care and repair plans is it worth the money ?

alisonnpaul

on making a purchase I'm offered a care and repair plan and wondered are they worth it

I have been offered in the past and refused as i feel the manufacturers guarantee should cover this

but i need to splurge a little money so of late i've bought a £600 coffee machine and hope to buy a £300 steam generator iron as my washing machine is approaching some 8 yrs old should i consider a multi plan / a care and repair for each / or a savings tin

Alderbank

On the information you have given the only answer is maybe.

It depends on the item, the cost of the plan, your use of the item and the terms and conditions of the plan.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6652430/care-and-repair-plans-is-it-worth-the-money

How much is the item?

How much is the plan?

What happens if the item is unrepairable?

Could you afford to repair the item without? Could you afford to replace it without it?

In my view they are generally poor value and you'd be better off putting money aside into a savings account to have a fund to pay for repairs or buy a replacement for when the worst happens.

Others think they are great and will buy a policy on everything they can, I would be willing to be most are worse off overall but not everyone can afford to pay out a few hundred unplanned and not everyone has the control to have a pot for this which you dont spend on other stuff.

Note that "self insurance" only works if you have a particular fund to pay it from. Simply not buying insurance/a plan and working out what to do when it breaks down is uninsured not self insured.

alisonnpaul

sorry guys cost of item £300 steam generator for a 5yr plan it's £75

but i also recently bought a 600 pound coffee machine and wondered should I 1 care and repair currys iron or number 2 use a company like domestic and general and get a multi care plan or 3 just throw a few pounds in a tin each pay day

Alderbank

What does the plan give you over and above your statutory consumer rights?

Basically your rights are that if it fails due to a manufacturing fault (not accidental damage, etc.) the seller must repair or replace it without charge. If it can't be repaired or if it fails a second time they must give you a refund.

The refund can be reduced for the amount of use you have had from the item. In practice you can expect about a 20% reduction in the price you paid for each year of use.

If the plan guarantees a new replacement throughout the five years if the item can't be fixed then it might be worthwhile.

alisonnpaul

Care & Repair

Full breakdown supportFull replacement. If we can’t repair your product in 7 calendar days or we need to repair it more than twice, we’ll replace it for free.All parts, labour and callouts included Free delivery and recycling if your product needs replacing

Alderbank

The devil is in the detail. What are the terms & conditions?

alisonnpaul

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81856949#Comment_81856949

Section A – they'll repair a mechanical or electrical fault over the phone or later in person if they can’t solve the problem they will provide a Currys voucher to obtain a replacement Product. (please note the Product Replacement details and the Section B exclusions).

7 Day Fix Promise where we are dealing with. We may at our sole discretion repair the Product or any part of it using a repair service of our choice. smaller Household Appliances will be drop off and collect from store, Product Replacement If we cannot repair your Product you will be given a Currys voucher to obtain a replacement Product in one of our stores. You will have 24 months from the date of issue of the voucher to use the voucher. The value of the voucher will be based on an equivalent or similar specification Product up to a maximum of your original Product purchase price. We will also provide you with a Currys voucher to purchase delivery, installation and recycling (where applicable). In some instances, at our discretion where we have directed you to a third party for a repair, a replacement Product may be given by the third party instead of a voucher by us. If the third party replaces your Product your Care & Repair Plan will continue. If we replace your Laptop, Once we issue you with a Currys voucher to replace your Product, we will immediately cancel your Plan with effect from the date of the incident which gave rise to the repair request and you’ll be entitled to a pro-rata refund of any Plan payments made for the period after the date of termination of the Plan. If we replace your Product, the original Product will become our property. We’ll get you back up and running (This applies to Computers & Gadgets only) If we are unable to repair your Computers and Gadgets Product and we replace it by giving you a Currys voucher to obtain a replacement Product you will be entitled to receive services to get you back up and running from our in-store experts. We will: • Set-up and check your device so it’s ready to use when you get home or to your office. • Give you 1 to 1 time with an expert, setting up your software and accounts on the device. • Transfer any data from any back-ups you have. Games Consoles, Electric Scooters, Hoverboards, PC Peripherals and Telephones. Multiple Failures If your Product has an electrical or mechanical fault after being repaired on two previous occasions, you may request a replacement. This benefit applies on the third separate electrical or mechanical fault (the faults don’t have to be related). If you request a replacement in accordance with this clause the provisions of the ‘Product Replacement’ section will apply. 24/7 Tech Support (This applies to Computers & Gadgets and TV & Entertainment Systems only) Our expert support service covers a variety of Products from our Computers & Gadgets & TV & Entertainment Systems. Call our Currys experts or visit us in store (see Section J for contact details) and we will help you with any ‘get started’ and ‘how to?’ questions. Valet Service (This applies to Household Appliances only) We will provide you with a one-off valet for your Product during the lifetime of the Plan for pay upfront Plan (2,3 or 5 years) customers. Or every 5 years for pay monthly Plan customers. The valet service is available if your Plan applies to a Product that is one of the following large kitchen appliances only: • Washing Machines, Washer Dryers and Dishwashers - cleaned and descaled. • Tumble Dryers - cleaned. • Cookers, Ovens & Hobs - trays, grills, interior and exterior cleaned. • Fridges, Freezers and Fridge Freezers - defrosted and given an antibacterial clean. To book an appointment, call Currys Support (see Section J for contact details). Built-in Battery failure (For Electric Scooters and Hoverboards only) Our support includes battery failure for Electric Scooters and Hoverboards if the non-disposable battery fails to hold a charge as per the manufacturers’ instructions. Damage or failure due to improperly maintaining the battery or caused by not following the manufacturers’ instructions will be excluded. Eligibility Consumers: • You must be a minimum of 16 years old. • You need to be a resident of the United Kingdom or Isle of Man and have been living in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands for at least 6 out of the last 12 months. Businesses: • The legal entity acquiring Care & Repair must be registered in the UK for Plans sold in the UK or registered in the UK or Isle of Man for Plans sold in the Isle of Man. • You must be an authorised agent of the legal entity acquiring Care & Repair. Consumers and Businesses: • Your Product must be in good working order. Eligible Products: We will, at our discretion, offer Care & Repair on the Products shown below; • Household Appliances: Small Kitchen Appliances, Section B - What is not included • Any accidental damage. • Cosmetic damage (e.g. rust, scratches etc.) where it does not affect the operation or safety of the Product. • The replacement of regularly replaced items/ consumable items, including: • Built-in batteries, except for Electric Scooters and Hoverboards where the built-in-battery is included. • Bulbs and lamps. • Vacuum cleaner belts. • For Electric Scooters, any tyre wear & tear or tyre punctures. • Any accessories purchased or provided with the Product. • Breakdown due to flood, wind or other severe weather conditions. • Breakdown due to fire, unless caused by an electrical malfunction within the Product. • Repair or replacement of the Product which has been neglected, abused, misused, or damaged intentionally. • Repairing or replacing a Product which has been exposed to insect infestation (or similar phenomenon) or human/ animal fluid/ matter. Products excluded from this service are Cameras, Camcorders, Hifi, Portable Audio, GPS, Continues overleaf.Continued from overleaf. • Any faults with the Product caused by withdrawal of services by a third party or by a failure of, fault with or interruption of a utility supply. • We are not liable for any loss that you suffer which is unforeseeable, out of our control, avoidable (you could have avoided by taking reasonable action) or a business loss (such as loss of profits or business) in connection with repair or replacement of your Product. This includes, but is not limited to; costs relating to any other plans or policies you have in place; loss or corruption of data, records, software or information; and loss resulting from inability to use the Product. • All Household Appliances that are purchased for use by a business or are located on commercial premises. For example, a dishwasher purchased for use in a café or a washing machine purchased by a home based hairdresser for use by their business is excluded, whilst a washing machine purchased by a landlord for use in a residential rental property is eligible. • Any loss suffered if you cannot use the Product. • Care & Repair where we have not received Plan payments on time in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. • Repair costs incurred by you instructing an unauthorised third party to carry out any repairs on the Product. • Any faults with the Product caused by the fitting of non-genuine parts by a third party or use of non-genuine accessories. Section C - Important Information This is not an insurance policy and is an extended warranty plan only. “Us, We, Our, Currys” means Currys Group Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, number 504877 whose registered office address is 1 Portal Way, Acton, London, W3 6RS and which trades under the names Currys; “You, Your” means the person or legal entity who has entered into Care & Repair as defined in the document (top right). • You don’t have to buy Care & Repair at the same time as you purchase your new Product. If your Product is over 12 months old you can purchase a Care & Repair Plan, however, the pay upfront Plans offered may vary in length. • Your Care & Repair service is provided by Currys Group Limited. In the event that Currys Group Limited ceases trading there is no dedicated financial backing. • Similar plans may be available from other providers. • There are statutory rights in place that apply to faulty goods. You can find advice on those rights from the Citizens Advice Bureau. • Compare prices of extended warranties for electrical goods at www. compareextendedwarranties.co.uk • Your household insurance or business insurance may provide you with some protection for your Product but: • You may not be protected for faults caused by electrical or mechanical breakdown. • Portable Products may not be protected. • Your annual premium may increase after your claim. • You may have to pay an excess. • You may cancel this Plan at any time. If you cancel your pay upfront Plan (2, 3 or 5 years) within the first 45 days of purchase, you will be entitled to a full refund (unless you have made a valid repair request). If you have made a repair request or wish to cancel after the first 45 days, you will receive a pro rata refund of the Plan payments you have paid based on the number of full unexpired months of cover remaining on your Plan. If you cancel a pay monthly Plan within 14 days of purchase and you haven’t made a valid repair request, we’ll give you a full refund. After this period, you can cancel your pay monthly Plan at any time, but no refund will be given. • In the event that your Product is repaired following a repair request or you use a Valet (where applicable) or Tech Support service (where applicable), your Care & Repair Plan will continue. • In the event that your Product is replaced by us in accordance with the Product Replacement section in Section A, your Care & Repair Plan will automatically terminate. If your Care & Repair Plan is terminated in this scenario you will be entitled to a pro rata refund of any Plan payments made for the period after the date of termination of the Plan. • We will not be responsible for any failure to carry out our obligations under Care & Repair if it is caused by any circumstances outside our reasonable control. • You must take reasonable care of the Product. • You must allow us into your home or office at all reasonable times to repair the Product. • To prevent damage caused by viruses, we strongly recommend that you keep all operating systems and anti-virus software up to date. • Where appropriate fully guaranteed refurbished or generic parts may be used. Section D - Cancellation You may cancel this Plan at any time. Pay upfront Plans (2, 3 or 5 years) If you pay up front for a set period of time for your Plan (2, 3 or 5 years) and have not made a valid repair request and cancel the Plan within 45 days from date of purchase or receipt of these Terms and Conditions, whichever is later, you will receive a full refund of the Plan payments paid. If you have made a repair request, you will receive a pro rata refund based on the number of full unexpired months remaining on your Plan. After 45 days you may cancel the Plan and will receive a pro rata refund of the Plan payments you have paid based on the number of full unexpired months of support remaining regardless of whether a repair request has been made. If you no longer wish to have the benefits of your pay upfront Plan (2, 3 or 5 years) you can provide notice to cancel by calling Currys Support experts (see Section J for contact details). Pay monthly Plans If you have chosen a pay monthly Plan you can cancel this at any time by either writing to us at the email or the postal address or, by calling Currys Customer Services experts (see Section J or contact details) . If you cancel within 14 days of purchase and you haven’t used the service, we’ll give you a full refund. After this period, you can cancel your Plan at any time, but no refund will be given. Our rights to cancel We may cancel this Plan for any valid reason. A valid reason may include, but are not limited to: • Where Plan payments are not paid on time. If this happens, we will notify you of this. If the payment is not received (either by our second attempt to take the payment, or by you making the payment by alternative means) within 14 days from the date on which it was due, your Plan will be cancelled from the date on which the Plan payments was due without the need for us to give any further notice to you. We may, at our discretion, allow this Plan to resume where a payment is made after this 14-day period, but we are under no obligation to do so. • If you use your Product to commit a crime or to allow any crime to take place, we will cancel your Plan immediately and notify you of this in writing. • Where we reasonably suspect fraud or where you have failed to provide us with complete and accurate information as required by section G of this Plan (‘Updating your details’), we may refuse any repair request and cancel your Plan immediately. You will not be entitled to a refund. We may also take legal action against you. • If, because of a successful repair request under this Plan, we have issued you with a voucher to replace your Product we will immediately cancel your Plan with effect from the date of the incident which gave rise to the repair request. • If the Product has reached its Maximum Plan Life (see Section E for more details). • Where the legal entity acquiring Care & Repair becomes insolvent. Unless otherwise stated above, if we cancel your Plan we will give at least one month written notice to the last known home or office address or email address you have provided to us. If you have a pay upfront Plan (2, 3 or 5 years) and we cancel your Plan you will be entitled to a pro-rata refund of the Plan payments you have paid based upon the number of unexpired Plan months remaining on the Plan for which you have paid. Section E - Renewals Subject to the provisions in this Section E, you are entitled to renew your pay upfront Plan (2, 3 or 5 years) at the end of the Plan. Renewals of Household Appliance Plans will include a one-off valet. When your Plan is due to renew, we will write to you a few weeks beforehand with your renewal offer and quote. If we haven’t heard from you by your renewal date, we will assume that you no longer wish to continue supporting your Product and your Plan will lapse. Please note in order to ensure you are getting value from your Plan there is a limit to how many renewals of your Plan that you can make and how long the Plan is available for your Product. We will write to you to let you know when the Plan is no longer available for your Product (‘Maximum Plan Life’). In order to ascertain the Maximum Plan Life of your Plan we will take into consideration a number of factors, for example (please note that this is not an exhaustive list): • The age of the Product; • The usability and functions of the Product. Where your Product has reached its Maximum Plan Life we will cancel your Plan. We will write to you to in advance to give you reasonable notice and confirm the date that the Plan will be cancelled. Where the Product has reached its Maximum Plan Life it cannot be renewed. Where you have a pay upfront Plan (2, 3 or 5 years), not withstanding the above in relation to the Maximum Plan Life, the Plan will always apply for an initial 2, 3 or 5 year period in line with the length of the Plan you have taken out. Section F - Duration of the Plan Care & Repair will begin from the date you purchase this Plan. • The Plan expires on the earliest of: • The date your Product is replaced by us in accordance with this Plan or we issue you with a voucher for a replacement; or • The date of the Maximum Plan Life as we have communicated to you in accordance with Section E; or • The date the Plan is cancelled by you or us. Section G - Updating your details / Transferring the Plan If you need to amend any of your details, such as your name or address please contact Currys Customer Services (see Section J for contact details) so that we can update our records. To ensure you get the best service possible it is important the details of the owner of the Product remain up to date. If you sell or give away your Product, you can transfer this Plan to the new owner, free of charge. To do so you must contact us with details of the new owner’s name and address. The new owner will need to continue to pay us for the Plan.

Aylesbury_Duck

Expecting anyone to read that massive wall of text is probably hopeful.

My general view is that these plans aren't worth it. Your statutory rights and any warranty provided are usually enough to cover most eventualities, and most cover plans overlap those, so you're paying for something you don't need in the early period of ownership. Then there's the risk of letting the plan run and run if you forget to cancel it or don't check your bank statements properly - there are lots of threads here where people have been paying for cover for products that are long since obsolete or even have been thrown out.

In summary, I don't see much upside, but sometimes a good deal may crop up.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81856978#Comment_81856978

Well you did ask what the T&Cs were 😇

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81856982#Comment_81856982

I didn't, but I know what you mean 😁