When people look for an extended car warranty, they may feel like they’re in a cave with only a flashlight—and a bad one at that. There are times when there is glare, shade, and just a lot of bats. It can be hard to figure out what reviews mean in this area, like playing darts with your eyes closed. People say they struck the bullseye, yet the wall is a mess. Click for more.

Let’s get rid of some of the fog. The talk about extended car warranty firms fills online forums, Google, and consumer sites. This is why. This is one of those things you think you don’t need until the “check engine” light comes on when you’re driving alone on the interstate. Now, every review you read in the past seems to have had something vital that you missed.

Most users are either rescued or stuck. People who were saved exclaim about how easy it was to make claims, how helpful the personnel was, and how little they had to pay out of their own pockets. The people who were stuck, on the other hand, talk of being on line for hours, having their claims denied, being surprised by exclusions, and yet feeling bad about it. Some people tell stories that sound like modern fables, like “I bought coverage, but then I found out that fried computers aren’t covered!” Ouch.

When you look at these accounts, you can see patterns. Some businesses follow the rules: they pay on time, talk to their customers, and don’t charge extra for every little thing. What about the others? I guess their customer service scripts are printed in invisible ink. A lot of complaints come from those sly exclusions that are buried in the fine text. Not covered by transmission? Only if you can show that you changed the fluid on a Tuesday after the full moon.

What makes a good warranty provider stand out from the bad ones is usually how open and responsive they are. You want answers that are clear. You shouldn’t need a law degree or a magnifying glass to know what’s safe and what’s not. Here’s some advice: believe what you hear but check it out. Don’t only look at a few great reviews on the provider’s own website; check third-party sites for consistent accounts.

Reading reviews won’t make the selection easy, but it will offer you a better chance of making an informed choice. There is probably a lesson in the 1,000-word tirade over their automobile warranty that someone penned because they felt so wronged.

Let’s be honest: extended car warranties don’t have a good name. But if you go past the bad reviews and the accolades, you’ll see a common request: make sure you know what you’re buying. And if your automobile is running well, you might want to give it a pat on the back. You won’t have to write that review anymore.