I am looking to purchase a Digital Rebel soon, I was wondering if a extended warranty is something I should consider or is it a waste of money?

OK let me ask it this way, Has anyone had any problems with their Rebel and wish they had the extended warranty?

Extended warranties are always a waste of money. Unless you need it. :)

Manufacturers offer them because they are money makers. But electronics, if it's going to break, will break in the first few weeks of use. That's why there are so many 30 to 90 day warranties on most goods and why they can safely offer "free" longer term warranties.

After one or two years, a product can start breaking due to mechanical defects because the owner did not properly care for it. This is why extended warranties are, sometimes, not offered at all.

I would think that, if a manufacturer offered a five year extended warranty on a product, that manufacturer is, essentially, betting it won't break while you are betting it will. But I'll bet the manufacturer has the statistics that say he'll win most of the time.

Remember, too, that when you buy an extended warranty that sometimes it is already covered for free up to two years and you pay for only three more, not five.

Out of all the products I've bought, I never buy extended warranties and only once wish I had. It cost me a hundred or so to get it fixed but I saved hundreds by not buying extended warranties on all the other products.

This is the same reasoning used by Consumer Reports.

Thank you Rob for the words of wisdom. I had not thought about it that way.