Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

[WLW]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Thanks again Lou and Tom for the interest and action on my service charge issue. I will be talking to the Statewide owner (when he gets back from a trip) about the issue - then I'll be pursuing it further thru Ford Customer Service and requesting a review of the charge. I'll update these posts to let you know how the system works. Happy Birdin WLW

[Bradford]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

A big thank you to Lou, just extended my ESP Preminum Warranty for another 3 years / 48,000 miles. I feel much better knowing I'm covered with a warranty given the expense of repairs. My previous ESP warranty was well worth the cost and paid for itself. Thanks to Lou, members here are able to keep coverage at a fair price, a short phone call and all was taken care of.

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Thanks again Lou and Tom for the interest and action on my service charge issue. I will be talking to the Statewide owner (when he gets back from a trip) about the issue - then I'll be pursuing it further thru Ford Customer Service and requesting a review of the charge. I'll update these posts to let you know how the system works. Happy Birdin WLW

Wayne:

I am glad that you told me what had transpired at your local dealer. Tom is my dealership's Service & General Manager. You know this, but I want to share a short synopsis so other TBN people have a head's up on this sort of thing. Once I alerted Tom to your concern he took the information and contacted FORD ESP officials in Detroit.

Your dealer's service department improperly and knowingly billed you for a covered repair. They also billed Ford for the same repair, essentially double-dipping to get paid on a covered repair. It may have been the act of a single dishonest employee, but no way to know for sure. FORD Detroit contacted your local dealership owner. That is why the owner met with you at the dealership. He had just been on the phone with FORD and was given the ol' "what for."

The result is that you are being issued a $700+ refund from your local dealer and FORD will handle the rest of it internally. The dealer has, of course, lost your trust, but at least you've been made financially whole again.

Happy I was able to help you on this one.


Lou

[DaiUyTed]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Now that, Lou, is what "service" truly means!

[WLW]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Lou, you and Tom were right on track with all of the support concerning my issue with the local dealership. When I met with the owner and the svc mgr they wanted to know what would make me happy - I told the owner that I wanted him to hear the service mgr try to explain to me how the charges were my responsibility and thanks to the information I had garnered from Lou and Tom pretty well beat them up - my main purpose was to show the owner that this terrible misrepresentation of the actual work performed should be dealt with by him and that his org. had resulted in my loss of trust, and now it was too late for any amends. I did tell him that to make me financially whole that my monetary expectation was to pay for the battery - which I had asked to be replaced and the deductible - he assured me the check would be in the mail (it has arrived with a note from the owner indicating that he knows he has lost my trust, but has made modifications to his operation to insure that this doesn't happen again). Interestingly it was for the exact amount that Tom and Lou told me it would be $701.79.
To answer the first question - yes the cost of the EXP Warranty has been well worth the investment. But the best part is encountering people in the Ford Organization who take personal and corporate responsibility seriously and accept problem ownership when it comes from a customer - as the ad says: Priceless".
Thanks again gentlemen and a Merry Christmas to all! WLW

[Bruce]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Has not and was not. Never used it!

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Now that, Lou, is what "service" truly means!

Thanks for that and great picture of the TBirds whoosing by.


Lou

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Has not and was not. Never used it!

And that you can feel good about. If you had an ESP the worst thing that happened would have been you paid for peace of mind. And think about this, I just sold a TBN member a 5 year Premium Care ESP for his 2002. It boils down to just $375 a year for 5 years bumper-to-bumper. Not bad for a car that originally retailed for $40,000+

I had one minor issue with my TBird while still under manufacturer warranty. Nothing since, but I still keep the Premium Care on mine because I see everyday what happens to the check book of those who come into our dealership with a repair issue and no ESP- $$$$$!

If these were a home appliance I wouldn’t waste my money on a warranty because I will replace it the next day if it has an issue. Our TBirds, however, are not a home appliance. I just can’t drop my on the curb for the garbage truck on Tuesday morning if it goes on the blink.

That’s all.


Lou

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Lou, you and Tom were right on track with all of the support concerning my issue with the local dealership. When I met with the owner and the svc mgr they wanted to know what would make me happy - I told the owner that I wanted him to hear the service mgr try to explain to me how the charges were my responsibility and thanks to the information I had garnered from Lou and Tom pretty well beat them up - my main purpose was to show the owner that this terrible misrepresentation of the actual work performed should be dealt with by him and that his org. had resulted in my loss of trust, and now it was too late for any amends. I did tell him that to make me financially whole that my monetary expectation was to pay for the battery - which I had asked to be replaced and the deductible - he assured me the check would be in the mail (it has arrived with a note from the owner indicating that he knows he has lost my trust, but has made modifications to his operation to insure that this doesn't happen again). Interestingly it was for the exact amount that Tom and Lou told me it would be $701.79.
To answer the first question - yes the cost of the EXP Warranty has been well worth the investment. But the best part is encountering people in the Ford Organization who take personal and corporate responsibility seriously and accept problem ownership when it comes from a customer - as the ad says: Priceless".
Thanks again gentlemen and a Merry Christmas to all! WLW

Wayne:

I am glad you told me that you felt something wasn't quite right. Tom did the heavy lifting with FORD, once I told him your story, to bring about the resolution you got at your local dealer. Really pleased you were made whole by the dealership's owner. May I suggest you give him, the owner, benefit of the doubt and another opportunity to regain your trust. A reputible owner will appreciate what you brought to his attention and you will have made a friend for life in him.

Kind regards,


Lou

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Note to All:

I have been away skiing since last Wednesday. Came back today and I have at least four messages from TBN members about Ford's ESP. I will be returning calls this afternoon.


Lou

[lmartun]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

To All:

I have been receiving quite a few calls from TBN members. As always I am happy to talk to you and answer any questions about the FORD ESP programs. Beginning tomorrow, I will be out-of-the-office until Thursday, February 16. Feel free to leave me a message here in a PM or at my office phone.


Lou

630-925-7590

[islandtime]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Thanks for the notice, Lou - I'll be calling you about my other Bird Feb 20 or 21. Current ESP expires Feb 29.

[03TEEBIRD]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

Purchased a ESP on our 03 bird from Lou this past wednesday. It was painless purchase and having peace of mind was well worth the cost. Suggest all those who do not have a plan give Lou a call.

[jerrym3]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

If I wanted peace of mind, I'd have service plans on my four TVs, microwave, TBird, refridge, stove, etc, etc, etc .

I'd go broke, but I'd have peace of mind.

Look at the figures in the poll, and you make your own decision if an ESP is worth it.

25% made out on the plus side with the plan.

Individual choice.

I choose to play the odds. No right or wrong.

Heck, you win some, you lose some.

Seems like we missed a few options here:

"Didn't get an ESP, and am sorry that I didn't."

"Didn't get an ESP and am glad I didn't"

[FEsTbird]

Re: Has Your Extended Warranty Been Worth the Cost?

I purchased a second extended warranty more for peace of mind. However, I just came back from a "minor" transmission repair which was more than the price of the premium warranty and the deductable plus I was able to use a rental car for a couple of days. I wonder if I can extend the warranty next year when it is "up."