Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options

Honda Extended Warranties Pricing and Info

1495052545576

Comments

  • Options
    thebeanthebean Member Posts: 1,217
    Whoa! Dial it down there, Sunshine.

    The "rocking seat" is a known design defect on that gen Civics. On some of the cars with heavier drivers (say in excess of 180 lbs), over time the seat mounting starts to give way and the seat will rock forward and backwards a little bit. The fix is to put in a whole new mounting assembly on the drivers' side, which is about 5 hours of labor plus parts. The price on my service order was $410 each time this has been done. Plus in the neighborhood of $650 for the front strut replacement. So, if I had not gotten the EW, my delta out of pocket would be at least $500. So, Honda Care did not make any money from me. I'm sure they do from others.

    Instead of calling it a "sucker buy", why don't you call it what it really is - insurance for those who do not want to take risks. I really don't give a big rat's behind if you or anyone else approve of my buying an EW. Plus, I don't care if anyone else ever buys an EW. Someone asked for a positive experience with EW's and I responded. I'm not a cheerleader for them, nor a naysayer as you are. With the high price of repairs and the complicated nature of modern cars, some of us like a little financial certainty. Some don't. It's a free country.

    Take a chill, chief.

    Regards from Texas,

    thebean
    2015 Honda Accord EX, 2019 Honda HR-V EX
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    Sorry about the strongly worded response. With people increasingly making such poor financial decisions (i.e. the foreclosure crisis), I just want to make sure the people requesting information get both sides of the story.

    You beat the odds with your warranty (like winning at the casino), but most will not be as fortunate.

    The sale of EWs is actually a very simple business plan...charge more for the warranty than you pay in warranty claims. If not, the company will lose money and go out of business.

    So just like playing the lottery or gambling in Vegas, there is a chance you’ll come out ahead, but there is a greater chance you will be throwing your money away.

    And you are correct, it is basically insurance for the very risk-averse buyer, but many people don't realize they will likely not get their money out of EWs.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    Your examples aren't realistic or logical because you are mixing and matching the warranty extremes.

    Nonetheless, they were correct in that they showed that the coverage for an 8 year, 120K warranty can extend beyond the "net" figures that aspesisteve presented which were not fully correct.

    I could've picked many numbers to display the inaccuracy of his statement. You can as well.

    The fact is that an 8 Year, 120K warranty covers exactly that no matter how a person drives the vehicle.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    The sale of EWs is actually a very simple business plan...charge more for the warranty than you pay in warranty claims. If not, the company will lose money and go out of business.

    EVERY company should run on the principle that it charges more than costs incurred so that it can be profitable.

    The anti-extended warranty group continues to make the argument that just because a company makes a profit for providing a service that the service is bad. That is a ridiculous argument.

    You encourage people to self-insure themselves. Did you know a person can save money if they did their own oil changes or grew their own tomatoes too? Do you actively encourage a boycott of those companies and encourage people to do those activities themselves? It's the same thing.

    Some people pay others to provide a service that they don't wish to do themselves. The marketplace determines whether the added service provided is valuable or not.

    If people didn't think it was valuable, no extended warranties would be bought.
  • Options
    thebeanthebean Member Posts: 1,217
    No problem. I came across too strong as well. I can see some of your points, and definitely think people need to seriously consider the pluses and minuses of EW's objectively. I would bet that probably the majority of EW's are purchased under pressure at the dealer while in the closing process, which proves your point that they are big moneymakers for the dealers. Otherwise, they would not have the high pressure sales job on them.

    Like everything else, there is good and bad on EW's. Each person should decide before they go in to buy the car if they want one and more importantly, what that warranty can be bought for on the open market. I didn't understand that these things were negotiable until the finance manager kept lowering the price every time I told him I didn't want the warranty. Finally, in my mind it became value for me. For others, this may not be.

    Regards from Texas,

    thebean
    2015 Honda Accord EX, 2019 Honda HR-V EX
  • Options
    canddmeyercanddmeyer Member Posts: 410
    fourkidmom. I'm a big fan of x-warranties. I've won a few and lost a few as far as them paying for themselves, but overall I'm wayyyy ahead. I say buy the x-warranty, but IF and ONLY IF it is a Honda factory warranty. Avoid everything else, as many warranty sellers won't be in business 10 years from now, but Honda will.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    "EVERY company should run on the principle that it charges more than costs incurred so that it can be profitable."

    It's been said that EWs are decent bets and buyers are likely to get all/most of their money from them. While a small minority of EW buyers may recoup all/most of their investment, the wide majority will not (since these companies must be profitable). That is all I was pointing out, and it sounds like you agree with me on this.

    "The anti-extended warranty group continues to make the argument that just because a company makes a profit for providing a service that the service is bad."

    I agree with you that EW's are a "service". I certainly expect EW companies to make a profit for providing that service, and I have no problem if people want to pay for this service.

    My only issue is with the perceived notion that buyers will get all/most of their money back from an EW, which is not true. Just as long as they know there is only a small chance of recouping their investment, and instead look at it as paying for a service or insurance.

    "Some people pay others to provide a service that they don't wish to do themselves."

    The "service" that EW companies provide is taking your money upfront and potentially paying for future repairs (if all of their rules/criteria are met). If you have car trouble, you still have to deal with it yourself. You have to bring it to the dealership, have the problem diagnosed, deal with the repair people, and submit your claims to the EW company.

    So the service people are receiving that they "don't wish to do themselves" (as you put it) is writing the check for the repair and bearing the burden of a repairs that exceed the initial EW cost.

    "If people didn't think it was valuable, no extended warranties would be bought."

    Just because a consumer "thinks" a product/service is valuable, doesn't mean is it, or that it should be purchased. Lots of people saw "value" in adjustable rate mortgages and gas-guzzling SUVs a few years ago, but those items aren't working out very well for them now.

    I just want to make sure that potential buyers of EWs are fully informed and make the decision that is right for them.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    you still have to deal with it yourself. You have to bring it to the dealership, have the problem diagnosed, deal with the repair people, and submit your claims to the EW company.

    With Honda Care, I've never had to submit any claims as you state. I bring it to any Honda dealer's service department, I tell them what is wrong, they fix it and I drive away.

    There are no claim forms to fill out. There are no hassles with any repair people. If it's a covered repair, they just make good on the warranty.
  • Options
    thebeanthebean Member Posts: 1,217
    My experience as well. The only difference between a repair when the car was in factory warranty and a repair under the Honda Care warranty was the payment of $50 deductible. If I had to do it again, I would have pushed harder to get a zero deductible EW for around the same price I paid.

    I have never had to file any claim, nor have I had any hassles with the dealership, just like jet10000 said.

    YMMV.

    Regards from Texas,

    thebean
    2015 Honda Accord EX, 2019 Honda HR-V EX
  • Options
    mkielmmkielm Member Posts: 38
    Can anyone provide an update? Last I heard there was going to be a hearing in Federal Court sometime in August. Has that occurred yet. Any ideas on the ramifications (Do consumers need to consider buying before the hearing or ruling)?

    Thanks again to the dealers (all in New England?) who are selling EWs at such great prices and who are fighting this battle (sure for themselves, but also for consumers)!
  • Options
    gardinerrgardinerr Member Posts: 39
    Our court case begins on Monday, August 25th in RI Federal Court. It should last 3 days, but a judgment might not come for weeks.

    Saccucci Honda a.k.a. MyHondaWarranty.com is the only dealership fighting Honda. All the other online dealers were not interested in joining, for fear of retaliation from Honda. Our injunction allowed them to continue selling.

    Saccucci Honda is a small family run car dealership. We have 3 generations in the building everyday. My Grandmother(CEO age 84, here 6 days a week), Aunt(VP), Mother(GM), and Cousin(New Car Sales Manager) work very closely together. If this was a typical dealership we probably would have caved to Honda's demand like the others did, but the Saccucci family supports one another, and decided to pursue this lawsuit. We have put alot of things on hold for this trial, and invested a great deal of time and money in this case. This is a true family effort, and we expect to win.

    Thank you, Gardiner
  • Options
    earn2earn2 Member Posts: 3
    ok decided buying EW from bernardiwarranty.com (after comparing all three site) they seem cheaper only $905 + $30 coupon. My question is....
    on their website they don't say anything about this warranty is provided my "The Honda Care contract is backed by American Honda Motor Corporation" like myhondawarranty.com. So i want to make sure this warranty is from Honda Care of Ameica so I can repair my car with any honda dealership since I live in TX. Anybody have experience?
    Also it say 60 month + 84000 mile. Curently I have around 27000 mile so my car is covered upto 111000 or upto 5 years from today whichever comes first?
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    Our court case begins on Monday, August 25th in RI Federal Court. It should last 3 days, but a judgment might not come for weeks.

    Thank you Gardiner for the info. Good luck with your court case!

    It's good to see that there are businesses out there like yours that are willing to stand up for what they think is right.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    So i want to make sure this warranty is from Honda Care of Ameica so I can repair my car with any honda dealership since I live in TX. Anybody have experience?

    Yes you'll get your warranty paperwork from the Honda corporate office in California. You can use it at any dealer.

    Also it say 60 month + 84000 mile. Curently I have around 27000 mile so my car is covered upto 111000 or upto 5 years from today whichever comes first?

    Yes. That's true. If you gave them the 27,000 mile figure, that should be written onto your Honda Care paperwork and the durations you listed for the extended care are correct.
  • Options
    dantzdantz Member Posts: 49
    "ok decided buying EW from bernardiwarranty.com (after comparing all three site) they seem cheaper only $905 + $30 coupon."

    When I bought my Honda Care contract I noticed that some of the other sites were a little cheaper (like $25 less), but I decided to buy from Saccucci Honda because I like them and I support what they're doing. Good luck, Gardiner!
  • Options
    duke23duke23 Member Posts: 488
    Ahh, Senor Legume, good to see you posting again. Alas it is too hot in Texas, like 7" from the mid day sun ? But I'm preaching to the choir ,heat & humidity know we well .So the dealership had to make it attractive to you did they ? Less than $700 ? And you bought neither under duress , from mental defect or paranoia?
    Sadly escaping some is that at a certain price EW becomes good economics/cheap insurance. But I do not expect to change any closed minds.
  • Options
    mkielmmkielm Member Posts: 38
    I stand corrected. Thanks go solely to Saccucci Honda for protecting our rights as consumers to find low priced Honda Care EWs. If I end up buying an EW it will be from them!

    Is the trial jury or judge (I would assume you would retain your right to jury)? You may not want to share this kind of information, but have your lawyers provided any insight into the strength of Honda's argument(s)? I suspect that there may not be a wealth of case law regarding internet sales and restrictions on such (especially for a service contract). I ask to gauge whether a purchase of an EW would best be done before the court hands down any ruling.

    Thanks for your dedication to ethical business practices and the consumer!
  • Options
    earn2earn2 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks all the info I appreciate it.
    One more question i read it somewhere in this forum. That if i sell my car the warranty is transferrable upto one owner. I read it somewhere but not sure about it, IF I cancel the warranty after 2 years I will get refund on prorated base. In this prorarate based on # of months I have still left on warranty or it is based on miles or any repairs I have?
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    That if i sell my car the warranty is transferrable upto one owner.

    Yes that is definitely true.

    IF I cancel the warranty after 2 years I will get refund on prorated base. In this prorarate based on # of months I have still left on warranty or it is based on miles or any repairs I have?

    It doesn't have anything to do with the amount of repairs received. Since the duration is based upon both years and mileage, so is the pro-rate. I believe they give you a prorate on whichever is less, years remaining or mileage remaining.

    Your Honda Care contract will have the exact forumla used to calculate the prorate.
  • Options
    joconnorjoconnor Member Posts: 26
    Thank you sarccucci Honda!

    I have an 09 Honda LX-S on order. When it arrives, if they do not sell online, I will call them to purchase.
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    Let me just say that Consumer Reports has written an article about why Extended Warranties are a High-Priced Gamble. A survey of more than 8000 people has proven that Extended Warranties are rarely worth the cost of the warranty.

    My personal experience with extended warranties only proves that buying an EW is the WORST FINANCIAL decision you can ever make. You're better off throwing money into fire.

    Let me start out with my first car that I owned. I purchased a used Toyota Corolla at about 70,000 miles and drove the car until 120,000 miles with ZERO mechanical failures. Yes, that's correct. I took extreme care of my car with everything that was listed in the maintenance schedule, none of which the extended warranty covers. The $2,000 extended warranty was a total waste of money. Putting that money into fire would have yielded the same financial result at 120,000 miles. I didn't use a SINGLE ****ing PENNY of the EW. Dealerships are terrible for stealing people's money, and being dishonest about the value of EW.
  • Options
    duke23duke23 Member Posts: 488
    Agreed $2,000 is way too much money for a 50,000 mile warranty and most agreed on your comments on dealerships, but I'd guess you were rather stuck if you desired the product as few insurance companies would have written at 70,000 miles with out large compensation. But thanks for your large statistical sample of one. Sadness or good deal ? for you that your Toyota Corolla had no problems and therefore your EW was a waste of money, but excuse me if I'm wrong, your knowledge of HC EW is exactly :D ? One of the few forums that seems to promote the antithesis of the title as Tide will agree ;) Since the ostensible purpose is to disseminate experience and knowledge from those that have experience to those wishing answers, would not a post from someone who has never bought be OT?
    Or at minimum, speculation ?
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    I've read the HC EW from front to back, and Jesus ****ing Christ I wish the dealership F&I manager told me the truth and showed me the contract before I signed on the dotted line. A brochure listing parts that ARE covered does not explain what you are buying. Every potential buyer should read WHAT IS NOT COVERED by the EW before buying. It should be against the law not to be given the entire HC EW contract before buying the EW. It's like signing to buy a house without having an inspection on the house. You don't know what you're buying. I had to cancel my $1495 HC EW which was actually $2000 if you include the finance charges on it. It was a 7 year 80,000 mile $100 deductible warranty, that would have cost me $2000 on my Honda Fit. The most common trick used by dealerships is to play games with the interest rate and EW cost. The F&I manager tricked me by offering a low interest rate and monthly payment, and focusing me on those two numbers. A low interest rate and monthly payment is the worst way to buy a car because again you don't know what you're paying for. By increasing the principal loan balance by $1495 for the EW, he was able to lower the interest rate significantly, and extend the loan term to lower the monthly payment. I fell for it BIG TIME. I thought I was getting a good deal at $1495 for a warranty that SUPPOSEDLY COVERED NEARLY EVERYTHING. Instead I got the HC EW contract in the mail three weeks later to find out what I had really purchased. And then I realized that the F&I manager had reduced the interest rate only because he knew he was making a huge profit on the HC EW which is hidden from the interest rate. When you finance the $1495 EW at a 5.5% interest rate over 63 months, you're actually paying about $2000 for the EW. The F&I manager hoped that I didn't catch this trick and hoped that I didn't read the HC EW, so I fell for the trick. Even after filling out a cancellation form and repeatedly talking to the F&I manager, it took more than a month to get my refund applied to the principal of my loan. I was disgusted by how lethargic dealerships are to cancel the warranty when I said so and filled out a cancellation form with the F&I manager, and how quickly they enroll you when they trick you into buying the EW. The bottom line is, if an F&I manager has to lie about an EW, then you know it's a ****ing HORRIBLE product.

    From now on, I don't buy from dealerships that push EWs. If they push an EW, I say to the F&I manager, "Since you pushed an EW on me, I'm not going to buy the car. I don't buy from dealerships that promote mechanical breakdowns. I buy from dealerships that promote reliability, and proper vehicle care. You've just lost $20,000."
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    My personal experience with extended warranties only proves that buying an EW is the WORST FINANCIAL decision you can ever make. You're better off throwing money into fire.

    It sounds like you're critical of Honda Care because you personally negotiated a very poor deal on your Honda Care. You said you paid $1,495 ($2,000 after financing.)

    Had you been reading this forum, you would've been well advised to purchase the Honda Care from one of the online dealers like myhondawarranty.com. They are selling that same Honda Care for the Fit, 7 years, 80K, $100 ded, for only $460. At $460 that is a great price. The 7 years of roadside assistance alone pays for a large chunk of that.

    I agree with you that people should be careful when purchasing Honda Care from their dealer and they should make sure they get a fair price. But I disagree with your criticism of Honda Care only because you signed a purchase agreement that you later regretted and you personally overpaid.

    The fact that you could've purchased the same coverage for a 1/3 of the price shows that Honda Care can be a good deal, if you purchase it correctly.
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    EW are the worst products ever created. Honda Care Online warranties are terrible as well. Yes they are cheaper, but that doesn't make it a good deal. I wouldn't pay a single ****ing penny for an 8 year 120,000 mile 0 deductible warranty. I ****ing hate warranty companies including Honda Care. Never pay for things that don't break down. Pay for things that DO break down.
  • Options
    broadwaytoshopbroadwaytoshop Member Posts: 21
    EW are the worst products ever created. Honda Care Online warranties are terrible as well. Yes they are cheaper, but that doesn't make it a good deal. I wouldn't pay a single ****ing penny for an 8 year 120,000 mile 0 deductible warranty. I ****ing hate warranty companies including Honda Care. Never pay for things that don't break down. Pay for things that DO break down.

    The point seems to be that since you can not guarantee a vehicle will not break down, all you can really do is attempt to off set the risk of such a break down. Pay for a warranty first, at a reduced cost, or risk paying after the breakdown, at a much higher cost. Pay now or Pay later, it is your choice.
    I do think you are more upset about being taken advantage of, rather than all EW ever created. EW are not evil, you made a mistake! Never enter into an agreement you do not fully understand. :shades:
  • Options
    mitzijmitzij Member Posts: 613
    you can't guarantee a vehicle will break down. When you buy a service contract, you are assuming you will need repairs in the future that will be covered by your contract. You have decided the risk is greater than the cost of the contract. Even though that is statistically untrue (see Consumer Reports article mentioned earlier), you elect to believe it to be so. The risk is not so great as service contract sellers make it appear. With the quality of vehicles these days, high-dollar repairs before the 125,000 mile mark are unusual. Curiously, most service contracts end near the 125,000 mile mark. Imagine that.
  • Options
    aspesisteveaspesisteve Member Posts: 833
    i agree with the advice to read Consumer Reports.

    Consumer Reports takes no money or advertising $$ from the products or companies it rates. Their information is unbiased and based on lab studies and or extensive consumer feedback.

    EW: the value is in paying down your fear of a breakdown some 3-6 years down the road. Did you really just buy a new Honda and fall for the EW sales pitch that makes you believe you better buy protection? Just say "no".

    Do people who hear about someone's car failure just blindly assume that it will happen to them as well?
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    When you buy a service contract, you are assuming you will need repairs in the future that will be covered by your contract. You have decided the risk is greater than the cost of the contract.

    That is a false statement. I have assumed no such thing when I bought my contract. I merely paid another company to assume the risk of any such future repairs if and when they may occur. I paid them a fee for their service.

    If people want to assume the risks themselves and perhaps save their money, that's fine. For a one time fee, I can be assured that I won't be saddled with expensive repairs.

    It's the same concept if someone buys optional collision insurance for their car. There is no guarantee that the car will get in a wreck. But if it does, I have paid a fee to someone and they are providing me a service of assuming future risks.

    In both cases, it's a great system.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    Do people who hear about someone's car failure just blindly assume that it will happen to them as well?

    No, it's a POSSIBILITY. I didn't assume is was 100% going to happen. Just like you've already admitted having collision insurance for your vehicle because it's a possibility it might get wrecked. You're not blindly assuming that it will. But it's nice to know that your out of pocket expenses would be limited should it occur.

    There's no difference between that and an extended warranty contract. Either way, you're just paying someone to assume future risk for you.
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    An Extended Warranty protects against UNLIKELY breakdowns. An Extended Warranty does NOT protect against LIKELY breakdowns. Collision insurance is VERY DIFFERENT than Extended Warranties. JET10000 simply cannot understand this.

    Ask yourself why collision deductibles are higher than EW deductibles. It's because the benefit you pay for collision coverage occurs with VERY COSTLY accidents. Over the extended warranty period of 4 to 7 years for most EWs, I actually pay less in collision premiums than a $1500 EW. But the financial protection is MUCH MUCH larger with Collision coverage. You're protecting yourself from major financial loss. With an extended warranty, you're protecting yourself against an unlikely engine failure. An engine failure within the EW period is more unlikely than a major accident within the EW period. Smaller repairs can add up in an EW as well, but the likelihood of getting back what you paid for the EW is close to 0 percent according to Consumer Reports.

    Extended warranties are by law NOT DEFINED as insurance. It's NOT even a warranty. It's an extended service contract.
  • Options
    chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    Good deal for my 03EXV6 today.
    Bought 7/75K $0 deductible for over $1K almost 6 years ago.
    Got my VSA-TSC modulator assembly replaced &
    brake pedal switch replaced today.
    The repair costs paid for the EW itself.
    Still have over 15K miles or 15 months left on the EW.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    Over the extended warranty period of 4 to 7 years for most EWs, I actually pay less in collision premiums than a $1500 EW.

    But as we covered previously, you paid triple the price for an EW when you should've only paid $460. So the $1,500 figure that you keep throwing out, is a price and most other people reading this forum would not have paid.

    but the likelihood of getting back what you paid for the EW is close to 0 percent

    Well since you didn't quote the date of the article, I have no idea if the percent they reported is close to zero or not. However, I'm sure the article included many people who purchased from 3rd party extended care companies with inferior coverage compared to Honda Care and people who did not search to get the lowest price from an online dealer as people in this forum do. The people who read this forum, who buy Honda Care from an online dealer at a fair price are much more likely to get a better return on their Honda Care purchase than those that didn't seek out the best price.

    Take your case for instance. The likelihood that you would've gotten your money's worth from a Honda Care on your Fit is so much higher had you gotten the best price of $460 rather than the price you did pay after financing of nearly $2,000. If Consumer Reports surveyed a lot of buyers like you, of course their findings will be a lot difference from those reading this forum and using the information to get the best deals possible.
  • Options
    nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    "Extended warranties are by law NOT DEFINED as insurance." You better tell that to the State of Florida Insurance Commission. I think they tend to disagree with you.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    jet10000 -

    I don't understand why you continue to give the false impression that 1) EWs will pay for themselves, 2) consumers are likely to get their money's worth from EWs, and 3) comparing EWs to investments by using terminology like "better returns"

    You have correctly stated that EW companies are in business to make money, which means they must charge you more for the warranty than they will pay in repairs.

    Here are a few of your comments:
    "EVERY company should run on the principle that it charges more than costs incurred so that it can be profitable...."
    "The anti-extended warranty group continues to make the argument that just because a company makes a profit for providing a service that the service is bad...."
    "Some people pay others to provide a service that they don't wish to do themselves...."


    So you clearly agree that the EW sellers will make a profit from the EW buyer. Yet you continue to use these false arguments:

    "The people who read this forum, who buy Honda Care from an online dealer at a fair price are much more likely to get a better return on their Honda Care purchase than those that didn't seek out the best price."

    "The likelihood that you would've gotten your money's worth from a Honda Care on your Fit is so much higher had you gotten the best price…"


    Consumers can NOT get their "money's worth" and a "better return" from these warranties AND consider them a "service" for which the company will make money from. It can only be one or the other, not both.

    Since the vast majority of EW buyers will never recoup the warranty cost (regardless of how much they pay), then any discussion of "returns" or "money's worth" is misleading.

    That's like saying your return will be -200% if you paid $2000 for the warranty, but you would get a better return of -100% if you pay $1000. I don't think anyone would be happy with a negative return on any investment!
  • Options
    dantzdantz Member Posts: 49
    It's not about coming out financially ahead, it's about transferring risk. Here's how I see it:

    My 7-yr service contract (purchased online) cost $575. I'm assuming the online dealer made a small profit, perhaps $75, and so their cost was somewhere around $500. They have an automated online sales system and they sell in volume, so that should work out reasonably well for them. (Plus, they're obviously not greedy.) I'm also assuming that American Honda makes a small profit, at least enough to cover the costs of running the program and perhaps a little more. I assume that the remaining money (perhaps $400?) goes towards paying the expected claims for my model of Honda over the time/mileage period of my warranty.

    Under this scenario, I "overpaid" by about $175, as my expected claims would be closer to $400. Thus, had I self-insured, I could expect to be around $175 ahead. However, I view the $175 as my cost of transferring the risk of expensive breakdowns to American Honda. If something expensive like the AC or the transmission fails (not likely, but still entirely possible), I'll be covered. It's worth $175 to me.

    It works exactly like insurance. Surely you don't expect to come out financially ahead on your life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance or home insurance? In all cases your statistically predicted claims should be less than the cost of the insurance, otherwise the insurance companies would quickly go out of business. It's works the same with an extended warranty, except the risks and the cost are both much smaller.

    The real problem with extended warranties is that too many people are getting ripped off by unscrupulous dealers.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    So you clearly agree that the EW sellers will make a profit from the EW buyer. Yet you continue to use these false arguments:

    "The people who read this forum, who buy Honda Care from an online dealer at a fair price are much more likely to get a better return on their Honda Care purchase than those that didn't seek out the best price."


    That's not a false argument. That's an entirely accurate statement. The less you pay, the better your return. Because one's rate of return is based upon the initial investment. If you still disagree, you can probably take a course at your local community college and they can instruct you on the proper calculations to understand it.

    Consumers can NOT get their "money's worth" and a "better return" from these warranties AND consider them a "service" for which the company will make money from. It can only be one or the other, not both.

    Of course they can. You are not using the proper definition of "money's worth". You think that money's worth only means what payments are made by Honda Care and you're completely ignoring the value of transferring risk, which is an actual dollar value. See dantz's reply to your post as he has a well-written elaboration on this concept.


    That's like saying your return will be -200% if you paid $2000 for the warranty


    You really should take a business course before you go around saying such things. It's impossible to get a -200% return on a Honda Care. For that to happen, you would have to incur additional liabilities above and beyond the original purchase price, which would never happen per the terms of the subcontract agreement.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    dantz -

    Thank you for your level-headed analysis on this topic. Your first sentence..."It's not about coming out financially ahead, it's about transferring risk." is absolutely correct. Thank you for stating this more succinctly than I was able to.

    Too many people falsely tout the "financial" benefits of an EW by claiming there is a good probability of recouping the EW cost from the vehicle repairs made under warranty. As you correctly pointed out, it is highly improbable that you would come out ahead financially when buying an EW.

    "It works exactly like insurance. Surely you don't expect to come out financially ahead on your life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance or home insurance? In all cases your statistically predicted claims should be less than the cost of the insurance, otherwise the insurance companies would quickly go out of business.

    All of the insurance you listed covers catostrophic losses that people cannot easily pay for or recover from (unlike what is covered with an EW). If I become permanently disabled, I lose the chance to earn millions in future wages. As a result, I pay a relatively small amount (~$100/yr) for a large amount of coverage ($1 million+), even though I hope to never come out ahead on this insurance.

    "It's works the same with an extended warranty, except the risks and the cost are both much smaller."

    The risks of an EW are smaller, but the costs are not. In your example, you paid $575 for a few years of coverage, in which the total repair claims are realistically about $2000. I may pay the same $575 over five years for life/disability insurance, but the payout on a claim would instead be $1-2 million.

    Financially speaking, paying $575 to avoid the unlikely risk of a $1000 repair bill is not a great idea.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    jet10000 -

    Please help me out here!

    You state that consumers are "likely to get a better return on their Honda Care purchase" and "the less you pay, the better your return. Because one's rate of return is based upon the initial investment."

    You also state that EW companies must make a profit, which means that the vast majority of consumers will pay more for their EW than they get back in repairs.

    So, lets say you buy a Honda Care warranty for $500 (initial investment) and you receive $250 (return on investment) during the warranty period.

    What is your rate of return?
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    Extended warranties are by law NOT DEFINED as insurance." You better tell that to the State of Florida Insurance Commission. I think they tend to disagree with you. - nortsr1

    I should rephrase this statement by saying that the majority of US states do not define extended warranties as insurance. The State of Florida is a rare exception.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    So, lets say you buy a Honda Care warranty for $500 (initial investment) and you receive $250 (return on investment) during the warranty period.

    What is your rate of return?


    Total rate of return can be calculated by the formula:

    (Future Value/Present Value)-1 = rate

    In your example (250/500)-1 = -50%

    In my statement where I said the more you pay up front, the lower your return lets say someone like wisemoney paid $1,500 for his Honda Care. Using the same $250 return the formula would be:

    (250/1500)-1 = -83%

    -83% is less than -50% hence displaying the correctness of my original statement, the less you pay the better your return.

    In no case could you get a -200% rate like you originally stated. The lowest rate on a Honda Care would be -100% if you felt you received no value. (0/500)-1 =-100%.

    Hope that helps.
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    In my statement where I said the more you pay up front, the lower your return lets say someone like wisemoney paid $1,500 for his Honda Care. Using the same $250 return the formula would be:

    (250/1500)-1 = -83%

    -83% is less than -50% hence displaying the correctness of my original statement, the less you pay the better your return.
    -jet10000

    I think you don't understand that average market value of Extended Warranties is between $1500 and $2500 dollars. The average Extended Warranty is a Poor Deal. Most people pay a high price for extended warranties. That is a fact proven by Consumer Reports. Online warranties are cheaper, so you have a higher chance of getting your money back, but I don't believe in paying for things that might not break. I believe in paying for things that do break, and buying a car that's statistically won't give you $2000 of breakdowns during the EW period.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    I think you don't understand that average market value of Extended Warranties is between $1500 and $2500 dollars. The average Extended Warranty is a Poor Deal. Most people pay a high price for extended warranties.

    Oh, I agree with you. $1,500-$2,500 is a poor deal. I would not advise anyone to pay that much. If that is the average, that shows my point that the advise Consumer Reports gives is not based on the typical buyers who read this forum and who get a much better price from online dealers like myhondawarranty.com and bernardiwarranty.com.

    If you had asked for advice on this forum before purchasing your Honda Fit extended care, I would've helped you get the best price I know of ($460) instead of $1,500- $2,000 that your dealer charged you.
  • Options
    duke23duke23 Member Posts: 488
    Dude, you appear to be so busted. But since you have not actually bought the product and are willing to reimburse me for statistical abnormalities which oddly do occur I will semi let you slide. So your basis for posting based on experience with the product that is the topic reference is exactly what? Step up to actually reimbursing and your words will speak louder than. Once again, this is a forum supposedly oriented toward making individuals make wise decisions toward Honda Care EW. I postulate, if you pay your dues you gets your picks, otherwise you are internet fodder and dust in the wind. How opinionated you are of something you have zero experience with. Mitzi , Ford product service manager, apisteve, has had a couple of honda's with no problems( large statistical sample), wise money got screwed by the dealership and payed too much for a HC EW so therefore they are bad. Host ; Can I go into the prices paid for 2008 Honda Accord and and accuse them of being idiots for buying a Honda instead of an Acura or Lexus? ???? Apologies should this seem confrontational but I am aghast that a negative bias toward topic would seemingly be encouraged.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    jet10000 -

    "-83% is less than -50% hence displaying the correctness of my original statement, the less you pay the better your return."

    Thank you for proving my point! However you want to cut it, the "rate of return" on an EW is going to be NEGATIVE for the vast majority of buyers.

    So do you see how silly it to use rates of return and getting your money's worth as arguments for buying EWs?

    Your argument is...the online Honda EW is a great deal because you will likely lose 50% of your money instead of 83%. Do you use this same approach when managing your financial investments?

    Of course, -50% is better than -83%, but it is still huge loss, a horrible rate of return, and not a good financial strategy for anyone! You may want to pick investments that offer a positive return, instead of picking investments with the smallest negative return.
  • Options
    jet10000jet10000 Member Posts: 656
    Your argument is...the online Honda EW is a great deal because you will likely lose 50% of your money instead of 83%.

    That wasn't my argument. You asked me to calculate the return rate on two given numbers because you didn't know the formula to do it. Some people get positive return rates from their Honda Care. I never said it was likely that someone would lose 50%.

    You may want to pick investments that offer a positive return, instead of picking investments with the smallest negative return.

    Honda Care is not an investment. It is a transfer of risk as was described earlier. You don't buy it expecting positive returns though you may get them. You're buying a service from someone else who will assume some of your risk.

    You admitted to buying disability insurance where you have seen regular -100% returns. I assure you I got a better return on my last Honda Care contract than that!

    Too many people falsely tout the "financial" benefits of an EW by claiming there is a good probability of recouping the EW cost from the vehicle repairs made under warranty.

    I've never seen anybody state that there is a good probability of recouping the EW cost from the warranty. Where is this being done? By whom? Please provide specifics.

    People state correctly that should something happen, you will be covered and they will absorb the risk.

    It's up to the individual consumer to judge whether the coverage is of value to them. Just like you judged the disability policy is of value to you even though you have a -100% return on it thus far.
  • Options
    mattgg1mattgg1 Member Posts: 191
    jet10000 -

    "Honda Care is not an investment. It is a transfer of risk as was described earlier. You don't buy it expecting positive returns though you may get them. You're buying a service from someone else who will assume some of your risk."

    "I've never seen anybody state that there is a good probability of recouping the EW cost from the warranty. Where is this being done? By whom? Please provide specifics."


    Here are just a few references that you and others have made...

    "On a car that I'm going to keep for the full term of the EW, I think it's a decent bet that it will either pay for itself or come close" - thebean

    Is this a specific enough example of someone claiming than there is a good probability of recouping the cost of an EW?

    "The people who read this forum, who buy Honda Care from an online dealer at a fair price are much more likely to get a better return on their Honda Care purchase than those that didn't seek out the best price" - jet10000

    So when you mention getting a "better return", you simply meant that a buyer would get a smaller NEGATIVE return, right? If HondaCare is not an investment, and you can't expect positive returns, then why even discuss "returns"?

    "The likelihood that you would've gotten your money's worth from a Honda Care on your Fit is so much higher had you gotten the best price of $460 rather than the price you did pay after financing of nearly $2,000." - jet10000

    Even at the best price of $460, buyers are still very unlikely to "get their money's worth". So you meant that buyers will LOSE less money when buying at a lower price, right? (Since as you said, you can't expect positive returns or recoup the warranty cost)

    I agree with you that EWs are not investments, that they are actually a payment to someone else for them to assume the risk of future repairs. Therefore, would you agree that any discussion of "rates of return", "recouping the EW costs" and "getting your money's worth" are not helpful?
  • Options
    aspesisteveaspesisteve Member Posts: 833
    "Apologies should this seem confrontational but I am aghast that a negative bias toward topic would seemingly be encouraged. "

    I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this, but if you are "aghast" that some people have an educated opinion against purchasing an EW then perhaps that's where you need to see if from a different perspective.

    I understand why people buy the EW - it's mainly due to risk aversion i.e. fear of the unknown, often brought on by a salesman who warns you about the risks ahead with expensive auto repair. I get that.

    I realize there are many stories of how the EW has paid off because breakdowns do occur. But even if you have had the need for that statisticly rare breakdown of your Honda, consider averaging it out over the ownership of other vehicles. It would be very bad luck to have consecutive EW's pay off. On the other hand it would be wise to just say no to an EW and do a good job of maintaining your Honda.

    Surely you can understand that statistics don't favor a positive payoff for the EW over your lifetime?? That's why the value, if you could call it that, is in comfort or peace of mind - not having repairs taken care of.
  • Options
    sigp226sigp226 Member Posts: 16
    The new car price paid forum is extremely helpful but this forum here is a little heated. Buying or denying the EW doesn't make one wiser than the other. Buying a new car is not a wise decision after all. A wiser move would be to buy a 3-4 years old low mileage used car and let the first owner suffer the depreciation. Most people did not study finance, so they just call it a good return if they feel they get their money worth. Of course no one expect to sell the EW and make money out of it so there is no return. People don't come here to learn finance so please skip the fancy finance terms. Just present the facts that are relevant and let the potential buyers decide.

    I drive about 20k a year and I paid $715 for 120,000 6yr coverage ($100 deductible). New car warranty will die in about a year and half and I intend to keep it longer.
    I have owned different Honda for abut 15 years and the reliablity has been perfect, and I never bought EW for my previous Honda.

    Buying a German car without EW is suicidal unless you get rid of it before factory warranty expires. In case of Honda, the importance of EW is somewhat less significant. However, all newer cars come with more and more electronic and electrical gadgets. The more of these gadgets installed, the more things that can go wrong. Many of these gadgets are connected to the central computer so if any of these gadgets malfunctions, the computer chip may give you problems. The more advanced the car, the more complicate to repair and the more costly to repair. Dealer's technicians work on it everyday so it is less likely that they overlook something.

    I can afford $20/mon to cover the last 3 years and I am 99.9% sure that I won't use it. To some it may be a rip off, but I am being ripped off much more by oil companies, insurance, utilites, etc. daily so I am used to it. For those advise against EW, if my car breaks at 36001 miles and beyond, are you going to eat the bill? I don't think so. It is my money, I decide how to best use it. I have a Rolex. Is that a waste of money? Because I carry a cell phone and it tells time.

    I thank this forum for informing me about on-line EW dealer and I did purchase from one of them. I hope my message will help any potentail buyer to decide.

    BTY, those advised putting money into a CD FAILED to mention that there is inflation and uncle Sam. At the end of the day, I am not sure if purchasing power is maintained.
  • Options
    wisemoneywisemoney Member Posts: 42
    For those advise against EW, if my car breaks at 36001 miles and beyond, are you going to eat the bill? - sigp226

    If my car breaks at 36,001 miles, I'll gladly pay for the repair, and not a stupid warranty company. That is the risk that I took when I bought the car. If I did have an EW, most likely it won't cover the repair. Even if it does, most likely it won't be more than the EW cost. Therefore, you win no matter what happens by not buying the EW. If your car is so unreliable that the LIMITED COVERED PARTS break down more than the cost of the EW, then I'll suffer the consequences for buying such a horrible car.
Sign In or Register to comment.