Fake Stuff Car Dealers Sell To Rip You Off - The Podcast

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
11/12/2015 at 09:00 • Filed to: None

I get calls from people who have bought things - or, they think they have bought things - which cannot be accounted for. A warranty on a used car or GAP coverage that exists only on the purchase agreement.

Not every dealer does this but it happens often enough for it to have popped up on my radar (emails and phone calls to my office). It goes like this. “I bought [GAP/Credit life-Disability/Warranty] and now that I am trying to use it, no one knows what I am talking about.”

This happens even though a purchase agreement shows the consumer paid hundreds of dollars for the policy or warranty. I always ask: “What did they give you to prove that at the time of purchase?”

The response is usually something in the vein of: “Like what?”

Yes, when you drop hundreds of dollars on some policy, warranty, coverage etc, you should get something to show for it. Some kind of documentation, certificate, booklet, pamphlet, flier, brochure, anything . If all you have is a single itemized line on the purchase agreement saying “Warranty - $1,395,” you may be in world of hurt. And the phone calls I get are often from people I can’t help.

The best help here is for you to know these things can happen and avoid them. I know, I say that all the time. Here is the audio of me saying it some more:

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And the video.

And that pic at the top? Nothing fake about that. Just the window sticker for the Challenger Bobby Isaac was given for winning the Texas 500 in 1969.

Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 24 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

DISCUSSION (100)

Nibby > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:08

pro-tip do not attempt to purchase fake boobs at a car dealership

SteveLehto > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:10

Just because they are silicone doesn’t make them “fake.”

HEADLAU5 > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:10

Yes the sales people are not for sale...

Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:10

Also it just saying warranty is a red flag.

Dealers are required to disclose TO and FOR on F&I Products. So unless it says something like To BMWFS For Extended Warranty, they’re not doing it in a legal way.

Doctor-G-and-the-wagen > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:11

How else am I supposed to get pop-up headlights on a modern car?

The Stig's graphic designer cousin > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:11

Sage advice. Fool me once...

jariten1781 > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:11

Even if you do get a pamphlet from ‘Super Discount Warranty Emporium’ based out of Panama don’t expect it to actually do anything.

Avoid that crap all together.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:12

Something something undercarriage waxing.

SteveLehto > jariten1781
11/12/2015 at 09:13

I am amazed by how little some people get when they pay a ton of money for something. I suppose some of it might be oversight during a hectic sales transaction but buyers need to be very thorough at the time of purchase.

GrayHays > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:14

When I went shopping for an SUV for my wife earlier this year we went to a Honda dealer to look at a CRV (they’re getting nice!). I was really liking it until I noticed a $795 rust proofing charge on the dealer add-on sticker (I live in rust-free Louisiana) and a $295 undercoating charge. I told the salesman that this was 2015 and I don’t conduct business with such people. We bought a Lexus.

Also: as an attorney who does MUCH more boring work, this series is highly entertaining.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:14

If you have to have a mechanic install them, they’re only arguably an option. Even if the parts desk has a SKU for them.When they don’t, it’s not even OEM.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:16

I get the impression you’re a diehard Ford guy.

SteveLehto > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:17

Thanks for the note. The funny part about the rust proofing and the undercoat (which would seemingly overlap physically and in purpose) is that the dealer probably did neither. PURE PROFIT!

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > jariten1781
11/12/2015 at 09:18

Or any extended warranty place in St Charles county, MO. I promise you they will be out if biz and have a new company running before your factory warranty runs out.

SteveLehto > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
11/12/2015 at 09:20

Yes and no. I am a diehard Buy American guy (in that every car I have owned has been American made). I mentioned Ford in the podcast because it popped into my head but what I really was getting at was to buy the factory extended warranty rather than a third party one - if one is available.

doug > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:21

All those warranty’s and protection plans come with a separate contract to be signed, and at least a brochure. You need to ask for those things up front before you sign the purchase contract.

SteveLehto > doug
11/12/2015 at 09:22

You’d think so. I have spoken to far too many people who said they SAW something like that but somehow were not given a copy.

Daveinva > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:24

15 years ago when I went to buy my first new car (a Mazda Protege, do I miss that thing), I took a buddy of mine along whose sole purpose was to kick me in the shin every time I so much as *thought* of buying any extraneous dealer add on.

Lo and behold, after the initial paperwork is done, the dealership drags out of the backroom this gorgeous spinner with the most extraordinary bolt-ons money could buy, her one mission in life to get me to buy the rustproofing and undercoating. My buddy, he starts drooling and flirting like a madman, leaving it all up to me to be “No thank you... no thank you... dear God in heaven, put those away, no thank you.”

After we left, he looks at me and says, “Dude, if I was buying that car from her, I would have paid for rustproofing my colon by the time all was said and done.”

P.S. The irony of ironies, extra rustproofing an old Mazda would have made a whole lot of sense.

smalleyxb122 > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:27

You’re definitely going to want that “security etching.”

jimz > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:29

Heh, “stem lube.” Even I didn’t fall for that.

Though winter is coming...

SteveLehto > jimz
11/12/2015 at 09:30

Your battery needs conditioning.

Dayburner > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:32

I had a dealer try to sell us an “environmental package” they said it was a special coating on the paint, seats, and carpet to protect against dirt and such. Since they already applied it they could not remove the charge. When I pointed out that there was still factory plastic wrap on most of the seats and parts of the exterior they came up with more BS. Just walked away at that point, also in Louisiana.

LostMyOldPasswordAgain > Nibby
11/12/2015 at 09:32

Kinja'd!!!

You sure?

vestigialbrain > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:33

Before, during and after the purchase process, anticipate what the numbers should come to based on all the promised information gathered prior. Make sure it adds up. If there’s any departure from that amount, always ask the F&I person to explain why and don’t continue until you’re satisfied. Don’t just blankly sign “here,” “here,” “initials there” and “date here” without thinking. I’m not saying that all dealerships are out to rip you off - I’ve dealt with many who are straightforward, but if the numbers don’t make sense to you, and they cannot be reasonably explained, stop, breathe and think. Say it with me: math is your friend (this is coming from a bona fide English major). In fact, if you’ve secured financing prior, your lending institution will usually clarify what the numbers should be, based on any promised trade valuations.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Daveinva
11/12/2015 at 09:33

Meanwhile, that poor saleswoman was just trying to work with the dealer who knew that their mazdas were rustbuckets. But their awareness campaign ocming to nothing, they all agreed on a last-ditch effort to save those poor proteges and millenias! Their undercoaters at the ready, the dealership staff pinned all their hopes on a buxom blond to “raise awareness” for their services.....alas, the number of rusted mazdas from just a decade ago shows that their efforts were not enough....

The Gray Adder > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:34

The stealerships around here (upstate NY) will at least try to sell you the undercoating that was applied at the factory.

GrayHays > Dayburner
11/12/2015 at 09:37

Man, if we’re not careful our state’s going to develop a reputation for grift and corruption.

Nibby > LostMyOldPasswordAgain
11/12/2015 at 09:37

Vince P. > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:42

the dealers make the process as time consuming as possible.

when i bought my new car in 2011, I had already agreed to an out the door price/financing terms/options etc. When i came to pick up my car 3 months later (factory order)- the FI person made me wait 3 hours and still tried to charge me full price for a warranty i had already negotiated to 50% of the MSRP during my OTD pricing. Earlier, Ihad walked by his office a few times and he never had a customer in there - they were trying to tire me out so i just signed it and left. I had the entire day off so I was fine waiting :)

SteveLehto > Vince P.
11/12/2015 at 09:43

I have heard so many funny stories about OTD pricing. Like, they add some money on after, saying “Out the door is before we add on these things . . .” They try to claim it is a term of art that means something other than its plain-English meaning.

Buckus > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:51

Wait, Steve. So you’re saying that automobile dealerships - those fine, outstanding, pillars of honesty we have come to know and love - might charge you for a product or service then not actually give it to you? Then later they will deny having sold it to you despite the line-item on your sales invoice?

You must be lying to us, because the NADA says dealers are adding value and people like shopping that way!

Buckus > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:51

“You see, the thing is....they put that on at the factory. There’s nothing I can do.”

Buckus > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:52

You mean totally unlike every other state?

Fuel_of_Satan > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 09:52

Only once have I purchased some extended warranty on a product. Turns out it covered exactly the same things as the normal warranty. Not even longer time. At least that’s what they told me and lawyers fee’s would soon exceed the value of the product in this case.

I feel the anger brew every time someone asks me for something like that, “F*** you! NO!”, but over the years I’ve learned to just say “No thanks” rather than ask them to lie to me about what it covers. I rarely ask a salesman about anything, really. I don¨’t even buy a mouse without doing my research, by the time I’m at a shop I know what I want. Salesmen are just in the way.

Dayburner > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 09:55

Well you wouldn’t want people to think our car dealers are falling behind the curve.

SteveLehto > Fuel_of_Satan
11/12/2015 at 09:57

I have actually gotten a salesperson to stop trying to sell me things by saying, “I’m a lawyer.” Nothing else.

Which is funny. If you are selling me a valid product and doing so in an ethical manner, my statement would be irrelevant. And yet, they shut up.

rhobere > Buckus
11/12/2015 at 10:01

But... but the dealers are there to PROTECT us from those evil manufacturers!

 > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:02

So about that Trucoat...

Kinja'd!!!

Fuel_of_Satan > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:04

Hah!

Just, HAH! I’m glad I’m not totally insane thinking like this.

I have never even heard of a salesman saying: “No, you want to go across the street for that*insert product*. The ones they have there are much better than ours.”

They’ll lie and enthuse about whatever they want to shift, not recommend the best product for me. Not that I blame them, that’s their job, but I don’t want any part of it so I don’t ask.

Mark Longoria > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 10:06

With the exception of luxury dealerships, just about all the stealerships in my neck of the woods (South Texas) have dealer add on stickers with all the usual suspects: Paint sealant, pinstripping, Scotch guard, rustproofing, vin etching on the windows.

You literally cannot get a new vehicle without this crap added on.

One of the reasons I buy used from the current owner.

I really hope Tesla wins their fight to allow direct sales. Imagine being able to buy a vehicle without all that crap, and without some sales scum trying to screw you over every chance they can.

Future next gen S2000 owner > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 10:07

Kinja'd!!!

You’re gonna want the Trucoat. You’re gonna need the Trucoat.

Quade > vestigialbrain
11/12/2015 at 10:09

Nobody reads the paperwork. I always get strange reactions when I actually read the purchase contract before I sign it. Once found a $4000 “mistake” when I was buying a ford truck...

Buckus > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:10

We all know Santa Claus isn’t real, but I still open his presents.

Buckus > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:13

I wonder if “I’ll take a copy of the contract and have my lawyer go through it” would stop them cold.

Buckus >
11/12/2015 at 10:14

I will star this every damn time I see it, because it’s true.(coat).

vestigialbrain > Quade
11/12/2015 at 10:15

When you’re buying a car, reading the paper work is YOUR job. No one else will do it for you or protect your interests (unless you bring an attorney...which might still be a net savings). As you just demonstrated, you essentially got “paid” $4,000 for 15 minutes, 30 minutes tops, of work. Not too shabby. It’s much easier to rectify a “mistake” before you sign on the dotted line than after you’ve driven home and looked at the papers more closely. That is to say, I agree with you. :)

Hauchipato > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:28

I got a Lo-Jack on my car when I purchased it (2004 Mustang). It came with a Lo-Jack Certificate and instructions on how it works. Mine also came with a transponder to keep on the key ring. If I drove without the transponder, I would get a call to my phone notifying me that the car had been moved (I think this was the “Early Warning Alert” feature). I was also told that they couldn’t tell me where it was, but I have found a few modules in my car that are not from the factory. I have not ever needed to actually use it, but I’m left with little reason to believe it wasn’t installed.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > The Gray Adder
11/12/2015 at 10:33

...I actually got the Ziebart protection plan up here in Syracuse (where I do see a lot of rusted out cars) on my new mini-van last year.

Admittedly, it was part and parcel with the extended warranty I bought (which I *did* get paper for, although I realized later was with the wrong VIN, and had to get that straightened out, which took a while).

I don’t think the place I went to was *quite* a stealership, but I sure as hell wish I’d seen these kinds of articles *before* I bought this stuff. :/

I'm Abe Froman > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:33

Haven’t seen a 45¢ option on a car, well, ever.

SteveLehto > I'm Abe Froman
11/12/2015 at 10:35

Personally, I liked the ashtray light.

Urambo Tauro > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:40

I used to work at a dealer that offered something called “Diamon Fusion”, a rain & dirt repellent applied to windshields to the tune of a few hundred bucks.

At the time, it was a sensitive product that had to be kept in a refrigerator. To apply, it was hooked up to a machine that vaporized the chemical and pumped it into an open-faced box that you had to slide across the glass to apply. It was like ironing.

When the rep came to demo Diamon Fusion for the dealership, it was tested on my Delta 88, which had just received a new windshield. The product worked a lot like Rain-X, but my car was hit by a drunk driver before its long-term benefits could be evaluated.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:42

That was the one thing that frustrates me about having bought the extended warranty on my mini-van last year - I didn’t pay enough attention at the time to realize it was 3rd party, I thought it was through Toyota. (And then they put the wrong VIN on my policy, so I had to spend a couple months going back and forth with them to get *that* sorted out.)

thesalad > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 10:44

I kow someone who worked for/with a company in Buffalo NY that was selling third party warranties.. but.. they actually purchased them from the issuing company. If someone tried to put in a claim they’d just say oops sorry something must have happened with the paperwork, and refund money for warranty. Eventually they got caught and hauled off to jail.

A local (To everywere) dealer (Fucillo) also got slapped with a 1.6MM fine because they were “selling” warranties as well.

HEADLAU5 >
11/12/2015 at 10:51

I worked at a dealership that had the sales rep from one of those special coating companies try to get the service advisors(me) to sell their product. They gave us glass jars that were half treated and filled with dirty water. Just swirl it around for the customer and WOW the treated half is clean and the untreated half is dirty. I took it, shook it a dozen times as hard as I could and the magic coating disappeared. I handed it back to the dirt bag errrrrr sales person and was promptly cussed out by the GM and finance manager.

zanew > Fuel_of_Satan
11/12/2015 at 11:40

I used to work as a technician within a retail environment. Being that I was not in sales, me selling things in no way effected my job or pay. Customers were always surprised when my response to their “should I buy X branded product directly from here” questions was often: “HA! Hell no, buy that online. You can buy it direct from the manufacturer without our sticker on it for 30-40% less”

Needless to say, the salesmen hated me.

Asbu > Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients
11/12/2015 at 11:42

Those sure are acronyms.

jip1080 > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 11:46

Two items...

First, “Dogs don’t eat homework”

I legitimately had a dog eat the library book I was assigned to write a book report on in 4th grade. The teachers in my district went on strike, right before my 4th grade teacher assigned us a book report to do while school was out. My mom was teaching part-time in another district that was not on strike. One of her teacher friends agreed to watch me for one of the days. I left my book on the kitchen table and went to use the bathroom. When I came back out the lady watching me for the day was retrieving the book from the dog’s mouth. It was torn to shreds and partly missing. I ended up with two teachers writing a note to my teacher vouching for the fact that a dog really did eat my homework!

Second, Dealer add-ons...

I’ve been dealing with dealers to buy a new vehicle lately. I had to walk away from a dealer trying to sell some add-ons they wouldn’t negotiate off (I didn’t want any of them), two of which were ‘protection packages.’ There was about a grand worth of add-ons they refused to remove. Another dealer I was talking with had different add-ons, I asked if I could forgo the majority of them (one was actually something I wanted anyway and the price was fine... amazingly enough), they said “Yeah, no problem.” The overall price quotes from the two dealers was very similar, but I’m not going to purchase from a dealer that is doing the shady add-on stuff and try to compete on “but our doc fee is a few bucks lower than anyone else!” They also were using some shady tactics to get me to come back to the showroom. Telling me on the phone about discounts it later turned out were not applicable to the vehicle I am purchasing (even noting on the phone that the vehicle was eligible) and flat out lying about incentives, saying they were the only ones who could offer them. I was willing to overlook the sales guy quoting incorrect vehicle stats and facts (length of bed, HP / Torque numbers, a few meaningless ones) that were better than actual. He may just have not known the correct data. But the shady tactics coupled with all of that made me want to crap in their coffee cups. I’m so freakin’ tired of dealing with dealership sales people already (been talking to various dealers for closing in on 2 months now). But, hey, they’re trying to protect me from the big bad automaker they’re selling cars from because clearly I can’t trust them despite putting my life in the hands of the vehicle they built.

RevengencerAlf > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 11:51

I agree gap insurance is just a flat out scam itself. It’s unnecessary and useless. If you’re financing a car and you expect the loan to be underwater enough to actually worry you, you’re living beyond your means, buying something you can’t afford and you just need to stop.

SteveLehto > jip1080
11/12/2015 at 11:51

As your dog’s attorney, I would argue he ate a book. Not homework.

But I see your point.

Thanks for the note.

RevengencerAlf > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 11:55

Strangest thing, the dealership I bought my last car from didn’t even want to show me gap insurance at all. I guess they cared a lot about their repuation. I was all ready to fight and get mad every time they tried to upsell me but he basically just went “Here’s gap insurance, I have to offer it by law, but you really shouldn’t.” Similar with the warranty, but instead of saying “don’t get it” he basically just said it was my call.

SteveLehto > RevengencerAlf
11/12/2015 at 12:02

I have to offer it “by law”?

Love that. I wonder which law he/she is referring to.

The Gray Adder > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling
11/12/2015 at 12:02

Well, it depends on what you are buying. I learned early on with Hondas that they undercoat every car that comes off the line, which made me chuckle when I bought my second one, and they tried to upsell me on something that was already done as standard procedure. I wanted to go out, stick my hand under the car, and smear the sticky undercoat all over his desk.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:18

So when I was parked in my CHRYSLER! Conquest, you’re the guy that shouted NEED SOME GALLONS OF RICE?!!

Just kidding.

But if it was you, as you drove away I shouted LITERS!!

SteveLehto > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
11/12/2015 at 12:20

You mean the Mistubishi Starion? I drove one of those back in the day and it was pretty quick.

I’m not militant about it but being from Detroit, I’ve seen people threaten violence when someone rolled by in a Japanese-built car back in the day.

MoparOrNoCar (Okay, maybe a Mazda?) > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:27

Kinja'd!!!

Aw :( Only a 383.

SteveLehto > MoparOrNoCar (Okay, maybe a Mazda?)
11/12/2015 at 12:29

I was disappointed too. Since it was a prize, it should’ve had the Hemi.

RevengencerAlf > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:36

Being Massachusetts iI really wouldn’t be shocked if they have to let you know its available. It might have actually been the warranty.

Either way he didn’t seem interested in actually selling it to me at all so I have a hard time reading it as a lie.

Jim_B > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:36

My best technique for addressing contradictions between what was said and what appeared on paper is to walk. When I purchased a Honda Pilot in 2004, I grabbed the dealership’s door handle three times.

Car has options we were not told about? Get up. Oh, wait, they were not installed yet. No problem.

Interest rate 3% higher than quoted? Pull out a financial calculator and point out the difference in price over the life of the loan versus their “it’s only $x per month more” argument. Ask them to eat that difference. No? Got up a second time. They drop the rate.

All the add-ons from the F&I woman. Nope, nope, nope, I’m out of here.

It helped to buy the car, end of month, end of quarter too.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:46

I had an HKS modified 1987 and it was more than quick. Especially in a time when the Mustang 5.0 kicked out a ripping snorting 205hp.

Manny Both-Hanz died > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 12:56

Recently a buddy bought a car in cash, and asked me to take a quick look at the contract for him. Turns out they were trying to get him to sign a financing agreement with the amounts left blank (not crossed out or struck in any way). The “contract” didn’t even have a provision transferring him the car.

When asked about it, they said this was just their standard form and the amounts were blank because he wasn’t financing. They had no explanation for why there was no transfer or sale in it.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > The Gray Adder
11/12/2015 at 13:11

Yeah. I don’t think they sold “undercoating”, just the Ziebart proectection plan - so every year, I take it back in to Ziebart and they respray the coating.

Mind you, Ziebart tried to upsell the hell out of their protective films, which, I mean, I hate paint chips, but a) they’re really expensive, and b) there’s a noticeable line where they stop, which would drive my OCD tendencies wild.

I'm Abe Froman > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 13:15

$300+ in today’s money for $3 in filament bulbs. Go without and your headlights drain the battery and the speedometer is illegible.

Fuel_of_Satan > zanew
11/12/2015 at 13:42

Yeah, I never liked having customers with me as a mechanic, nor did my manager. As an independent shop we often fitted aftermarket parts rather than OEM bits. Most of it is fine, some of it is literally the same part in a different box, but some of it is shite. Us mechanics knew which was which and there were no secrets “on the floor”.

“Ugh, why didn’t we get OEM here? I know, profit margin...”

plainnottoasted > Buckus
11/12/2015 at 13:44

NADA nothing, your talking the entire Hallowed Private Sector ™ ;

here.

glemon > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 13:57

Steve, have you ever done an article or video on the extended warranty? My admittedly limited experience echos your advice, I had an extended bumper to bumper from the factory on my Maxima which was great, and

a third part drive train warranty on my Millenia S that was worthless. It basically covered catastrophic failure of internal hard bits like crankshafts and differential gears. Sensors, electrics, excessive oil leaks or consumption weren’t on the list. It probably would sound decent to a non-jalop type buying the car, but was really of limited value unless you were buying a model T. I didn’t pay for it, the used car dealer threw it in free when negotiations were stalling.

Of course I could have really used the bumper to bumper on the Millenia and the Maxima ran forever, but such is life.

SteveLehto > glemon
11/12/2015 at 14:16

Kind of. I did a podcast on Warranty Repairs.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I might do one more specifically on Extended Warranties and Extended Service Contracts etc.

Thanks for the note.

SupersonicATX > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 14:39

“ResistALL”.. don’t. do. it. total waste of money.. I’ve had longer lasting $30 wax jobs.

/lesson learned

ZoomZoomBoom > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 15:02

I had a 2006 Mazdaspeed6 GT that I bought used with 16k on the odometer from a Nissan dealership, and I bought the Nissan used car warranty with it. It was an actual legitimate warranty that covered the engine, turbo, AWD system, and everything that wasn’t a cheap fix on that car. There was paperwork for it, and I called a friend who was a Nissan service adviser and he said that was easy to get them to pay out.

I took a lot of crap from friends for spending a grand on this 100k mile warranty with full roadside assistance, as well as taking crap for paying a Mazda dealer $12 labor for oil changes with my own oil and filter. I was able to go to any dealer or mechanic as long as Nissan approved it. Before 56k miles they had paid out for a PTO, rear left axle, brand new MZR-DISI engine, and Mazda covered the turbo. The brand spanking new engine and turbo replacement cost including labor was almost $7k and having the dealership do the oil changes made it a damn breeze on my end.

#3 rod was bent in the engine, but at least it wasn’t bent up my anus. All because I did my due diligence when buying an “add-on”.

http://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/ni…

The Gray Adder > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling
11/12/2015 at 15:13

I would be very interested in protection against paint chips - for my next new car, not the one that’s already dinged up. Is the line that noticable? I ask because I just watched their video, and they mainly put it on leading edges of stuff, which would include fenders, rocker panels, etc., not the whole car. Basically, what you said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 15:44

Man, did we get snookered. Volkswagen sold us a Jetta TDi and told us it got great mileage, had lots of power, and was cleaner than a gasoline engine.

ronmler3 > GrayHays
11/12/2015 at 16:45

Too late - yes - I know you were kidding.....

Bearded Bastard > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 17:03

“Not every dealer does this but it happens often enough for it to have popped up on my radar (emails and phone calls to my office). “

And here I thought you actually had a radar, sitting in your law cave, ready to litigate at a moments notice.

Anyways, just bought a “brand new” 2015 ram. You could see the finance man holdin back while trying to shill the “paint protectant” and the rust proofing. My favorite? The cloth protecting spray, that magically realigns the fibers in my seats to better keep spills from staining the material. Even if it works, wouldn’t that also make it harder to get what does penetrate, out?

As usual, good listening for a brief moment of long drives!

Bearded Bastard > smalleyxb122
11/12/2015 at 17:05

I got this, and I asked to watch them do it. To my surprise, they actually removed panels or inner fenders and engraved my vin and some info into several body panels. I wonder how often they actually do it though, considering they clearly have the equipment, why they don't just do it always.

ronmler3 > Mark Longoria
11/12/2015 at 17:09

Yes, you CAN get the vehicle without that stuff added on!! DON’T pay for it!!

ronmler3 > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 17:13

the GM’s law.....

ronmler3 > Hauchipato
11/12/2015 at 17:37

But they still should have told you where it is - it’s your car!!

Skunk > Asbu
11/12/2015 at 17:43

Yep, mean nothing to me. We have the Consumers Guarantee Act over here.

smalleyxb122 > Bearded Bastard
11/12/2015 at 17:56

My most recent vehicular acquisition was from a dealership that includes this on every sale, by default. I was getting a good enough deal on the car that I wasn’t going to fight it, but I was still going to call them out on it. The salesman removed the charge before I had a chance to say anything. Not a word was spoken, as I watched him run down the list of dealer add-ons deleting every extraneous charge except the $150 doc fee.

glemon > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 19:29

Thanks, yet another lawyer who doesn’t do the stuff you do but is a car guy who enjoys your column.

SteveLehto > glemon
11/12/2015 at 19:32

Hey - thanks for the note!

ranwhenparked > smalleyxb122
11/12/2015 at 20:46

There is a distinction between overpriced add-ons of dubious value, and charging for things that totally don’t exist. Those $200 plastic door edge guards might only be worth $20, but they are really there, on the car. And you might not want that tacky pinstriping that the dealer puts on every car on the lot and adds to the window sticker, but it is there.

Sort of like pyramid schemes vs. multilevel marketing, they’re both crooked, but one is more crooked than the other.

smalleyxb122 > RevengencerAlf
11/12/2015 at 21:27

The finance guy at my most recent purchase said “I assume you don’t want gap insurance; Initial here to decline.”

MidwestBoater > SteveLehto
11/12/2015 at 21:28

My favorite thing to ask when the finance puppet is trying to sell me on warranties: “so, are you telling me that this ______ is a big enough piece of crap that need a __ thousand dollar warranty?! Then maybe I shouldn’t even be buying it!”.

MidwestBoater > Urambo Tauro
11/12/2015 at 21:39

When I bought my 2014 ram earlier this year that was one of the bullshit things they tried to sell me, it was pathetic hearing the finance guy try to explain why it was so great when he obviously knew it was total bs.

Urambo Tauro > MidwestBoater
11/12/2015 at 22:03

I seem to remember that the product was developed for jet fighter canopies and other military applications. And I’ll admit the stuff was excellent. If I still had free access to it, I’d put it on my car in a heartbeat.

But there’s no way I can justify paying hundreds of dollars for it. Not for a common road car, when you can get similar results from other products for far less money. Even if you had to re-apply Rain-X more often, the dealership’s price Diamon Fusion treatment still wouldn’t be justifiable.

MidwestBoater > Urambo Tauro
11/12/2015 at 22:11

I’d rather they sell me lifetime top offs of the blinker fluid. :-)

4b11t > Urambo Tauro
11/12/2015 at 22:18

Wouldn’t it only be a scam if you paid hundreds of dollars for like, a spray on water repellent that was buffed out with a napkin?

If they actually have a fancy machine to apply it, then it’s not really like, that scammy.

Urambo Tauro > 4b11t
11/12/2015 at 22:23

Not only the machine, but there was an intensive cleaning process that had to take place immediately prior to application. Counting labor and all, the price may have been fair from the dealer’s standpoint.

But from the customer’s perspective, I just don’t see how it could be worth it. That much money would buy an awful lot of Rain-X. I don’t think it was a scam; it was just a poor way to spend money.

4b11t > Urambo Tauro
11/12/2015 at 22:46

Did the product actually work?

Urambo Tauro > 4b11t
11/12/2015 at 23:01

Yes, it did.

It delivered the same benefits as Rain-X and similar products. Water beaded off, I could drive in the rain without using my wipers, all that. It might have worked slightly better than Rain-X. There are some videos showing off its ability to repel mud while off-roading, but I never witnessed that kind of thing first-hand and I can’t comment on its durability either.

Still, if I still had free access to it, I’d put it on my car without hesitation. If you look online, you can find it and apply it yourself, as the current formula does not require the vaporizer machine. It’s still pretty expensive, though.