Ins and Outs of Country-Specific Auto Warranties
If you bought your car in the United States for example, and the car is still within the period of coverage offered by the manufacturer, that warranty will not be applicable outside of the US. This happens for several reasons, but chief among them are the fact that cars made for the US market are covered against certain conditions specific to the US. A car bought for use in Alaska for example, would be provisioned for under certain conditions specific to the geography and climate of Alaska. If you then moved to Jamaica for instance, the conditions would be completely different.
Another reason country-specific warranties aren’t transferable is because the coverage more often than not covers ‘where’ the vehicle is repaired and where the parts are sourced. If you moved outside of the scope of what are called ‘approved repair mechanics’, you may not be able to get coverage.

The Solution to Shipping Abroad
Having said the above about coverage under US warranties, it is important to note that all is not lost. Manufacturers and warranty companies try to cater to all types of scenarios and one such is the migration of people and their cars. In this regard there are several options:

1. An extended auto warranty: this is a warranty that makes specific coverage considerations and can include for example the repairs and parts replacement in a specific country or set of countries. Extended auto warranties are also useful for covering things your local manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t cover—like wear and tear on tires.

2. International auto warranty: this type of warranty is very specific and caters to people looking to ship their vehicle abroad. The good thing about buying one is that you don’t have to go to some international warranty company, as many in the US offer these types of warranties.

Where to Find Auto Warranty Companies
Your best bet is the internet. Not only will have a wealth of choices, you’ll be able to fix and match based on your needs. Online auto warranty companies tend to be cheaper too; this is due mainly to the fierce competition among them, and you’ll find that you benefit from a variety of incentives like discounts and free warranty provisions. That said, you should always do your due diligence checks. Make sure a warranty company is registered with the Better Business Bureau. Additionally you can consult the opinions of other people who have used the service or seek help from applicable websites that offer recommendations on the best choice warranty companies.

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How Auto Warranty Brokers Work
An auto warranty broker acts as conduit between you the vehicle owner, and the auto warranty company that is looking to offer you some sort of coverage protection. More than just a middleman, the auto warranty broker acts as an advocate, often making solicitations on behalf of several other vehicle owners. But aside from doing leg work in finding the best auto warranty company, brokers can also give you sound advice on the types of coverage you should be looking to take on. Using their wealth of experience, a broker will tell you if you are better of excluding or including certain parts of your vehicle under a warranty policy—this can be handy in terms of cost-savings.

Free or Paid?
You will almost always never have to pay an auto warranty broker as they tend to engage the warranty companies themselves for compensation for the work they put in. By pooling their clients when they make a submission to a warranty company, they are able to bring substantial business to a company, negating the need to charge you upfront for their services. This doesn’t mean that you won’t come across a company that offers brokering services for a fee; just be aware that you don’t have to pay for this sort of service and you’ll be fine.

How Do You Find a Good Broker?
Before you set off to find a good broker, it is important to have solid criteria for judging what ‘good’ means. The first thing you should look for is honesty; a broker that is hyping too much the services of one company over the other is doing you a disservice. Next, you should make sure that the broker you are engaging is accessible; anyone who cannot be reached at the very least via an email should be avoided. You should also do a quick check on the recommendations a broker makes. This will ensure that they aren’t recommending a dud—something that may cost you dearly down the road.

That said your best bet of finding a decent auto warranty broker is the internet. The best ones will be accessible through a website, and this will save you time in sifting through warranty companies on your own. In fact, some auto warranty brokers have a simple ranking system that lets you see which choice is the best (often number 1), with a few lesser, but potent companies. Once you are satisfied with their recommendation, you usually only have to click on a link which takes you through the actual warranty company. From there it’s a matter of selecting your coverage and presto!

You really can’t go far wrong by using a broker. The time you save will make room for doing the things you actually enjoy, and less time worrying about what can possibly go wrong with your car and the outrageous costs involved in fixing them.

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We’ll look at things from the perspective of a pre-lemon purchase and a post-lemon purchase. The former will help you avoid ending up in a sticky position—something you should always aim for.

Pre-lemon Purchase Checks
The idea here is to be so through, so prices in your due diligence checks that you minimize to the lowest possibility, the chance of you buying a car that is a complete dud. The first thing you should do is research on the dealership that you are looking to buy a car from. That assumes you are buying a car from a used car dealer. If on the other hand you are looking to buy privately, do some background checks on the service history of the vehicle. Most private sellers who are serious about selling a car will make sure these things are in order. Needless to say, if none of the aforementioned is present, steer clear.

The second thing you should do is take a look at make and model of the car. Some cars are inherently trouble, due in large part to the quality of manufacturing. Your Hondas and Toyotas will for the most part be reliable and so extensive checks may not be necessary. One final thing you can do is check the vehicle’s age and odometer reading. If it’s too old, chances are the manufacturer’s warranty would have already expired. If the car has been used extensively, it’s likely to have lots of miles on the clock, and this will increase the chances of it needing parts replacement or repair.

It is important to mention too that a used car should never be a huge cash investment, and where possible, you should always try to ensure you don’t borrow too much to buy one.

Post-lemon Purchase – You’ve Unfortunately Bought One Already
In the unfortunate event you’ve already splashed out, the first thing you should do is have check on your state laws. This will point you to any redress that you may have. The only unfortunate thing about this first port of call is that not only a few States across the US have lemon laws in place. So, unless you live in Minnesota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Mexico or New Jersey, you won’t be able to access legislative protection. But let’s just say that you do live in one of these six States, you can access what is called a statutory used car warranty.

This warranty protects buyers of cars that have gone beyond the date of expiry for the initial manufacturer’s warranty and should a part of any sale. Sellers are therefore obligated under law to replace, repair or refund should the car start giving problems shortly after sale.

Extended Auto Warranties
Another big thing you can do to protect yourself if you buy a lemon is put some extended auto warranty in place. Mind you, you won’t be able to do so if the car is badly worn or if it’s currently in for repairs. The best way to get such a warranty in place is to negotiate one shortly after the vehicle is purchase. These warranties won’t be cheap, but are well worth having, especially if you have invested lots of money into the vehicle. If you are unsure about the particulars of your vehicle, you can run a vehicle check at Carfax or Autocheck, two websites that can give you extensive information about the service history of your vehicle. Once you are armed with this information, you can then structure your warranty coverage accordingly.

Hopefully you won’t suffer the bad luck of spending your hard earned cash on a lemon, but if you do, just refer to the guidelines above. They’ll help you to cope and point you towards a solution.

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Standard or Manufacturer’s Warranty
There are some vehicle manufacturers that actually allow the transfer of the initial warranty that came with the sale of a motor vehicle, however, most won’t allow this sort of thing. On top of that, some car dealerships will frown upon the practice of transferring warranties as this typically affects how much money they can make selling on a vehicle. The dealerships that allow such transfers, do so on a trade-in value basis. This means that you won’t actually be able to move your warranty policy, but you’ll get some cash value for the coverage that’s left. Of course, if you are seller looking to keep hold of warranty coverage, your best bet is finding a dealership that is flexible to this sort of transfer.

Extended Auto Warranty
In terms of flexibility, few warranties offer wiggle room like the extended auto warranty. Not only does it help you protect your asset, it is transferable. These types of warranties will be almost always written by dealerships and auto warranty companies are the bread and butter of both these entities. As such, they are sold aggressively in dealerships, even when the car owner isn’t really interested in having one in place. It is important to note though, that extended warranties cover things a standard manufacturer’s warranty won’t cover—like tires. By having one in place you get the peace of mind in knowing you can afford to replace or repair parts if the vehicle, as well as move the coverage to any other vehicle that is acquired.

Used Car Warranty Transfer
Used car warranties are usually not very flexible and don’t have much life in them to necessitate transfer. On top of that, policy writers are always making sure that they benefit as often as possible from new policies, so they make it difficult for you to transfer an existing used car policy to another party. That being said, timing is important when acquiring these types of warranties. If you know for instance that you will be offloading a car shortly after its acquired, try not to put too much coverage on it. That way you don’t end up throwing money down the drain unnecessarily.

Much of the technicalities involved in acquiring and transferring warranties can be understood by seeking the help of a auto warranty broker. These are usually free and can be found on the internet. Once you engage a broker, they’ll usually give you the advice and tips you need to make warranty acquisition hassle free. On top of that, they usually put you through to a warranty company that is known for reliability and affordability. And that is something you can’t beat nowadays.

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The first thing that will affect how much you pay for a used car warranty is the car itself. Makes and models are key factors in setting the prices and you can expect to pay anything from $75, all the way up to $4,000. The dearer the cost for spare parts and technically expertise in dealing with the car, the more you’ll pay for a warranty.

The second major factor that can and will affect your cost is the extent of coverage you are seeking. If the used car you are looking to acquire is in pretty good condition, then you may not need to go for coverage of things like the powertrain. With used car warranties, the more you seek coverage for, the more you’ll pay.

Perhaps the biggest factor that will contribute to cost is where you buy an extended auto warranty for your used car. There are two major options: the dealership where you are perhaps acquiring the car, and a registered auto warranty company. Buy your extended auto warranty from a dealership and you can expect to pay an arm and leg. Dealerships are always on the lookout for ways to boost profits and the extended warranty has long been their preserve. If on the other hand you choose to use a warranty company, you will find the cost significantly more affordable. Warranty companies are plentiful, especially on the internet.

All you need to do is find some suitable company, either through your own searches or via a third party website that does the research for you. Either way, you can get coverage for your car in no time. Don’t ever be pressured into signing an extended warranty contract inside a dealership – there’s absolutely no need for you to buy right way.

Take the time away from the pressure of the sale, engage a few warranty companies online and you’ll be set.

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