Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

If you watch broadcast television and cable networks that air commercials, you have seen the ads for automobile and home warranty insurance. They are not what they seem to be. All insurance works the same way. They charge enough to cover their costs and make a profit. They also do not always pay for what the customers expect.

Local attorneys run spots telling us that companies will not pay as much to you unless you hire them to challenge the insurance provider. Personal injury lawyers make money from clients that use these providers who do not want to provide what the customer thought was covered.

It does not matter whether you buy an extended warranty or insurance. They are the same thing. A friend bought a house that had just been built. The builder convinced them to purchase a home warranty instead of paying for an inspection. Within three years, problems with the construction became apparent. The insurance company would not cover any of these repairs.

These policies are only as good as the paper they are written on. To be sure that you are getting what you think you are paying for, you need a lawyer to read the contract and tell you specifically what it does and does not cover.

Do not believe the commercials. There is a reason why some of these promises sound reasonable. They are as valuable as the political promises made by candidates. It isn’t just the so-called warranty providers.

There are life and health insurance companies that also want you to buy their products. They offer term policies that last only a limited number of years and then who knows what and if you can purchase another product. I applied for a health insurance policy a few years ago. I did not know that my physicians would have to be changed.

Many companies and not just those that I have mentioned here are not going to give you the service that you expect. Think about the fast-food restaurants that give you a bag of food that is not what you ordered. We all know of plumbers, auto mechanics, or other service professionals that do not stand behind their work.

There is an old Latin phrase that I first heard in high school. Caveat Emptor means “Let the buyer beware.”  This has been a philosophy I have tried to follow all my life. Watch your back and be sure that you know what you are getting into when you buy a product or sign a contract.

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger