Laptop Extended Warranty: sometimes worth it?

I previously bought a Toshiba Laptop from Best Buy and added the extended warranty plan. Many argue that these service plans are expensive and unnecessary. In this particular instance, it was a lifesaver. While out of the country with the laptop, the CD player stopped reading any discs. The troubleshooting advice on Windows was an enormous waste of time, always resulting in either the same suggestion or unable to find the remedy. After many different unsuccessful troubleshooting so-called “solutions”, it was realized that an expert must diagnose the problem. It was found that the defect was within the electronic connection of the CD reader and the motherboard. As soon as I heard the word “motherboard” in the diagnostics, I felt that my wallet was going to get a lot lighter. When the quote came out, I noticed it was more than the laptop even cost me, and therefore somewhat considered a “total loss”.

Unfamiliar with the international coverage terms, I called Best Buy and was told the following: Since there weren’t any “authorized” repair locations for Toshiba in the country I was at, a professional quote was needed to prove the amount of repair. Once this is acquired, the refund would be the lower amount of either the repair or the original price of the laptop. I ended up receiving a company check for the entire laptop purchase. Besides the preliminary headache and time consumption, I was happy.

Is the argument against extended warranty purchase ALWAYS right?

note: I am not affiliated with neither manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this post.