Pimp Your Ride? You May Void Your Warranty

So you just bought that killer ride you’ve been wanting for years. You picked it up from the used car lot for a steal. You couldn’t wait to get it into your buddie’s shop where you lowered it, changed out the wheels to a low profile rim and left just ¾” clearances on the rail casters (just in case). You stiffened the suspension and changed out the exhaust. Finally, you added the newest chipset for a ride that will literally smoke the competition.
One problem though. . . That extended warranty you bought back at the dealership. Its now as worthless as the paper its printed on. It seems it only covers the vehicle’s that maintain “manufacturer’s original specifications”.
Sure that new turbo makes for smashing quarter mile records, but be sure you read the fine print in your warranties coverage. Most base, Certified-Pre-Owned and extended coverage models will not cover after-market changes to the vehicles original specifications. Make sure the changes you make to improve your ride, don’t compromise your ride’s warranty. Most will delineate what is and isn’t kosher, but don’t find yourself broken down with an certified manufacturer related problem, before you find out that aftermarket air filter cost you the $1,500 bucks you would have got back from the warranty company – Instead, its coming out of your pocket. A bitter pill, to be sure, after probably having spent thousands extra on the warranty itself.

Robo-call Warranties On Par With Wealthy Nigerian Prince Email Scams

Yes, don’t believe it! That Nigerian Prince isn’t worth a rubber nickel slug, nor is he probably a Prince – But robo-call warranties are probably not a whole lot more honest either!
Recently, I received a call from a computerized voice trying to sell me a extended service plan for my late model Lexus, or in fact, any other car I may own over 100,000 miles or over five years old.
I was intrigued, so I listened intently and took notes. The service plan would have cost me over $3,000.00 for my Lexus, but it supposedly covered my vehicle from “bumper to bumper”. Having some experience with vehicle warranties I decided to give the “caller” my information so they could mail out the particulars.
When I received the details it revealed coverage so full of loopholes it would have been nearly impossible to get a single item covered. It made me angry for the industry that suffers from so many horror stories where these charlatans, disguised as insurance companies offer to sell you “coverage”. It’s almost laughable that what they do is even legal, but it falls under the scope of “let the buyer beware”. Unfortunately, far too many consumers fall prey to these rats.
Look, if you have a late model car that is getting “mature” there may be no easy answer besides socking a few extra bucks away each month to cover the unexpected, but here is some basic rules in buying an extended service plan:
Only buy a manufacturer’s warranty when possible. Companies like Ford, Toyota and Chrysler offer a series of long term warranties, but don’t expect them to exceed 100,000 miles – Most will only extend the vehicle’s odometer an additional 50,000 and you’ll pay for it. The manufacturer’s most common extended warranty is just a one year/12,000 mile plan that will give you piece of mind when driving that used car off the lot.
Secondly, there are good third party warranties out there, like Wynn’s and National Road Ready, that allow service throughout the U.S and Canada at any ASE certified shop – but if you are getting a Robo-calls during dinner hour, or opening up your mailbox to “great deals” they probably belong in a circular file.
Third party warranties I would look into would be ones that assume a low deductible and are represented by used car dealerships that have been in business long term. Keep in mind, when a car they sell breaks down on them – the bad “word of mouth” of an angry customer can spread like wild-fire. This is something all small business people would like to avoid, but in the car business, it is sometimes completely unforeseeable.
That is why reputable car dealerships will swear by their third party warranty companies – they not only insure happy customers (when the worst happens), they turn what might otherwise be negative “word of mouth” into a positive, when that customer is not only still bragging about the car they bought from “X-dealership” but the wonderful warranty they sold them as well.
It just makes good business sense.

Make An Informed Decision When Buying An Extended Service Plan

Hey, we’ve all heard the stories. A friend buys the car of their dreams. Sacrificing their savings for pure luxury and a dependable ride. Then just a few months after buying “their baby”, the transmission goes out and in a panic they dial the 800 number for the extended warranty they just bought with the car. It seems in the meantime, they’ve gone out of business and now all you have is some worthless paper with nothing but a broken promise. . . And still, a broken transmission.

You cry to the dealership, they sold you on the company and they should do the right thing, but they shake their heads – although they are sorry, there is nothing they can do. They were as shocked as you were when ABC Warranties went belly-up.  While you know they are telling you the truth, you blame the dealership and honestly, they know if they don’t help you out they are going to lose a customer, but times are tight. The sales manager looks at you with empathic eyes as he shows you the door. You’d like to punch him in the nose!

When a warranty/extended service company goes bankrupt, it benefits no one. The customer blames the dealership and the dealership is left with egg on its face and more than likely, without the promise of return business. It’s not a risk most dealerships are willing to take and while there are some great deals to extend to customers seeking a low price warranty – It’s to everyone’s detriment when that warranty can’t be redeemed.

And while the term extended warranty may actually be a misnomer (this would mean an extension to the manufacturers warranty), the service contract you have entered into deserves to be fulfilled. Below are some of the key features you may want to make sure are true of the “warranty” you are being presented from your local used car lot.

• Who is behind the warranty that you’re considering? As we eluded to above, many a service contract company has gone out of business, and taken your hard earned money with it. Make sure you know the record of the company. A long established record should be the first thing you research.  If they just sprung up last year, you may want to pass. Also, a big industry name can bear weight but be aware of that company’s overall solvency – Anyone remember AMC? Jus’ sayin’!
• Is your vehicle already under manufacturers warranty, and is the coverage you are purchasing in “sync” with your plans for using it? If the car you’ve just bought is newer, you might want to double check the manufacturer’s terms of coverage. Most times these warranties are transferable and there is no reason to “double up”. Also, if you know you drive less than 10,000 miles per year, does that three year 36,000 warranty really suit your needs or are you overpaying. Conversely, if you drive 15-20,000 miles per year that three year warranty, just became a two year warranty. One other thought is to make sure you buy a plan that is long enough, that once the vehicle has fulfilled your needs, you may still have six months of warranty left on it. This is a great selling point when you go to re-list your vehicle. Just make sure the service plan you are buying is transferable and this could create the easiest vehicle sale you ever listed.
• What’s the reliability record of the vehicle you are buying? This is by no means a catch-all, but if you know the vehicle you are buying has the best record in the industry for not having to see the inside of a shop, this might be reason enough to overlook a service plan. That said, if the vehicle has been previously wrecked, all bets are off. You should take a look at further protection, if not solely for peace of mind.
• What’s the nature of its deductible? Does the service plan offer a reasonable deductible, or is it valued as highly as the average repair? If so, that $2,000 you are paying upfront may be better saved for a rainy day.
• Is the warranty transferable? Some extended warranties end when the person who bought the warranty sells the car. A warranty that allows you to transfer it to a new buyer is preferable; it’s an excellent selling point for prospective buyers.
• Where can you get the car serviced? Some service plans severely limit your ability to get your car serviced. Make sure your warranty can be used anywhere you may end up. Imagine being on vacation somewhere and the worst happens, thinking your covered you head to the nearest shop, only to find your warranty only applies in your home state.
• What exactly is covered? Many service plans can cover your car from bumper to bumper, others… Not so much. Make sure you know what your buying coverage for, not simply the coverage terms (mileage and years).

You should definitely compare all your options before making a decision on a service contract. Do your own research, get a ballpark idea of what an extended warranty with your desired features should cost. In buying a warranty, as in so many other aspects of life, it helps to be fully informed.

Extended Service Plans: Compelling Reasons Aside, Don’t Forget to Negotiate The Price

When you are purchasing that used car, don’t forget that the price of that extended service plan is often just another profit center for the dealership. Sure, they are also trying to sell you on it  to insure them another happy customer (nobody benefits when you drive the car down the road and it breaks down next week, or even next month. The negative word of mouth just isn’t worth it to the dealership) and often times a dealership concerned about their reputation in the marketplace will practically give the warranty away to insure IF the worst happens, it doesn’t turn into a PR nightmare for them.

With that in mind, don’t think for an instant that this isn’t another opportunity to add margin to the bottom line of your deal, just as you masterfully worked the deal with the F&I guy on the car itself, don’t be bashful when talk turns to the warranty. While warranty plans have fixed costs as well, that is usually going to be well below the first offer the F&I guy will lay out and he is paid to get you that warranty.

According to Stan Libowitz of Accelerated Auto, a car concierge company, your first offer should counter at half of the initial price offered. Of course the F&I guy will balk, “but this tactic will establish that you know there is some meat on this bone and somewhere between his offered price and yours, you will find a happy middle ground”.  Libowitz also offers, “this should put you somewhere between $200-$500 above their cost which is a good deal for everyone.”