SquareTrade Warranty Blog

2008: A best-of list of best-of lists.

If you're a list lover like me, check out this link-happy article at thestandard.com.

My favorite Geeky Moment of '08 from Asylum's Most Wonderfully Geeky Moments of 2008:  

New Zealand man creates personal jet pack: This past July, an inventor in New Zealand showed off a jet pack that can fly 30 miles per/half hour at altitudes of up to 1,500 feet. Though the pack's mechanics run more like a car engine than an airplane, it still allowed the inventor's teenage son to hover three feet above the ground for 45 seconds. Technology is finally catching up to "The Rocketeer."

Best phone?  The experts like the G1, but the people favor the iPhone.  That's according to CrunchGear's Best of 2008 + People's Choice.

Check out these and other lists, like Quotes of Note from PC World, Top 12 Tech Embarrassments of 2008, and the 24 Most Underrated Websites of 2008.

Give a SquareTrade Warranty and peace of mind.

Giving a great gadget?  We know you probably said "thanks but no thanks" to the pushy store salesperson when she offered you a warranty on it.  But if you still want to show a little extra thoughtfulness, here's how you can give a SquareTrade warranty as part of your gift.

It's easy.  Just --

1.  Buy the warranty for the item at SquareTrade.com.

2.  Log in to your SquareTrade account and go to the "My Warranties" tab.

3.  Select the warranty that you want to give to your friend or family member.  On the right side of the screen, click "Transfer plan" from Quick Links menu.

4.  Fill in the information about the person you're giving the warranty to.

Happy holidays from SquareTrade!

Our best wishes for the holiday season...

Find SquareTrade on Facebook.

Love our service? Love our product?  Why not join others who do too by becoming a fan of ours on Facebook?  We like to treat our most loyal fans with special offers and giveaways every once in a while.  Plus, we use the site as a way to gather feedback from you so we can improve.  So join us!

Here's what a few members of our Facebook community had to say about why they like SquareTrade enough to become a fan:

"Hey! This is the perfect time of year to be a fan of Square Trade! I buy A LOT on Ebay and everything I buy gets a Square Trade warranty! They've helped me out with a new iPod not once but twice! They informed me that it was still under factory warranty, too! These guys ROCK! You can't find a better warranty, no matter where you look!" - Amy B. from Silicon Valley, CA

"I bought an mp3 player on Ebay within the last year, and SquareTrade worked quickly and efficiently to take care of me. The warranty was extremely reasonable. I will use SquareTrade for EVERY warranty I need from now on! LOVE these guys!" - Patti T. from Kansas City, MO

"I like SquareTrade cause they offer protection for items I buy on eBay, and they have cool giveaways too." - Isaac A. from Cleveland, OH

SquareTrade and PayPal: Some holiday shopping stress relief.

Now you can buy a SquareTrade warranty and pay for it later on down the road.  Thanks to PayPal's Pay Later program, we're now able to offer even more payment options for you.  Plus, right now Pay Later is offering no payments for 90 days. 

Could come in handy, especially for warranties on big ticket items like laptops and TVs.  Makes is easier to protect those holiday gifts right off the bat, and you don't have to worry about the warranty taking up any of your holiday shopping budget.

Department of Consumer Affairs shares store bankruptcy shopping tips.

With this holiday season being the "make or break" point for many retailers (some, like Circuit City are more "break" than "make"), the California DCA has published a few tips that could be useful if you'd like to make the most out of the holiday bargains without the risk of getting ripped off.

Some highlights: 

-- Use a credit card and you'll be better protected if a store goes out of business. If you are billed for merchandise you haven't received, notify your credit card company in writing immediately.

-- If you pay cash for all or part of a purchase and the store files for bankruptcy protection before you get your merchandise, you probably have become an "unsecured creditor" of the store. You may lose some or all of your payment.

-- If you hold a gift certificate from a store that files for bankruptcy, the gift certificate may have no value. However, you may have a claim against the bankruptcy estate.

-- As a consumer creditor who has paid for goods never received, you're ordinarily an "unsecured creditor." Among unsecured creditors, consumers are sixth in priority for claims of up to $2,100. Higher in priority, for example, are store employees seeking unpaid wages.

And my personal favorite....

--  Look for a warranty on the product that's independent of the retail store. If the store goes out of business, the manufacturer's warranty may be all that's left to back the product. Inspect warranty documents, fine print and all. Also, consider the quality track record of the manufacturer.   (Ahem... SquareTrade)

Read the full list of DCA tips.  It could save you a huge headache in the future.

SquareTrade pays off for GearDiary blogger.

Looks like Wayne Schultz at GearDiary is pretty pleased with SquareTrade as a way to insure his new BlackBerry Bold.  And the accidental damage from handling coverage is his favorite part, thanks to his roommate's tipoff.

So thanks, Wayne.  Thanks, Wayne's roommate.

Read the GearDiary post.