Maybe but I know of alot of people who don't buy it now because of the high price. The Internet option at least gave them a way to shop on price. I was considering it if I decide to keep my car but I would never ever walk into a dealer and buy the extended warranty.
....I was considering it if I decide to keep my car but I would never ever walk into a dealer and buy the extended warranty.
All the world wonders why? The dealer - - - with a strait face now - initially indicated "$2500 normal retail price, today only we've a special: $1800"
A few weeks later, my online HC EW price: $584.
The vehicle (Gen VII 6M coupe) is almost flawless. Most dealers appear to me big time flawed with greed overkill.
I wonder if this change is really true just because someone comes out of nowhere, posts that online and says it's true.
Well when somebody first mentioned it on this board a few weeks ago, I was doubtful as well. But I went to bernardiwarranty.com and they had the notice right there on their home page, explaining that they may have to stop selling Honda Care via internet by April 1st.
Sales will definitely decrease if the best available price available goes up by a large amount. If you can still buy from those dealerships via phone for just bit more than they were charging online (just enough to offset the administrative cost of someone talking on the phone and entering the orders manually), then sales may not change much.
Many people justify getting HondaCare because of the discounted price that's usually below $1000 for the longest warranty with zero deductible and they won't buy if they have to pay the the prices their local dealers usually ask. Chances are, you won't get your money's worth out of HondaCare even at the best online price. If you pay a higher price, that's just more money being wasted and it is that much harder to justify it.
Since the actual wholesale price of the warranty hasn't changed, people should in theory still be able to negotiate the HondaCare price at the dealer they buy the car from to what they where selling for online, but they won't have an online quote to use for negotiation and to show that they know their cost is less than the online quote. The dealers will say their cost is some high price they make up and won't want to lower it.
If I buy the HC EW, do I have to do all the maintenance listed on the manual? Do I have to keep all the record when I go to a dealer to use my EW? Even one missed maintenance (such as oil change) would void my EW?
Yes, you have to do the maintenance as printed in the owners manual, but you don't have to have it done the dealership. The entire warranty won't be voided though. If you miss an oil change and the car gets an electrical problem, that has nothing to do with oil changes.
f I buy the HC EW, do I have to do all the maintenance listed on the manual? Do I have to keep all the record when I go to a dealer to use my EW? Even one missed maintenance (such as oil change) would void my EW?
I've used Honda Care in the past and they don't make you jump through hoops by showing all of your maintenance documents. There's an incentive to the dealer for them to file legitimate claims to Honda Care because Honda Care is paying them for the repair.
Obviously if you drove the car 40,000 miles without an oil change and something happened that was related to you not changing the oil and they could see that, then yes, they probably would invoke a clause to protect themselves from your negligence.
But they're not going to be super picky about it to try to get out of paying a legitimate claim.
That being said you should always follow the maintenance minder computer and whatever repairs it suggests at the time.
There are always posts from Edmunds asking for people wanting to talk to reporters about various things. Seems like this would be something that would be good to get exposed to the media before April 1st.
That would be interesting. The ban also includes any and all blogs - including this one. I know that sounds ridiculous but also true. No price talk allowed.
honda has retained an independant company to review all pertinent websites including blogs. Understand that this will most likely be very difficult but the penalties for violation are pretty severe.
We will definitely be asking for publicity when the time is right. There is not too much I am allowed to say as of right now, but we are getting close.
papahonda: Which dealership are you from? Shoot me an e-mail if possible. Sorry, I can't figure out how to PM.
"$25 Off All New Contracts Purchased prior to noon eastern time March 31st. This site will close at noon March 31st.
WRITE THIS PHONE NUMBER DOWN WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO SELL THE HONDA CARE PRODUCTS."
The other two websites for bernardi and saccucci still just state that Honda "may" stop them from selling online beginning April 1st. Nothing definite yet.
Hi All! I know I'm asking a question that has been answered over and over here, but I just want to make sure. Are you actually saying that the price I was just quoted on Hondacareextendedwarranty.com is legit? If I purchase it (for basically half of what the dealer offered it for!!!!) is the dealer required to honor it if/when i take it in for repairs? Has anyone heard of a situation where it has not been honored? This is incredible to me - what a markup!
Any advice on lo-jack? Is it worth the $990? I just bought a 2008 Civic EX and am a little disappointed in the security system. I love that the car won't drive if my key isn't used, but I'd really like the car to have an alarm in case it's vandalized.
Any advice on whether lo-jack is a good alternative or maybe just go somewhere else and have an alarm built in?
You are really pouring alot of money into the car. The Hondacare on a new Civic even at a discount and then you want to spend $990 more on LoJack? You are better off just being careful about where you park, what you leave sitting in the car and paying the insurance deductible in the unlikely event it still gets stolen than spending $990 on LoJack.
Do you think it's even necessary to purchase an extended warranty? I've always declined these in the past, and with Honda's reliability why bother? But the salesperson hooked me when he said that the way Honda's are built now (being so computerized), they're much costlier to fix.
I purchased the Hondacare warranty when I bought my 2k v6 accord and never regretted it. It more than paid for itself. If you plan on keeping the car past the 3yr mark, get it.In reality, Honda's reliability is no longer the stuff of legends. Just for the dealer to access the OBD runs over $70 and nothing is even fixed yet. Shop for prices among your local dealers. They don't all charge the same price for the Hondacare warranty. And ONLY get the Hondacare, no third party crap. The Hondacare is pretty much a bumper to bumper and the Honda dealer won't give you much grief about honoring it. As far as the extent of computerized operation, that's right. Just look at all the diagnostic checks that are made when you turn the key to On. The dash lights up like a Christmas tree and each light is a check the car is making before it starts up.
My only other advice is if you are going to get it, get it as soon as possible. Prices of the warranty reflect the prices Dealers charge for labor and parts and they are constantly rising. And these warranties come in many combinations of time and mileage. Consider how many miles you think you will drive per year also. You may not need the 7yr/100k warranty if you only drive 10k a year. The only drawback to the extended warranty is that is doesn't really extend but protects concurrent to the manufacturer's warranty. A 7yr. extended warranty gives you 4 more years beyond the 3 yr. original one. And get one without a deductible. Then if it takes the service dept. numerous times to actually fix a problem you won't be out the deductible for each of their attempts.
So I finally got around to purchasing a warranty through Hyannis Honda at www.hondacareextendedwarranty.com. I decided I would rather have the $25 off the contract instead of some accessories. I also combined with my new Citi CashReturns card to get an extra 5% back from the purchase. That will drop my 7 year/100,000 mile contract down to $945.25. Split that in half with my fiance and I am more than happy to pay $472.62 for an extra four years of not worrying about anything going wrong with our Pilot.
As a side note I am actually taking it to the dealer tomorrow afternoon to have new lug nuts put on. The ones that are on now are starting to rust already! It looks like the person that put the tires on was a jacka$$ and stripped them pretty badly. I don't know how I didn't notice before. I guess they had it cleaned pretty nice when we drove off the lot. Anyway, there is not way I'm putting up with rusty lug nuts on a vehicle we've had for just over a month!
Are you actually saying that the price I was just quoted on Hondacareextendedwarranty.com is legit? If I purchase it (for basically half of what the dealer offered it for!!!!) is the dealer required to honor it if/when i take it in for repairs? Has anyone heard of a situation where it has not been honored?
Yes, once you purchase it, you go into Honda's nationwide database so whichever dealer you take it to, they will immediately see it in their computer and know you're covered. The service department could care less where you purchased the Honda Care. If they do your repairs, they collect cash from Honda Care. So you won't have any trouble with it being honored.
This is incredible to me - what a markup!
Yes, that's why Honda is apparently banning internet sales after April 1st for Honda Care. Too many of the dealers who charge double were complaining they were "losing money" to the internet guys.
You are really pouring alot of money into the car. The Hondacare on a new Civic even at a discount and then you want to spend $990 more on LoJack? You are better off just being careful about where you park, what you leave sitting in the car and paying the insurance deductible in the unlikely event it still gets stolen than spending $990 on LoJack.
Jaxs,
While it may be "unlikely" that a car would get stolen in the crime free paradise that you live in, that might not be typical for the rest of the United States.
The facts are that the Honda secruity system is not that great. There is no shock sensor to detect window breakage for example.
Lo-jack is good, but I would check to make sure local law enforcement has all of the equipment necessary to track the vehicle. It does save a lot of hassle in that the car is usually recovered quickly.
If someone doesn't want to pay the $700-1000 that lo-jack costs, then an after-market security system with a two-way transmitter can be had for around $300. This is a great addition to the Honda security system and will most likely get thieves to move on to an easier target.
I'm worried about vandalism as well as theft. Car theft does occur where I live and while my neighborhood isn't bad, I'm surrounded by a lot of section 8 where drugs are sold, etc.
I don't really want a system that honks every time the wind blows but feel the car needs something else. What is the two-way transmitter & what does it do?
What is the two-way transmitter & what does it do?
The two way transmitter sends a signal from the car to the remote when the car alarm is activated. So if you're inside a store, or if you don't park your car right next to your residence (such as in an apartment complex), you can know that the car alarm has been activated.
Some even have a little screen that tells you what part of the alarm went off (door open, shock sensor, etc.)
The company that makes this Clifford system also sells identical systems under the Viper and Python brand names in electronic stores around the country.
As for the sensitivity, this Clifford model allows you to adjust the sensitivity with the remote, so that shock sensor won't go off when the wind blows as you put it.
does the alarm let the vandal/thief know I've been alerted? In other words, is there anything that happens on the car that will scare them off quickly (honking/lights flashing, etc?) I'm likely to sleep through any kind of signal if the car is broken into at night, etc.
does the alarm let the vandal/thief know I've been alerted? In other words, is there anything that happens on the car that will scare them off quickly (honking/lights flashing, etc?)
Oh sure, it has the typical loud siren that is installed. If they bump the car hard, but not super hard, it will give a little warning chirp, so they know you've got an after market security system.
And if they bump it really hard, or they open the doors, etc, the full alarm siren will sound.
I found that people here are mainly talking about HC. But HC does not cover "tear"and wear", some third party ones do cover that, Warrantydirect.com as an expample. Any comments on these third party providers? Thanks.
Third party warranties are less reliable. You are going to have to pay for maintenance and wear and tear or they have factored it into the cost. Both HondaCare and Warrantydirect are in the business to make money and have crunched the numbers so it is a money making business. The HondaCare warranty can be purchased at a low enough price that you will probably waste less money buying it at a discount than buying Warrantydirect, but the odds are you will be wasting money on both
If you feel better with one of them, then HondaCare at less than $1000 will likely be less of a waste. The less you pay, the more likely you will at least get a higher percentage of your money back. So, pay as little as possible.
Thank you Jaxs1! I decided to buy HC and chose the lowest price one 7years/80K miles(I may only drive about 10K per year only) with 100 deductible (my philosophy is this warranty is purchased for big break down cost $1000, which is not very likely to happen). It only cost about $420 after the credit card cash rebate. I think it is even worth the roadside assistance.
what's next? Honda dealers coming together and telling you you can't buy a Honda out of your town?
I really don't know how Honda is going to prevent Bernardi from selling me an extended warranty regardless of where I live. If the warranty is good at ALL us Honda dealerships, then it only makes sense that is fair to sell one to anyone living in the US.
they arent going to "stop" you - they are eliminating the ability to purchase ONLINE... thats the point. I think you missed it. Also, I cannot speak for Dealers but i doubt pricing will be as agressive after April 1st.
It will still need to be pretty aggressive even if they add a few dollars for the extra overhead of phone ordering or there will be no point to it and they might as well just give it up completely. I suppose they could go so far as to simply have a recorded message where the callers get information on how to order and they can just fax an order form back and forth.
........this profit/greed/bottom line (my perception) fixation forms a really powerful change element all across the board in this country (...probably not limited to just the United States). I really fail to see the long-term positive attribute(s) here.
That being said, I really am impressed with my AV6 6M (performance, fuel economy and reliability)...........but that's the factory (not the dealer)..............
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
do I have to have the scheduled maintenance done at a Honda dealer? What about the BP station up my street that seems to do such good work - and so much cheaper!! I don't like being regulated! BUT! My new civic feels like such a different kind of car (being so computerized) from my '96 civic, I almost wonder if I SHould have all work done at the dealer?
I don't like being regulated! BUT! My new civic feels like such a different kind of car (being so computerized) from my '96 civic, I almost wonder if I SHould have all work done at the dealer?
If you look at the maintenance items, there's nothing very complicated. Oil change, replacing air filters, rotating tires, replacing coolant or transmission fluid. Pretty much any mechanic can do those items with no trouble. So you're pretty safe using whomever you'd like.
Just make sure that immediately after each oil change you reset the maintenance minder per the instructions in the user manual putting Oil back to 100%. This will make sure that all of the maintenance stays on schedule.
You can have anybody do the work, the thing you need to emphasize to them is to use the recommended Honda fluids, which includes transmission, coolant, brake and maybe even power steering, I can't remember just now.
for those who didn't see the link here is the article....
It seems that quite a few Honda and Acura dealers have been making some extra money by selling Honda/Acura warranties over the internet. Consumers love the idea of this since the sale of extended warranties tend to be a large profit center for a dealer, with markups as much as 100%. Plus, consumers often feel pressured to buy these warranties on the spot, without waiting to do research. So this gives the consumer a chance to save some money buy purchasing a discounted warranty and the selling dealer makes some easy money. It is a win win for everyone, right?
Well, Honda doesn't see it that way. A notice was recently sent out to all Honda and Acura dealers stating that, "After careful consideration, American Honda has determined that Internet selling of Honda Care® and Acura Care® Vehicle Service Contracts* (AHM VSCs) undermines the Honda Care® and Acura Care® brands among both Dealers and customers and should be prohibited. A further rationale for prohibiting Internet VSC sales is to align the policy regarding such sales with that for sales of Honda vehicles from unauthorized locations, which the Honda Automobile Dealer Sales and Service Agreement ("Dealer Agreement") prohibits. Effective April 1, 2008, the sale of AHM VSCs over the Internet is therefore prohibited."
The document goes on further to state that internet sales of these warranties "tarnishes" the brand, "From the customer's perspective, Internet selling of AHM VSCs tarnishes the carefully cultivated "personal service" image of Honda-brand products. Over the years, American Honda and many of its more than 1,200 authorized Honda and Acura Dealers have invested substantial resources to make the Honda experience a one-on-one personal commitment to quality. Internet sales of the AHM VSC (a premium plan whose advantages can be most effectively explained by Dealers to customers in person at the dealership) undermine the Honda and Acura brands and reputations."
Somehow, I doubt that anyone shopping online for an extended warranty, or any other product (from DVD players to watches) sees any real value in what a local brick and mortar store can offer. Most of these buyers have already done the research and know what they want and are simply searching for the best possible price.
By this same rationale, shouldn't a dealership be prohibited from advertising any kind of discounted price of a vehicle on the internet, newspaper, TV or radio, since such actions also take away for that "one-on-one" personal commitment to quality and the effective explanation of the advantages of their vehicles?
Frankly, I think this is less about a manufacturer's tarnished image (how exactly is the image tarnished by this?) and more about the dealers complaining about what their fellow dealers are doing over the internet and taking sales away from them, and Honda caving in to these complaints. Posted by Lee Mar 27, 2008 5:14 am
This morning in RI Superior court a Temporary Restraining Order was granted to Saccucci Honda which delays the new internet policyand guidelines put forth by Honda Finance. A trial date has been set for April 14th.
One of Honda's arguments in the TRO hearing was that Saccucci is the only dealer that objects to the new policy.
PapaHonda do you have any interest? We need support.
Consumers: I will be creating an online petition and will post the link soon.
Hi everyone. I leased a Honda Odyssey back in January 2006. I decided to purchase it outright last summer. We were not offered an extended warranty at that time. Does anyone know if I am able to purchase an extended warranty now? The mileage is right at 31500 so I need to do something soon.
All the blah-blah about "tarnishing the image", "one-on-one service" is just that - blah-blah. Probably no one here doubts that is all about most of the dealers raising a stink with Honda for the simple reason they can't sell as many 100% marked-up VCSs. Your post pretty much sums it up. One of the main reasons I actually consider/ed a Honda is/was that I can/could get a VCS for a very decent price. That was the case when I bought my 2005 CRV SE in 2005. I declined the VCS at the dealer even after they discounted it to 1600, and a few months later got a longer contract from Bernardy for 956.00. Now I don't see a reason overpaying for a car anymore just for the name and the perceived reliability, especially with the current offers from the Koreans. Again, I hope someone reads these forums, because once the option of purchasing a VCS at a decent price is gone, I would not even concider another Honda. (Having a few Kia moments with the current one does not help either). Then there is another thing - how many people would walk right into the hands of the third party warranty dealers, who would still continue to actively offer "great deals" online?...
Does anyone know if I am able to purchase an extended warranty now? The mileage is right at 31500 so I need to do something soon.
Oh sure. Since you are under 36,000 miles and under 3 years of service, you can still purchase one. However, they will be priced differently than if you bought them new.
In other words, if they sell you a 5 year, 60K warranty if will be 5 years from the date you buy it from them and 60,000 miles added to your current mileage----which in your case would be through 91,500 miles.
Go to myhondawarranty.com , bernardiwarranty.com, or hondacareextendedwarranty.com to check out pricing and options.
Comments
All the world wonders why? The dealer - - - with a strait face now - initially indicated "$2500 normal retail price, today only we've a special: $1800"
A few weeks later, my online HC EW price: $584.
The vehicle (Gen VII 6M coupe) is almost flawless. Most dealers appear to me big time flawed with greed overkill.
best, ez....
Well when somebody first mentioned it on this board a few weeks ago, I was doubtful as well. But I went to bernardiwarranty.com and they had the notice right there on their home page, explaining that they may have to stop selling Honda Care via internet by April 1st.
If you can still buy from those dealerships via phone for just bit more than they were charging online (just enough to offset the administrative cost of someone talking on the phone and entering the orders manually), then sales may not change much.
Many people justify getting HondaCare because of the discounted price that's usually below $1000 for the longest warranty with zero deductible and they won't buy if they have to pay the the prices their local dealers usually ask.
Chances are, you won't get your money's worth out of HondaCare even at the best online price. If you pay a higher price, that's just more money being wasted and it is that much harder to justify it.
Since the actual wholesale price of the warranty hasn't changed, people should in theory still be able to negotiate the HondaCare price at the dealer they buy the car from to what they where selling for online, but they won't have an online quote to use for negotiation and to show that they know their cost is less than the online quote. The dealers will say their cost is some high price they make up and won't want to lower it.
If I buy the HC EW, do I have to do all the maintenance listed on the manual?
Do I have to keep all the record when I go to a dealer to use my EW? Even
one missed maintenance (such as oil change) would void my EW?
I am trying to decide this week, please help!!!
Harry
The entire warranty won't be voided though. If you miss an oil change and the car gets an electrical problem, that has nothing to do with oil changes.
Do I have to keep all the record when I go to a dealer to use my EW? Even
one missed maintenance (such as oil change) would void my EW?
I've used Honda Care in the past and they don't make you jump through hoops by showing all of your maintenance documents. There's an incentive to the dealer for them to file legitimate claims to Honda Care because Honda Care is paying them for the repair.
Obviously if you drove the car 40,000 miles without an oil change and something happened that was related to you not changing the oil and they could see that, then yes, they probably would invoke a clause to protect themselves from your negligence.
But they're not going to be super picky about it to try to get out of paying a legitimate claim.
That being said you should always follow the maintenance minder computer and whatever repairs it suggests at the time.
Harry
Seems like this would be something that would be good to get exposed to the media before April 1st.
papahonda: Which dealership are you from? Shoot me an e-mail if possible. Sorry, I can't figure out how to PM.
I would check one of the following sites, they should be close to the same low price and all of the sites will give you an instant price quote:
http://www.hondacareextendedwarranty.com/
http://www.bernardiwarranty.com/
http://www.myhondawarranty.com/
"$25 Off All New Contracts
Purchased prior to noon eastern time March 31st.
This site will close at noon March 31st.
WRITE THIS PHONE NUMBER DOWN
WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO SELL THE HONDA CARE PRODUCTS."
The other two websites for bernardi and saccucci still just state that Honda "may" stop them from selling online beginning April 1st. Nothing definite yet.
I know I'm asking a question that has been answered over and over here, but I just want to make sure. Are you actually saying that the price I was just quoted on Hondacareextendedwarranty.com is legit? If I purchase it (for basically half of what the dealer offered it for!!!!) is the dealer required to honor it if/when i take it in for repairs? Has anyone heard of a situation where it has not been honored? This is incredible to me - what a markup!
Thanks a million!!! (or, at least $815.00 ; )
Any advice on lo-jack? Is it worth the $990? I just bought a 2008 Civic EX and am a little disappointed in the security system. I love that the car won't drive if my key isn't used, but I'd really like the car to have an alarm in case it's vandalized.
Any advice on whether lo-jack is a good alternative or maybe just go somewhere else and have an alarm built in?
thanks : ))))
You are better off just being careful about where you park, what you leave sitting in the car and paying the insurance deductible in the unlikely event it still gets stolen than spending $990 on LoJack.
Do you think it's even necessary to purchase an extended warranty? I've always declined these in the past, and with Honda's reliability why bother? But the salesperson hooked me when he said that the way Honda's are built now (being so computerized), they're much costlier to fix.
?? Thanks for your thoughts!
As far as the extent of computerized operation, that's right. Just look at all the diagnostic checks that are made when you turn the key to On. The dash lights up like a Christmas tree and each light is a check the car is making before it starts up.
The only drawback to the extended warranty is that is doesn't really extend but protects concurrent to the manufacturer's warranty. A 7yr. extended warranty gives you 4 more years beyond the 3 yr. original one.
And get one without a deductible. Then if it takes the service dept. numerous times to actually fix a problem you won't be out the deductible for each of their attempts.
As a side note I am actually taking it to the dealer tomorrow afternoon to have new lug nuts put on. The ones that are on now are starting to rust already! It looks like the person that put the tires on was a jacka$$ and stripped them pretty badly. I don't know how I didn't notice before. I guess they had it cleaned pretty nice when we drove off the lot. Anyway, there is not way I'm putting up with rusty lug nuts on a vehicle we've had for just over a month!
Yes, once you purchase it, you go into Honda's nationwide database so whichever dealer you take it to, they will immediately see it in their computer and know you're covered. The service department could care less where you purchased the Honda Care. If they do your repairs, they collect cash from Honda Care. So you won't have any trouble with it being honored.
This is incredible to me - what a markup!
Yes, that's why Honda is apparently banning internet sales after April 1st for Honda Care. Too many of the dealers who charge double were complaining they were "losing money" to the internet guys.
You are better off just being careful about where you park, what you leave sitting in the car and paying the insurance deductible in the unlikely event it still gets stolen than spending $990 on LoJack.
Jaxs,
While it may be "unlikely" that a car would get stolen in the crime free paradise that you live in, that might not be typical for the rest of the United States.
The facts are that the Honda secruity system is not that great. There is no shock sensor to detect window breakage for example.
Lo-jack is good, but I would check to make sure local law enforcement has all of the equipment necessary to track the vehicle. It does save a lot of hassle in that the car is usually recovered quickly.
If someone doesn't want to pay the $700-1000 that lo-jack costs, then an after-market security system with a two-way transmitter can be had for around $300. This is a great addition to the Honda security system and will most likely get thieves to move on to an easier target.
I don't really want a system that honks every time the wind blows but feel the car needs something else. What is the two-way transmitter & what does it do?
Thanks guys -
The two way transmitter sends a signal from the car to the remote when the car alarm is activated. So if you're inside a store, or if you don't park your car right next to your residence (such as in an apartment complex), you can know that the car alarm has been activated.
Some even have a little screen that tells you what part of the alarm went off (door open, shock sensor, etc.)
Here's a sample:
http://www.clifford.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=705
The company that makes this Clifford system also sells identical systems under the Viper and Python brand names in electronic stores around the country.
As for the sensitivity, this Clifford model allows you to adjust the sensitivity with the remote, so that shock sensor won't go off when the wind blows as you put it.
does the alarm let the vandal/thief know I've been alerted? In other words, is there anything that happens on the car that will scare them off quickly (honking/lights flashing, etc?) I'm likely to sleep through any kind of signal if the car is broken into at night, etc.
Oh sure, it has the typical loud siren that is installed. If they bump the car hard, but not super hard, it will give a little warning chirp, so they know you've got an after market security system.
And if they bump it really hard, or they open the doors, etc, the full alarm siren will sound.
If you feel better with one of them, then HondaCare at less than $1000 will likely be less of a waste. The less you pay, the more likely you will at least get a higher percentage of your money back. So, pay as little as possible.
Honda dealers coming together and telling you you can't buy a Honda out of your town?
I really don't know how Honda is going to prevent Bernardi from selling me an extended warranty regardless of where I live. If the warranty is good at ALL us Honda dealerships, then it only makes sense that is fair to sell one to anyone living in the US.
I suppose they could go so far as to simply have a recorded message where the callers get information on how to order and they can just fax an order form back and forth.
That being said, I really am impressed with my AV6 6M (performance, fuel economy and reliability)...........but that's the factory (not the dealer)..............
end of this morning's sermon..........
best, ez....
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
do I have to have the scheduled maintenance done at a Honda dealer? What about the BP station up my street that seems to do such good work - and so much cheaper!! I don't like being regulated! BUT! My new civic feels like such a different kind of car (being so computerized) from my '96 civic, I almost wonder if I SHould have all work done at the dealer?
If you look at the maintenance items, there's nothing very complicated. Oil change, replacing air filters, rotating tires, replacing coolant or transmission fluid. Pretty much any mechanic can do those items with no trouble. So you're pretty safe using whomever you'd like.
Just make sure that immediately after each oil change you reset the maintenance minder per the instructions in the user manual putting Oil back to 100%. This will make sure that all of the maintenance stays on schedule.
It seems that quite a few Honda and Acura dealers have been making some extra money by selling Honda/Acura warranties over the internet. Consumers love the idea of this since the sale of extended warranties tend to be a large profit center for a dealer, with markups as much as 100%. Plus, consumers often feel pressured to buy these warranties on the spot, without waiting to do research. So this gives the consumer a chance to save some money buy purchasing a discounted warranty and the selling dealer makes some easy money. It is a win win for everyone, right?
Well, Honda doesn't see it that way. A notice was recently sent out to all Honda and Acura dealers stating that, "After careful consideration, American Honda has determined that Internet selling of Honda Care® and Acura Care® Vehicle Service Contracts* (AHM VSCs) undermines the Honda Care® and Acura Care® brands among both Dealers and customers and should be prohibited. A further rationale for prohibiting Internet VSC sales is to align the policy regarding such sales with that for sales of Honda vehicles from unauthorized locations, which the Honda Automobile Dealer Sales and Service Agreement ("Dealer Agreement") prohibits. Effective April 1, 2008, the sale of AHM VSCs over the Internet is therefore prohibited."
The document goes on further to state that internet sales of these warranties "tarnishes" the brand, "From the customer's perspective, Internet selling of AHM VSCs tarnishes the carefully cultivated "personal service" image of Honda-brand products. Over the years, American Honda and many of its more than 1,200 authorized Honda and Acura Dealers have invested substantial resources to make the Honda experience a one-on-one personal commitment to quality. Internet sales of the AHM VSC (a premium plan whose advantages can be most effectively explained by Dealers to customers in person at the dealership) undermine the Honda and Acura brands and reputations."
Somehow, I doubt that anyone shopping online for an extended warranty, or any other product (from DVD players to watches) sees any real value in what a local brick and mortar store can offer. Most of these buyers have already done the research and know what they want and are simply searching for the best possible price.
By this same rationale, shouldn't a dealership be prohibited from advertising any kind of discounted price of a vehicle on the internet, newspaper, TV or radio, since such actions also take away for that "one-on-one" personal commitment to quality and the effective explanation of the advantages of their vehicles?
Frankly, I think this is less about a manufacturer's tarnished image (how exactly is the image tarnished by this?) and more about the dealers complaining about what their fellow dealers are doing over the internet and taking sales away from them, and Honda caving in to these complaints.
Posted by Lee Mar 27, 2008 5:14 am
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Categories: Buying New Cars | Negotiatio
One of Honda's arguments in the TRO hearing was that Saccucci is the only dealer that objects to the new policy.
PapaHonda do you have any interest? We need support.
Consumers: I will be creating an online petition and will post the link soon.
Thanks in advance!
Your post pretty much sums it up. One of the main reasons I actually consider/ed a Honda is/was that I can/could get a VCS for a very decent price. That was the case when I bought my 2005 CRV SE in 2005. I declined the VCS at the dealer even after they discounted it to 1600, and a few months later got a longer contract from Bernardy for 956.00. Now I don't see a reason overpaying for a car anymore just for the name and the perceived reliability, especially with the current offers from the Koreans.
Again, I hope someone reads these forums, because once the option of purchasing a VCS at a decent price is gone, I would not even concider another Honda. (Having a few Kia moments with the current one does not help either).
Then there is another thing - how many people would walk right into the hands of the third party warranty dealers, who would still continue to actively offer "great deals" online?...
Oh sure. Since you are under 36,000 miles and under 3 years of service, you can still purchase one. However, they will be priced differently than if you bought them new.
In other words, if they sell you a 5 year, 60K warranty if will be 5 years from the date you buy it from them and 60,000 miles added to your current mileage----which in your case would be through 91,500 miles.
Go to myhondawarranty.com , bernardiwarranty.com, or hondacareextendedwarranty.com to check out pricing and options.