It sounded like a pretty good deal. We were sitting across the desk from the finance guy at the dealer where we’ve bought most of our cars. We got a good deal, knew we wanted an extended warranty, and were lured into adding on a maintenance contract.
It sounded like a pretty good deal. The friendly young man explained it would cover all our maintenance except for tires, brakes, and wiper blades. It was less than twenty bucks per month. It would quickly pay for itself.
It sounded like a pretty good deal. Until I took the vehicle in for a second maintenance. Oil change and tire rotation. Paid for. Fuel system cleaning and wheel alignment? Here’s an estimate. I asked, “What about the maintenance agreement?”
“Oh, that’s not covered.”
When I explained the purchase I had purchased, he admitted, “I hear that a lot. That only covers oil changes and tire rotation. You’ll get a small discount on the other services, but they aren’t covered.”
When I got home, I read all the fine print. There was a lot of fine print. And he was right. The nice young man had lied to me. I willingly and naively took his word for it and signed the contract. I’m not out any money. It would pay for itself. But the whole agreement was really just a way to make sure I bring my car to the dealer for maintenance.
Since I can’t prove that the nice young man lied, I’m not sure I have any recourse. I will write to the dealer and express my displeasure. I will go to the trouble of reading these agreements more carefully in the future. I will challenge those who offer me those really good sounding deals.
Waite for it... 