Going Without.

c. David Grim (taken 11/14/10)

Ach! My camera is broken. It's a terrible condition for my eye. I almost don't know what to do. Now I'll likely see things constantly that I'll never be able to recapture. This is the way it works. Little chips of the sky are falling in my path.

The bright spot in this situation is that I am going to get compensated for the obsolescence of my equipment. That's why I bought the four-year extended warranty in the first place. There's nothing like being stuck with an inoperable toy or tool with no hope of replacing it without major expense. I've been buying my line of cameras at Best Buy for years, and I've taken full advantage of its security plans. Up until this day I've always been able to go pick up another whenever my current camera has gone down.

But this time around it has gotten a bit more complicated. I typically keep my receipts in the original product box. Since it's been almost three years since I purchased the G9, I had some difficulty finding the empty container. And then I discovered that all the paperwork was gone. I took it to the store where I bought it, and they had all my info on file. I breathed a brief sigh of relief. They were going to honor their contract without any documentation on my end. Good.

However, the current return policy apparently involves trying to fix defective merchandise before crediting the consumer for a new item. So now I have to wait seven to ten days to get a replacement. This is especially bad timing as I'd love to photograph my son opening his presents this year. If I buy a new camera and they fix my old one, I'll have spent too much money anyway... despite the warranty. I'll have two operable cameras, but that seems excessive.

They should have camera rentals. I'd gladly shell out for a loaner for the interim. The current state of without is like walking the streets unarmed. It's simply foolish to continue this way. What should I do?