Buying a Warranty

[Braveheart]

Hi guys,
When I bought my car from the dealer, which I am very pleased with, I got an AA warranty, parts and labour for 3 months. I was thinking about what to do when it runs out, and then, hey presto through the door came the renewal information from AA warranty. Various levels of cover giving "peace of mind" for 2 years, everything paid for, parts and labour, the lot....using their "approved" repairer garages.(Prestige Policy £21 per month)
Got to thinking about that, got to thinking about the threads I've read on here about "indies" who don't have or understand Star diagnostics, thus limiting their ability to do the job properly.
So I rang the AA Insurance claims number, to see how many of their approved repairers were MB agents, and of course, none.
I was told I could use an MB dealership but have to pay the extra labour charges, as their labour charges are capped at £36 per hour.

Does anybody know whether there is a warranty available that does cover for an MB dealership repair....or even better, an indie close to me that CAN use Star diagnostics and do the job properly.
Touch wood, there's no problems at the moment, I've got the box off my head for the future maybe..... I live close to Lincoln and Doncaster.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

depending upon the age of your car (and the mileage you do) you should look into Service Plus, MB's own servicing policy (which includes MOT's, Servicing and parts/labour - it also gives you a FMBSH and mobilolife).

Search the forum for details (there are a lot). However, it's quite a bit more expensive than the price you have been quoted. I pay around £70 p/m based on 20,000 miles p/a

 

[jberks]

Lots of threads on this. Basically, there are various insurance backed warranties, but they normally cover named items and sods law decrees that whatever goes won't be named. e.g. I paid £380 for a warranty and a further £500 for repairs.

You can buy a warranty from the dealer (assuming the car is acceptable) but whilst far more comprehensive (I have one, bought with the car), they are a lot more money (£650pa) and normally require the dealer to do a pre-inspection (Up to another £200 + any recommended repairs) so an expensive passtime if you car isn't under an existing warranty (in which case they can skip the inspection).

The 'normal' warranties from the likes of warranty direct are ok if you accept that you'll be paying them just in case your gearbox or engine goes. In such circumstances, they are possibly worth having. Otherwise, they aren't.
To be honest, as warranties are little more that bets in reality, odds are that if you simply save the money you would have paid for the warranty, and spend it only on repairs that would have been approved, unless you're very unlucky, you'll find that there is money left over at the end of the day. In other words, self insure!

 

[Braveheart]

depending upon the age of your car (and the mileage you do) you should look into Service Plus, MB's own servicing policy (which includes MOT's, Servicing and parts/labour - it also gives you a FMBSH and mobilolife).

Search the forum for details (there are a lot). However, it's quite a bit more expensive than the price you have been quoted. I pay around £70 p/m based on 20,000 miles p/a

Car is 5 yrs old, 2002 C220 CDI
34000 miles
Has full MBSH with it.
I do about 10k miles pa


Is there a link to "serviceplus"?
Had a look on MB, can't see one.

 

[Blobcat]

Here you go; http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/con...e-MEDIA.tmp/Service_Contracts_ 3-6_011206.pdf

 

[Parrot of Doom]

I would never buy a warranty unless I had serious doubts about the car.

They're only sold to make a profit for the underwriter.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

based on my experiences I would have serious doubts about ANY mercedes, especially those built between 2000 and 2004

 

[Braveheart]

depending upon the age of your car (and the mileage you do) you should look into Service Plus, MB's own servicing policy (which includes MOT's, Servicing and parts/labour - it also gives you a FMBSH and mobilolife).

Search the forum for details (there are a lot). However, it's quite a bit more expensive than the price you have been quoted. I pay around £70 p/m based on 20,000 miles p/a

Well I phoned them, for the sake of curiosity, and you're quite right.
My car, given model,year and mileage comes to £72 per month for service plus, and £64 per month for just service only.( The words Highwayman and Dick Turpin sprang to mind!)
I think I may stick with AA and my RAC recovery which I've had for several years now. That means I'll pay £249 for a 2 year warranty covering everything except wear and tear on frictionable items(brakes), plus £60 RAC personal membership, which is just over £300.
Seems cheap compared with "service plus". Anything really shady and Star related, I'll go to an MB dealer and pay the difference in labour costs.
Unless I can locate a decent MB indie.
Perhaps I should look on the bright side, and do nothing??

 

[Braveheart]

based on my experiences I would have serious doubts about ANY mercedes, especially those built between 2000 and 2004

By the way Neil, notwithstanding the fact that you've had loads of problems with your MB, I've read about them, how do you find the enthusiasm to both keep owning and running one, and to boot, sit in the higher echelons of the MB forum, always ready to give good advise to all and sundry?....
about a subject that can't be.....very close to your heart, having smacked your wallet so hard?
You must be, the perfect gentleman!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Well I phoned them, for the sake of curiosity, and you're quite right.
My car, given model,year and mileage comes to £72 per month for service plus, and £64 per month for just service only.( The words Highwayman and Dick Turpin sprang to mind!)
I think I may stick with AA and my RAC recovery which I've had for several years now. That means I'll pay £249 for a 2 year warranty covering everything except wear and tear on frictionable items(brakes), plus £60 RAC personal membership, which is just over £300.
Seems cheap compared with "service plus". Anything really shady and Star related, I'll go to an MB dealer and pay the difference in labour costs.
Unless I can locate a decent MB indie.
Perhaps I should look on the bright side, and do nothing??

don't forget this covers all your servicing and parts and labour too. A typical B service will start at around £500 and could easily end up being £1000. That's just for one service. On your milage you will get 2 plus an MOT.

In the last 9 months or so I have now had close to £3000 worth of work done on my car under Service Plus. The car is just complete crap by any standards but at least Service PLus has meant that the costs had been predictable (with the exception of the £1300+ bill I got this afternoon because of fuel contamination, not including the hire car I now need for at least a week as MB can't get the parts).

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

By the way Neil, notwithstanding the fact that you've had loads of problems with your MB, I've read about them, how do you find the enthusiasm to both keep owning and running one, and to boot, sit in the higher echelons of the MB forum, always ready to give good advise to all and sundry?....
about a subject that can't be.....very close to your heart, having smacked your wallet so hard?
You must be, the perfect gentleman!

Thanks for the advice.

wish I read that before posting my last reply...

sorry, my halo is begining to slip a little. This one isn't MB's fault but the repair cost is just obscene. According to the paper the average cost of repair is about £200 so I don't see how MB justify £1300, and possibly £2000 if the cat's buggered.

It's a good forum though with some good people, that's why I keep coming back. I'll probably still hang around once I am shot of this albatros around my neck.

 

[Rory]

don't forget this covers all your servicing and parts and labour too. A typical B service will start at around £500 and could easily end up being £1000. That's just for one service. On your milage you will get 2 plus an MOT.

He only does 10K yr so may only need 1 service (if his timing was wrong he might not even need 1!).
The car's 5 yrs old and ServicePlus quotes do seem expensive on 'older' cars - I guess MB expect things to go wrong with them.
It's a gamble really - it could need a big service, pads and discs all round and some other repairs and the OP would be quids in. Or it might sail serenely through the year needed no attention whatsoever.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

He only does 10K yr so may only need 1 service (if his timing was wrong he might not even need 1!).
The car's 5 yrs old and ServicePlus quotes do seem expensive on 'older' cars - I guess MB expect things to go wrong with them.
It's a gamble really - it could need a big service, pads and discs all round and some other repairs and the OP would be quids in. Or it might sail serenely through the year needed no attention whatsoever.

sorry, you're right. For some reason I thought he said 20k p/a.

 

[jberks]

AA and my RAC recovery which I've had for several years now. That means I'll pay £249 for a 2 year warranty covering everything except wear and tear on frictionable items(brakes), plus £60 RAC personal membership, which is just over £300.

Sorry - no way.
Unless the AA/RAC have been taken over by Santa Claus inc, I don't think so.
£259 for a comprehensive 2 year warranty? I'll have 3 - one for each car and a spare (it'll come in handy for the tumble dryer)!
Whilst you're at it, seee if they have any 50"" plasma screens for a fiver.

Seriously, read the small print. Even a cheap car will run up > £260 in repairs over 2 years. A merc will flatten that fee in one minor hit. One sensor goes and they're already into a loss. Need something serious or have Neils issues and they'd go broke!
The AA/RAC are profit making organisations and whilst they may offer fair value, its not economically viable at that rate. Think about it, you can pay that just to insure your washing machine.
I suspect there are some very heavy limitations, exclusions and restrictions and there is no way that that cover is anything like comprehensive - it just can't be. I suspect that the statement "covering everything except wear and tear " is untrue. More likely they list a set of items that are covered. These will be the items that statistically last 10 years. Everything else will be excluded.
As a comparison, Warranty Direct is an agressively competetive company as well as the market leader. They charge over double that for cover that , once you understand the limitations, isn't worth having.

Tread VERY carefully and re-read the small print, No such thing as a free lunch.