Extended Warranty: smart vs Warranty Direct

[JanetMermaid]

I have personal experience with a third party warranty. They made it VERY painful to collect. You may have to pay the dealer for repairs then submit a reimbursement form to the warranty company. And they take forever to reimburse. And they argue fine points on the bill. For that small a difference, I'd stick with factory. I'll never use a third party warranty again. Think of it like an HMO for your auto!

[jediknight36]

Originally Posted by JanetMermaid

I have personal experience with a third party warranty. They made it VERY painful to collect. You may have to pay the dealer for repairs then submit a reimbursement form to the warranty company. And they take forever to reimburse. And they argue fine points on the bill. For that small a difference, I'd stick with factory. I'll never use a third party warranty again. Think of it like an HMO for your auto!

I'm confused, didn't you get one anyway from smart? Its not factory.

[a2jack]

Originally Posted by JanetMermaid

I have personal experience with a third party warranty. They made it VERY painful to collect. You may have to pay the dealer for repairs then submit a reimbursement form to the warranty company. And they take forever to reimburse. And they argue fine points on the bill. For that small a difference, I'd stick with factory. I'll never use a third party warranty again. Think of it like an HMO for your auto!

JM. The point is. there is NO factory backed warranty beyond 24 months. If there were one, we would all buy in.

What they sold you, and what you think you have, (based on your posts) are light years apart.

This is of course your business, but lets not mislead others on this forum into thinking they are buying a real "Factory Warranty Extension" past 24 months.

All the extension plans sold by smart dealers are subject to the failures and conditions noted and discussed here on our forums, and are third party plans. A2Jack

[jediknight36]

Does anyone have a break down compaeison of both Smart's service plan and the warranty direct?

[NCC1701]

Here I go, digging up another fossil.

My factory warranty will run out in a few months, whether by clock or by distance ... both will happen pretty close to the same time.

Any new thoughts on the subject of this thread, anyone?

Oh, btw, I reached a milestone this week, having paid down 50% of my original principal.

[carolthompson323]

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Here I go, digging up another fossil.

My factory warranty will run out in a few months, whether by clock or by distance ... both will happen pretty close to the same time.

Any new thoughts on the subject of this thread, anyone?

Oh, btw, I reached a milestone this week, having paid down 50% of my original principal.

Hip Hip Hooray, Victor. Congratulations on the paydown

[ssppxyz]

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Here I go, digging up another fossil.

My factory warranty will run out in a few months, whether by clock or by distance ... both will happen pretty close to the same time.

Any new thoughts on the subject of this thread, anyone?

Oh, btw, I reached a milestone this week, having paid down 50% of my original principal.

Well.....Both smart and Warranty Direct are still around...

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by ssppxyz

Well.....Both smart and Warranty Direct are still around...

Yes, they are. In spite of some of the earlier posts, smart looks more shakey than Warranty Direct at this point. But, I think they'll both be around for a while.

The question remains, however ... in the Summer of 2010 ... which is the better choice? yah, I know, whatever is purchased through smart is 2nd party. Anyone have bad stuff to say about Warranty Direct? Or would it be better to be self insured? Dang, that calls for will power (setting money aside and not touching it).

[TMACK]

Smart's greatest marketing mistake is its absurd factory warranty: if not for the uniqueness presented to me in 2008, and compared to present market offerings, I would not have purchased the smart.

Smart really must address this market bungle, and should do it retroactively, to stay in the running.

[NCC1701]

Well, I bit the bullet this evening. I put an inquiry into Warranty Direct's web site a few weeks ago. After a couple return calls which I missed, they caught me at home today. I was a tough sale, and honestly didn't like the guy who called me. High pressure tactics he used normally = no sale. But, in spite of this, I got most of my questions answered after some serious probing. And, didn't close the deal until I was handed off to the "whatever" higher up guy. You know the routine, it's standard crap.

I don't have the exact figures. I paid something around $140 down, with 17 or 18 similar monthly payments to follow, for 100K, 6 year extension. That is, extended runs out at 100K or 8 years from purchase.

I asked specifically about the clutch. That issue took quite a bit of discussion. I finally nailed it down, but only verbally. According to them, the clutch on the smart IS included because it isn't excluded, as a manual transmission clutch would be. I made it clear that the clutch is computer controlled and therefore wouldn't be subject to the abuse it would be subjected to by an inexperienced normal manual transmission clutch. I had to explain that it IS a manual transmission, and explain what an automated manual IS. The guy ran off the phone to talk to someone else before he came back to assure me that the clutch would be covered since it was computer controlled.

They started out wanting $400 something for a first payment of 12, interest free. I balked. Didn't have the down payment (that's true). Went down to what I could afford. I also questioned them extensively about getting warranty work at NON-smart service centers. They assured me. I expressed concerns about the car being out of service due to lack of parts availability.

Well, time will tell. It would be nice if it is just insurance and I never have to make a claim.