extended warranty pricing
Mike Arman
Armanmik at earthlink.net
Tue Apr 5 05:11:01 PDT 2011
I see where some caring dealer is offering Fay an extended warranty on the allegedly flawless A4
Cabriolet they are talking about.
The only thing the dealer cares for here is his own bottom line.
Most of these extended warranties are sold on FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) and are far more
profitable than anything they will ever make on the car. If the car is any good, it won't need the
warranty, if it isn't, chances are the warranty is so riddled with exclusions, exceptions and so
forth that it isn't going to pay for anything anyway. Note that the only constant is that the
warranty seller keeps Fay's money, and that is whether the car runs or not.
1) Buy from a private seller, preferably person to person, or someone you find through this list or
a *trusted, reputable* third party. Ignore eBay and any Craigslist ads from out of town - if you
can't go SEE the car and SEE the seller, move on. (Old Arab saying, when buying a camel, look at the
seller as well as the camel.)
1a) There are ALWAYS 40,000 other people "very interested in" or "coming today to look at" the exact
car you are looking at. This is a standard sales tactic - click ignore.
2) Make sure there are written service records, especially as regards the timing belt. If it isn't
in writing it doesn't exist. You want a paper trail - proof, not talk. If the car was perfect,
chances are it wouldn't be for sale and certainly wouldn't be for sale cheap.
3) *Be patient* - the car you want is out there, these are NOT rarities.
4) Run a Car-Fax.
5) Have a pretty good idea of the models and years you DO want, and of the models and years you want
to avoid. (Research! Do your homework! Did you marry the first person you kissed?)
(All verbal assurances and representations about repairs or maintenance done are worth exactly the
paper they are written on . . . )
Best Regards,
Mike Arman
90V8Q, other stuff
More information about the quattro
mailing list