Extended Warranties and the True Value of Epinions (ROADIEM write-off)
Apr 13 '01 (Updated Apr 15 '01)
The Bottom Line This post is part of a write-off in memory of "ROADIEM", who taught me a lot about cars and auto maintenance. Here's what I learned about Extended Automobile Warranties.
I am not a car person. I view driving as a necessary evil, and don’t have the knowledge to discuss engines, horsepower or suspension systems. I leased my first car at the tender age of 32, so my car owning experience is limited at best. When it was time to buy a new auto, I turned to Consumer Reports to guide me toward a safe and comfortable car. After some studying and test driving, my husband and I purchased a new ’98 Honda Accord. I wanted 6 cylinders for power, leather seats for comfort, and steering-wheel audio controls to enhance my driving enjoyment.
Well, I must have done something right, because my Accord has served me well! I change the oil as recommended every 3700 miles, service it regularly, and have had no major problems. I did experience some minor problems such as a gas gauge that never wanted to show full, and a brake light that came on intermittently, but nothing that took my car out of commission or caused me any major problems. Then one day my sunroof got stuck in the open position. Luckily, we in South Florida were in the middle of a severe drought, so I didn’t need to worry about imminent flooding. The owner’s manual instructed me how to manually close the sunroof, but something was interfering with the panel, and the roof stopped closing a good inch from shut. I finally had a car problem that required immediate professional attention.
The next morning I parked out by the dealer, waiting for them to open, and praying that the sunroof could be easily fixed. Evidently the problem boiled down to a broken bracket which had fallen into the track and kept the roof from closing. Luckily, I had three months left on my original car warranty, and the repair was covered in full. Taking advantage of the situation, and knowing that my warranty would soon expire, I had the dealer fix the gas gauge and brake light – both problems were fixed with a simple cap replacement. Other than the inconvenience of a day spent in the dealer’s waiting room, my repairs cost me nothing.
While waiting for my car, I struck up a conversation with one of the Honda salesmen. I told him that I plan to drive my car until it falls apart (or for another 7 years – whichever comes first), and he suggested that I look into purchasing an extended warranty. I’ve always heard that extended warranties for appliances and electronics are not worthwhile investments, so I hadn’t given much thought to purchasing an extended warranty for my car. In light of my sunroof problem, an extended warranty suddenly seemed like something I should consider. With my original warranty coming to a close, I found myself inundated with various extended-warranty mail offers.
Needing some advice, I once again turned to the experts. This time I didn’t look to Consumer Reports, but sent an e-mail to fellow epinionator “Roadiem”. I had discovered “Roadiem” a few months earlier and had added him to my WOT. “Roadiem”, known in real-life as Mike, was a mechanic and had a way of sharing his expertise with those of us who are somewhat “auto-challenged”. Many of his posts were about cars and car maintenance, and I trusted “Roadiem” as someone who would give me honest and helpful advice.
“Roadiem”, Mike, answered my e-mail, and confirmed that if I planned to drive the car for several more years, and extended warranty would be a good idea. He asked me several questions about the cost and coverage of the various warranty offers that I received. The warranties offered to me differed in terms of cost and mileage coverage, and I wasn’t sure how to weigh the cost against my personal needs. Mike gave me the knowledge and confidence that I needed to analyze my driving habits, my expected annual mileage and my desired length of ownership for the car. He helped me select the extended warranty offer that best fit my expectations. In the end, the warranty that I selected was not the least expensive, but was one that should, given my current annual mileage plan, last for six more years – my planned ownership of the car.
These e-mail conversations with Mike occurred less than a month ago. I remember asking myself if I should write to Mike since he hadn’t posted recently and I wasn’t sure if he were still participating in Epinions. When I e-mailed him I told him that I enjoyed his writing, and asked him if he would be posting again soon, he responded “I have been taking an epinions break to work on real life issues around the home and hope to write more soon. Thanks for asking, it means a lot.....let me know how it goes....Mike” Little did I know that his “real life issues” were a battle with a life-threatening health problem – a battle that he recently lost.
When “wolfman309” invited me to participate in this write-off, my first reaction was shock and sadness over Mike’s passing. My second reaction was that this write-off was a nice way to remember Mike and pay tribute to him. My third reaction was concern over how I could possibly write something intelligent in the car category. In his posts, Mike was able to share his deep knowledge in a way that was understandable to “car-dummies” like me. He willingly shared his knowledge of cars and his love of life through his many great posts, he invited us to contact him with questions, and he promptly responded with advice and friendship. I may not be well equipped to write a great epinion about my car, but I thought that my experience, and how Mike helped me to make a decision about my car warranty, was a story worth sharing.
Mike embraced the true value of Epinions. This site is a place where we can all share knowledge and ideas. It is a place where we can learn through the experiences of others. Mike was a great writer; he never lost touch with Epinion’s true purpose. He shared his knowledge, he read and rated fairly, and he invited others to contact him outside of the Epinions forum. Mike’s death is a horrible loss for his family and friends - it is also a terrible loss for the Epinions community. Luckily, Mike’s posts are still available. If you’re looking for great advice about cars and car maintenance, do what I did – turn to the experts. I encourage you to read Mike’s posts and to take advantage of all of the information that he so selflessly shared. I hope that we all can follow Mike’s example and maintain Epinions as a place where knowledge and experience can be openly shared, and where relationships and friendships can develop and grow.
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This post is part of a write-off sponsored by “wolfman309” in memory of fellow epinionator “ROADIEM”. All earnings from this write-off will be donated to “ROADIEM’s” family. Please look for and read other entries posted by the following writers:
(edited on April 15th to add more names to the write-off list)
bjcuevas, naphtalia, seether166, sherrylee, mattjoe, viper1963, gollygumdrops, noniaBidnis, nightshade_01, obnox, hawkseafan, yyvonne, diverpam, t-hall, mtuairau, jennifa, pperky1954, hnnygrlca, rcknrbn3, midoyle, charlenep, lattechick, garfield12, bgoodday, chrisceb, alwaysstubborn, nwinston, hirohito99, sweetcece, theworm, ginahill, jpmcgurk, tiffer0220, juliette, elorraine, imames, pipet, sparkospunky, disartain, linda527, lisa_j, lgcurcio, kristinafh, tgreenway, pambo, friskycelery, tjarnold, i_culookn, todd, teddiec, darbywalters, wolfman309, emeleel, joubert, technologyrep, gamblinfamily, smithwoodside, daturawest, angelmommy, liberator76, hadassahchana, lark729_89, missy32, blonbabydawn, bryrose, merlot & ladyvamp
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Epinions.com ID:
theworm
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Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 103
Trusted by: 58 members
About Me:
"You get endless second chances to take it one chance at a time" -Kenny Loggins
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