says Jeff Fortson, an automotive consultant with JeffCars.com in Atlanta. Use services like www.epinions.com and read Consumer Reports to get consumer feedback.
Shop around. From the manufacturer to the dealer to insurance companies to your local credit union, extended service contracts are sold at more than your local retailer. No matter where you buy, make sure the contract is endorsed by the manufacturer, say the experts. “If you bought a Ford vehicle, for example, but the service contract wasn’t endorsed by the automaker, and in the worst-case scenario the company goes out of business, then you’ve bought a contract that has no value,” says Fortson. And make sure that your product will be serviced at a place that is endorsed by the manufacturer; otherwise, you may be limited as to where you can take or send the item and which repairs are covered.