My recent column about the poor quality of present day consumer products was well received and led me to do a follow up.

One of my pet peeves is the so-called extended warranty. You know the deal, you buy an expensive product only to discover you may need a warranty over and above the one provided by the factory. A while back I caused a ruckus at a local big box home improvement store when I questioned that.

I bought a moderately priced refrigerator and was told I would need to also pay for a two-year extended warranty. Reluctantly I agreed, but when the paperwork was filled out, I learned the extra warranty that was costing me $85 would begin immediately.

Now wait a minute. The factory has a one year warranty in place. Why would I want to add another warranty for the same first year? At the time it seemed no one had ever brought up that obvious conflict.

My argument went that if I buy a two year warranty and it begins at sale, that would result in only a one year extension. Seemed reasonable to me the two year extension I was paying for would begin the following year. The store didn't see it that way. I declined the extended warranty and left with a bad taste in my mouth.

Last Christmas my wife, Lana, bought a toy for our seven-year-old grandson that cost around $45. At the register she was offered an extended warranty. Now first off, I don't want an extended warranty for a kid's toy. If the thing happens to make it to New Year's Day, the kid has probably already lost interest, so having it repaired would seem useless.

Second, I don't want to pay half the price of a toy to keep it going. If it broke, would I have to pay for shipping to return it to the factory? Not a good investment.

Some years back I bought a fairly expensive heat and cool window air conditioner and sure enough I went with the extended warranty I was urged to purchase by the salesman. In a year and a half the thing broke. When I notified the store that sold it to me, they said I should bring it in.

When I bought the thing I nearly had a hernia bringing it home. I wasn't about to remove the mounting and leave a hole in the wall. After I complained for a month or so, they sent out a repairman.

Now you may know these days a window A/C is pretty much a throw-away product. Seldom are they repaired and there are few who will attempt it. The fellow turned it on and found no cool air coming out. Finally they delivered me a new unit, but the whole thing was nothing but frustrating.

Another problem I have is trying to keep track of the register tape that tells I bought an extended warranty. Have you searched for a cash register tape only to find it blank? I know you have. A couple decades ago retailers began printing receipts with disappearing ink.

I have a friend who keeps an elaborate file with all his warranties and immediately copies all his receipts. Geez, I have a life. I have fish to catch, I can't devote my life to that kind of stuff. Oh well, once more I am left to long for the good old days when products performed as advertised. We didn't need any extended warranties then.

Dan Smith is on the board of directors of the Motor Racing Heritage Association and is the author of two books, “The World’s Greatest Beach” and “I Swear the Snook Drowned.” Email questions and comments to fishwdan@att.net or call (386) 441-7793.

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