SquareTrade Warranty Blog

Getting Tough On Plasma TVs

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Want to save some extra cash with bonus of being more earth-friendly? As Engadget points out: "That new HDTV of yours? It may be thin and light and lovely, but it ain't saving you any money." Some 50-inch HDTVs demand over 400 watts of power when you turn them on. That's more than some modern refrigerators!

So what's to be done?! Consumers can consider this when making purchasing decision - many manufacturers are already making more energy efficient models. There are also ways to curb your current HDTV's energy use - do a quick google and you'll find tips or TV energy-efficiency guides. Meanwhile, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously this week to become the first state to impose energy efficiency standards for televisions. New energy efficiency standards will apply to TVs sold after January 2011:

"The initial regs state a maximum of 1 watt of consumption when "off" and, when on, a maximum of .2 watts per inch of screen area plus an arbitrary 32 watts." - via Engadget

But will such regulations help more than they hurt?

Some are saying California's legislation is a death knell for plasmas. The Consumer Electronics Association says it is "extremely disappointed"  because this policy will threaten consumer choice. What do you think? Sound off below or join the conversation on twitter. You can add the hashtag #TVregulations to tweet your thoughts.

Which laptop manufacturers are most reliable? Study has people talking!

Like our previous studies, SquareTrade's Laptop Reliability report has people talking! 

Join the discussion! Join thousands of others on SquareTrade on Facebook or on Twitter. (Tweet your thoughts or comment below. See live Twitter feed of discusssion below, after the jump.)

	"3-year service history of more than 30,000 laptops has been pored over, analyzed...you get what you pay for -- shocking, right? The big talking point, though, will inevitably be the manufacturer comparison chart..."
	"Our last annual survey of laptop owners turned up a similar result...A reliability report from RESCUECOM, published last March, also put Asus ahead of the pack and HP in dead last, with Apple coming in the middle..."
	"New data from SquareTrade (one of the bigger warranty providers) says Asus and Toshiba have the least hardware malfunctions over 3 years, while one-in-four HP laptops are projected to experience problems."
	"Apple may have played its cards right by not moving into the netbook market, according to SquareTrade's data."
	"...smaller name brand notebook manufacturers are usually more reliable than their larger rivals."
	"Apple ranks a lackluster fourth...The top honor goes to Asus, which surprised me, but I suppose shouldn’t have when I consider the build quality of my fairly inexpensive Eee PC."
	"While Asus topped the list, the bottom part of the list was taken by HP, which would probably be rather disappointing to the numerous HP fans out there."
	"That's bad news for the Dayton area, with such a heavy research and technology sector tied to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base."

If you're on Twitter, you can simply include the hashtag #LaptopReliability to your tweet. (We'll update with a live feed below.) Check out other reactions to the study and tweet your thoughts!

New York Times highlights SquareTrade Value

Did you read the paper? As fans, you've already discovered that SquareTrade offers a refreshing choice so you can say goodbye to those overpriced store warranties. Word continues to spread!

The New York Times draws attention to SquareTrade's value - extended warranties that give control to consumers with prices that are usually about half as much as those other guys:

For instance, a four-year warranty on the Nikon D3000 camera at Best Buy is $150, or more than 27 percent of the $550 price. The warranty on a Hewlett-Packard N270 netbook is $130, or just short of a third of the computer’s $400 price. Such profit margins are high enough that companies having nothing to do with selling the original products have jumped into the market, offering warranties for about half as much. SquareTrade, which offers warranties for products bought in stores or online, will sell you a three-year warranty on that Nikon for $75. The netbook can be protected for $60.

 

Traditionally, warranties have been overpriced with consumers feeling they must make a rushed, uninformed decision at checkout. As the New York Times points out, SquareTrade gives consumers a chance to review their options and make an informed purchase decision.

If you missed the Sunday paper, the full article can be found here: New York Times: Don't Worry, Be Happy: The Warranty Psychology

TUAW lauds SquareTrade Accidental Damage Coverage

Sang Tang of TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) writes of lessons learned when his MacBook has an unfortunate encounter with Diet Coke. As he reconsiders the value of extended warranties and laptop insurance, his experience highlights how the value of SquareTrade coverage stacks up when compared to AppleCare.

While AppleCare is certainly compelling for many (phone support and timely repairs of manufacturer defects by Apple-authorized technicians, among its values), its defect is that hardware repair coverage is restricted to manufacturer defects.

AuctionBytes: SquareTrade Boosts Consumer Confidence

If you're a serious eBay shopper, you may regularly peruse sites like AuctionBytes in search of the latest tips and resources for online auction buyers and sellers. In case you missed the current issue of AuctionBytes, be sure to check it out for the usual roundup of industry news, including an interview with SquareTrade CEO Steve Abernethy:

As SquareTrade celebrates 10 years in business, AuctionBytes Editor Ina Steiner chats with cofounder and CEO Steve Abernethy to learn more about the company's rather unique service: warranties for purchases of new - and used - consumer electronics and appliances, online and offline. No longer in the business of online dispute resolution, SquareTrade continues to offer eBay sellers and online merchants services to help shoppers feel more confident.

The full interview can be found here: AuctionBytes: Giving Shoppers Confidence through SquareTrade Warranties.

Creative? SquareTrade Fans are Awesome!

We've been blown away with the response to our 10 Day, 10 Kindle Giveaway!

It's a known fact that SquareTrade fans are clever. (After all, you're savvy consumers who know where to get the best deals - and you've helped us start a revolution!)

With the announcement of our 10th Birthday, you have floored us by responding with such enthusiasm and creativity. So much so that yesterday we announced the addition of the Creative Entry Award: $1000 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Here's a glimpse of how real fans are getting really creative:

While we consider an appropriate response to this marriage proposal - here's some creative inspiration. This is just a sampling of some of the #squaretrade entries that caught our attention. Check back to see if your entry is featured on our blog!

Think your entry should be featured here? Check back and post in the comments below. (If you entered via Twitter, be sure to include a link to your tweet.) Thanks!

Top Retailers take part in SquareTrade's Warranty Revolution

A customer recently noticed that SquareTrade warranties are now available at Amazon and Buy.com. They were excited to see other retailers joining us in revolutionizing the warranty industry. We're excited too!

Offering consumers fair pricing and the best warranty available

So, who else is included in this list? Check out some of our current partners:
(Here's 10 of them. We're turning 10 so we've got the number 10 on our mind!)

• Amazon
• Buy.com
• eCost
• Abt Electronics
• Vanns Electronics
• Woot!
• Geeks.com
• Sonic Electronics
• PC Rush
• TheNerds.net

It's true, we're not even in our teens but we've started a revolution!

With over a million warranties sold, we couldn't have done it without you. Seriously. (Want an example of how powerful your voice is? See how Woot CEO asked and listened to what consumers had to say about extended warranties.)

And since you've helped us start this revolution - we hope you'll join us in celebrating SquareTrade's 10th Birthday!

Sneak Peak: SquareTrade's 10th Birthday Giveaway!

Don't miss out - SquareTrade is celebrating its 10th Birthday in October!  In celebration of our first decade, we are having a big giveaway during the month of October.

What will we give away? Hint: It’s been on Amazon best-seller list for over 200 days!

Follow us on twitter or become a Fan on Facebook to stay tuned!

Vodafone follows Orange. End of US iPhone exclusivity?

To date, being an iPhone customer in the U.S. has meant being married to AT&T, for better or worse.

For nearly two years, O2 has also enjoyed a parallel position with exclusive rights to sell Apple's iPhones in the U.K. 

 

This week, iPhone owners across the pond watched in excitement as two rival carriers stepped in to bring an end to O2's exclusive deal with Apple. Many in the U.S. now wonder what the implications are for AT&T's exclusive partnership in the U.S.

Apple makes global moves to boost iPhone sales: UK, others transitioning to multicarriers

On Monday, France Telecom's mobile carrier Orange revealed that it would be bringing Apple's iPhone to the UK by the end of the year. Within 24 hours, Vodafone announced it will soon sell the iPhone in the UK and Ireland.

While Vodafone won't have the phones in time for Christmas, the announcements of these two network rivals mark the end of the exclusive UK deal that O2 had enjoyed over the iPhone.

Exclusive deals were the norm when the iPhone originally rolled out in 2007. In Germany, for example, T-Mobile still has exclusive deals with Apple on the iPhone. But Vodafone's announcement has analysts stating that iPhone exclusivity is rapidly coming to an end.

AT&T seems pleased with iPhone MMS

AT&T finally activated Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) for Apple's iPhone 3G and 3GS phones late last week.

Like several iPhone users nationwide, I waited patiently to receive the following message from AT&T (pictured below) informing me of the update.

Depending on who you ask, the activation went smoothly. AT&T seems pleased. Are you?

The update went seamlessly for me but several early users reported transmission delays on AT&T's facebook fanpage.

There were even discussions on the Apple support forums complaining about the MMS 'Message Send Failure.'

The lack of MMS capabilities has often been targeted as a major weakness of the iPhone - especially since the BlackBerry and even most entry-level handsets have had this capability for years.

For its part, Apple included an update for this feature in its earlier 3.0 iPhone software update released this summer.  AT&T, on the other hand, said it wasn't ready to roll out the feature for fear that it's network would not be able to handle the strain.

Some might say the complaints rolling in are validating AT&T's earlier concerns.

Is MMS working for you? Let us know in comments below or join @SquareTrade in the conversation on twitter.