Mike
Radford,#2Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 15, 2004
The only warranties potentially worth having are those that don't cost extra. Though even a manufacturer's warranty on a new car is often worthless. Manufacturers don't want to admit that they made a defective car. If they did repair the problem under warranty, it would look bad for their quality statistics. But at least you weren't additionally ripped-off by paying extra for the warranty. Extra cost "service contracts" or "extended warranties" are ALWAYS a total rip-off. They are full of loopholes so the companies that run these will be able to deny everything. The price you paid is pure profit for the dealer and/or warranty company. Never buy them. If you have one, try to cancel it and get your money back.
Shawna
Spokane,#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 15, 2004
Cancel service contract Stella, First off, I am sorry about your experience. I have seen this too many times before. I am even more sorry to say that 99% of car salesmen (not just used car salesmen) will tell his/her customers the SAME story of a "Bumper-to-Bumper" warranty. Truth is, the ONLY bumper-to-bumper warranty you will ever find is the factory warranty. Service contracts ONLY cover mechanical failures. Trim, tires, hoses, etc. are not covered. Although this may sound like extended warranties/service contracts do not cover anything, they most certainly do. The trick is to read the contract. To help you understand a service contract better look at the coverage first. There are two basic forms to look for. The service contract may be exclusionary, meaning it will list the parts that do not have coverage. This is the best contract because it's easier to list the parts that aren't covered rather than listing the parts that are. If the contract is not exclusionary it will be inclusionary. This contract will list the parts that have coverage. If it's not listed it is not covered. These contracts CAN cover a lot, but are most often VERY LIMITED. **If you buy a service contract be sure to stick to your maintenance as recomended by the manufacturer. If you can't be on time for the scheduled maintenance do it early; not late. KEEP ALL RECEIPTS. I suggest calling the administrator of your extended warranty to see if there is a refund for your contract if you cancel. They may direct you to your selling dealer to cancel, but that is only because you bought it there. You wouldn't take a Eureka (not an advertisement) vaccuum cleaner back to Eureka, but to the retailer who sold you the contract. The administrators most likely have a computerized note system to make a note on your account so they can see that you have called in expressing you want to cancel. This way if you have trouble with the selling dealer cancelling you can contact the administrator again and they MIGHT be able to cancel directly with you.