The short answer? Almost never.

But yes if there is a good chance you might actually claim on the so-called extended warranty. For a high use must-have like a laptop computer, for example. Apple offers a fantastic extended warranty service. It ain’t cheap, but it is good.

On a Canon camcorder, however, beware.

Firstly, the Canon 1-year warranty is terrible. In Canada, at least, the service departments cannot keep up with the high volume of broken Canon products. They kept a camcorder of mine for 3-months, for example, without expressly extending the warranty.

A friend bought the extended warranty at London Drugs. When he made a claim, London Drugs told him he had to ship his Canon camcorder at his expense to a shop in Victoria, B.C. — the nearest authorized repair shop — over 1000 miles away.

Lessons learned: