Citi vs. Amex Extended Warranties

[wasCB14]

How do others feel about extended warranties from Amex vs. Citi cards?

Citi has a two-year extension, while Amex adds only one year but has a reputation for a smoother process. Citi covers lost items on all cards, while Amex only covers lost items on Plat/Cent. I have a Plat, so in that sense they are equivalent to me.

I had a smooth experience with Citi over one purchase, but haven't had to file a warranty claim with Amex yet.

So what card(s) are others using for breakable stuff these days?

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

How do others feel about extended warranties from Amex vs. Citi cards?

Citi has a two-year extension, while Amex adds only one year but has a reputation for a smoother process. Citi covers lost items on all cards, while Amex only covers lost items on Plat/Cent. I have a Plat, so in that sense they are equivalent to me.

I had a smooth experience with Citi over one purchase, but haven't had to file a warranty claim with Amex yet.

So what card(s) are others using for breakable stuff these days?

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I wouldn't put too much weight on this factor alone and would use the card that makes more sense in terms of rewards/cashback/card linked offers. Since it is not that likely that the breakable stuff breaks ouside of original warranty period but within the extended period and hasn't become obsolete and is worth the hassle (however little hassle it might be). (Most major card issuers offer this benefit on most no AF cards => this benefit doesn't cost much => this benefit is not frequently used by most).

Another Citi advantage is that even no AF cards like double cash offer 2 year extension, for most the possbility of closing/product changing the $550 AF Plat card in (2 + orginal warranty) years is higher than the possbility of doing the same to a no AF card that gives 2%back flat, and I have a feeling that you need the card open at time of claim, not just time of purchase, to use the extended warranty benefit

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@wasCB14 wrote:

How do others feel about extended warranties from Amex vs. Citi cards?

Citi has a two-year extension, while Amex adds only one year but has a reputation for a smoother process. Citi covers lost items on all cards, while Amex only covers lost items on Plat/Cent. I have a Plat, so in that sense they are equivalent to me.

I had a smooth experience with Citi over one purchase, but haven't had to file a warranty claim with Amex yet.

So what card(s) are others using for breakable stuff these days?

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I wouldn't put too much weight on this factor alone and would use the card that makes more sense in terms of rewards/cashback/card linked offers. Since it is not that likely that the breakable stuff breaks ouside of original warranty period but within the extended period and hasn't become obsolete and is worth the hassle (however little hassle it might be). (Most major card issuers offer this benefit on most no AF cards => this benefit doesn't cost much => this benefit is not frequently used by most).

Another Citi advantage is that even no AF cards like double cash offer 2 year extension, for most the possbility of closing/product changing the $550 AF Plat card in (2 + orginal warranty) years is higher than the possbility of doing the same to a no AF card that gives 2%back flat, and I have a feeling that you need the card open at time of claim, not just time of purchase, to use the extended warranty benefit

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True. While I like my current Schwab cobrand, it's possible I could want to app for a different variant (like the proprietary one or MB) if a nice bonus came along.

By contrast, I expect to maintain my Costco membership and keep the Costco Visa just as it is.

[mongstradamus]

One thing that I would consider , it may not be important to everybody , but Amex extended warranty is done in house, while Citi is outsourced to a third party.

edit: Another thing i noticed that citi you need to only pay partial total for extended warranty coverage, I think for for amex you have to pay the whole thing.

[wasCB14]

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@mongstradamus wrote:

One thing that I would consider , it may not be important to everybody , but Amex extended warranty is done in house, while Citi is outsourced to a third party.

edit: Another thing i noticed that citi you need to only pay partial total for extended warranty coverage, I think for for amex you have to pay the whole thing.

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Any full/partial pay difference isn't an issue for me when it comes to breakable stuff. The only thing I pay partially for is travel.

I think I'm going to go with Citi for when I buy from reputable merchants, and Amex for when I buy from questionable ones. If Citi gives me a bad experience, that may change.

[Anonymous]

I don't buy extended warranties on anything so can't comment on that, but wanted to remind about the Citi Price Rewind if the purchase qualifies. I used it a few months back on my Apple TV and they ended up refunding me about $52 on the purchase. It's worth checking into.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't buy extended warranties on anything so can't comment on that, but wanted to remind about the Citi Price Rewind if the purchase qualifies. I used it a few months back on my Apple TV and they ended up refunding me about $52 on the purchase. It's worth checking into.

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I already use Citi Price Rewind frequently. In some cases, though, the distributors prices are controlled by the manufacturer, so the price is the same everywhere. Generally, potential price rewinds are a major consideration for me.

I'm not buying the extended warranties in the sense I pay a fee for them...not from the merchant/manufacturer, and not from the CC companies.

In some sense you could say I am "buying" the extended warranty by sacrificing the extra rewards I could earn on another card, or by the fact merchants factor CC processing fees into their prices consumers.

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@Anonymous wrote:

This isn't quite the same as extended warranty but I have had great experience with Amex for purchase protection. Most recently I dropped and scratched the lens on a $240 pair of sunglasses about 2 months after purchase and they refunded the entire amount with no issue. Also used it on a cracked screen tablet before too.

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 Amex definitely has a great reputation for purchase protection. I'm thinking more about the period beyond the first 3 months.

Here is my current thinking:

Is the merchant shady? If yes, Amex for potential dispute resolution.
Is there a base warranty? If no, Amex for purchase protection, unless I think Price Rewind could matter more for the purchase.
Is the merchant reputable, and is there a base warranty to extend? If yes to both, Citi.