So I've just bought my first Kindle (Paperwhite with built-in light) on Amazon, and I notice that it's possible for me to buy a protection plan for it. Now while it would provide peace of mind, I am somewhat hesitant; the price of the device was already considerable and the main reason I didn't get the cheaper version was because having to use a reading light on my Kindle in the dark would be pretty annoying. Basically I spent about 40 pounds more than I would have liked.


I guess my question is threefold:

If you've had any, what has been your personal experience with Kindles and how long do they tend to last in your experience? And what are your thoughts on online protection plans in general? Have you had any bad experiences with these companies?


If I did get the protection I'd probably go all out and get the 3 year plan which would cost me an extra 27 pounds.


These plans cover accidental damage and breakdowns to be clear.


Sure there are a lot of reviews to sift through but I'd like the perspective of people here all the same.

I don't know - perhaps this thread will even turn out to be mildly interesting.

Protection plans in general are a waste of money but I do get them for certain things that tend to break or were expensive, like phones or warranty for a GPU.

I bought my kindle 5 years ago, it has yet to break. ￡27 would be half the cost of what I paid for it. These sort of things are a waste of money in any event. If it breaks within 2 years due to hardware failure, you're entitled to a refund anyway.

I believe it's 1 year with this model though...

Nah. retailers like to tell you that you only get 1 year warranty, but EC Directive 1999/44 states that you should get 2 years warranty, and even the national legislation suggests a 6 year limit for claims for mechanical failure. This idea that they're only required to provide a product that works for 12 months is just a dodgy interpretation that the retailers have made to stop people claiming for faulty goods.

Interesting.


I think I remember reading that Amazon requires you to pay for a replacement, like 90% of the original price. It could just be when you've already made a claim in the past I suppose but I also remember reading that Amazon customer service for Kindles is pretty bad in general.


Anyway, thank you. I'll consider that a bit more when I've had some sleep.

Consumer Reports has always recommended against them.

I don't buy protection plans unless something is very high-risk and the price is very reasonable. Heck, I don't even buy them for mobile phones. From a gambling standpoint, I've felt the odds weren't good that I'd use them, and so far I've been right. If you're very clumsy and tend to have bad luck with mobile electronics then I could see doing it, but if you're careful it doesn't seem worthwhile. My wife broke her Kindle screen once (we've both had one for years) on a camping trip by rolling over on it in her sleep and crushing it against very hard ground, but other than that we've had no issues.