Lloyd Wimbish has refused many a cashier’s offer to spring for the extended warranty on a product.

“I usually don’t buy them,” said the retired spokesman for the state Legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus as he walked toward the Best Buy store in Hartford, Conn.

But when he bought a $900 Nikon Digital SLR camera, he plunked down an extra $100 for the extended warranty.

There it made sense, Wimbish said: “One repair can cost $400 to $500.”

You’re standing in the checkout line clutching your new notebook computer when you overhear the cashier ask the customer in front of you: “Do you want the extended warranty?”

It’s a question you’ll hear frequently these days whether you’re buying a $1,200 TV or a $15 pair of headphones.

Purchases of extended warranties are up 10 percent this year, according to the Service Contract Industry Council, a trade group. Last year, 42 percent of consumers purchased warranty contracts for their computers, up 37 percent from 2007.

This holiday, consumers are expected to spend $1.3 billion on extended-service contracts, according to Warranty Week.

“Consumers … tend to be more risk-averse and are less willing to absorb the cost of an unexpected product repair or replacement,” said Timothy Meenan, the council’s executive director.

Is it really worth it?

If you’re stumped standing in the checkout line wondering whether to buy the extended warranty, take heart: You may have as long as 30 days to decide after the date of purchase.

Ask the store to provide you with a copy of the contract terms and conditions.

The 30-day window gives you time to research the service-contract supplier with the Better Business Bureau and the State Insurance Commissioner, Meenan said.

In other cases, it’s an on-the-spot no-brainer decision, said Mark Kotkin, director of survey research for Consumer Reports.

“I bought a pair of headphones for my iPod for $15 and they tried to sell me the extended warranty for $20,” Kotkin said. “When the warranty costs more than the item, that’s crazy.”

Most of the time, extended service contracts aren’t worth the additional dollars, according to Consumer Reports.

Many electronics items, for example, come with a manufacturer’s warranty that covers product defects.

According to Consumer Reports, products seldom break within the extended warranty window “after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase.”

Said Kotkin, “The chance that even something relatively fragile like a laptop breaking is not great, and the average cost of the repair can cost the same as the extended warranty.”

The repair rule also applies to things that do break, such as tractor mowers or refrigerators with ice makers and dispensers, he added.

“Put the money you would have spent on the extended warranty in the bank,” Kotkin said. “The companies that sell extended warranties set the price so they can make money.”

Say yes for these items

Most electronic items are built and priced to be replaced every couple years. It doesn’t make sense to buy a $20 extended warranty on a $50 blender. Most people are going to buy a new one when the old one conks out.

When Hartford resident Tyra Smith recently purchased an HDTV, she bought the extended warranty. But she doesn’t always say yes: “It depends on the item.”

In this case, it made perfect sense, said Smith, 59. The high-def TV was a floor model, and “out of the box.” The retailer gave her a hefty discount because of its “show” status, but who knows how many people had jiggled the controls?

Even Kotkin acknowledges there are other instances where the extended warranty can be handy.

“We recommend getting one for the Apple computer,” Kotkin said. “The tech support that comes with the extended warranty is great. Without it, the tech support is skimpy.”

And if you’re so bold as to disregard a Consumer Reports warning and buy a product or a car or truck with “a poor reliability track record,” said Kotkin, “you might consider buying the extended warranty.”

Words of caution

Sorry to say, but manufacturer’s warranties are getting shorter, said Meenan. “A few years ago they might have been a year; now it’s 90 days,” Meenan said. And a manufacturer’s warranty may not cover what you think or hope they should cover, he said. “Some manufacturers consider a power surge to be an act of God and won’t cover the damage, while an extended warranty might, Meenan said.

In recent years, extended warranties have begun providing enhanced services that manufacturers just don’t offer, such as 24-hour hot lines and expert technical advice.

Best Buy and other retailers offer several levels of extended warranty coverage for computers and laptops. Best Buy’s “advanced plan,” for example, covers accidental damage from handling or spills.

When it comes to giant TVs, few manufacturers will come to your home to make warranty repairs. Extended-service contracts often offer in-home repair, said Meenan, who once shipped a Sony television to the service center for a warranty repair. “They fixed it and brought it back 45 days later.”