Our exploration of the online extended warranty offerings for computers and peripherals continues this week, in a perhaps unexpected direction. We found 184 data points of extended service contracts offered for computer keyboards and mice from online retailers.

In our previous installments in this "Service Contract Pricing" series, we found that the extended warranties that cost the largest proportion of the total product price tended to be for cheaper models. At the most extreme, we found several laptop and printer service contracts that actually cost more than the product itself: there was a $375 two-year extended warranty for a $300 laptop (125%), a $250 five-year extended warranty for a $200 laptop (125%), and a $60 five-year extended warranty for a $40 printer (150%).

This week, we found four extended warranties for keyboards and mice that cost more than the product price, three of which were from the same online retailer, HSN, with service contracts provided by Allstate. At the most extreme, we found a $43 two-year Extended Warranty Plan from Tech for Less, provided by Consumer Priority Service, for a $10 computer mouse. This extended warranty cost 410% of the product price. At a certain point, perhaps it's cheaper to just buy a new product if the old one breaks, but we admire the sustainability-minded consumers that might consider these plans. Or perhaps these are just coding errors. Nevertheless, these are real extended warranties that we found for sale.

For this survey, we collected data on 184 different keyboard and mouse extended warranty offerings, sold by 18 online retailers. These plans represented 10 obligor/ administrator teams, six underwriters, and 10 insurance groups.

Overall, the average computer accessory protection plan cost 26% of the total product price. This is a higher average for any product type in this series so far, greater than the average for laptops, printers, televisions, or game consoles.

Methodology

The 18 online retailers we surveyed were: Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, BJ's, BrandsMart, BuyDig, DataVision, eBay, Electronic Express, HSN, Micro Center, newegg, P.C. Richard & Son, Staples, Target, Tech for Less, and Walmart.

To collect the data for this survey, we collected data from the recommended results on the first pages of searches "keyboard" and "mouse" on each website. We also range sorted price low to high, and high to low, and recorded data points for the least expensive and most expensive computer accessory options. For each website, we attempted to capture the dynamics of the extended warranty pricing model.

We only collected data on new mice and keyboards, and excluded all refurbished, used, and open-box computer accessories.

Survey Results

Figure 1 shows the types of computer accessories represented by the 184 data points recorded in this survey.

99 of the extended warranties we found were for keyboards, 69 were for mice, and 16 were for keyboard and mouse bundles.

These computer accessories were from 23 different brands: Adesso, Apple, ASUS, AULA, Bytech, Corsair, Das Keyboard, Deco Gear, Dell, Delton, HP, HyperX, Inland, Keychron, KOGYAS, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, Razer, Redragon, RK Royal Kludge, SteelSeries, and wegear.

The most common brand was Logitech, which made the computer accessories for 105 of our data points. 51 of the Logitech models were mice, 42 were keyboards, and 12 were keyboard and mouse bundles.

Figure 2 shows the price ranges of the computer accessories surveyed.

28 units were $25 and under, 44 were between $25 and $50, 51 were between $50 and $100, 40 were between $100 and $200, and 21 were between $200 and $350.

The minimum price was $10, for mice from BuyDig and Tech for Less, and the maximum price was $340, for an Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro from BJ's.

The median computer accessory price from our survey was $70, and the average computer accessory price was $95.

Before we take a look at the length, pricing models, and coverage of the extended warranties, let's explore the administrators, obligors, and insurance groups represented in our survey.

Service Contract Administrators

Since the most common brand in our survey, Logitech, does not sell extended warranties on its own online shop, all 18 of the websites in the survey were third party retailers.

The most common extended warranty obligor/ administrator/ underwriter used by these online retailers was Allstate. Six retailers, B&H, BuyDig, eBay, HSN, Target, and Walmart, sold Allstate plans, with obligor CE Care Plan Corp., administrator SquareTrade Inc., and underwriter Allstate Insurance Company. Most of the Allstate plans did not cover accidental damage from handling (ADH), with the exception of a few of the offerings from HSN. We'll get into the nuances of which HSN plans covered ADH in our discussion of Figure 5.

Three retailers, Amazon, BJ's, and Staples, sold plans provided by obligor and administrator Asurion, with insurance underwriter Continental Casualty Company. The Amazon and BJ's plans did not cover ADH, while the Staples plans all did.

DataVision and Tech for Less bold sold plans provided by obligor and administrator Consumer Priority Service (CPS). The DataVision plans covered ADH, while the Tech for Less plans did not.

Best Buy sold Geek Squad plans, which use Best Buy's own repair network, but are provided by obligor and administrator AIG, using AIG-owned underwriters Illinois National Insurance Company and New Hampshire Insurance Company. Best Buy's Geek Squad Computer Accessory Protection plans all covered ADH.

Two local retailers with online shops, Electronic Express, based in Tennessee, and P.C. Richard & Son, based in New York, have their own in-house extended warranty programs.

Adorama sold plans provided by obligor and administrator Extend Warranty Services Corp., using underwriter Continental Casualty Company, which is owned by CNA Financial Corp. All the of the Adorama Protect Powered by Extend plans covered ADH.

Newegg sold plans provided by obligor and administrator Likewize Device Protection, LLC, using underwriter Universal Underwriters Insurance Company, which is owned by Zurich American Insurance Company.

Micro Center has its own service network, and is obligor and administrator of its extended warranties, using Virginia Surety Company, Inc., owned by Assurant, as the insurance underwriter.

And BrandsMart sold plans provided by Arch Capital Group, with obligor First Shield Consumer Service Corp., administrator ProtectALL USA, LLC, and underwriter Arch Insurance Company.

Service Contracts Surveyed

Now that we're familiar with the providers, Figure 3 shows the lengths of the 184 service contracts in this survey.

We found nine one-year protection plans, and 93 two-year plans. There were 72 three-year extended warranties.

After three years, the offerings for computer accessory protection plans steeply dropped off. We found just eight four-year plans, and two five-year plans.

Figure 4 details the start date of the extended service contracts. The majority started at the date of purchase of the computer accessory.

163, or 89%, of the extended warranties we found started at the date of product purchase.

21 plans were warranty extension plans that started once the manufacturer's warranty expired. These 21 plans were the Tech for Less plans provided by CPS, and the newegg plans provided by Likewize.

Figure 5 shows which of the 184 plans covered accidental damage from handling (ADH).

130, or 71%, of the extended warranties in this survey did not cover ADH.

54 plans, or 29%, covered ADH. These plans were: Geek Squad Computer Accessory Protection from Best Buy, provided by AIG; Staples Protection Plan, provided by Asurion; Accidental Protection from DataVision, provided by Consumer Priority Service; Adorama Protect, provided by Extend; and HSN Laptop Computer Protection Plan w/ Drops & Spills Coverage, provided by Allstate.

Strangely enough, HSN offered two different protection plans for various keyboards and mice. Some of the computer accessories offered the two- or three-year HSN Electronics Protection Plan, which does not cover ADH, for $18 or $21, respectively, and some offered the HSN Laptop Computer Protection Plan w/ Drops & Spills Coverage, a two-year plan for $50, which does cover ADH. These $50 laptop plans, which we found offered for keyboards, mice, and keyboard and mouse bundles, exceeded the product price in some instances, and accounted for over half of the outliers in this survey. Since mice and keyboards are not laptops, it's possible that these were coding errors on HSN's website. However, since they were available extended warranty options, we included them in this survey.

One- and Two-Year Service Contracts

The next three charts show the prices of the 184 extended warranties, divided by the corresponding unit prices, as percentages.

Figure 6 shows plan price as a percentage of product price for the 102 one- and two-year service contracts.

The $50 HSN Laptop Computer Protection Plans w/ Drops & Spills Coverage, provided by Allstate, which we mentioned in our discussion of Figure 5, are highlighted in Figure 6. The $43 Tech for Less Extended Warranty Plans, provided by CPS, are also highlighted. The price of these plans did not change based on the product price, unlike the dynamic pricing models many of the other sites used.

At the high end, we found a $43 two-year Tech for Less Extended Warranty Plan, provided by CPS, for a $10 computer mouse. The plan price was 410% of the product price. We also found this $43 plan offered for a $58 mouse (74%), and a $97 mouse (44%).

The other outliers, where the plan cost more than the product, were all $50 HSN Laptop Protection Plans, provided by Allstate. These plans were offered for a $25 mouse (198%), a $34 mouse and keyboard bundle (146%), a $45 mouse (111%), a $60 bundle (83%), and an $81 bundle (62%).

At the low end of the spectrum, there was a $8 one-year Adorama Protect plan, provided by Extend, for a $140 mouse (6%).

The average one- or two-year extended warranty cost 27% of the product price. 82 service contracts were below average, while 20 were above average.

The most expensive one- or two-year extended warranty was a $100 two-year P.C. Richard & Son Extended Protection Warranty for Hardware (36%).

The least expensive extended warranty we found was a $1 two-year Micro Center Replacement Plan, provided by Assurant, for a $13 mouse (8%).

Three-Year Service Contracts

Figure 7 shows the product and protection plan price pairings for the 72 three-year computer accessory extended warranties in this survey.

The outliers for the three-year extended warranties were not quite as outrageous, which helped bring down the average percentage for this category. The average three-year computer accessory extended warranty cost 23% of the product price. 46 of the plans were below average, and 26 were above average.

At the high end of the spectrum, there was a $9 three-year SquareTrade Protection Plan from BuyDig, provided by Allstate, for a $10 mouse (90%).

The next-highest percentage was an $8 three-year Staples Protection Plan, provided by Asurion, for a $13 keyboard (62%).

At the low end, there was a $3 three-year Allstate Protection Plan from eBay, for a $37 mouse (9%).

The most expensive extended warranty we found was a $150 three-year P.C. Richard & Son Extended Protection Warranty for Hardware, for a $280 keyboard (54%).

The least expensive three-year extended warranty was a $2 Micro Center Replacement Plan, provided by Assurant, for a $13 mouse (15%).

Four- and Five-Year Service Contracts

Figure 8 shows the price pairings for the 10 four- and five-year extended warranties in this survey. Since there are so few data points in Figure 8, we labeled them based on retailer and plan provider.

At the low end was a $16 four-year Office Equipment Protection Plan from Amazon, provided by Asurion, for a $90 mouse (18%).

At the high end, as well as the most expensive extended warranty of this survey, was a $250 five-year P.C. Richard & Son Extended Protection Warranty for Hardware, for a $280 keyboard (89%).

The average four- or five-year computer accessory extended warranty cost 30% of the product price. Eight plans were below average, while two plans were above average.

Along with the P.C. Richard plan, the other above average was an $80 five-year Extended Warranty for Electronics from Electronic Express, for a $250 keyboard (32%).