1. Rust-Proofing: Some dealers charge up to $800 for this service, which sometimes amounts to no more than spraying a coating from an aerosol can in the wheel wells.
2. Fabric Protection: For a couple of hundred dollars, some dealers will try to sell you fabric protection for your car’s interior that will repel stains. You know it as Scotchgard.
3. Paint Sealant: This is another instance where the dealership hopes the car buyer will be gullible enough to believe that it’s using some special technique and material that’ll keep your car’s paint looking factory fresh
4. Window Etching: Another easy-money markup for car dealers; they etch your vehicle’s VIN on a window so that your car can allegedly be tracked in case it’s stolen.
5. Alarm System: Many cars come with a basic form of security, such as coded keys, but many dealers will also try to sell you a full-featured alarm system.
6. Extended Warranty: Since vehicles come with longer and more comprehensive warranties these days, extended warranties are usually not worth the extra money. If you plan to hang onto the vehicle for a long time, an extended warranty can be a good investment if and when your car needs major repairs. But don’t buy it from the dealer, since you can often get a better deal through independent insurers, such as Warranty Direct.
7. CD Changer: The price of a CD changer at a dealership can be twice what it is at a car stereo shop or electronics store.
8. Rear-Seat Video: Whether to choose this dealer option is not as easy to decide as the ones above.

Consumer Reports says almost the same thing:

“Dealerships often try to sell you extras that boost their profit margin but are a waste of you money. They can include rustproofing, fabric protection, paint protectant, or VIN etching, in which the vehicle identification number is etched onto the windows to deter thieves. Don’t accept those unnecessary services and fees. If you see those items on the bill of sale and you haven’t agreed to them, simply cross them out and refuse to pay for them. Vehicle bodies are already coated to protect against rust. And recent CR reliability surveys show that rust is not a major problem with modern cars. You can treat upholstery and apply paint protectant yourself with good off-the-shelf products that cost only a few dollars. If you decide you want VIN etching, you can buy a kit to do it yourself for less than $25, instead of the $200 that some dealerships charge. Also think twice about an extended warranty. It can cost hundreds of dollars. But if you buy a model with good reliability or if you expect to have the vehicle only for five years or less, it often isn’t worth the cost.”

Regarding Car Warranties, US News & World Report says:

“The dealer’s extended warranty isn’t necessarily the best deal; in fact, it usually costs more. Plus, you’re in a high-pressure situation at the dealer and might not be able to read the fine print. Finally, if you buy the dealer’s extended warranty, you might be required to return to that dealership to get it honored – which could become a problem if you move.”

So save yourself some money:

• Skip the rust proofing
• Buy your own can of Scotchguard for your cloth upholstery as well as the carpeting and matting
• Say no to paint sealant which is often just a wax job that you can do yourself or pay the neighbor’s kids to do
• For your alarm upgraded stereo and video systems you can often find a better system cheaper at your local car stereo shop or a big box retailer like Best Buy
• Window Etching – check with your local police or sheriff department – a lot of them hold free etching days like the Amhearst Police Department
• Car Warranty or Vehicle Service Contract – contact Warranty Direct at 800-632-4222 for your best deal on an Auto Warranty

In order to circumvent these special licensing requirements set forth, there has been a recent influx of product warranties being offered on the internet by a variety of extended warranty brokers. Product Warranties are not licensed, are not closely regulated, and do not have to be guaranteed by an insurance company. Even if a product warranty purports to be backed by an insurance company, the insurance company may not be licensed, financially strong, or actually back the warranty.

Warranty Direct has been licensed as a warranty provider in all states. In addition all of our plans are insured by an A- Excellent AM Best rated insurance company. For further information, please call one of our Certified Advisors at 1-800-632-4222. Click here to update and view your quote.

Some questionable terms found in product warranties are as follows:

• Vehicle Protection Kit ? The administrator will ship the Vehicle Protection Kit to the purchaser of this product warranty upon remittance of this agreement from the seller. The kit contains products for vehicle protection with instructions and other important information pertaining to this product warranty.
• The total of claims paid shall not exceed the wholesale value of the vehicle at the time of claim initiation.
• Purchasers may not perform their own maintenance for product warranty requirements.
• Pre-Existing ? A condition to a covered component of the vehicle, whether known or unknown to the purchaser, that existed prior to the product warranty purchase date or which may reasonable be assumed to have existed prior to the product warranty purchase date.

Sadly, unlicensed warranty sellers have become epidemic. Buying from an unlicensed warranty seller is risky as they do not meet the high standards required by your state. In order to be licensed, a warranty firm must be financially viable, operate within the laws and file their rates with the state. Unlicensed firms may offer no protection to you should the company go out of business. A licensed seller will be audited annually to make sure their finances are in order.

Many of the unregulated companies offering these plans are referring to them as bumper to bumper coverage, even though they only cover a short list of items. A lot of this misinformation is causing consumers a lot of confusion about the coverage they actually have. Sadly, most people won’t realize that they bought a worthless plan until they have a major claim denied.

Read more about product warranties at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Just because it’s on the Internet, it doesn’t make it true. And nowhere is this more true than when looking at "Miraculous Systems That Will Run Your Car Off Of Water." Usually put together with some sort of patter about how the Big Oil/Automotive Conglomerates Don’t Want You to Know About This Big Secret.

Let’s put a fork in this one. It’s bull.

What’s happening with those hydrolysis cells is this: You’re using the electricity in your car’s battery to crack water into hydrogen and oxygen, in a low density gaseous form, to run your car off of. You split the water into its component parts, it goes into your engine, gets burned, and boosts your gas mileage.

What it’s really doing is boosting the octane of your gasoline a bit, which will decrease your gas mileage by a small amount, and it’s draining your battery. What charges your battery? You got it – it’s your alternator. So when you trace everything back, what’s happening is that you’re burning gasoline to generate electricity which is used to split water into hydrogen into oxygen, which is then added to your fuel mix to make your car’s gas mileage decrease.

The basic rule of thumb here is that if this did what its proponents claimed, every car manufacturer on the planet would be offering one of these things. They aren’t stupid; they know that a car that could run off of water would sell as fast as they could get them into the showrooms. (Think about the premium they could charge by saying that you never have to buy gasoline again. Think about the CAFÉ requirements…)

On top of that, anyone with even a high school knowledge of chemistry and basic science could tell that this entire setup doesn’t add up. If someone’s promising you more energy out than you think you’re putting in, then you’re probably being suckered somewhere (in this case, it’s the energy cost of cracking water into hydrogen and oxygen from the car’s battery).

Don’t be suckered into buying an extended car warranty from a company that’s not reputable. Warranty Direct is financially secure and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

Don’t be fooled by one of the most obnoxious and deceptive marketing campaigns conducted via mail and phone selling outrageously priced extended car warranties.

A major red flag is the following words: “Final Notice: Expiring Auto Warranty.” The strategy is to be proactive and in charge of your own purchasing, do your own research on extended car warranties.

Sadly, some are falling into the trap of these cruel campaigns and are driving people crazy. Not only is it an invasion of privacy, but illegal. For those that are sold on this overpriced warranty often experience trouble using it. So please be aware of this scam.

If you are a victim of multiple mailings and phone calls, don’t allow this snake-like approach go unreported, make a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission.

The Better Business Bureau of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois listed 92 extended warranty companies in their area and are responsible for a large number of complaints across the United States. Fortunately an investigation is in process by Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon and has made legal action. Yet, this doesn’t mean a few companies haven’t slipped through the cracks.

Be in charge of your own purchase on an extended warranty and ahead of the game!