topic Re: Costco + Citi = Warranty too good to be true? in SmorgasBoard

Costco + Citi = Warranty too good to be true?

Curious_George2 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:38:55 GMT

Costco is currently advertising the following extended warranty program:

I needed a new laptop (insert virus joke here), and my local Costco had the Dell I wanted in stock at a good price, so I put aside my suspicions that a "free" 4-year warranty on a laptop is too good to be true, grabbed my Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, and took the plunge.

I think one of the things contributing to my skepticism is that I have had very different customer service experiences with the three companies involved, and it's not clear to me which one I would deal with if/when I have a warranty claim. In my experience, Costco returns/exchanges are smooth, seamless, and b.s.-free. I think Dell can be good if you are a big customer and/or pay extra for white glove treatment, but is much less likely to produce a good outcome for a small potatoes individual like little ol' me. Citibank can't seem to do anything right, so if I have to deal with them I literally won't even bother trying.

So I'm curious: Does anyone here have experience with this program that they are willing to share? If you made a warranty claim, was that resolved well? Did you deal primarily with the product's manufacturer, Costco, or Citibank? Did that seem to depend on whether you were in year 1, year 2, or year 4?

Re: Costco + Citi = Warranty too good to be true?

wasCB14 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 22:49:58 GMT

Last I checked, Citi outsourced benefit administration to an outside insurance firm, so extended warranty claims didn't actually go through Citi. A good thing, as the benefit reps were far more helpful.

That said, they have changed benefit providers a few times in the last few years so I'm not sure what the current experience is. I've not had to make an extended warranty claim for about 2 years, but the process was smooth with Citi last time. I just called them and explained what happened (a battery charger for a tool broke). They said they would be in contact for additional information but they never did and I got a statement credit a few days later. They reimbursed the full ~$300 as there was no way to buy the charger separately.

I had a few travel delay claims, back when Prestige had the benefit kick in after 3 hours. A few times I had to call to get things moving with price rewinds.

But Citi can't go very long without changing things, so maybe the process is harder now.

Re: Costco + Citi = Warranty too good to be true?

Curious_George2 — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:14:29 GMT

Thanks! That gives me a little hope.