This doesn’t really have anything to do with extended warranties but i couldn’t find the admins email. just tried to order a 500 GB External Hard Drive, Its one of the online boxing day specials $119.00 CAD, pretty good deal right. well after about an hour waiting to get into the site and another hour waiting in a cue (isn’t one of the benefits of online shopping is you don’t have to wait in a line . Weather the line be in a brick and mortar or online, although i do understand they are very busy right now which is why i would forgive something so insignificant ) WELL when i finally got to the payment screen i entered my Payment info, which a portion of was gift cards recently received for x mas, Future Shop suddenly decides “Our Gift card payment option is temporarily unavailable. Pleas use a credit card or try again later.” Basically leave me to incur the full price including tax and shipping with came to about $140 odd and still having to go to there store to spend $100 in gift cards on their overpriced electronics i don’t even really want(till the next good game comes out for 360) . Great way to gouge me outta 100+ hard earned dollars (I’m a student/part time tech support….money is tight!). Does anyone actually think this is a valid technical issue with the website or just a convenient way of ripping off customers? Has Anybody else had an experience like this? Also i have the $100 spread over 3 gift cards and will also only let you use 2 gift cards at a time, how convenient future shop, just making me buy more of your overpriced goods. way to screw your loyal customers (I Live in Newfoundland, there are not very many major electronics chains around here so options are limited on where to purchase quality brand name electronics)………..Update(kinda): tried again an hour after the first attempt, guess what “Our gift card payment option is temporarily unavailable. Please use a credit card or try again later.” their goods are so overpriced you’d think they would be able to afford enough IT staff to prevent something like this lol.

Left by burton420 on December 25th, 2007

Also i have the $100 spread over 3 gift cards and will also only let you use 2 gift cards at a time, how convenient future shop, just making me buy more of your overpriced goods.

Well if they will only let you use 2 cards at a time they suck even more now!

Update(kinda): tried again an hour after the first attempt, guess what “Our gift card payment option is temporarily unavailable. Please use a credit card or try again later.” their goods are so overpriced you’d think they would be able to afford enough IT staff to prevent something like this lol.

I know I had a bad time with thier gift cards before.

Left by Admin on December 27th, 2007

After reseaching this I have found this information on thier web site.
http://www.futureshop.ca/informationcentre/EN/faqs_giftcard.asp?logon=&langid=EN

How many Gift Cards can I use at a time?
If you are using only Gift Cards, you may use up to 3 cards.

If you are using a credit card, you may use one (1) credit card plus up to two (2) Gift Cards

But do they post this information where they sell the cards ? NO they do not and this is very bad biz!

Left by Admin on December 27th, 2007

You can go up to any sales guy/girl or customer service and get them to combine your cards. Got them to do it for me. Just ask em if they’re seasonal first cuz the seasonals wont usually know how to do it. Got them to do it for me. Used 6 gift cards into one, no problems.

Left by iknoweverything on December 28th, 2007

I re-read through the rest of your story and to be honest, for the price of the warranty you got a new laptop. I understand how you feel BUT if your freind did not have that warranty he would have had to spend a lot more money. The only place I am concerened is why the motherboard and cpu had to be replaced. If they’re truly was a motherboard problem then yes the warranty was definately worth it in this case because myself being a technician as well me and you both know how much laptop motherboards can go for (unless you ebay and get lucky). If your freind did not have the warranty he would have had to pay for the harddrive, motherboard and cpu. I would have rather been scammed and gotten the warranty. Its only logical in this specific case, but not always.

Left by iknoweverything on December 28th, 2007

if you hate future shop so much, why do you let google place FS ads on your website? where are the staplessucks, visions sucks, walmartsucks, thesourcesucks.coms? big retaliers are all the same.

Left by willow on December 31st, 2007

if you hate future shop so much, why do you let google place FS ads on your website? where are the staplessucks, visions sucks, walmartsucks, thesourcesucks.coms? big retaliers are all the same.

Left by willow on December 31st, 2007e

futureshop.com and futureshop.ca are blocked via adsense from showing here

Left by Admin on December 31st, 2007

I bought a $1000 digital camera with the 3 year extended warranty about 2 1/2 years ago. Just recently took the camera to Hawaii where it worked sporadically. when I returned I took it into the camera shop that does warranty work for FS. FS turned down the estimate to repair because “its water damage” and that isn’t in the warranty eligible claims, but that I could pay for the repair myself. No one at the 800 663 2275 # will respond at the manager level.

According to the paperwork I received when I paid for the camera and the PSP, it doesn’t cover accidental or intentional physical damage,I spilled liquids….but they seem to be talking about another extended warranty description found only on their website???!!!!

How can FS assure us customers “peace of mind” etc. etc. when they have knowingly misled the customer?? They need to change the written material in those warranties people buy to spell out exactly what they will cover and won’t….all the advertised “coverage” is certainly glorified and so far from the truth!!

What I would like at the least is a camera cleaning – I’m hoping whatever damage done to the camera in a humid environment isn’t permanent. When you think of how much money they rake in with the PSP and then deny as many claims as possible. I’m surprised a class action lawsuit hasn’t been started. From the sounds of people on this site – there’s been way worse treatment of customers than my experience.

Left by 10inkyfingers on January 10th, 2008

Warning Don’t buy software from Future Crap…..
They don’t take any software back even if it does not work.

I tried to return software that I paid 129 for two days later because it didn’t work and was told to call the manufacture as they don’t take it back.

Talk about customer service I left them the software and they basically riped me off for 129 dollars.

Lesson learned …..

Left by timbre on January 16th, 2008

Yes Futureshop is a scam. I bought an HP desktop a Christmas gift for my kids on Dec. 2006. I hooked it up in Jan. After one week it started missing up, you can not be on it for more 3 hours. So I brought it back to futurecrap and I asked if I can exchange it. And they refused because they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. I told them everything what it was doing. My whole screen would have lines all the way through it and then it would go to a black screen that says : enter system disk. Will I know I am no computer wiz but I figured it would be the hard drive. By the 4th time I brought it to them then they said that it was the hard drive. But by now its to late for an exchange, which is not surprising with them. So they fixed it but I am still stuck with a defective item. Because after about 6 months it started acting up again. It had a mind of its own, it would work one day, then the next day it wouldn’t. So I bring it back 2 weeks after the warranties done. They told me that they misdiagnosed it back in April 2007. Now they are saying that its the motherboard, they also told me back in April that their was a recall with this item. They still refused to exchange it, after telling me that. They lie to their customers and their policy is crap, they go against their policy. Their technicians do not know anything. How can you not know what is wrong with a computer. My computer is still at futurecrap since Jan.2 2008. They refuse to fix it and so does HP. Futurecrap screwed up and they will not own up to their mistakes. I will be taking my business elsewhere, I just hope people will stop going their. I must of spent about $1000.00 of extended warranty for other products from their, that I have never used. I spent so much money their, its not funny. And then when you have a problem with an item this is how they treat you. The whole place is crap.

Left by paul on January 23rd, 2008

Are you kidding me? I love the extended warranty I get at Future Shop. Sure some people have had problems with it, but the ratio of horror stories to the amount of people who didn’t get screwed over is low on your side.
Your friend who didn’t buy the warranty was an idiot not to. You say he’s getting scammed out of $159 and they wanted $99 for a new warranty? I say pay the damn thing, you’re getting a brand new laptop for $99 don’t f*cking complain. Of course the warranty is going to end on the old laptop, it’s only good for that specific serial number. You’ve obviously never had any experience in sales in your life or else you would know things like that. Your friend bought the warranty and ended up needing it, did he not? How do you know that you were right that it was only the hard drive and not a collaboration of different problems that was affecting the computer.
Future Shop isn’t going to try and screw you over or else they lose business, and with so many other big box retailers out there they’re not going to want to lose business to places like Wal-Mart, Costco or The Source.
What I’m trying to say is that just because your Future Shop treated you like crap doesn’t mean that they all do. I’ve bought many a warranty from Future Shop and everytime something of mine breaks I bring it in and they fix it for me. Besides if they can’t fix it in three months you get a new one anyways. I don’t mind paying for another warranty, electronics can be pretty sketchy, and trust me trying to deal with the manufacturer is a hell of a lot worse than dealing with Future Shop.

Left by ThatOne on February 13th, 2008

In response to your rant the Futureshop warranty did exactly what it said:
1) if they can’t repair it or it will take longer than 2 months they will replace it for you
2) gave you free parts / free repair / diagnostic

Your friend got exactly what he paid for; the Futureshop warranty for computers basically says if they can’t repair it then they will replace it. I don’t know WHAT you are griping about considering your friend got an updated system by paying that $159 other than paying for a repair, diagnostic, parts and possibly waiting even longer AND THEN buying a brand new system.

In all fairness what warranty renews itself over a new system? Your friend bought the warranty and used it, to its full extent and was asked if he wanted a new one thats all.

And yes salespersons DO make most comission off of the warranty but its a job. You are paid to do certain things and in this case they are paid to sell.

AND ALSO in response to 10inkyfingers’ post, the warranty says they will replace it or repair it from anything other than physical damage. What company in their right mind would allow physical damage to be part of their warranty; people would be kicking their lap tops/tvs/cameras front right and center!
Water damage is your fault not the manufacturer’s or part of the camera’s defectiveness.

Left by superflyy on February 14th, 2008

We took our laptop at Future Shop in for a “random and intermittent freezing” type problem in the beginning of January. Basically, the unit would freeze, hard, non-responsive, while doing almost anything or even while doing nothing.

Almost two months later now, we’ve had it back (and forth) 5 (FIVE) times for service. They are not willing simply Do The Right Thing (in my mind) and replace the unit.

They’ve witnessed the problem themself (we drove back to the store last time while it was still frozen hard so they could see it) but they claim they can’t reproduce it to fix it.

They’ve made excuses ranging from “it’s software” (they’ve completely reformatted to their own specifications and it will freeze when we’re not even doing anything) to “it’s your wireless router at home” (it freezes when offline or at other locations and nothing else freezes when connected to our router).

Of the 5 service incidents we’ve had in 2 months, only 2 were apparently considered “major incidents” though all five are documented. This is apparently what prevents them from Doing The Right Thing and simply replacing the unit.

We’ve been without our laptop for nearly two months. We paid for the piece of mind of the PSP up front and now, near the end of the PSP’s life cycle when we really need the piece of mind, they are simply not seeing or hearing things clearly.

Can anyone offer advice? The laptop is back in their hands again. God knows what they’re doing with it this time. Yes, they’ve given us another low-grade open box loaner (without software).

Two months. Five returns. No results. Help!

Left by vancouverguy on February 29th, 2008

Well hopefully they take a little longer and you can make the 2 month claim and failing them doing that you can go to the insurance company and file a claim. I know it sucks I had a hard time getting them to replace my desktop and they replaced the motherboard 3 times

Of the 5 service incidents we’ve had in 2 months, only 2 were apparently considered “major incidents” though all five are documented. This is apparently what prevents them from Doing The Right Thing and simply replacing the unit.

Replacement Guarantee: If a repair takes us longer than 60 days to complete, we will replace it with a product of comparable performance or issue a store credit for the original purchase price at our discretion and subject to the limitations noted in the ‘Coverage’ and ‘Replacement Product’ sections above. The 60 day service period begins when the product arrives at the Future Shop store or authorized service location and ends when we make the product available to you for pick up. The Plan will immediately be deemed fulfilled and will end on the date of the replacement or issuance of a store credit for the original purchase price.

Important Consumer Information: This Product Service Plan is secured by a contractual liability insurance policy provided by American Bankers, 5160 Yonge Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M2N 7C7. If, within sixty (60) days we have not paid a covered claim or provided you with a refund, you may make a claim directly to the insurance company.

Left by Admin on February 29th, 2008

I think many people are missing the point here. Yes, it is true that he got a new computer. He likely even got another year of warranty (2 total) because of the manufacturer’s warranty with the new computer. And yes, FutureShop did fulfill their warranty obligations as per the policy.

However, new computer aside, let’s say I am a student and I budget for a new computer every 3 years (which is great because of FS’s 3 year warranty) and I have no other money set aside for this. All I want to do with this computer is type school docs and research.

So, I buy my new laptop and the 3 year extended warranty and my computer dies in a year. No problem, it’s covered by the plan. Then, due to my horrible bad luck, another year later (after the new comp’s manufacturer warranty expires), it dies again.

Great… all I wanted was a computer for three years. I had one year with the laptop I chose, then another year with an equivalent new laptop (which is probably not that much different because old models don’t go away that fast). Now I have a bit less than one year without a computer at all. It really doesn’t matter to me that they gave me a new laptop because now I don’t have one.

Again, I get it. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it… it’s right there in the print. It should just be made more clear, especially given that they receive so many complaints about it. I also understand that FS has to protect itself as well… you can’t keep going in to get a new computer every 3 months.

Something to keep in mind is that many Credit Cards offer an extra year as it is. So, in this case, maybe the FS warranty wasn’t even needed in the first place. If I ever see someone considering an extended warranty, I usually ask them to check their credit card policy and then come back and buy the warranty if needed.

I actually found this thread because I was searching for comments on the Gift Card debacle. I too have more than 3 gift cards and would like to purchase something online in combination with a credit card. On the card they do advertise that it is good online, but nowhere does it state that only 3 can be used (which is pretty dishonourable seeing as there is no reason to not accept more). As many mentioned, I know I can go into a store and purchase another single gift card, but the whole point of buying it online is that there is no futureshop out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

cheers.
~N.

Left by Nodiesop on March 2nd, 2008

Another thing I forgot to add… I find it amazing that in this day and age there is such a huge battle between the consumer and the manufacturer.

Manufacturers (most) stick to their 1-3 years warranties as the bible, even if they recognize that the problem was their own. Look at the Sony Wega KD-Series TV mainboard problem. (http://www.fixya.com/support/p486419-sony_fd_trinitron_wega_kd_36fs130_36_tv). I don’t care if I own the TV for 2 years or 10 years… if the problem was a blatant manufacturing error, it should be fixed. Sometimes I feel that “3 year warranty” actually means “3-year life expectancy”. Gone are the days where they just fixed the damn thing if it was their fault.

But I do understand that the consumer caused a lot of this with unjust warranty claims.

~N.

Left by Nodiesop on March 2nd, 2008

1st) Most companies’ “Warranties” aren’t FULL warranties they “limited warranties”.
EX. iPODS:
Apple covers:
battery – 60 days
screen – not at all
basic functions (being able to read, play songs and transfer data between computer and ipod) – 1 year
accessories – 90 days
shipping and handling – 6 months.

Future Shop’s warranty on the same product…
EVERYTHING for the duration of the purchased warranty (excluding of course PHYSICAL damage and WATER damage) because they aren’t the product’s fault.
So really, big difference!

Also the whole credit card extending the warranty for an additional period of time is true. BUT, it extends the manufacturer’s limited warranty. so basically if it adds another year to the lim. war. then it is doubling it. Meaning.

Double what you get.

battery – 120 days
screen – not at all
basic functions (being able to read, play songs and transfer data between computer and ipod) – 2 years
accessories – 180 days
shipping and handling – 1 year.

For free, not bad, but still not that great!

OH AND BTW! same terms on any item with PSP!

Covers everything except physical damage and water damage.

3rd) Directed to “Paul”’s comments.
If the screen has lines, it’s probably no the hard-drive. also, you could have just said it’s broken, within the first 30 days, and either gotten a new one, or your money back. Instead you chose to be a dick. Lets face it. Even if you are going to help the perosn out, but then they are an ass right away, you don’t really wanna help them, or atleast nicely. But you know, almost all FS employees, unless of course they aren’t good ones, will still be nice to you and respectful despite you being an asshole.

So if you really are dumb enough to believe stupid bitter hypocrits that know fuck all, then really you might wanna do some ore research before you buy anything.

2nd) The gift card thing.
Ask a cashier, most if they aren’t new, can combine the gift cards for you, and are willing to. Online unfortunately you can only use three at a time same as in store, which sucks if like that one person is”in the middle of the pacific ocean”.
Also the page that the admin showed about the gift cards is exactly accurate and isn’t hiding anything. One thing that is also better than most online purchasing, you don’t get charged credit card or gift card until your product is shipped. Most places will charge you as soon as you make the order, and then have to contact them to issue a refund if you choose you don’t want the product, even if it hasn’t been shipped.

Left by futureshopsucks.comisajoke on June 4th, 2008

“According to the paperwork I received when I paid for the camera and the PSP, it doesn’t cover accidental or intentional physical damage,I spilled liquids….but they seem to be talking about another extended warranty description found only on their website???!!!! ”

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!?
It is documented, doesn’t cover physical damage AND LIQUID = WATER DAMAGE!!!!

If you spilled liquids, that isn’t covered. IT’S NOT THE CAMERA’S FAULT OR FS’S, IT’S YOU CLUMSY ASS’S!

Also, some people her don’t realize as well. Sales people make the HIGHEST % off of warranties, but that doesn’t mean they really make a whole lot of money off of it. If I were to sell you a $100 warranty, I would make roughly $10. Not bad, bud considering I could sell you $100 speakers and make $8 more. Well let’s see here, that’s a whole 80% MORE profit now isn’t it. So really PSP and PRP is not a scam.

also anything under $200 is PRP. which is replacement.
Same coverage. meaning you have a problem, it gets EXCHANGED! or you get sent a gift card for the amount you paid, so you can buy the same thing again, or something else you might want more.

Also, FS doesn’t make that much money off the waranties. It costs more for FS to repair something than it does for you to buy PSP. So if you need to use the warranty, then you are costing FS more money than the warranty made them. And those who buy PSP with their product, and never need to use the PSP, then they are still satisfied because they have a good product.

Left by futureshopsucks.comisajoke on June 4th, 2008

[...] Future Shop Sucks Blog Archive Extended warranty at FutureShop18 Responses to Extended warranty at FutureShop sucks big time!.. Also the whole credit card extending the warranty for an additional period of time is [...]

Left by Futureshop Credit Card on June 26th, 2008

My family and I have been Future Shop customers for many years because we’ve always liked the store and the service. The computer I’m writing this on and all its peripherals were bought there. My ten-thousand-dollar home theatre downstairs was bought there. I expect I have about fifteen thousand dollars worth of items bought at Future Shop, most of it purchased within the last three years. When I bought these items, I usually bought the extended warranty with them.
About three and a half years ago, I bought a pair of full-size stereo headphones for $50, along with a four-year warranty for an extra twenty bucks. I’ve used them at least twice a day on average ever since–at least 2,500 times in the intervening period. No one else has ever used them.
The other night I slipped them on and I felt a “give” on the right side, and, when I removed them, the right earphone fell away from the headband. The plastic headband had broken. No problem, I thought. I think I bought an extended warranty with them. I dug out my warranty and found it had about 6 months to go. Hooray! I drove over to the Future Shop and went to the service counter with my receipt and my broken headphones and I explained what happened to the young woman there. Her immediate response was that the warranty “doesn’t cover breakage”. I was rather astounded by this unexpected statement. I just said, “you’re kidding.” She wasn’t. When I protested she took out the contract and read it to me. I head the words “normal use” and I told her that it did cover them because they broke as a result of normal use. She went and got the manager.
The manager looked at them and shook his head. “They’ve been bent outwards,” he said. I didn’t understand what he meant, quite. Not right away. He went on to point at the break and talk, but I never quite took in what he was saying. (I didn’t think of this then, but plastic will break if it has a flaw in it and it’s put on thousands of times. It’s put under stress when it’s put on and stays under stress until it’s taken off. And I believe it’s subject to fatigue, just like metal.) But I simply said that they broke when I put them on and that no one else ever used them. No use. He chose not to believe me, even though I told him I was a retired Colonel (i.e. a man of honor).
I don’t care about the measly fifty bucks or the wasted warranty. The other day I spent more than that to help out a school for poor kids in India. No, it’s not the money. It’s the insulting implication that I deliberately broke those earphones to get a new pair for nothing. He was really calling me a thief. He might as well have accused me of shoplifting. I was and still am incensed by this awful thing. So beware, if you buy an extended warranty, it may happen that it will be thrown out and you may be called a thief. And they are the authority. You have no power except to go to court to clear yourself. I really am a retired Colonel in my seventies and you only have to look at me to know that I’m not capable of the sort of thing they implied by refusing to honor my warranty. At the time I didn’t wish to argue with him about it. I found the whole business so strange and squalid; I just wanted to get out of the place. That night I had a hard time getting to sleep.
Later on I thought about taking the matter to small claims court, or perhaps taking it over to the Better Business Bureau, but it would just be putting salt in the wound. I prefer the tranquil life in my old age, so I want nothing further to do with Future Shop.
In the interest of a full disclosure, I should add that I did eventually put a post on the official Future Shop forum about what happened and a F.S. spokesperson did apologize and offer to straighten things out if I went into the store with the earphones, but the whole thing is so penny-ante and sordid that I just want to forget about it.
The experience has left a bad taste in my mouth and I had to get it off my chest. This is why I’ve posted my story here. Perhaps something can be learned from it—by customers and, maybe, by Future Shop.
I still think Future Shop is a good store, in general, but I doubt I’ll ever go through the doors again. I don’t wish to bad mouth the store over one incident, but of course I’ve told my family and my military and other friends about it. And now you who read this blurb. They and you can draw your own conclusions about the value of Future Shop Warranties and the risks attached thereto.

Left by M.Hat on April 10th, 2009

Warranties don’t cover abuse but they do cover cruddy product.

If you’re upset with the way Future Shop handles the claim, call the warranty Insurance Underwriter direclty: Assurant Solutions.

Assurant Solutions Kingston
1287 Gardiners Road
Kingston, Ontario K7P 3J6
Toll-Free: 800.550.2827

These guys do the warranty from the same call centre as The Bay, Best Buy, Zellers and more from Kingston Ontario. There is NO distinction between getting your warranty from one retailer vs another. Walmart is better priced, regardless of the product. Don’t purchase the warranty at FS, get it at Walmart.

Left by Vince411 on February 12th, 2010