“I got the Watch 5 Pro three years ago. Kept it clean, never dropped it, nothing ever happened to it. Then last week, the screen flickered and turned white. Last time I paid for nearly $480 and the repair of the screen cost $320. I mean that's ridiculous!! At this point, I might as well buy a new one.”
- A smart watch user on Reddit
Can you imagine that?
These tiny little sci-fi gadgets on our wrists, tracking our heart rate, sleep, stress, and even our mood were supposed to make life smarter. Yet somehow, they cost you more to fix and keep them alive when you don’t have a warranty.
Because once that warranty expires, or the damage isn’t covered, things get expensive - very dramatically.
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A user on reddit shared his experience-
“That's the sad part of these devices. Once the warranty is over the repair costs more than a new one.”
Yeah… he’s right though.
It makes you wonder if these devices are built to last or just long enough to make the next upgrade feel inevitable.
Across Apple, Samsung, and Garmin, smartwatch repairs now range between $150 and $500, depending on the model. For example, take the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44 mm) it’s selling for about $290 this Black Friday. The cost of a screen replacement? Around $225.
You decide for yourself whether that math makes any sense.
We all get excited when we see 20% off, 30% off, maybe even 45%. But what’s the point if you end up spending $300 a few months later because of one tiny mistake or a random failure?
And if you’re selling, can you really absorb that cost when tariffs and component prices are already making it hard to navigate this holiday season?
At that point, it’s not even about the deal anymore, it’s about what happens when things stop working. And honestly, it’s always cheaper to plan for it earlier than to panic later.
For every problem out there, there’s usually a way out.
So, before we get into what’s worth it and what’s not, let’s take a quick look at what each type of warranty actually covers, from transit to wear and everything in between.
Every smartwatch comes with a “1-year warranty covering manufacturing defects from the date of purchase.” - that’s your manufacturer warranty
The duration, though, depends on where and what you buy.
Simple enough, right? But that promise has its limits, and knowing those limits early can save you a lot of frustration later.
Even though the manufacturer warranty is there, it’s limited, of course, and intentionally so. And once it’s over, you’re pretty much on your own.
That’s why it makes sense to add that extra layer of protection with an extended warranty. Because, honestly, you don’t know when life brings a new tantrum.
Whenever you’re checking out, online or in-store, you’ve definitely come across it during checkout or had a salesperson ask-
"Would you like to add a Protection Plan: 2-Year Coverage for $57.99?
To be honest, that $58 feels like a lot in the moment. Most of us skip it without realizing that the same watch could cost around $250 to repair later.
We don’t really think about it, do we?
Yeah, extended warranty is basically a continuation of your manufacturer's warranty, something that keeps both your product and your pocket safe.
You pay a little upfront and save a lot when things go wrong later and it’s often cheaper than you think, sometimes starting at just $19 for a one-year plan.
So yeah, it helps especially when time does its thing and parts start wearing out.
And you may ask “Alright, factory flaws are sorted, but what about the accidental ones? The slips, the pets, gravity, or just plain bad luck?”
Hopefully, there’s coverage for that too.
We basically wear our smartwatches everywhere; at the gym, while running, swimming, even sleeping. And still, we’re all think, “Nothing’s going to happen to mine, I’m always careful.”
But did you know that around 30% of products face at least one failure incident within the first two years.
Yeah, it’s just a matter of time. That’s where accidental protection plans step in. They can start for as little as $30 a year and cover almost every “worst-case” moment your smartwatch might face.
For any of these to matter, your smartwatch has to make it home first, right? And the stakes are higher than most people realize, especially during the holiday season.
You know that moment when the website says “Delivered” but there’s nothing outside your door, or it arrives dead or broken? That mix of disbelief and rage hits all at once.
And it’s happening more than ever. According to a 2024 report, porch pirates stole about 12 billion dollars worth of packages in the past year, with 58 million Americans falling victim in just the last 12 months.
It always spikes around the holidays like Black Friday, Prime Day, and Cyber Monday when doorsteps start to look like free-for-all pickup zones.
That’s exactly why shipping protection exists. For as little as $5 per order, it keeps your order covered before it even reaches you.
And when something like this happens, it doesn’t just hurt the customer. It hits merchants just as hard.
Even with all the tracking tech and delivery networks out there, 92 percent of e-commerce merchants say they still lose money to lost, stolen, or damaged shipments. Big retailers can take those hits and move on. Smaller brands and independent sellers? Not so much.
Every lost package cuts into profit, slows operations, and chips away at trust, the one thing no store can afford to lose, especially during the holidays.
That’s why having a solid post-purchase plan matters just as much as your sales strategy.
At some point, warranties stopped being about fixing what’s broken and started being about staying steady when everything else isn’t.
Think about it.
For shoppers, it’s peace of mind knowing one bad day doesn’t have to turn into a $300 mistake.
For merchants, it’s stability and an extra stream of revenue. Because when you’re juggling shipping chaos, returns, and rising costs, the last thing you need is another unpredictable variable.
So, if you’re thinking about partnering with one, ask yourself:
At SureBright, we make sure that when things go wrong; shipping delays, broken screens, or porch pirates, you’re not left figuring it out alone.
Over 500+ brands and several 1,000s of customers trust SureBright to make warranties simple, affordable, and easy to manage, especially when everything else gets busier.
Need a hand this Black Friday/Cyber Monday to sell more Smart watches? Just say the word.
