You may or may not know this, but a number of credit card issuers automatically provide an extended warranty on most purchases. Take American Express, for example… Under their Buyer’s Assurance Plan, AmEx doubles the manufacturer warranty up to a full year, subject to certain limitations. So if the item in question has a six month manufacturer warranty, it’s covered for a year if you use your AmEx. If you’re on the fence about buying an extended warranty, this can be a great alternative. Read on for details…

Just keep in mind that not everything is covered. Here are some examples of things that are excluded:

• Items without a valid US warranty.
• Used, rebuilt, refurbished, or remanufcatured items.
• Motorized vehicles.
• Motorized devices that used for agriculture, landscaping, demolition, or construction.
• Animals or living plants. (Apparently dead plants are covered?)
• Consumable or perishable items. (So pot isn’t covered but other dead plants are?)
• One of a kind items that cannot be replaced.
• Products with warranties in excess of five years.

There are also a number of circumstances that are not covered, including:

• Natural disaster.
• War or hostilities of any kind (e.g., invasion, rebellion, or insurrection)
• Illegal activity or acts.
• Radioactive contamination.

So if you’re using your motor vehicle to steal nuclear reactor cores and it ends up getting hit by a tornado and contaminated with radiation, it’s quadruply not covered. But if you’re buying normal stuff for normal reasons, then this can be a great deal.