Do you buy the insurance when buying new furniture?

[Drake3287]

I hate this topic as much as buying an extended warranty on a new car. When you guys buy a new couch or chair do you buy the warranty for spill or fabric damage that they always try to sell? For the last 30 years or so every couch we've purchased we've purchased the insurance plan to cover stains and upholstery damage. BUT, in all these years we've never used it even once and I'm sure I've spent well over $2k dollars on this coverage. We're about to buy another new couch for around $2k and I know the stupid coverage they try to sell will come up.

Do most you people buy the coverage or do you simply roll the dice? Almost thinking of just saying no this time. It wouldn't hurt me financially to pay out of pocket for a repair but I'm just tired of always buying this used coverage. And yes, I realize it's no different than any type of insurance.

[kork13]

Not a chance in the world. As your experience has taught you, it rarely gets used sufficiently to justify the cost. Besides, I view most furniture as utilitarian. If my goal was to have immaculate, flawless furniture, I'd put it in a museum. But life doesn't work that way. Spills, tears, and other damage happens. I'll try to clean or fix it to the extent I can, but if a stain remains, so be it. Is it still comfortable to sit on with the family? Yes? I don't see a problem then.

[myrdale]

I would never consider buying insurance for a couch.

If it were that sort of couch there wouldn't be food or drink in the room.

Do some research for the particular spill and how to eliminate it.

[ua_guy]

We've never bought any upholstery insurance for our furniture. We really don't eat or drink a whole lot on our couches, no kids in the house, no unruly pets or guests.

[disneysteve]

Never. I don't buy extended warranties on anything with the occasional exception of a car.

Almost without exception, extended warranties are a scam. The companies often make more profit by selling the warranties than they make on the product itself. That's why they push them so hard.

[disneysteve]

Not furniture-related but on the topic of extended warranties. We just ordered a Chanukah present for our daughter on ebay. It is a plastic Marvel figure. About 4 inches tall and comes in a cardboard box. The item was $19.99. At checkout, I had the option to buy a 1-year protection plan for $2.99 or a 2-year plan for $4.99. What idiot would buy insurance on a $20 plastic toy? And pay 15% or 25% extra to do so.

I always remember going to Radio Shack years ago to buy a small printing calculator. I think it was $20 or $25. At checkout, they offered me the extended warranty for $4 or $5. I can understand giving some thought to insuring a computer or some major electronic item like a big screen TV but not a cheap item like that.

[Drake3287]

Interesting to see that most people don't buy it, I'm leaning towards just saying no this time. Sort of similar, I've never purchased cell phone insurance and I've never broken or lost a cell phone in my life. At this point even if I lost my phone today I'd still be money ahead.