3 Car Dealership Upgrades to Avoid

Buying a car is a big expense – especially if you’re doing business with a dealership. Personally, I don’t mind buying from a dealership. They are more expensive but if there’s a big problem, they tend to be a lot easier to find than a private seller. But not everything from a dealership is a great idea. Generally when you’re buying a brand-new or second-hand car, the dealer is going to offer you to some upgrades to help protect your new purchase. And what’s a few hundred dollars when you just spent many thousands? If you want to protect your new purchase, avoid the upgrades and become more car care aware:

1. Car Protection Packages

These things are usually touted as a way to protect your investment. Let’s break it down a bit:

a.Interior Car Protection: They Scotchgard your car interior to protect it from stains and wear/tear. One dealership was offering this option for $400. This stuff literally costs $10 at Canadian Tire. Save yourself $390 and do it yourself.

b.Tire and Rim Protection/Windshield Crack & Chip Protection: This is intended to offer you protection in the event that you run over a nail or get a ding in your windshield. They’ll cover the cost of the repairs but the expense isn’t going to justify buying this coverage.

c.Anti-Rusting Protection: By the time you’d see the benefit for this kind of coverage, your car is going to be at least a decade old and the warranty won’t cover it anymore. Even if you’re buying a second-hand car, wash and wax it regularly (using the spray wax option at your car wash) and you should be fine.

2. Extended Warranty Protection

This is expensive. Really expensive. According to a Consumer Report survey, they average about $1200 and more than half of all customers never ended up using them. In addition to buying a warranty that won’t pay out, you are also committing to getting all your work done with the people who sold it to you. Win and win for the dealership.

3. 3M Rock Chip/Paint Film

The rock chip protection translates into a weird sticker being applied to the front half of your hood. It looks odd on your car and once your paint starts fading after three or four years, there’s a noticeable difference between the 3M paint and the rest of your vehicle. If your dents and chips are smaller and , you can Google a good “how-to” and take care of them yourself. It will cost about $20 and a bit of time and you’re good to go. No weird $700 stickers. No unnecessary fuss or muss.

If you want to protect your vehicle, take all the money you’d spend on warranties and packages and put it in an interest-bearing investment account (about $2000 if you buy the works). When you have an incident with your car, you’ll be able to pull from your car fund and pay for it yourself.

Once you have your car (sans protection packages!), be sure to compare auto quotes to get the best deals on your insurance. By getting a free quote throughout the month of May, you will also be entered into a draw to win cool prizes too!

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