Car warranty companies: Has anyone signed up with one of them like Car Shield...

[brush]

which advertises aggressively on TV? They advertise so much that they must be making money. The reason I ask is a few years back I signed on to one of them but when I needed to use their so-called warranty, there were so many qualifiers and conditions to be met before they would cough up any money and cover repairs, I ended up having to pay out of pocket to get my car fixed.

Anyone have anything positive to say of these extended warranty companies?

[Wounded Bear]

1. My car is too old and over mileage for those...nt

[MiniMe]

3. But I bet you still get the phone calls

Yesterday, I got 3 of the car warranty phone calls. All the same area code and first 3 numbers, different last 4 numbers. Ugh

[Wounded Bear]

12. Occasionally, I guess. nt

[MontanaMama]

15. I get those every day too.

Scammers. I have a 2020 vehicle.

[magicarpet]

2. They blast my cell phone with offers to provide,...

... I keep pushing nine to remove me from the call list.

They call back the next day still.

[dv421]

43. They quit calling me

after I asked them to quote me on coverage for a 1985 Atlantis with 126,000,000 miles on it. I really just wanted to see how much it would cost to cover a space shuttle.

[Hotler]

4. I heard that once you buy a warranty you never have to check your oil and fluids again.

I also heard that if you take care of your equipment it will last longer.

[katmondoo]

5. In all the years I had a car warranty the only free thing I got was a car battery replacement

I think it is all a scam. They call all the time , I just do not answer.

[Boxerfan]

6. Mostly a low level scam-but legal.

I worked for one of the 1st extended warranty companies. The interaction you describe is basically the business model.

It all boiled down to the terms & conditions of the contract. If you met those terms we paid the claim. Problem is it was full of weasel word allowing easy claim denials. And many times the contract was sold using lies by car sales people.


Things may have changed but I doubt it. This was 30+ years ago.

[twin_ghost]

7. You've already learned your lesson about them. Why would you get your money taken again for no ...

service?

[brush]

14. Who said anything about getting my money taken? I posted this because I saw yet another...

of the ads this morning and wondered if anyone had had a positive experience with any of them, that's all. Just as my post said.

[twin_ghost]

24. You said you signed up for a car warranty service before and it didn't pay. n/t

[brush]

25. That's right, years ago. I didn't say I was signing up again. Just wondering if anyone...

had had a positive experience. As I asked in my post.

[VickiSmith]

8. 2016

signed up in 2016. A complete waste of money, not used one time in 4 years.

[MyOwnPeace]

9. I have NOTHING good to say.......

I bought one (after-market) because my car had an engine that was known to develop problems. To have it 'blow-up' would have cost them $15,000 (yeah, it is a high-performance sports car) and the symptoms were starting to develop. To fix it then would be about $4,000.
So, 'preventive' or 'total?'
They refused to 'fix' it until it blew up and I didn't want to risk it so I had to pay the $4,000 myself - which is what I had also paid in the premiums to the &^$@*&%# company!

However, while working on the engine the mechanic DID find another problem that they had to cover - so he charged most of the labor to THEIR part of the job.

[OneBlueDotS-Carolina]

10. They replaced my motor & transmission...

who does that....
No one....

They replaced my A/C compressor, it costs $4G.... really, is it made of gold?

[dv421]

46. There is a lack of specificity in that ad

I could have been a blower motor and a windshield wiper transmission they replaced. $4K for a compressor seem ridiculously high even if they had to replace all the other parts of the AC system due to the failure.

[indigoth]

11. I never have, never will

An engineer by trade, very mechanically inclined. I’ve been fixing my own car for over forty years. I’m as, or more, skilled at it than many actual professional mechanics. Most expensive car bills are expensive because of labor charges. My labor is free. Gonna put a wheel bearing on it this weekend, actually ... that’ll take exactly nine nuts/bolts to undo/do.

Soooo, those “extended car warrantee” things? They’re not for me.

[jayfish]

23. It Might Be Nine Nuts & Bolts But;...

you might also need a press to extract the existing bearing from its housing. Then you might need a press to get the new one back in. Especially if the bearing is for a drive wheel. Not arguing with you. Just saying I hate replacing wheel bearings.

[Beakybird]

13. Consumer Reports recommends against extended warranties for all products.

If you can afford one, it's better to put the price of the extended warranty in a savings account.

[dalton99a]

16. +1. They are a waste of money

[unblock]

17. If I remember right, they only cover tiny dents without any paint chipped off

If any portion of the dent extended beyond the size of their their small business card, no coverage.

If the tiniest bit of paint was chipped, no coverage.

Seems to me that just about anything capable of making such a tiny dent would almost have to be small and sharp enough to chip at least a point of paint.

[vercetti2021]

18. Nope

I just wish they would stop calling me like 20 fucking times a day

[snowybirdie]

19. We get

calls daily about the expiration of our car warranty. I hang up. Even though were supposedly on the do not call list. Grrrrrr.

[jayfish]

20. They Can Be Both Good and Bad.

Most issues, I've seen, with extended car warranties come from the fact that people don't actually read or understand the contract. If the contract doesn't specifically name a part as covered you should consider it not covered. That includes items you might not consider. The company might pay to have your engine replaced but they won't pay for the new plugs, oil, coolant, etc. that goes with it. The warranty companies will also force shops to go very deep into the diagnostic process. To the point of having a shop tear an engine down to diagnose a problem that, on the surface" seems straightforward and simple. I don't have a problem with that. Most of the time it comes down to the shop not wanting to put in the work. The shop wants to bill you for the "book" time but get your car out of there below it. Well below it if possible. The warranty company has an interest in making sure the shop does the job right. ...the first time. They are also pretty expensive. OTOH my wife had the motor replaced in her vehicle under an extended warranty. We may have junked the car without it.

[patricia92243]

21. Is there a way you could get a copy of the contract and see what it says? Also, does BBB

have infor on them (if the BBB still exists)

[Politicub]

45. You should always get a copy of the contract to read before signing.

So, yes. This is always available unless the business is pulling a scam.

[samnsara]

22. those long car shield adverts are the most annoying and i rush to change the channel before that...

...guy says BECAUSE IT WILL.....


because it will drive me nuts!

[kimbutgar]

26. I brought a lifetime one in 2011 for my Dodge

I ended up still having to pay $700 for getting my covered thermostat and struts replaced. They had to drain brake fluid and all this other supposedly basic stuff not covered by the warranty. Don’t know if I’ll ever buy another one again.

[jayfish]

27. Hmmm.

Doesn't sound like anything was actually covered by the warranty (surprised shocks/struts and thermostats would be covered) or you got hosed by the shop. Struts and thermostats are about the most basic jobs a shop can do. Replacing the headlight bulbs on some cars is more difficult.

[kimbutgar]

28. I had to go though the dealership where I brought the car to get warranty repair

Usually I go though my trusty mechanic friend.

Let’s just say I’m done with the dealership after this experience and I was without a car for a whole week!

[jayfish]

31. They Don't Call Them...

"stealerships" for nothing.

[Luz]

29. I know they're not in the business of paying OUT money.

Like any insurance company, they're in it to take money IN.

[Patterson]

30. One star out of five at Yelp

https://m.yelp.com/biz/carshield-st-peters-2

I would not touch it. Put your premiums in your own car repair account.

[jayfish]

32. If You're Getting One With A "New" Used Car It's A No-Brainer.

If your getting one you have to pay $100+ for a month after you've already purchased a car? No so much.

[GregariousGroundhog]

33. This party warranties are usually junk

When buying a vehicle, you can ask the dealership to sweeten the deal by extending the manufacturer's warranty. If they are hungry for a sale, sometimes you can score an extra couple years. I don't think I'd ever pay for one though.

[brush]

36. Very good idea. Use everything you can to get a better deal.

[brooklynite]

34. I had my last car for 17 years...

The repair needs were marginal.

FWIW - the only warranty extension I subscribe to is AppleCare.

[Hotler]

35. In the news from Denver. People not happy with Car Shield

Read the fine print.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-other-side-of-the-shield-carshield-customers-repair-shop-complain-nothing-is-covered/vi-BB1dXvtC?ocid=hplocalnews

[MineralMan]

37. They're Excellent! For the company that offers them.

They get your money up front, and keep getting it at whatever interval the premium is. Then, when your car needs a repair, you'll discover that the fine print makes your repair ineligible for the warranty. So, your mechanic gets the money - From YOU! Just like having no warranty at all.

Waste of money. Completely.

[Pongo]

38. I've wondered the same. There's a home shield company too.

[brush]

39. The home warranty company is American Home Shield. In my experience it's the best one out there.

I used to have Old Republic home warranty and I was satisfied with them until my fridge control panel went out and I called to get it repaired. They told me, after years of paying them every year, that my fridge wasn't covered because I didn't ask for it to be covered when I first signed up with them.

I was beyond shocked and angry as a home's refridgerator is one of the main appliances that one expects to be covered in a warranty agreement without having to specifically ask for it to be cover at extra cost. Like I said, I was shocked but asked for the refridegerator be added to my warranty and I would pay for it. They refused and said that had to have been done at the initiation of the contract and I could never add it, even for the next year.

I immediately canceled, and lost all the food in the refrigerator, plus having to pay to get it fixed on my own. Talk about being pissed...

I tried Choice Warranty but the first incident with them they didn't cover so I researched the online for the best company and American Home Shield was rated number one. I have that now and have no complaints. They've already replaced my washing machine and microwave, no questions asked. they charge a little more for send out a local company to come out but they cover everything one would expect.

[Pongo]

40. Thanks for this information.

I have thought about getting that, but didn’t know if it was a ripoff. Good to know so I can look into it!

[beaglelover]

41. I would never sign up with one of these companies. They're probably like the Home Warranty

companies out there. When you need something fixed, they'll find one reason after another why they will not pay to fix it. Complete waste of time and money.

[TheBlackAdder]

42. If you get a warranty, always get it directly from the manufacturer and only the manufacturer,

.

Dealers can sell you any policy and are allowed to steer customers away from the manufacturer's warranty. They will do this if they get a buck more in commission. If you have a used car, contact the manufacturer and get one directly from their warranty dept.

.

[Mr.Bill]

44. Go to where you usually have your car repaired and serviced,

and ask them if they would recommend the company you are buying the warranty from. They deal with this stuff far more than a friend who had one or two bad or good experiences.