Okay, I sent Zach @ Granger a DM. We'll see if a quote from him is any different than a quote from his website.
Correction, Zach has posted before to email his team for a quote, so I sent an email to
[email protected].
Just for future reference, these are the links to the websites:
Granger:
Mopar-backed Extended Warranties - Buy Mopar Warranty
Zeigler (not Ziegler):
Save $$ on A Genuine Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan!
Note: On the Zeigler site, you have to select the plan you want and click to go to the next screen. THEN you will see a box to enter the Promotional Code of PAYINFULL and get a new, lower price.
The plan I want was quoted at $2165. Then I did the PAYINFULL thing and it dropped to $1800.
Note 2: Zeigler offers a Money Back Guarantee Plan option. It adds $575 to the price. I.e. $2375 vs $1800.
To ME, the Money Back Guarantee option seems like a very bad choice.
Looking at the details:
- You only get your money back if NO DIAGNOSTICS or repairs are ever performed (that are charged against the extended warranty).
- You have to be IN POSSESSION of the plan AND the vehicle at the time you request your 100% refund. So, if you trade or sell your truck first and then go to get your refund, you are SOL.
- The contract has to expire by time before you can get your refund. So, if you buy a 5 year contract, you cannot request a refund until you've had the vehicle for the full 5 years. If you decide to sell it or trade it in at 4 years, 11 months, no refund for you.
So, it seems to me that they are counting on one of two things happening. You will sell or trade it BEFORE it goes out of warranty. That is my usual MO. Or, if you DO keep it until the warranty runs out, they are counting on something on that truck breaking or needing to be looked at during that time.
Personally, in the last 16 years of owning RAM 1500s, I have not yet had one that got to 100K miles without needing a warranty repair. So, they are putting you in a position where, say, you get to 4 years (of a 5 year warranty) and now you need a repair. You're looking at it and have to decide "do I pay for this repair out of pocket, so I can get my warranty money back next year? Or do I let Mopar pay for the repair but then I don't get a refund on my warranty?"
Kind of funny, really. They are giving you financial incentive to pay out of pocket for repairs AND they are charging you more for the warranty at the same time. Thanks, but no thanks. The Money Back Guarantee Plan should be cheaper, not more expensive.
That said, if you are the type to keep your vehicle for a long time (well past the extended warranty period), and you are really just looking for a warranty for in case something really major happens - like a totally blown engine or transmission - then maybe the Money Back option is right for you. Pay for anything "minor" out of pocket. Nothing major happens and you get all your money back. Warranty repairs that are covered by the original factory warranty (5yrs/60K miles on the powertrain and 3/36K on everything else) don't count against getting your money back, so maybe odds are really good that you won't need a major repair. Maybe not need a warranty repair at all between when the factory warranty ends and when the extended warranty ends.
Of course, if you get unlucky, you could end up paying, say, $1000 for a "minor" repair - to save your money back option - then pay another $1000 for another "minor" repair, and THEN have a major repair and end up using the warranty, so now you're getting no refund AND you paid an extra $2000 for repairs beyond what you already paid for the extended warranty. That would royally suck.
I guess it's all a gamble and you choose which game you want to play.
