Re: Way OT: Extended Service Contracts (Was Re: u're my gods)

I'm in the car business. The dealership I work for sells extended service
contracts. I have seen more than a few customers who've had major
mechanical breakdowns covered in full, thanks to an ESC. In some cases, the
cost of repairs far exceeded the money they spent on ESC. I've also seen
customers with blown engines or transmissions who'd followed Consumer
Reports 'advice' and opted not to purchase an ESC. I remember one kid with
an older pickup that had a bad engine. With no money for engine repair and
a payoff of $8,000 on his truck (which had an actual cash value of $500), he
was totally screwed. Facing repossession and total ruin of his credit
rating, he was very sorry that he had not bought the ESC offered at time of
purchase.

For those who think an ESC is a 'waste of money', it is possible (at my
dealership and many others) to receive a full refund if the ESC is never
used.

Ask anyone in the car business and they'll tell you that Consumer Reports is
heavily biased. Their pro Japanese and anti American bias is so obvious and
so wrong. They encourage consumers to take a dishonest approach towards
buying a car. They advise customers to lie to car dealers, e.g. "If you
have a trade-in... Don't even mention it until you've agreed on a price for
your new car."

Don't rely on Consumer Reports for unbiased advice. Don't be fooled into
thinking they have the consumer's best interests at heart. They don't.
Consumer Reports will eagerly sell the prospective car buyer their $12 "New
car price service" and their opinion of what the trade-in is worth for $10.
Any savvy shopper could get the same information from 20 minutes of internet
research without spending a dime.

Whatever the product, when considering purchase of an ESC, read the contract
and make a well informed decision based on your needs and budget.

Dave in Wyoming

----- Original Message -----
From: "STUART GOLDSTEIN" <email_stuart@yahoo.com>

> Hi all,
>
> Regarding extended service contracts (ESC), I heard
> someone from Consumer Reports say that the ESC's are
> not worth the money that you'd be paying for them. I
> don't remember all of the particulars but the only
> thing that he said that you should buy an ESC (odd how
> that acrynym seems to imply escape as in run from
> them) is a plasma TV.
(snip)
Received on Thu Sep 15 19:48:31 2005