Like Clockwork, As Soon As A Warranty Expires, Crash, Boom, Bang!

It's the oldest story in the new world: You purchase a high-end electronics item and the instant the manufacturer's warranty expires, your prized computer, camera, cell phone, oven, HDTV, printer, iPod, stereo equipment or refrigerator busts.

Sure enough, like clockwork, my beloved Nikon D5000—the only purchase of merit I've dared to invest in over the past year—had a meltdown Tuesday night, following pictures taken at the JBird gin tasting event. As I passed through Times Square to take some festive holiday pictures on the way home, the back LED screen had an imposing look similar to this image below. The camera wouldn't review photos, show the menu and pretty much remained in a static sulky state—as did I.

Horror! Sure enough, on Thursday, when I finaly hunted down my original purchase receipt, wouldn't you know the camera had been delivered December 15, 2010—precisely 366 days ago—voiding the one-year warranty.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending... kind of. I was able to speak with a real live human at Nikon, who explained that the company typically grants a grace period of a few days after the warranty expires... but of course any damage to the camera's screens aren't covered. How fortunate!(??)

Actually, the real good news is that I took my baby to the smart, professional folks at Photo Tech near Union Square in NYC, and they diagnosed that it was indeed the detachable screen that had broken; the part is a quick fix, $150, and I should have my Nikon pressed back to my bosom within the week.

Happy holidays, cool cats. I hope.