Warranty Direct v's BMW Warranty?

Mummy_to_Lily

Hi there

My BMW manufacturer's warranty is about to expire on my X3 next month.

Can anyone recommend which would be the best extended warranty option to choose?

Thanks in advance :-)

Chippy_Minton_2

I don't think following recent posts anyone would dare to recommend a warranty.

Mummy_to_Lily

Oh I see.....

well if anyone *was* to recommend a warranty given the choice of warranty direct or extending the BMW manufacturer warranty, then which one is best out of the two?

Thanks

Chippy_Minton_2

The one that will payout when you claim and not wriggle.

harveybobbles

I know a guy who pays £640 PER YEAR for his BWM warranty on his 8 year old 5 Series... The same warranty can be had from me for 250

ukjoel

My understanding is that Warranty direct will pay out on specific wear and tear items that a manufacturer generally will not pay out on (after first 3 years).

Am sure others will disagree (and thats fine).

What I would advise is if you go warranty direct route is you ensure you take out the warranty BEFORE the original manufacturer warranty lapses otherwise for the first 3 months you dont have full cover from them.

Also if you go warranty direct then be aware they will not send your car to a BMW dealer for repair (unless you pay a chunky premium). So if you want it to go to a main dealer (and not nationwide autos for example) then the Manufacturer one would be a better option.

These topics always get a bit heated - get both copies of paperwork and read several times. Some manufacturers do a deal where they throw in a service package with the warranties ie 2 services and 2 years warranty for x amount. Sometimes this works out a better deal.

Mummy_to_Lily

Thanks UKJoel - that's very helpful.

So if the car was to be fixed at any garage, would they use BMW parts??

Also, do you know if Warranty Direct have an excess to pay - I can't find anything that says as such.

Thank again

AdrianHi

£100 excess, £349 premium, BMW Insured Warranty (by Mondial) on my E91 320d SE. Got it last year, paid again for this coming year.
If you get a problem chuck the keys at the dealer and let them get on with it.
http://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

The Warranty Direct prices is similar and I do like their T's&C's but I favour the simplicity of the "BMW" option.

ukjoel

If it was my car, I loved it and was keeping it long term, and had had it since new and it was a prestige brand (which BMW is) I personally would keep it with the manufacturer warrranty if it was a similar price for a similar product. Adrians comment suggests its a similar price but for slightly less cover in the Ts&Cs so again - advise you read the smallprint.

Other things to consider are courtesy cars when yours is in for repair - Not being snobby but I know a lot of people who if they turned up to a business meeting in a ka instead of their 5 series they would be snapped on a camera phone and have 12 very sarcastic messages on their phone by the time the finished the meeting.

Personally it wouldnt bother me but I know lots it would. (and they tend to be in German cars)

AdrianHi

I get a Mini when mines is in for servicing. Perfectly fine for a day and I don't give a monkeys what anyone thinks
It should be noted that the BMW insured warranty from Mondial is not the same and is not quite as comprehensive as the original manufacturers warranty.
There is the excess to pay and some items of interior and exterior trim are not covered when they would be under the original manufacturers warranty.

The warranty direct option requires a bit more work and rule following to get a claim through, but I do know happy warranty direct and Mondial customers so you would be OK with either in the end.
I don't have enough miles on the car to have seen this myself but I understand the BMW insured warranty starts getting really expensive past 70,000 miles while warranty direct start reducing % of parts cover.
Also if you have built in sat nav (iDrive) check any policies you consider to make sure it's covered, many exclude it.

darich

When my BMW approved used car warranty expired BMW wrote to me and offered me the chance to extend it with them.
The cover had to be continuous though - if it lapsed, even for 1 day, then my chance was gone.

I can't remember the price but i do know i didn't go for it because I was confident (or feeling lucky) that I wouldn't need it.
Turns out I was right but it's a gamble.

Anyway - BMW may well write and offer you a warranty before the existing one expires.