New TCL TV Guide to the Best Extended Warranty

TCL is a relatively young and lesser-known brand in the television market, but it’s making waves in recent years. TCL is a splashy newcomer that’s highly value-oriented. Its entire lineup is smart TVs, and the company made a smart choice in using the Roku TV OS in all its televisions. Roku’s OS is lightweight and familiar, giving users a speedy and straightforward smart TV interface that’s consistent across the lineup.

TCL’s lineup isn’t huge, but they have a number of impressive models to choose from. If you’re curious about the differences between the various TCL models and lines, check out a detailed review from RTINGS.

If you’ve recently picked up a new TCL TV, it’s a good idea to pick up a TV extended warranty to go with it. Doing so is the best way to protect yourself from the risk of your TV having a problem that the manufacturer won’t cover.

But which extended warranty plan should you choose? There are many out there, and the store you bought your TV from may try to sell you one directly. Below, you’ll find an honest comparison of some of the top players. By the end, you’ll see why Upsie is the clear winner.

SquareTrade has been around for years now. It used to be a young upstart that promised uncomplicated, reliable coverage at surprisingly low cost. At the time, its approach was revolutionary. But you really don’t see the older gimmicky warranties anymore, and that’s caused SquareTrade to lose its biggest point of differentiation.

The company was also acquired by AllState, and it seems like their rates aren’t as competitive as they used to be. SquareTrade’s TV warranty plan covers most forms of component failures and defects, with one notable exception: the company doesn’t cover screen burn-in.

The company offers a two-year plan that isn’t exorbitant, but it’s far from the least expensive option on the market. The company also offers four years of protection, usually for around double the two-year plan price. Also, coverage is limited to new televisions purchased in the last 30 days.

SquareTrade offers 24/7 customer service and offers on-site service where possible.

Best Buy is one of many retailers that will offer you a protection plan at the register. Most of these store-based warranty programs are kind of meh, but Best Buy’s Geek Squad Protection Plan stands out from the rest.

Like most extended warranties, this one covers just about any mechanical or functional problem that develops with your TCL TV – including screen burn-in. Best Buy even claims to protect against failures due to normal wear and tear, though not accidental damage. Dead pixels are under warranty, as long as you have three or more of them.

Best Buy pushes a high level of in-home service (on TVs larger than 42 inches, that is). You can get in-home service, including recalibration on high-end units.

Remote replacement is a nice touch, though it’s limited to one occurrence of the original remote, and only if it’s damaged – not merely lost.

There are some legitimately nice perks to the Geek Squad program, but they come at a cost. Of all the major extended warranty plans, this one is the most expensive. And, of course, you can only purchase a Geek Squad plan on a TV you purchase directly from Best Buy, which limits the program’s appeal.

Geek Squad plans are available in two-year and five-year terms.

Upsie offers exceptional quality coverage at a surprisingly low cost. Like the Best Buy plan, Upsie’s plans cover the same sorts of component failures and mechanical problems, including screen burn-in and dead pixels. There is no deductible for Upsie’s TV coverage including two, three and  five year protection plans.

Upsie doesn’t care where you bought your TV from, and the company offers a generous timeframe for starting coverage. You can purchase coverage up to 11 months after your new TV purchase, giving you much longer to decide if you want a warranty or not.

Upsie covers in-home and local certified repairs based on the size of your TV. You can even request to take your TCL TV to your favorite repair store!

Repairs are available up to the purchase price. If the TV cannot be effectively repaired on the first claim, Upsie will replace it or issue a check for the purchase price.

Upsie offers all this at an impressively low price. In one recent comparison, Upsie’s coverage cost just 67% of what Best Buy was charging for the same TV!

Ready to get protected with the best extended warranty for TCL TVs? Get started right now!