To buy or shun the extended warranty for a laptop computer?

Q. Should I get an extended warranty for a laptop computer? The stores are pushing one thing, and individuals are telling me not to bother. I don't know which way to go.

A. Probably not.

Consumer Reports has long advised consumers not to buy extended warranties on most electronics, saying that products do not typically break within the period covered. Most devices come with a yearlong manufacturer's warranty, and even if a device breaks after that, repairs could cost as much as the extended warranty - or might not be covered at all.

Eric Arnum, the editor of WarrantyWeek.com, is less dismissive but advises customers to ask questions and find out exactly what they are buying.

First, what does the warranty cover? Salespeople may paint a frightening picture of all that can go wrong, but many extended warranties do not cover accidental damage or normal wear and tear.

That means a manufacturing defect would be covered, but if you drop the laptop, spill coffee on the keyboard, or expose it to the elements with disastrous effects, you may be out of luck.

If you're still determined to buy one, Arnum says people should ask what happens if the computer breaks.

Can it be returned to the store, or will it be shipped to a third party? Who pays for the shipping? What is the "lemon clause" - meaning how many times will they try to repair the computer before they give up and replace the device?

And finally, how long will they keep it while they are fixing it?

"I frequently hear about the same defect coming up again and again and again, and somebody saying: over the course of nine months, they had their computer for two weeks and it never worked," Arnum said.

As a rule of thumb, he said, an extended warranty - even an expensive one - should cost no more than 25 percent of the purchase price, unless it includes accidental damage protection.

"You don't have time to read the contract" when they offer it to you in the checkout line, Arnum said.

"You're assuming they'll do the right thing. And I think a lot of people are disappointed," he said.

Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com.