using B&H to buy hardware? MACK warranties are a scam

[lordsmurf]

With all the people (thankfully!) now interested in restoring video, or outright just betting better quality, there's a lot of buying going on. And out of all the choices for places to buy, www.bhphotovideo.com (B&H in New York) is often a good choice, being a reliable store with low prices, when buying equipment brand new.

BUT BE WARNED!

Those "MACK" warranties they offer for $40 to $90 are a scam. They cover very little, and you are still required ot pay shipping to and from B&H to get it repaired. Unless you're living in New York City, and can drive to them, do not waste your time on this crap warranty program. You will end up spending $100 or more any time you want to use it, from shipping costs alone.

You will do better off to just rely on the manufacturer warranty. If something breaks, it usually breaks in this timeframe anyhow. If not, then take it to a local manufacturer-approved repair center and just pair repair costs. In the end, it will be far cheaper.

[Wile_E]

Is this from first-hand experience you had with MACK warranties? I bought a $700 35mm scanner and other photographic equipment from B&H in the past. If this scanner breaks, I want it repaired by competent electronics technicians. No way am I taking it into a local mom/pop shop that mostly repairs TV's and never seen a film scanner.

The extended warranty on my scanner says they will either repair it or replace it with a new one of equal value. It even covers the floursecent bulb in the scanner. Having to pay return shipping does suck, but what else do you want covered?

BTW...You don't send it to B&H for warranty work. You send it to the following address.
http://www.mackcam.com/repairs_sendin.html
Mack Camera and Video Service
200 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081

[lordsmurf]

First hand experience, as well as the experiences of at least a dozen others. I've not met a person to date that was satisfied with this warranty.

[on30trainman]

Lordsmurf,
I think my son might disagree with your statement - he has a JVC camcorder that he accidently connected to the wrong AC adapter and blew it out. It was out of the 1 year JVC warranty and the VISA extra year. He sent it back to Mack and it was repaired - it did cost him about $100 extra, guess they could tell it had been mishandled. But that, even with the cost of the warranty, is very much cheaper than the cost of a new equivalent replacement.
BTW - no camera shop or camera repair facility in his town (Austin, TX) would even look at it for him. One place opened the camera and got an unreplaceable work tape out for him, but had no interest in troubleshooting or fixing the camera.

[Jester700]

There are exceptions to every rule. But for the VAST majority of people they are overpriced insurance and a poor buy. I used to have to sell similar policies at Circuit City; they pushed us HARD on them (gee, I wonder why?). In the end it was one major reason I quit.