I’ve had the same type of coffeemaker for 5 years running. About 18 months ago, the carafe started leaking, so I checked if the manufacturer would replace it. Nope, they said, the carafe is an accessory, and accessories have no warranty coverage. A new carafe costs half as much as the entire machine, so I just bought another one.

Fast forward to this week, and the new unit has a different problem: it shuts off either right before or right after the end of the brew cycle, so the just-brewed coffee gets cold a few minutes later. The only way to make it work again is to unplug it from the wall. So I called the manufacturer and asked how to exchange it. They said I would have to pay them to mail me a new one, and then pay to send the old one back. A lot of companies make you send broken stuff back on your dime, but a charge for sending out a new one? That’s adding insult to injury.

I’m guessing the company in question spends almost nothing on warranty claims, since their warranties are all but useless. And as for my coffeemaker saga, I gave up on this brand, and bought a different make and model that cost only $20. For less money and time than I would have spent mailing back my old unit, I’ll be getting a brand new coffeemaker. I’m done with that other manufacturer for good. So when you look at it that way, I guess their decision to be cheap about warranties isn’t so smart, after all.