Extended Warranties

rpejsa · June 2010

Hi, to turn your comment in to a math problem, consider this. At my store (large Chevrolet) we write an average of 250 service contracts a month. If CNA has 100 stores half our size and as efficient as us they would be issuing 12,500 policies a month. They may or may not be at that level, but a complaint of one month for a company that has a product that only angry (at their car) people use, is stellar I would say. By the way, we write JM&A and have a very good relationship with them as far as claims are concerned. Something to look for in a service contract is the definition of "failure". The best I have ever seen is: "A failure is defined as a part not performing 'as designed'." Some ESP companies are nit-pickers on wear and tear and this needs to be an area of diligence during a consumer's selection process. An example of a declined claim would be the failure of a timing belt at 61,000 miles if it was supposed to be replaced at 60K and wasn't. Or worse, the rejection of a claim for a blown motor that was driven after the temperature or oil warning lights activated.

jipster · June 2010

I never thought 3rd party warranties could be as bad as some have claimed. Thanks for chiming in.

rayainsw · July 2010

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/warranties/articles/158226/article.html

mbell21_00 · July 2010

Hi, I am purchasing a 2006 Range Rover Sport with 44K miles. The party we are buying it from recently purchased an Easy Care Total Care Warranty for it. Does anyone have any thoughts on the need for having an extended warranty for this vehicle. The cost of the warranty would be 3,000.00.
Also I have read good and bad reviews of this company, any thoughts on them?

Thanks in advance for any advice!! :blush:

PS...Anyone know where the user picture comes from and how to change it??

bkay001 · August 2010

I am buying a '08 Lr3 from a private party. The vehicle is still covered under manufactures warranty for another 1000 miles. I am wanting to get an extended warranty that can cover me for the next 3-4 years, any suggestions from people with positive experiences? Warranty Direct( one of few that covers Land Rovers with 49000 miles) was $2700 with $200 deductible for 4yr/48000 mile warranty. Thanks for any help

jimbres · September 2010

Hate to use the "S" (for spam or shill) word, but I can't help noticing that (a) you just joined CarSpace today & (b) you've already posted a half-dozen messages in different forums boosting SleazyCare.

bekins2 · September 2010

Thank you for the info
Al

bigking · September 2010

Just trying to get the word out, that's all. Too many consumers get burned in the warranty industry. Something you undoubtedly know nothing about considering you are calling the company sleazy. Have you done any research into this topic?

Kirstie_H · September 2010

Even if it's the best business in the world, we still don't allow advertising for it in the forums. You must understand how it *looks* like you're using the forums solely to advertising for the company when you arrive in the forums and immediately start promoting a company, rather than participating in ongoing conversation. We appreciate your opinions, but please hold off on promoting specific products or services. Thanks.

deltheking · September 2010

Kirstie, You were too polite in your response. It was soliciting,plain and simple. Doesnt matter what 3rd party warr it is-- all are pretty much worthless. Maybe an odd exception with 1 or 2. But it's like finding a needle in a haystack.Everyone in our good Edmunds forums knows that manuf ext warr is the best option. Hell, the US govt would have backed those warr if the Det 3 had gone BK. All all the aftermarket warr are a waste of time ,scams with so many exclusions including Easycare. Just google Easycare complaints and BBB and these Easycare guys have the nerve to promote it here. :sick:

emcguire · September 2010

considering the "notoriety" of all these extended warranty companies being shut down one by one by the attorney general in different states, calling extended warranty companies "sleazy" or a "scam" would be a fair assessment by someone not in the industry..... :shades:

deltheking · September 2010

It`s not fair-- It`s accurate !! If the AG's are filing cases,then you can imagine the # of complaints that must have come. Takes a huge amount of effort to get these overweight fat AG's out of their seats !!

Just kidding !

And all these 3rd party ext companies are scams and sleazy !

jimbres · September 2010

So you're categorically denying that you have any business interest - as an employee, shareholder or officer - in this company? Is that right?

Have you done any research into this topic?

Sure have, & I've learned that almost every expert on personal finance recommends against EWs. Long story short, if you build up your savings & pay down your debt, as you should, you should have no trouble dealing with the occasional big repair bill.

Manufacturer-backed EWs are certainly better than 3rd party service contracts, but nothing beats a big fat FDIC-insured savings account in your name.

uplanderguy · September 2010

Jim, you and I agree on this. I have never, ever bought an extended warranty on an automobile, and I have not regretted it one bit. And this is after 30 years of GM vehicles (figured I'd beat somebody to the punch there!).

tbone_rare · September 2010

I don't want to get in the middle of a dispute here. I just wanted to add my opinion, in general, about extended warranties. Jimbres, in the perfect world I would agree with you about saving money and paying down debt. Today's economy makes that very difficult to do. I don't do extended warranties on televisions or most other electronic devices. Most of those are disposable now. An automobile is not. Most of us buy them because we need transportation. We simply can't be without our vehicle. To that end, I bought an extended warranty. My son just purchased a used car and I suggested he purchase one also. I am a car salesman. I would estimate that 75% of my customers go with some form of extended warranty. My dealership deals with reputable companies. To my knowledge, not one of my customers has had trouble getting claims paid. I'm not going to mention specific companies we work with. I'm just saying that I believe there is a great deal of value to be had.

jimbres · September 2010

When I bought my 1st new car, in 1974, Dad insisted that I buy an EW, which was issued by a 3rd party. Dad was co-signing my loan app, so I couldn't say no.

A few years later, when I was preparing to trade in the car, I pulled the EW paperwork from the closet shelf & tried to call the issuer. (I wanted to find out if the contract could be transferred to the next owner.) No one answered the phone; the company had gone belly-up.

That was my 1st & also my last EW. After that, I decided to self-insure.

berri · September 2010

I generally don't buy an EW on cars or appliances. However, if its is something brand new or technically complex, and the price is good I may consider one. Replacing a tranny or AC system can run 3 grand, a motor more like 5G. I can't see paying more than a grand tops for a car warranty and it would have to be pretty comprehensive and cover around 7/75 on a vehicle I felt I'd own that long. It would also have to be from the factory, no 3rd party. People say that will cost twice that amount, but those things have high markup and are often negotiable. I bought an EW on a new high tech high efficiency washer dryer because it wasn't very expensive and the technology and model was relatively new. I've paid for that warranty several times over now with all the repairs it covered, but that was a special situation. Most of the time though an EW is not worth the price, and it is never worth the price IMO if it isn't covered directly through the manufacturer or retailer.

jipster · September 2010

75% of my customers go with some form of extended warranty

75% seems high. What brand of cars you sell? High reliable cars like Toyota and Honda have low priced extended warranties, so they may sell high numbers due to the value. Chrysler and Kia may sell high numbers because they aren't as reliable.

jimbres · September 2010

I can't see paying more than a grand tops for a car warranty...

And I'd rather tuck that grand away in one of my bank accounts. I just can't see the point of paying you a thousand bucks today so that I don't have to pay for a repair that might be 3, 4 or more years down the road. It just doesn't make financial sense to me. Why should I let you earn interest on money that can be in my bank account, earning interest for me?

Maybe I've just been lucky, but the most expensive repair bill that I've ever faced - about $1500 - was for an 11-year-old car. As far as I know, no EW will cover a car that old.

I'm a hard-core fiscal conservative, & I just don't believe that you can purchase financial peace of mind. The only way to get it is to pay down your debts & build up your savings & investments. Once you've done that, you'll find that you really don't need an EW. (Does anyone here think that Bill Gates buys EWs on his new cars?)

There are no shortcuts.

alamocity · September 2010

Extended warranties aren't for everyone however in some cases they bring peace of mind to those who can't afford an expensive repair bill. While in theory the idea of putting money in the bank to pay for repairs is an excellent idea, these days interest rates are not what they once were, especially in accounts where you have immediate access to the funds without penalty. So it really comes down to the simple question of whether a person can afford that expensive repair out of pocket or using an extended warranty,. You've been fortunate to have not had any major repair costs, sadly the overall quality seems to be slipping greatly for many of the car manufacturers and with all the new technology used today repairs are going to be expensive. And you're right Bill Gates doesn't need to worry about extended warranties as he can just dump the vehicle and buy another on the spot, something very few can afford to do.

car_guardian · September 2010

Disclaimer: I am DEFINITELY in this business. That said, I can agree there are a lot of scammers in this business. I am happy to suggest this creates opportunity for a third party organization that is interested in selling these at a legitimate price and working with their customers to ensure proper treatment when the need arises.

It's too easy to "love 'em and leave 'em". Like all good business, it's about working hard, meeting expectations and delivering value. I think this is possible with an extended warranty. Plenty of people are ready to spend money on them. We just have to make sure they get what they pay for before, during and after the sale.

And, like everything else, you get what you pay for.

Kirstie_H · September 2010

I've never purchased one, but my parents do on most of their vehicle purchases. It makes them comfortable and happy. They've never had difficulty getting the EW to cover problems either. This doesn't change my mind about buying one, but there's no way I'm going to try to dissuade them from buying coverage that makes them feel better about their purchases.

deltheking · September 2010

So what company do you work for ?? And I am assuming your 2nd post will be how great your company is instead of your 1st post. All aftermarket ext warr companies have been proven to be scammy,overpriced rip offs. So many exclusions that it is easier to include what is covered. Probably that comes up to 1 line !! :sick:
And always the manuf ext warr is the best. :surprise:

Kirstie_H · September 2010

As a long-time member of the forums, you should be aware that you're soliciting info from this member that wouldn't be permitted in the Forums. Let's not assume everyone has ulterior motives. Let's accept members and their posts at face value until they prove otherwise.

deltheking · September 2010

Soliciting ?? Was trying to see how good the company rep was before the company name was divulged!!

You know the opinion of Edmunds posters about these 3rd part warr.. No wonder the AG's are going after them.Also , if there are no ulterior motives-- let us see how long he remains in this discussion and answers questions when he knows that he cant divulge his company`s name.. I know where my bet is !! :P

jimbres · September 2010

sadly the overall quality seems to be slipping greatly for many of the car manufacturers and with all the new technology used today repairs are going to be expensive.

Well, I've been buying cars since the early 70s, & I can tell you from personal experience that today's cars are vastly more reliable, even with all the new technology. My wife's loaded '07 Lexus has been problem-free, unlike my '78 VW Rabbit with no A/C, crank windows, stick shift & an AM radio.

As far as reliability is concerned, the low point was the late 70s through the mid 80s. It's because cars are so much more reliable now that the EW business is so profitable. You would have a much harder time buying an EW today if cars were still as bad as they were 30 years ago.

But there's another, more important point. EWs are a form of property & casualty insurance, & any expert in that field will tell you that you should buy insurance only to protect yourself against truly catastrophic losses & self-insure against all other losses.

After seeing a "minor" fire that took our local fire department 1 truck & 10 minutes to extinguish do $150K in damage to a neighbor's house, I now carry the best homeowner's insurance available in my area. A loss of that magnitude would ruin me, & I'll pay what I have to for the highest level of protection. But a $2K or $3K auto repair bill won't change my life because I maintain a contingency fund to cover that & any other unexpected bill. Sure, I'll be grouchy for a week, but I won't have to skip my vacation or postpone my retirement.

Frankly, it's irresponsible not to follow the experts' advice & build up an emergency fund. What will you do if you need a new roof or a hot water heater, or if you have to post bail for your brother-in-law? Are you going to buy a separate EW for each of these contingencies? The cost would be prohibitive.

For real peace of mind, you can't beat cash.

deltheking · September 2010

So, is that why posts 2954 and 2956 were deleted?? If so, I win my bet ! :P :shades:

alamocity · September 2010

Actually I posted and then deleted 2956 so you'd lose the bet. I didn't care for some of the wording used in the posting however decided it wasn't worth it and no I don't sell extended warranties either.

deltheking · September 2010

How about 2954 ?? I think it was a solicitation ad !! Thanks. :shades:

alamocity · September 2010

2954 wasn't me, so it's possible it it might have been a violation of posting rules.

Kirstie_H · September 2010

You'd be incorrect. Sometimes people self-delete, sometimes it's hosts. But no, the member to whom you refer has not solicited. Let's get back to the topic, please.

tbone_rare · September 2010

Jim.....I sell GM vehicles. Chevrolet and Buick. The prices on EW's are not very expensive at all. I agree that some of the used vehicles we sell have hefty price tags. I think the Buick 4 year/ 50,000 mile bumper to bumper and 5 year/ 100,000 power train coverage might be part of the pricing.

bekins2 · September 2010

Yes piece of mind.If i blew a trans or engine or a/c on my car im screwed.I paid 1200 for a 3/36GMMP? warranty on my 2008 CTS and its definltly for myself the piece of mind.I horse traded up to and including walkin out,but they wouuld only go so low on the warranty.I dont have a credit card or 3,000 in the bank so i took the risk.Am i stupid il know in 3 yrs i personally would not give a opinion to anybody about a warranty but for me it works.As long as its factory!Sorry for ramblim
Al

atwnsw1 · October 2010

I have decided to buy a Mercury Insurance Extended Warranty after talking with several reputable dealers and independent service companies. Since the extended warranty is identical coverage no matter where I buy it, I was wondering what state typically offers the cheapest policies or more specifically which company (contact name and phone # would be ideal).

I dont want this thread to get hijacked on whether my decision to buy or not to buy a 3rd party warranty. That decision is made. I am now looking at the least expensive place to buy this particular Mercury Insurance coverage.

If you have a person and company name for me to contact, you can email me at [email protected]

I am located in Florida but think it will be much cheaper if I can buy it out of state

Thanks in advance...

mb0712 · December 2010

lndroverlr3 · January 2011

Hi there: I bought my Land Rover at the end of my lease. Before I did so, I priced extended Warranty through Provident, my credit union. The guy told me to wait until I was closer to the warranty extending because otherwise I'd use the miles, so I did. I called today only to hear that they totally discontinued that warranty insurance at the end of October. I'm furious!

I've been on the phone calling many other credit unions and looking at places, but it looks as though many of the MBI (mechanical breakdown insurance) companies specifically exclude the Land Rover and some Mercedes and BMW cars from their policies.

The Wachovia insurance has been bought by Wells Fargo and is only available at time of purchase, as are several others. Can anybody recommend an extended warranty or MBI that I could buy as a third party?

thank you.

skyfan1 · January 2011

I bought a new Nissan Altima about 6 months ago, and it now has about 3,000 miles. It is the first time I have purchased a new, rather than a used car. I have not bought an extended warranty, but am definitely wondering if it is likely to save me money in the longrun. I do tend to keep cars about 10 years. My current warranty lasts 3 years.

So my two questions are, are these warranties very often financially advantageous? If they are, when is the best time to buy one?

Thanks so much for any advise you can provide. I guess a related question is whether new Altima's tend to have serious problems around 50,000 miles or so.

emcguire · January 2011

extended warranties can save you money potentially- however, i would discourage you from buying one now.... the contract for the warranty will start on the date that you purchase the contract (this date can sometimes be the same as the purchase date of the car if the cost of the warranty was rolled into your financing
So, put it like this: you are exhausting the warranty period WHILE your car is ALREADY covered under the manufacturer's warranty.
I know, the warranty company will tell you its gonna be cheaper to buy now since your car IS under the manufact warranty.... but you can get the same deal (cheaper) up until you have 1000 miles left on your manufct warranty..............

raa1 · January 2011

If you keep your vehicles for 10 years then consider getting a warranty from Nissan for 7 year 100K miles. Shop around different Nissan dealerships. You will most likely get different quotes for the same warranty just like buying a vehicle. Contact about 5 or 6 Nissan stores and either speak or e mail the finance mgr's they are the ones that usually handle the warranties. See if you can get one for $50 over cost. I recently purchase a GM protection plan for my 2006 corvette at $25.00 over dealer cost at my local chevy store. Nissan makes great cars, I've owned an Altima, Maxima and 2 300ZX over the years.

skyfan1 · January 2011

Thanks for your information and reply. I assume you think the warranty is worth it, even though you say Nissan makes great cars. I am still wondering if I should wait until nearerto the end of my 3 year warranty to purchase the extended warranty. Most importantly, how do I find out how much the dealer cost is? Will the finance manager tell me the truth if I ask? Thanks again!

raa1 · January 2011

Suggest you email or call about 5 or 6 Nissan Stores and compare notes. First do it over email then after they reply call and negotiate. One of them will most likely tell you the truth. Just ask them to show you the cost book.
As another suggestion you can wait until you are about 5 months away from the original factory warranty then shop around. Do a comparison and see what works best for you. Nissan does make great vehicles, but like anything else nothing is ever trouble free.

njtriguy · January 2011

Just got a 3 yr, 36K extended Infinity warranty for a 2007 G35X. Car was 5 days and 500 miles from end of 60K, 4 year warranty. Waranty list price was ~$2400, 1st dealer would give 10% discount ($2160), but I waited until end of December and got from another dealer for $1600. So - don't spend the money until right before the factory warranty runs out and (as everyone else said) shop around!

skyfan1 · January 2011

Thank you so much. This information is so helpful! The dealer tried to tell me that if I waited the warranty would cost a whole lot more because it would be on a used car. Glad to hear that is not true.

Wow, a 1,000 price difference! So I think you are saying that the best prices are at the end of the year for warranties, just as they are for cars. I never would have thought of that. Thanks!

zambaq · February 2011

Hello to all from yet another thoroughly befuddled and over-extended extended warranty shopper! :confuse:

At the moment I'm trying to decide whether ANY extended "warranty"/service contract is worth the paper it's printed on. I've been diligently researching/surfing the net and I've found countless warnings against buying from a "third-party" provider. The "wisdom of the crowd" appears to be strongly in favor of buying a plan "direct from the manufacturer". In reality, of course, that means buying from the dealers who control the marketing of their company's warranty products (and whom, of course, we all love and trust so much...).

OK, sounds like good advice, maybe, assuming the manufacturer is concerned enough about protecting its brand's good name to live up to the terms of the contract. (Any suggestion that they might try to weasel out of something is, of course, utterly preposterous!)

But here's my situation -- I own a 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which I love driving and would like to keep driving as long as I (and it) can. Volkswagen, via its dealers, offers drivers an extended service contract (called the "Drive Easy Program") that has the VW logo emblazoned on top. By reading the fine print at the bottom, however, one discovers that the contract is "administered" by "Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc.", nominally located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Now to me, that sounds like a 3rd Party! And if you Google that company's name, you can find the same kind of horror stories from outraged and frustrated customers as you'll find regarding Warranty Direct and other after-marketers. (I know that some of you say that Warranty Direct is the best of a bad lot, but still...)

So my first question is, given these facts, does anyone have any anecdotes to recount regarding "Drive Easy" and/or Fidelity Warranty? (Please don't tell me that "Fidelity Warranty" is just another name for "U.S. Fidelis"!) Second, does anyone have reason to believe I'd be any better off going with VW's own "company plan" than I would be with some other? And lastly, out of curiosity, is VW unique in outsourcing the "extended warranty" it offers its customers, or has this become the norm in the auto business?

I'd appreciate any tidbits of your collective wisdom.

skyfan1 · February 2011

What does this mean? Maybe you made a mistake in your post....

Kirstie_H · February 2011

I can't answer questions about specific third-party warranty products, as I have never purchased one. I will say, however, that if you scan back through posts in this discussion and others about extended warranties, members who DO have experience strongly recommend that, if available, you purchase the manufacturer-backed extended contract.

It's a very rare instance in which a member has recommended a third-party extended contract.

Kirstie_H · February 2011

That post appears to have been made during a time when our Forums were experiencing a technical issue that caused some posts to not appear.

zambaq · February 2011

Yes, I've been hearing/reading the same recommendation. But my question is whether that recommendation still applies when, as in the case of VW, the "manufacturer's" warranty is actually administered by a "third-party". Or is that standard across the board these days, that there's really no such thing as an OEM extended warranty?

I've never shopped for one before, so I'm just trying to understand what the term "manufacturer's" means, and how it differentiates itself in practice. Is the assumption that dealers' service depts. are more likely to try to accommodate customers who have purchased a service contract through the dealer?

Kirstie_H · February 2011

Good question, and sorry I didn't read thoroughly enough to get the entire gist of your question. I'll see if I can't rustle up any members who have a better answer for you.

rpejsa · February 2011

The answer can be "Yes" or "No" depending on how liberally you define "Manufacturer". I work at a Chevy Dealership where we sell GM's warranty product and JM&A's third party offering. The Chevy "factory" service contract is from a company called MIC or Motors Insurance Co. Now the are certainly affiliated with Chevy, but they are a seperate company, not part of any of the "manufacturer" ie. Chevrolet. This question comes up a lot and is usually related to: "Which is better?" Once again the answer comes in shades of grey. Our general criteria for which might be better is; who is going to repair the vehicle? If for someone who only uses dealership service departments the GM product is OK. If for someone without access to a dealership, the "third party" JM&A service contract is not limiting as to where the repairs are done. Differences in coverages and pricing are beyond the scope of your original question.

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