THAT is what I am looking for ... a sweet deal like that
Unless you buy one of these backs out of the trunk of some guys car at the airport, or from a catalog house under the bridge that is still running old G4's your probably better off saving 3 grand and going used, warranty or not.
Haven't you seen the Phase One videos. Heck they cook their backs on a George Forman Grill and drive a car over them or something like that, so unless you leave it outside in the rain, it's probably going to be OK.
It all depends on what type of service you need. If your new to digital capture, or don't know the workings of the system, then yes a good dealer can be worth the extra expense.
Honestly the value added thing somewhat bothers me. I don't mind paying for service, I don't mind paying a premium for a an extended warranty, but at the costs of most of these items 2 years minimum should be standard and once again, if you drop it, it's going to be on you anyway.
Personally I know CI is a good dealer and will stand behind their service, but I'm not that wild about Phase's system of the dealer is the first line of defense. I would much rather go straight to the maker or the distributor's tech service and get a resolve. Filing a support claim with a dealer, then waiting for Phase to respond to them, who must in turn respond to you is just another delay that nobody has time for.
I recently had a new Canon take a heavy bump and go into repair. It was fixed same day at cost to me and since it was my fault I just accepted the costs. Yes it's under warranty but warranty shouldn't cover my mistake, just product defects.
Breaking stuff then paying to fix it is just part of running your own business.