Dude Wut?

"Tom McParland" (tommcparland) 02/05/2014 at 15:47 • Filed to: Avant, RS4, automatchbait, stealerships

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So I get a message on my Facebook (picture un-related)-

I just read your blog post... And although you have one or two points correct... the reality is you're giving your readers very, very bad advice. While it is true that if you going to keep the car for a shorter period of time than the warranty... you don't need one... One should always buy the warranty that is offered by the manufacturer.. if they plan on keeping the car. One average air conditioning repair and you have your money back. You said... Most cars don't have major engine or transmission problems... that is true... but most houses don't burn down either... I still have fire insurance.. Question: Have you ever sold cars.. and if so... how long? Peace.

Now normally I would not respond to such idiocy, but because it is Facebook and I have potential customers there, I felt the need-

First, I never advocated not buying the warranty from the manufacturer. What I am saying is the OEM coverage that comes standard with the car at the time of purchase is often enough for most buyers. I also never said "don't buy extended warranties" what I did do is lay out questions that a buyer should consider before making the decision on whether or not an extended warranty is worth their money. If a buyer is only going to keep a car for 5-7 years than forking over thousands of dollars for extra coverage would not be wise. If a buyer is going to keep a car for 7+ years it might be worth it depending on the car and the known issues surrounding that specific vehicle. If you read any of the comments on the post, you will see instances where the extended warranty was a good buy. But more often than not these purchases are just throwing money out the window. Think about it, if I spend 3500 (a recently quoted powertrain warranty for a 2010 BMW with low miles) for 3 years and at the end of those 3 years, nothing happens to the engine and/or transmission which historically have not been issues with the 328 E90, I have just wasted that money. However, if I chose to put that money aside for 3 years in case of a repair emergency and I don't use it that is money in my pocket. On the flip side, Chrysler offers very extensive lifetime warranties for its customers. Since Chrysler vehicles aren't known for their top-notch reliability this would be a good purchase for someone owning a MOPAR vehicle for a long time. As to your analogy about house fires, it is a false one. Home insurance is different than an auto warranty. Houses do not come with coverage at the time of purchase, furthermore in the unlikely event of a fire most homeowners would not have the capitol to cover the cost. It is the same reason why we have auto insurance. However, in the unlikely event of a transmission failure, financially responsible individuals might be able to fix a transmission or an engine out of pocket. At the end of the day, my objective is not to tell people what to buy or not buy, it is to give them all the information necessary so they can make the best decision regarding their purchase.

BrtStlnd > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:47

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PEACE

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:49

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Buying extended warranties are great for the average person who plans on keeping their car longer than the standard warranty lasts. Even though I plan on keeping my BRZ forever I went against it because I plan on modifying it in ways that i know will void any warranties.

Textured Soy Protein > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:51

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Also " Question: Have you ever sold cars.. and if so... how long?" is basically...

yamahog > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:54

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Sounds like a butthurt car dealer, good response.

KB Garage > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:56

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If anyone needs me, I'll be in the fetal position under my desk. Thanks, kinja.

Tom McParland > KB Garage 02/05/2014 at 15:57

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Kinja'd

Brian Silvestro > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 15:58

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You showed that dude!

KB Garage > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 16:02

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Kinja mobile: 60% of the time, it works every time.

Casper > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 16:05

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I always end up just waiting for the warranty to expire anyway so the wife can't yell at me for voiding it. Why would I want it to last longer? ;)

StoneCold > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 16:08

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Good response.

Unrelated question, though : What is the farthest west you've ever offered your Automatching services?

Victorious Secret > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 16:11

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My warranty is 5 years on the bottom end, 10 on the top.

EVen the dealer said "Look, for a majority of anything that will go wrong the warranty covers it, everything else you won't have the car long enough to find out; skip the extended warranty"

Even though their most basic warranty was only 450, he said not to do it. Just not THAT worth it.

I can see why it is for others. I can see what situations it makes sense in.

But there is no "Yes get it" or "No don't" that works all the time.

It's a "Porch-uh" > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 16:38

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Peace.

People still sign off with that? What an ass.

Tom McParland > StoneCold 02/05/2014 at 16:42

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I can work anywhere in the USA

The WB > Victorious Secret 02/05/2014 at 17:11

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My warranties rarely last more than two years, since I average about 35k a year. That said, I do all my own service and repair work. So that's a plus. I don't even know how to go about making a warranty claim. Or an insurance claim. In fact, I haven't been to the doctor in 10 years. I probably have tuberculosis.

StoneCold > Tom McParland 02/05/2014 at 17:13

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Huh, I thought you were mostly Northeast, good to know! :D

Victorious Secret > The WB 02/05/2014 at 17:16

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Its lupus