Are Amazon extended warranties worth it, or a scam?

While warranties can last a few years, recalls can occur anytime. Some defects are harmless and only affect functionality, but others can be dangerous.

When you buy a TV, blender or smartphone on Amazon, you’ll see a message asking you to purchase an extended warranty. Sure, you can, but should you?

Do you know what’s in those warranties? While each is a little bit different, they follow a similar pattern. If you buy anything on Amazon and you’ve spent money on an extended warranty before, you can’t afford to miss this information.

Asurion warranties don’t cover much

Asurion protection plans cover items for everyday wear and tear, defects in quality and materials, and mechanical and electrical breakdowns. If you break it yourself, you’re out of luck. This is pretty standard.

The biggest issue with these inexpensive warranties is that they don’t cover much. Dig through the details and you’ll find that they’re simply extended durations of manufacturer defect warranties.

That doesn’t mean Asurion is bad or that the warranties are worthless. If you have a device that you plan to use for five years or more, it’s nice to know any defects that pop up will be covered.

The reality

You must know that most manufacturer defects become apparent shortly after using a device. If something detrimental could break your purchase, it’ll happen early on. The standard one-year warranty on most products should cover this.

Asurion warranties come in handy if the manufacturer issues a warning due to wiring or power issues for electronics since that comes down to a safety issue. These cases are few and far between, though.

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Are Asurion warranties the only ones I can get on Amazon?

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Tesla recalls 362K cars with 'Full Self-Driving' software that can cause a crash

The automotive industry is no stranger to recalls, and those can affect thousands or millions of vehicles. Nissan recently recalled over 400,000 vehicles that are potentially fitted with a dangerous airbag system that could cause serious injury. We have the list of affected vehicles and instructions for resolving the issue.

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If it’s been a while: Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall lookup page. Enter your VIN in the search field to see any safety recalls for your vehicle. If none appear, you’re good to go.

Wells Fargo fires employees for faking work

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Over a dozen workers were caught faking keyboard activity and using mouse jigglers to look busy. Plus, CVS recalls 133 medications, the controversial Windows Recall faces a delay, and a must-know site for those wary of flying Boeing planes.

2.6 million Stanley mugs recalled: Not the 40-ounce ones everyone’s obsessed with. The lid threads on the 12- and 16-ounce Switchback and 12-, 16- and 20-ounce Trigger Action travel mugs shrink when they get hot and pop off. So far, 11 of the 38 people who have reported burns needed medical attention. Hit this link for a free replacement lid.

6 recalls in 12 months

For Tesla’s Cybertruck, which now has a defective drive inverter. Wow, a recall every two months! The faulty inverter may cause a loss of power to the wheels and affects over 2,400 vehicles. Own one? Look for a notification.

Drive a Kia or Hyundai? You might have a hard time getting insurance

Did you know the type of car you drive may impact whether you can get insurance? Like how a smoking habit may affect your health insurance, a lack of safety features might put you in a pickle. If you drive certain Kia or Hyundai vehicles, pay attention. Some insurance companies are refusing these car owners a policy at all.

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🚨 Over 660,000 vehicles recalled: Ram, Honda, GM, Volkswagen and Tesla are dealing with headlight malfunctions, fire risks, faulty tailgates, fuel leaks and brake failures. Yikes. Fixes are free. Check your recall status, then call your dealership instead of waiting for a letter in the mail.

🚨 Recall alert: Anker is recalling 80,000 Bluetooth speakers after 33 reports of overheating batteries and fires. If you have a Soundcore or PowerConf speaker with the model number A3102016, A3302011 or A3302031, stop using it and get a free replacement.

Urgent fire risk recall: For Belkin BoostCharge Pro fast wireless chargers. The iPhone and Apple Watch power pack launched in May 2023. Look for model number BPD005 on the back of your charging pad, and if you have one, stop using it immediately and fill out the refund form.

💧 The FDA is recalling 150,000 bottles of water: Berkeley Springs Water Purified and Berkeley Springs Water Distilled in 1- and 5-gallon formats may be contaminated with bacteria. Check for codes 090326, 090426, 090526 and 090626 on the side of the bottle. If yours is a match, throw it out.

🔥 Fire and burn risk recall alert: Over 500,000 Govee Life and Govee Smart electric space heaters are being recalled, with the model numbers H7130, H7130101, H7131, H7132, H7133, H7134 and H7135. If you’ve got one, stop using it ASAP and get a refund.

Before you buy: If you’re in the market for a baby lounger, sleep positioner, wedge, inclined sleeper, weighted sleep sacks or crib bumpers, just know not everything sold online is safe. Third-party retailers on Amazon and other sites often don’t comply with recalls. Always search online for the exact name of a baby or kid product with the word “recall.”

400,000 products

Sold on Amazon that can injure or kill you. Amazon may or may not notify you, so log in to check if any of your past orders have been recalled. Use the Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts page now to see if something you bought could harm you.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

🍖 I’m warning you again, just in case: BrucePac recalled 11.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products infected with listeria. Many have been repackaged and resold through retailers like Amazon Fresh. Check your fridge and see if any of your food is on the updated contamination list.

🔥 Anker recall: I mentioned this last month, but two people have already suffered burns from faulty power banks that can explode. Affected models are the Anker 334 MagGo Battery (PowerCore 10K), Anker Power Bank and Anker MagGo Power Bank, with the model numbers A1642, A1647 and A1652, respectively. These were sold between Jan. 3 and Sept. 17, 2024. If you own one, fill out the recall form.

🥩 Check your fridge: Some 11.8 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products may be contaminated with listeria. BrucePac sells to companies that repackage, resell or use its products, so you’ll need to check a whopping 348-page list to be safe. Big names include Amazon Fresh, Kroger and Trader Joe’s. Pro tip: Hit Ctrl + F on Windows (Cmd + F on Mac) to search the list.

⚠️ Drive a Honda? They’re recalling 1.7 million vehicles, including 2022-2025 Acura Integras, Honda Civics, CR-Vs and HR-Vs. Watch for sticky steering, difficulty turning and strange noises. Call 1-888-234-2138 for info on a free fix.

Amazon safety check: Go to your Amazon account and look under Your orders. You may see a link to a page called “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts.” Here, you’ll find details about recalls for products you’ve purchased and steps to get a refund or return those items. You’ll get an email, too.

Cash is no longer king when you have Apple Pay

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Got an empty wallet? You’re not alone. Andrew and Allie talk about how digital payments are overtaking physical currency. Plus, they dive into how tech caused chaos at the Waste Management Open, and highlight the biggest recalls and malware warnings you should know about.