I found warranty love online

Would you like a warranty with that?

It's a question I hate with every fiber in my being, but I should get used to it, since it was being asked of shoppers before I was born and will be asked long after I'm gone. Still, my thinking is that if I'm shelling out money for a washing machine, a computer or what have you, shouldn't the manufacturer have enough confidence in their product that an expensive warranty to cover the life of the product isn't needed?

My reasoning isn't completely sound, though. I learned the importance of a warranty about two years ago when, during a lightning storm, my TV was blitzed. One minute, the kids were laughing at SpongeBob SquarePants, and the next minute, we were staring at a darkened TV. I was horrified, and despite several attempts to give my TV mouth-to-remote resuscitation, nothing I did would bring it back to life.

And several years ago, I learned that a warranty on a laptop can be a good idea in case your new dog decides to chew off a few letters on the keyboard.