Extended warranties: do you need one?

By Gadget Rivals Editorial Team · Published 20 October 2026

What extended warranties and product insurance cover, how they overlap with your free legal rights, questions to ask before buying, and cheaper alternatives.

When you buy a TV, laptop or washing machine, you will often be offered an extended warranty or insurance at the checkout. Sometimes it is worthwhile; often it duplicates protection you already have for free. This guide explains how to decide.

What you already have for free?

Your statutory rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods from a trader must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, and that includes being reasonably durable. If something fails because of a fault present when you bought it:

• within 30 days, you can usually reject it for a full refund;
• within six months, the fault is presumed to have been there at the start, unless the retailer proves otherwise, and you are entitled to a repair or replacement;
• you can claim for up to six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland from when you discover the problem), though after six months you may need to show the fault was there at purchase.

These rights are against the retailer, not the manufacturer.

The manufacturer's guarantee

Many products come with a manufacturer's guarantee, often one or two years, sometimes longer. It is in addition to your statutory rights. Register the product if required.

Credit card protection

If you paid by credit card for an item costing more than £100 and up to £30,000, section 75 makes the card provider jointly liable for breaches of contract, including faulty goods.

Home insurance

Your contents policy may cover accidental damage, or offer it as an add-on, and personal possessions cover can protect items outside the home.

Your contents policy may cover accidental damage, or offer it as an add-on, and personal possessions cover can protect items outside the home.

What an extended warranty adds?

• cover for breakdowns not caused by an original fault, such as wear and tear (check, as many exclude it);
• accidental damage, if included;
• convenience: a quicker repair or replacement process without having to argue about whether a fault was present from the start;
• cover for loss or theft, for some gadget policies.

Questions to ask before buying

1. What does it cover that I don't already have? Compare with your statutory rights, the manufacturer's guarantee and home insurance.
2. What's the total cost compared with the price of the product? Paying a large share of the item's price for cover is rarely good value.
3. What's excluded? Wear and tear, cosmetic damage, batteries and accessories are often excluded.
4. Is there an excess?
5. Will it repair, replace or pay out, and with what (new, refurbished, or the current value)?
6. Who provides it? Check the insurer or provider is authorised by the FCA if it is an insurance product.
7. Can I cancel? You usually have a cooling-off period for insurance products, and you don't have to buy at the checkout: you can often buy later or elsewhere.

When it can make sense?

• Expensive items you rely on heavily and couldn't afford to replace quickly.
• Products with a history of costly repairs.
• Accident-prone situations, such as children and tablets, if accidental damage is included.

Alternatives

• Put the money you would have spent on the warranty into savings for repairs.
• Check whether your home insurance or bank account includes gadget cover.
• Choose products with longer manufacturer guarantees.

If you already have one

Check you are not paying for overlapping cover, and cancel what you don't need. If a claim is refused unfairly, complain to the provider and then, for insurance products, the Financial Ombudsman Service.

A worked example

Suppose a £600 laptop comes with a one-year manufacturer's guarantee, and you are offered three years' cover for an extra sum. In the first year, the guarantee and your statutory rights already cover faults. In years two and three, your statutory rights still apply to faults present from the start, though you may need evidence. What the warranty really adds is cover for later breakdowns and, if included, accidental damage, plus a simpler claims process. If your home insurance already covers accidental damage, the remaining benefit may be small. Weigh that against the price, and whether you could afford a repair yourself.

Sources and further reading

• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015
• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75
• Financial Ombudsman Service
• FCA: Financial Services Register

Facts checked on 20 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.