"Forever Warranty" kvetch... no claim, but annual inspection!

[BluStreek]

My MBS 2400WS Sunseeker is less than a year old, used on about three outings of about two weeks total, and has about 3000 miles on it. I called my dealer today (Stoltzfus RV in West Chester PA, good people IMHO) about a cost estimate for an annual inspection as required by the warranty. It's $125 for the chassis and $125 for the "house" !!! ....YIKES!!!, NO thank you. I'll bank the $250 for a rainy day, save the 120 mile, 2 hour round trip, save ~8 to 10 gallons of diesel, plus about $40 in tolls (I'm in central NJ), and self insure. I'm inclined to repair most things myself, so once the Forest River/Berkshire warranties lapse, I'll just deal with it. Besides, I have decent roadside coverage from Progressive Insurance for most on road issues. May look into other extended coverages if this forum has suggestions.

I thought it ("Forever") sounded to be too good to be true. It sure seems like it is not so good at all.

[MT Biker]

Did you ask what the inspection included on your RV?
We have it on our travel trailer and the annual cost is $200 for the inspection but there is a list of things that are done to the trailer (we just had ours done)
Reseal roof
Lubricate axels
Clean furnace
Flush holding tanks

I don’t think it’s a bad price for what they do and to keep everything covered under warranty.

[5picker]

A lot of times the 'fine print' is what gets most in trouble with extended warranties.
You should have been made aware of what the annual inspection cost (and what it included) BEFORE you ever purchased it. You likely would have made the same decision you are making now and wouldn't be out the cost of the 'forever warranty.'

With that said, if (BIG IF) you trust your dealer and you are not mechanically inclined and know in advance what they might perform during the inspection, it may be worth it to have them do it. If it involves resealing the roof, flushing the water heater, checking brakes & axles, servicing the furnace, checking the propane system and a general good once over, then you'd likely pay someone that amount anyway to have those items looked at and/or serviced.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by MT Biker

Did you ask what the inspection included on your RV?
We have it on our travel trailer and the annual cost is $200 for the inspection but there is a list of things that are done to the trailer (we just had ours done)
Reseal roof
Lubricate axels
Clean furnace
Flush holding tanks

I don’t think it’s a bad price for what they do and to keep everything covered under warranty.

Seems high to me..... fine print?? $200 for $50 of work.......

[MT Biker]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Seems high to me..... fine print?? $200 for $50 of work.......

How much is an AC unit worth, a refrigerator, furnace, microwave, cook top, range...all covered under warranty.
Seems worth it to me and that is all that matters.

[BluStreek]

Thanks MT and 5Picker...

The inspection is just "inspect"... I can always have that done elsewhere, and after some real use. The chassis is a Mercedes Sprinter 3500, and covered by M-B USA, of course. Will take it to a M-B dealer locally for that. They (Princeton Mercedes Benz) handle Sprinter based RV's (I asked).

The "Forever Warranty" was "free". So it was not a factor in decision making or price. Fine print, yes, there were notable exclusions, and the salesperson did mention the need to reinspect annually to keep the warranty in force. So I'm not totally surprised. Just taken aback at the costs. Sticker shock for work at dealership? Perhaps.

I also priced out a rear SumoSprings installation for $260 (part not included) for what should be under an hour of work. Nope, will do myself... can afford it, not a cheapskate, but price, associated costs, the inconvenience, and my usual skepticism about the quality of service work (everywhere, not just the dealer) makes my decision easy.

Yeah, I have a boat (Grady White) so I know... $$$

[5picker]

Originally Posted by BluStreek

Thanks MT and 5Picker...

The inspection is just "inspect"... I can always have that done elsewhere, and after some real use. The chassis is a Mercedes Sprinter 3500, and covered by M-B USA, of course. Will take it to a M-B dealer locally for that. They (Princeton Mercedes Benz) handle Sprinter based RV's (I asked).

The "Forever Warranty" was "free". So it was not a factor in decision making or price. Fine print, yes, there were notable exclusions, and the salesperson did mention the need to reinspect annually to keep the warranty in force. So I'm not totally surprised. Just taken aback at the costs. Sticker shock for work at dealership? Perhaps.

I also priced out a rear SumoSprings installation for $260 (part not included) for what should be under an hour of work. Nope, will do myself... can afford it, not a cheapskate, but price, associated costs, the inconvenience, and my usual skepticism about the quality of service work (everywhere, not just the dealer) makes my decision easy.

Yeah, I have a boat (Grady White) so I know... $$$

Nothing is 'free.' You paid for it somewhere.
Many of the extended warranties are refundable. (most on pro-rated basis)
Since it will be void if you don't have the annual inspection, I'd look into whether anything is refundable upon cancellation.
Contact the underwriter of the warranty, NOT the dealer.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Nothing is 'free.' You paid for it somewhere.
Many of the extended warranties are refundable. (most on pro-rated basis)
Since it will be void if you don't have the annual inspection, I'd look into whether anything is refundable upon cancellation.
Contact the underwriter of the warranty, NOT the dealer.

The "Warranty Forever" product is provided to consumers for free in the sense that it's a no-charge add-on at the time of sale. The catch is that in order for this warranty to remain active you have to not only have the annual inspection done but you also have to have all maintenance on covered parts done by a "professional." You cannot perform your own maintenance. That's how consumers end up paying for this warranty.

You can read a bit about it at Home - National Automotive Experts

[BluStreek]

Home - National Automotive Experts

Hi All, just checked... no cost to purchaser and hence no refund of any residual cost. AND since nothing is truly "free", my guess is that the dealer bundles it in, and then anticipates some annual cash flow.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Seems high to me..... fine print?? $200 for $50 of work.......

Plus 120 miles and gas and $40 tolls = $$$$

[Mad Cow]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

The "Warranty Forever" product is provided to consumers for free in the sense that it's a no-charge add-on at the time of sale. The catch is that in order for this warranty to remain active you have to not only have the annual inspection done but you also have to have all maintenance on covered parts done by a "professional." You cannot perform your own maintenance. That's how consumers end up paying for this warranty.

You can read a bit about it at Home - National Automotive Experts

Indeed. Warranty Forever is a cash cow for the dealer.

[dustman_stx]

It's not free, you just bought it "on time." For that thing to be good for 5 years you"ll be out $1250. And I can almost guarantee you that when they "inspect" it and bring a list of maintenance things that need to be done you'll have to pay them right then and there to do them in order to keep the "warranty" active.

[Walholler]

Do you realize that items such as your fridge, microwave, furnace, Air Conditioner, axles, water pump, stove & etc. have their own warranties from the manufactures of those items. So if your paying for an extended warranty, you just paying additionally for something your already have. Most all of those items will break in the first year if they are going to break at all. I have a Prime Time 5th wheel that is 2 1/2 years old that has never been in a shop. It has been to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Great Smoky Mt. and Padre Island National Seashore without one problem occurring.

[Mad Cow]

The actual product “Warranty Forever” is free from the dealership. It got started years ago in the auto sector. But the dealer offering it free is with the intent of all work on the unit be done by the dealer that is part of the warranty forever fine print to keep it in force. Whatever warranty forever is charging the dealer per policy, it is more than offset by what the dealer takes in on maintenance and such.

Look up warranty forever online. They have a site. Read the FAQ page.

[dahagen]

On this 'free' warranty what about regular service as recommended by the manufacturer? Do they have to do those things (lube and oil) also to keep the warranty in effect? And is the inspection just an inspection?

[Mad Cow]

You have to have your dealer perform all recommende maintenance by the OEM and any that warranty forever also lists beyond the OEM guidance. In other words, you are going to pay thru the nose meeting all the requirements to keep it in force. That’s the idea! A cash cow for the dealer.

[dahagen]

Originally Posted by Mad Cow

You have to have your dealer perform all recommende maintenance by the OEM and any that warranty forever also lists beyond the OEM guidance. In other words, you are going to pay thru the nose meeting all the requirements to keep it in force. That’s the idea! A cash cow for the dealer.

WOW! Pay through the nose is right. I had a major company (no name but initials CW) do an oil & filter change on my motorhome and they charged $100 and they only changed the oil and filter. And I had a 9 AM appointment and they were done by 4 PM. Non-RV service places charge $50 or so and do a whole bunch of other stuff like check filters, tires, wash glass, etc.in an hour or so.

[FrankMor]

I just paid $214.26 for the annual inspection on my MH. Here is what they do:

On an annual basis, you must perform the following maintenance:

Inspect and seal roof where necessary

Inspect axles and hub, lube where necessary

Inspect Furnace – clean blower and combustion chamber, control compartment, (remove any dust, lint, and obstructions) as necessary. Test for gas line leaks.

Inspect hot water heater – flush holding tank, manually operate pressure temperature relief valve, and clean burner tube (as outlined by the manufacturer) as necessary.

Inspect suspension and lubricate where necessary – grease front and rear suspension components, including but not limited to, axle bearings, tie rods, control arms, and break camshaft brackets.



There is fresh Dicor at the front cap, rear cap and the sky light is completely redone. I watched them check the roof, propane system, WH and furnace. They had 2 techs working, they checked frig and stove. They spent 1.5 hours and supplies, not bad for the price.

Frank

[F.R.O.G.]

I'm not advocating for or against this program. It might be useful, though, to look at a couple of items on their website.

The form that is used to certify that required maintenance has been done can be found at: Forever Warranty Annual Maintenance Record Coupon

Note the statement just below the maintenance certification: Reminder: All maintenance must be performed by a professional repair facility.

However, there appears to be a lot of freedom on the owner's part to decide where to have the annual inspection and maintenance done. Note the following two items from the site's FAQ page:

Can I perform my own maintenance?
No, all annual maintenance must be performed by a professional repair facility. This ensures proper documentation, as well as the workmanship of all services performed on your RV.

What is a professional repair facility?
Any repair facility that has a license to do business. The facility must be able to provide a detailed repair order that contains all of the pertinent information regarding the services performed.

As I said, I'm not advocating for or against the program, and I know of and have spoken with several dealers who offer it. You might want to talk with one of them, or with a service facility of your choosing, to see what they'd charge for the inspection and for doing the maintenance items that ought to be done anyway, as well as looking over the list of covered components.

Just a thought ...

[FrankMor]

The work has to be done by a Professional Repair Facility, not just the selling dealer.
Here is a link to the verification form;
http://connect.naenwan.com/Content/U...pon%204-15.pdf


Frank