Some things bear repeating. When examining various used car and new car warranties, check to see if the business soliciting your trade is listed with the Better Business Bureau.
A recent tactic employed by a warranty company involved soliciting business by incorrectly informing owners through the mail that their current factory warranty was about to expire and that the letter represented their “final” opportunity to renew.
The company has been the recipient of many complaints beside their use of scare tactics, apparently failing to provide refunds and poor service.
“The Bureau processed a total of 57 complaints about this company in the last 36 months. Of the total of 57 complaints closed during that period, 48 were closed in the last year.
The BBB has challenged some advertised claims with this company concerning the mail solicitation. The solicitation states that the consumer’s vehicle factory warranty had expired, that this was their final notice to renew their warranty coverage, and that if he or she would purchase warranty on their first call, they would receive a 20% discount.
The BBB brought to the firm’s attention that an ad as a whole may be misleading although every sentence separately considered is literally true, and that misrepresentation may result not only from direct statements but by omitting or obscuring a material fact. The firm failed to respond to the BBB’s request to modify, cease, or substantiate the advertisement.”
(Source)
It simply pays to do your home work,using the internet to comfortably shop for all available warranty options.
It is very reassuring that now the used car buyer can look for used cars that have been certified and can easily shop for a good used car or extended warranty. There are still, however, some basic “rules of the road” to keep in mind when shopping for a used car.
- Do Check a used car history report This does not give you a 100% warranty that the car is OK, but may save you some money if it will show you some bad records, for example, if the car was written off after an accident or has had an odometer rolled back.
- Do ask someone knowledgeable to inspect the car for you; it may save you a lot of money.
- Don’t buy a car after a serious accident – especially following a frontal collision. You wouldn’t believe how many possible problems may arise later as a result of an accident.
- Don’t buy a car as soon as you see it. Take your time, test drive the car as long as you can. For example, some problems may only be caught when the engine is cold while other problems may only be discovered when cruising at highway speeds, etc.
- Don’t base your decision on what you have been told. “One Owner, highway driven” in fact, may be an ex-rental, heavily abused vehicle.
- Don’t buy a car if you have reservations or hesitate for one reason or another…if you don’t have a good ‘gut’ feeling about it. If the engine seems too noisy or works as if it is in rough shape and sounds heavy, the transmission shifts harshly, some works needs to be done, something seems to be wrong with the papers, etc. – move on.
- Don’t buy a car if it needs some “minor” repairs. Often this results in spending big bucks for repairs that never seem to end.
- Don’t buy a flooded car; it may look good and still be drivable but later a flooded car may develop many expensive to fix problems: corrosion, electrical, electronics, wheel bearings, transmission, etc.
- Don’t be rude to a salesperson at the dealership. Regardless of the many stereotypes we share, many salespersons are genuinely nice people. Be persistent but not rude; treat them well and they will be willing to help you…
(Source)
The auto business in Jamaica is thriving under the banner of New Line Prestige Motors Company.
“Under the New Line Prestige Motors Company marquee, the car dealership has the exclusive franchise to sell motor vehicles from four Chinese automobile manufacturers: Yutong – which carries the flagship buses which are now being used extensively by JUTC and a number of tour operators on the north coast; Zheng Xhiang (ZX) Auto – featuring four and two-wheel drive pickups as well as the Landman SUV; Cherry – carrying a range of sedans, minivans and SUVs; and Foton – the largest truck manufacturer in Asia.”
New Line Managing Director, Dr, Harry Benjamin, has praise for his Chinese line up, citing the use of the Cummins engine as a big plus.
“The engine is Cummings, one of the best in the world,” said Benjamin, referring in this case to the Yutong buses.
“They have been using a lot of German technology and the engines come with a two-year unlimited warranty.”
New Line evidently plans to cater to all sensibilities with their new dealership by also providing a spa, beauty parlour and internet connections for their car buying customers. The scope of the entire operation ensures market domination for a time to come.
“The new dealership, which opened last weekend, was developed on almost three acres of land in about six months. The pre-engineered steel facility has three structures, with the main building occupying about 15,000 square feet. It houses the showroom, the administrative and executive offices and a showroom, which accounts for 4,000 square feet of the space. There is also a warehouse, with some 28,000 square feet of racked storage space, a bonded warehouse capable of holding 80 vehicles, and a display lot with space for 70 vehicles.”
excerpted from the Jamaica Gleaner
South Carolina’s The State explains why you should get the rental car insurance.
An extended auto warranty is like an additional insurance policy against the worst case scenarios that seem to happen with the things we own right at that point when we don’t have coverage.
And just as auto warranty protection is used more often than you may realize, if you don’t have the necessary insurance through your regular carrier, you want to get temporary auto insurance on your rental car, says an article in The State.
An array of fees — not necessarily calculated into an advertised rental rate — often accompanies a car rental. One optional fee may be for temporary auto insurance.
A driver renting a car should always make sure the automobile is insured for accidents and damages. If you have rental insurance through a personal auto insurance plan or credit card program, it may not be necessary to buy the extra coverage.
With all the things we already have to worry about during the holiday season, it’s not a surprise that we often forget these small but important extra precautions.
See Also
- Extended Warranty for Any Vehicle
Get an extended warranty for any car, truck, motorcycle or RV on any make, year or model, with any mileage whether your vehicle is new or used.
“Gas prices up after 11 weeks of drops”
For the second week in a row, gas prices are continuing to climb after an 11 week trend of lowered pricing, at an average drop of just over a penny a day.
In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.415, up 2.8 cents from last week, 17 cents below last month, and 28 cents lower than last year.
This is the second straight week that the national gas price average has risen, and oil industry analysts expected the increase sometime in November because of OPEC’s decision to cut back on crude oil production, the Auto Club said.
This excerpt was quoted from a California source, however the decline in gas prices has been reported nationwide.
See Also
Knowing what you’re getting beforehand will prevent you from buying a cheap but useless warranty.
When you’re shopping for an extended auto warranty, particularly on a used car, buying based on price or mileage alone may seem like it saves you money in the short run.
The truth is, all the factors of purchasing warranty coverage for your vehicle must be balanced according to your personal needs.
You should take the following things into consideration before you buy.
- Is the mileage limit close to the number of miles on my car?
- What is the reputation of the company from which I’m purchasing this warranty? How long have they been around?
- What is the time limit on my extended warranty?
- Exactly what is covered in this warranty? Is it Powertrain, Component, and Bumper to Bumper?
- What is the deductible?
It’s important to know not just what your costs are, but how they will keep your future costs low, how well can they help you keep your car in great shape. and for how long.
See Also
