Extended Warranties good value or not?

EMK
EMK Forum Participant Posts: 5

I have a quote to extende the warranty on my caravan, but as I already have an extended warranty on bodywork re water ingress wonder if anyone has any ideas on internal equipment only e.g waterheater, fridge heater cooker etc.

Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #2

    Without details of the extended warranty and cost it is hard to comment constructively

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2018 #3

    Sometimes such warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. 

    You need to read the policy, EMK, for it will likely be an insurance policy. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #4

    Depending on the cost. If it covers the water heater it could be worth having. Our Alde packed up at four years old and cost £300 to repair. However, often those sort of policies have an excess. So it would depend on the T & C's of the policy in question and how many hoops you might have to jump through to make a claim.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #5

    I agree TW but on the other hand they can be very valuable. 

    On my 2005 X-Trail the oil intercooler failed and effectively meant a replacement intercooler and turbo. The car had done about 16k miles. The car was about two years old and fixed under warranty. The dealer assured me that the intercooler construction had been revised and it would not reoccur. As I put as much faith in dealers as a pram brake on a go-cart I paid £260 to extend the warranty from 3 years to 6 years. When the car was just short of 6 years old the controls on the front of the radio, 6 disk cd player, tape deck failed. I could still control it from the steering wheel.

    I took into the dealer and a new one was fitted under the warranty insurance. That probably cost more than the insurance did

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #6

    Generally I’m not a fan of extended warranties but on a purchase of over £20k I guess I would need to read the fine print

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2018 #7

    Exactly, One. Easy had benefit from his but it needs careful consideration of the terms. There’s no point in paying a hefty premium to later discover there’s a large excess applied or a low max to the amount that can be claimed or restrictive terms as to cover. Each policy has to be considered on its merits. 

  •  viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited August 2018 #8

    I usually try and negotiate such a warranty into the deal or if they won't budge I have asked to purchase at cost price to the dealer, this is usually half the price you would normally pay. On my last car I paid £175 for an extra year over the standard 3 yrs. Throttle body gave up during that year which would have been in excess of £400 inc fitting. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited August 2018 #9

    I think it would depend with whom the warranty was with. If it was a genuine manufacturers warranty extension then it might be worth thinking about. It also might be down to cost. If a non manufacturers extended warranty you would need to examine the T&C's carefully just to make what you think is covered actually is. Also who is promoting this warranty is it you or the dealer? I know Bailey have a couple of extended warranties available for their motorhomes. (not sure about their caravans).

    David

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Forum Participant Posts: 3,579
    1000 Comments Photogenic
    edited August 2018 #10

    Can you tell us who the warranty is with and what it is called and we can look it up and see. In general they are poor value, but each needs to be assessed on its own.

    On our caravan we were given the opportunity of purchasing an extension of the damp cover from six to ten years but as we normally change them within six years it was not of interest.