Thoughts on extended warranties?

[ThrowingChicken]

Note: I wanted to put this in off topic but I don't have access, so this seamed the next best spot.

I am looking into this set up - Samsung PN50B550 HDTV + Hook-up Kit + Power Protection + Calibration + Tilt Mount |BeachCamera.com and that online store is pushing an extended warranty plan from Mack. The warranty cost $115 and covers the set for 3 years after the manufactures' warranty ends, seems pretty standard, but I've been finding negative review after negative review about Mack (example - Mack Warranty - Bad Experience - Beware of these guys - Photo.net Filter, Bags, Tripods and Accessories Forum ). So I went looking for other companies that specialize in product warranties and found two places that caught my eye, one being TV Extended Warranty and Extended Service Plans at DTV Express - Front Projector Warranties and the other being squaretrade.com

DTVexpress.com offers a 3 year warranty for $118. The company has been around for about 12 years and I've read is partnered up with another company that has been around for 2 decades. They also get a good rating from this organization - BBB Review of DTV Express in Atlanta, GA but other than that, I know little about them.

Squaretrade.com seems relatively new, though their website claims they have been around for 10 years, and their 3 year warranty is $175, but the consumer reviews have been amazingly positive.
This website gives Squaretrade a 9.43/10 with 182 reviews - SquareTrade - squaretrade.com - Reviews, Ratings and Prices at ResellerRatings
And this site gives them 4.5/5 out of 631 reviews - SquareTrade Inc Reviews. Buying guides & consumer product reviews at Epinions.com
As well as this thread where people are giving them lots of love - Experience with SquareTrade warranty (vs manufacturers)? - Tablet PC Forums, Discussion and Support

So does anyone here have experience with these companies or extended warranties in general? Is there a better option out there? It seems that a few years ago most people considered extended warranties to be a rip off, but as manufacturers started to tighten up their warranties it I hear more praise for the extended package.

 

[Hefemeister]

Here is what I would do. Take the money you would have spent on an extended warranty and put it in a savings account. Do this for all electronics you buy. When one of them breaks after the manufactures warranty expires then use this money to replace it.

Electronics will generally fail early while still under warranty or well after any extended warranty expires.
They are a total scam in my book.

 

[-RockMan-]

Normally I would say take it to a normal authorized repair shop and have it fixed or you fix it, but don't bother with extended warranties.
All it would do is cause hassles and nightmares and we should all know that most companies never keep their word especially when a item is discontinued over some years or a malfunctioning parts they screwed up on.