Lowe’s is a popular retail store selling everything you need for your home including major appliances. Along with an amazing selection of appliances to choose from, Lowe’s also sells an extended warranty plan to give your appliances more coverage than the standard manufacturer’s warranty.
Like most things, the plan costs money, so it’s worth considering if the Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty is worth it.
What is the Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty?
Most appliances sold by Lowe’s come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. This covers manufacturer defects or issues, and not much else. After the manufacturer’s warranty expires, any issues the appliance has is your responsibility (and sometimes even before that).
With a Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty, you can extend coverage for your appliances for either 3 or 5 years. You’ll also get more coverage than the basic warranty covers.
Lowe’s sells their extended warranties on most major appliances including:
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Washing machines and dryers
- Microwaves
- Ranges and ovens
- Dishwashers
- Trash compactors
The warranty covers issues the manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t but there are many exceptions to what it covers. Make sure you understand the fine print before making a decision.
How Does it Work?
The Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty covers a variety of instances with your appliances including:
- Failure from normal use of the appliance
- Problems caused by a power surge
- Mechanical failure
- Damage caused by heat or dust
What Isn’t Covered?
It’s always important to look at what’s not covered with an extended warranty. Sometimes things you assume would be covered aren’t. Here’s what Lowe’s plans exclude:
- Accidental damage
- Intentional damage
- Routine maintenance
- Rust
- Damage due to lack of routine maintenance
- Damage from unauthorized repairs
The list of what they don’t cover is extensive. Accidents and routine maintenance are likely the two largest reasons you’d have a claim, but they wouldn’t be covered. The only true issue the warranty covers are the issues that occur from normal wear and tear but that usually takes at least a few years to occur you must pay for the plan upfront.
Features
Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty has a few unique features that are worth mentioning.
Payback Reward
If you buy the warranty but never have to use it, you can get a 30% refund of the price paid for it. You must do this by expiration or within 60 days after expiration to get the refund, though.
Keep it Running Reward
You may get 50% off any supplies that keep your appliances running such as water filters, cleaners, hoses, and any other supplies that keep your appliance in good condition. The benefit is worth a maximum of $100 every 12 months.
Restock your Food Reward
If your refrigerator or freezer fails and it’s for a covered reason, you’ll get a credit for up to $300 to restock the spoiled food you lost.
Reinstallation Labor
If your appliance isn’t repairable and must be replaced, this benefit covers the cost of reinstalling the appliance.
Repair Quick
Lowe’s promises to fix your broken appliance within 7 days. If they don’t, they’ll give you a $50 credit but this doesn’t include refrigerators and freezers and it doesn’t start until the manufacturer’s warranty ends.
How Long Does a Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty Last?
Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty Plans are available in two options – 3 or 5-year plans. The price of the plan varies based on the appliance’s cost and whether you choose a 3 or 5-year plan. Prices range from $24 – $389.
Can you get a Refund?
If you don’t like the Lowe’s Extended Warranty or have buyer’s remorse after buying it, you have 30 days from the date you purchased it to get a 100% refund. If you cancel the plan after the first 30 days, you’ll receive a prorated refund based on how long you’ve had the plan.
How to File a Claim
You can file a claim online or over the phone.
If you file online, use these steps:
- Log into your dashboard
- Choose ‘start a claim’
- Follow the instructions provided
If you’d rather talk to a person, you can call 1-888-77LOWES.
After you provide the details, a representative will determine if the issue is covered. If the issue is covered, they’ll schedule a contractor to come out and look at the appliance and attempt to fix it. If they cannot fix the item, they may offer a replacement or cash or store credit instead of a replacement.
Keep in mind that a replacement doesn’t always mean a brand-new appliance. It may be a rebuilt or refurbished product of similar quality and features.
Transferring your Lowe’s Extended Warranty
If you sell or give away your appliance while the warranty is still in place, you can transfer it. Just call your plan administrator to tell them the new owner’s contact information to have it transferred. There is no fee to transfer it.
Pros and Cons of the Lowe’s Extended Warranty
The Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty has pros and cons you should consider before spending money on it.
Pros:
- You may have peace of mind knowing that the cost to repair most ‘normal’ issues that are a result of normal use will be covered.
- You’ll have a professional sent by the warranty company to repair the issue.
- You might get a replacement if the issue isn’t repairable.
- You pay one premium upfront and then owe nothing for repairs or replacement if they cover the issue.
- You can transfer the warranty if you sell or give away the appliance within the warranty’s time frame.
Cons:
- There are a lot of ways ‘out’ of covering the appliance including if they can prove it was accidental damage.
- They can be expensive, especially for more expensive appliances.
- The manufacturer’s warranty takes precedence during the first year and that’s free.
- You may never have a use for the warranty.
How to Decide if a Lowe’s Warranty is Right for You
Deciding at the moment at the register if you need the Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty can be overwhelming. You’ll either immediately say ‘no’ or you might buy it and regret it later.
Here’s how to decide before you head to the store if you should buy one.
- Think about how long you typically keep appliances. Do you replace them before 3 or 5 years? If so, a warranty may not be worth it since most appliances won’t start acting up right away.
- Do you keep up with your required maintenance? If you aren’t great about staying on top of things, you might void your warranty because of the lack of maintenance.
- Are you accident-prone? If you’re one of those people that always have weird things happen to them, you might not want to spend the money on the warranty because accidental damage isn’t covered.
Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty FAQs
How do I contact someone about my Lowe’s Extended Warranty?
You should receive your warranty contract within 2 business days of buying it. On the contract, you’ll see the name and number of the plan administrator. This is your point of contact for everything about your warranty. If you don’t receive your documentation within 2 days, call 1-888-775-6937 to inquire about the status.
Does the Lowe’s Extended Warranty start after the manufacturer’s warranty expires?
The Lowe’s Extended Warranty starts immediately upon purchase. But anything that falls under the manufacturer’s warranty will be covered by it for the first year. Any issues you have outside of what’s covered under the manufacturer’s warranty will fall under the extended warranty right away.
What voids an extended warranty?
The Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty covers many occurrences, but certain things can void it. The largest issue is if they can prove the issue is due to a lack of proper maintenance. If you don’t properly clean or maintain the appliance, they can deny your claim.
Your warranty can also be voided if you made any unauthorized changes to the appliance or had unauthorized work done to it. The plan administrator can also deny claims if they can prove you intentionally caused the damage and/or it was caused by an accident versus normal use.
Final Thoughts – Is a Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty Worth It?
So should you buy a Lowe’s Appliance Extended Warranty?
Honestly, it doesn’t cover that much so it’s usually not worth it. There are too many ways they can get out of covering the issue. The only real issues covered are those that are truly from normal wear and tear. But what’s to say the plan administrator doesn’t call something accidental or blame you for not having proper maintenance done?
You’re better off saving the money and putting it aside for repairs when you need them. Find a quality contractor in the area that charges fair rates and work with him/her to repair your appliances. Some companies even have contracts you can buy that offer preventative services plus repairs when you need them. There aren’t ways out of the repairs either, so you know you’ll get the coverage you need.
