Compact Digital Camera Purchase

My daughter will be married Memorial Day Weekend 2011.  She moved to London in December of 2008 and took with her a new Fuji digital camera she received from me for Christmas that year.  She was visiting us just last weekend for her bridal shower when she wanted some pictures captured at the shower.  I asked where was her camera, to which she told me it was broken.  Now it seems to me that these compact consumer digital cameras have a life expectancy, or is it planned obsolesce, of only a year or two at the maximum.  Plus it really doesn't pay to have anything repaired because it will probably cost the same to replace with a more technically advanced camera.


Over the years, I have purchased compact digital cameras for both my daughters from several retailers.  I purchased from office supply, audio/electronic, discount and camera stores.  None of the cameras lasted any longer than the other.  However, I have found that one store in particular has a better extended service plan than the others.  This plan is a 3 Year Replacement Plan for a Camera/Camcorder $50 - $99.99.  It costs 20% of the camera price.  


What is covered: This Plan covers reimbursement for your product in the event the product fails due to defects in workmanship and/or materials, normal wear and tear, failure due to dust, heat, humidity and failures manifesting from power surges. We will reimburse you for replacement of the product with a check, voucher or shopping card, at our discretion, for the original purchase price of your product, including taxes, as indicated on your receipt, when required due to a breakdown as defined above, including those failures experienced due to dust, heat, humidity, normal wear and tear, and power surges, which are not covered under any insurance policy, or any other warranty or replacement plan.  

Term of Coverage: Three Year Replacement Plan.  The term of the Replacement Plan 

coverage begins immediately following the expiration of the manufacturer’s labor warranty and remains in effect unless cancelled or fulfilled pursuant to the provisions below for a period of one or three years depending on the Plan you purchased. Our obligations under this Plan will be considered fulfilled if we provide you with a replacement product, a check, voucher, or shopping card for the original product purchase price of your product, including taxes as indicated on your sales receipt.

I think this is a no brainer!  I have purchased and use the plan once and it is well worth the price.  I am not earning any income from this, at all.  Don't get me wrong if they wanted to pay me I would happily take the money.  As a stubborn principle, I don't even like to shop at this store because of their labor relations with their employees.  In any event I will tell you the name of the store because this is such a great deal.

Walmart

Picture from the Kodak Website

If you click on the link above you will see the camera I expect to purchase for my daughter.  Add the camera to your cart then add the replacement plan to see the details.  

Kodak sent me an email just the other day with a Mother's Day deal to purchase the same camera.  Kodak's price was higher than Walmart's price.  Plus Kodak was to add shipping.  If I pick the camera up at a Walmart store there is no shipping and I can inspect the package at the store for damage and leave it there if it needs to be returned saving me return postage.

I guess I need a case, memory card.....,too.  I never get off cheap.