Most of us that have ever gone out to buy appliances, cars, trucks, furniture and any other large ticket items have at some point found ourselves cornered by a sales person performing a hard sell.  There is a reason that most people go vehicle shopping on Sunday, there are no sales people around and we can look in peace.  After looking around and finding something we might be interested in, then we can go back during regular business hours and deal with a sales person.  Only then can we deal with taking the chance of being faced with a hard sell salesman.

We all recognize that the sales person is trying to make a living too, but there are appropriate ways to sell and then there are ways that just shouldn’t be allowed.  Add to the hard sell, the fact that lots of our big ticket items don’t have the longevity that they used to and we have another totally different deal breaker to work around – a warranty at an additional cost.

Vehicles and appliances as well as furniture are made up of a lot of different pieces that are made in a variety of different ways using different materials and designs to make each piece a true individual different from all others.  That is what makes them all sell.  We don’t like to own things that look just like something that everyone else owns.  Vehicles are no different.  We all like a different look whether it is the color, style, tires, spoiler, or even the hood ornament.  Everything has a warranty anymore, and it seems that items only last up to the very last moment just beyond the warranty.  As one article recently pointed out, if something fails before the warranty does, then often times it is said to be normal wear and tear so that it doesn’t have to be covered.  This is the basis of the extended warranty or service contract.

Sales people are now selling the extended warranty or service contract letting consumers believe that it will cover most anything that goes wrong with the vehicle after the warranty expires.  Well, in truth, these contracts have fine print and loop holes that will let them out of their contract.  The end result of the whole hard sell is sometimes bilk the consumer out of a few hundred more dollars and not have to do anything for it in the long run.

If a sales man corners you to make a hard sell for an extended warranty or service contract, the best answer is to simply ask for a copy of it so you can read it over in the privacy of your own home.  Taking the time to read it instead of simply taking their word for it, could save a lot of headache should something fall apart either before or after its allotted time.  Just like with anything, take the money you would have spent on that service contract and put it in a savings account, then use that money only for auto repairs and preventative maintenance.  This way you will always have the money for the repairs and it won’t have been wasted on a contract that someone other than you got the benefit out of.  If you have questions about a service contract that has been offered to you, how it could benefit or harm your investment, feel free to ask your local auto repair center for their experience.  If you do decide to purchase an extended warranty, your mechanic can generally do warranty work too!