020 13:12

I’ve done it several times. Usually when I’m buying large items like fridge or TV requiring delivery and installation.

I usually trade off buying the cover in return for free delivery and install. For example, our 65” Samsung was delivered and installed on the wall, set up etc in a new house from scratch for no charge in return for the extended cover.

Yes technically the CGA covers it. However I don’t like the CGA. I don’t like vague terms like “reasonable” because I’m not a lawyer and cannot make money from arguing what they mean. I don’t like wasting my time arguing.

A defined, no argument period for at least the majority of the useful life of a product (eg Apple Care) suits me better.

CGA is always there as a backup but I’m happy to pay for convenience and simplicity where I can see value.

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#2627158 27-Dec-2020 14:50

kail85:
Just bought a surface go 2 tablet from Noel Leeming, and learnt Product Protection is available to purchase. I wonder if it's worth to buy

It depends. If you're a Noel Leeming stockholder then it's very worthwhile because it's people handing you no-strings-attached free cash. If you're a customer then it's not worthwhile to buy because you're just handing no-strings-attached free cash to Noel Leeming stockholders.

zyo

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#2627208 27-Dec-2020 17:24

I guess I will go against the popular opinion based on my own experience with similar offerings from Harvey Norman.

I have a Pyrolytic F&P oven with extended warranty (they call it product replacement warranty)

After 4 years the motherboard developed a strange buzzing noise and I was offered a replacement of a similar model of the same purchase price (exact model has gone out of production).

I couldn't find one that I liked without having to fork out extra $$ (missus wanted one with steam function which costs at least couple of hundreds more) and because the oven is still working I accepted a cash settlment instead (of the full purchase price, minus product care), if the motherboard dies I will just get that replaced.

Basically got a Pyrolytic oven for under $400, not sure how much the motherboard will cost but a 2nd hand replacement can't be more than 500 I'd say.

On the other hand I own a Bosch washing machine without extended warranty and it cost 200 dollars callout for a user error (blocked pipe), similar issue with a dishwasher w extended warranty and call out is free.

YMMV obviously

snnet

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#2627216 27-Dec-2020 17:56

zyo:

I guess I will go against the popular opinion based on my own experience with similar offerings from Harvey Norman.

I have a Pyrolytic F&P oven with extended warranty (they call it product replacement warranty)

After 4 years the motherboard developed a strange buzzing noise and I was offered a replacement of a similar model of the same purchase price (exact model has gone out of production).

I couldn't find one that I liked without having to fork out extra $$ (missus wanted one with steam function which costs at least couple of hundreds more) and because the oven is still working I accepted a cash settlment instead (of the full purchase price, minus product care), if the motherboard dies I will just get that replaced.

Basically got a Pyrolytic oven for under $400, not sure how much the motherboard will cost but a 2nd hand replacement can't be more than 500 I'd say.

On the other hand I own a Bosch washing machine without extended warranty and it cost 200 dollars callout for a user error (blocked pipe), similar issue with a dishwasher w extended warranty and call out is free.

YMMV obviously

I do personally think Harvey Norman is better at handling these things however I have heard of similar stories when F&P and the like have been approached directly by the customer, an item is out of warranty but they've replaced something just because

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