Sgooter

Just over a month ago, I bought one of the Chrysler Service Contracts (CSC) plans to cover my 06 SL500; the original M-Bz factory warranty was soon to expire.
Many of you recall that toward the end of May the company/brokerage/franchise (that we relied upon throughout this forum) suspended sales of the CSC to M-Bz cars for reasons unexplained. Remember, they were a brokerage house and never actually issued the ext warranty themselves. The extended warranty company is CSC. I called CSC about this "suspension," and they said you can still buy a CSC for your M-Bz, but you now have to buy it thru a Chrysler dealer.
I then spent 2 weeks of intense searching around for all types of extended warranties, sources, prices, terms, etc, and I found an energetic online source and bought the MaxCare CSC that gives me an add'l 5 yrs and +70K miles for a great price. Once you buy it, you won't get all the paperwork from CSC for about a month (just received mine), but you can access their web site and input your VIN, name, etc, and it will show that you're in their system and fully covered per the terms of your service contract.
My phone transaction took 10-15 minutes at the most.
I've been wanting to post this info for the past month, but I needed to wait until I received and reviewed the contract paperwork from CSC in order to ensure it's all official and legit.
Also, I have been under the erroneous impression that CSC requires that you must first take your car to a Chrysler dealer for repairs, and the Chrysler dealer then decides whether they can perform the repair OR they will send you to a M-Bz dealer for the repair. However, the actual wording in the CSC contract only requires that CSC must pre-approve any repairs before any repair work is performed. So, I believe you can go direct to an M-Bz dealer and have them call CSC for the pre-approval of the repairs.

CSC Source: extended-warranty-pro.com
Person: Leslie
Leslie knows I am doing this, and I have no affiliation with her or her dealership whatsoever.

The extended warranty plans shown on the site are representative, but other plans with different deductibles are available as well. Make sure you are looking at the extended warranty page on the site, which is not the opening page when you first access the site.

As always: YMMV

PM me if more info is needed.
Good luck,
Sgooter

Sgooter

I've just been informed that the Chrysler ext warranty is not being offered anymore to SLs and the like. They've just issued a new eligibility list, dated August 2010, and only M-Bz C and E class models are eligible.

mrdsl55

Sgooter, I'm looking to buy a Chrysler Service Contract for my '03 sl55. I have found a source for this coverage (5 years-70,000 miles).

From your experience, can you take your covered Mercedes to any Mercedes dealer for repair and have the repairs be authorized and paid for by the Chrysler Service Contract Representative directly to these dealer (less the deductible)?

I'm sure you can appreciate my concern over the possibility of a Chrysler dealer trying to work on an sl 55 or have to take it to a Chrysler dealer to get the repair authorized and then sub-contracted to a Benz dealer for the work. That would be totally unacceptable.

Please clear this up for me. Thanks.

Sgooter

I've had only 1 claims-related experience thus far, and I took my SL straight to the MB dealer for the diagnosis. They thought an electrical component needed to be replaced. They called CSC and CSC approved the work; however, soon thereafter the MB dealer discovered the problem was just a loose connection, so the involvement by CSC went no further.
The actual wording of the CSC contract says nothing about having to take your SL first to a Chrysler dealer. Instead, it simply emphasizes that CSC must approve any repair work in advance of the work being performed or you risk having your claim not honored/approved after-the-fact.

The other key issue for you is that I don't think you'll be able to get the CSC policy issued for your car; see my earlier post in this same thread about MB models eligible for the CSC warranty these days. I think they're now selling the policy to only C- and E-class models. YMMV - good luck.

mrdsl55

Sgooter, Thanks for your reply.

I may have a source for CSC coverage, however, here's my confusion:

1. From the possible seller, I'm told there is no waiting period once the contract is sold as to when you can take your car in for a repair and nothing in the contract that stipulates a waiting period, but there are some mbworld posts that say you must wait at least 30 days after purchase or the the repair will not be authorized. In the sample contract there is language around pre-existing conditions.

2. CSC contract says you must take it to the selling dealer (or another Chrysler dealer) for repair and in the case of a sl55, have the selling dealer (or another Chrysler dealer) subcontract the repair to a MBZ dealer. However, you say in a previous post that you can take your MBZ directly to a MBZ dealer for repair without a Chrysler dealer acting as an intermediary.

3. CSC say it may take up to 7 days to pay claim which means that, in most cases, the MBZ dealer will not release the car before they are paid leaving you without a vehicle until they are paid even though the repairs are complete.

4. Some posts say CSC will pay by credit card as soon as the repair is authorized allowing the MBZ dealer to release the car as soon as the repair(s) are completed.

5. Any repair over $1000.00 requires an inspection before authorization. Which on an sl55 is a certainty.

6. Some say no inspection is required.

Given you experience so far, can you clear up these apparent contradictions in dealing with Chrysler Service Contracts?

Thanks.

robdog

mrdsl55, My 05 SL500 had a catastrophic tranny failure in June, 3 weeks after purchasing a CSC max care 5/70. Towed to MB per CSC. CSC denied the claim based on the 'newness of the contract'. When I brought up that there was no waiting period wording in my contract I was told the failure was pre-existing (impossible per MB) and that quote "there is nothing you can do about it". Seems to be the case. Impossible to reach CSC - I was told to write a letter to customer relations. To answer your other q's - per CSC, MB rates are approved and CSC pays MB directly, no reimbursment or holding the car hostage.
There is a pre-inspection required. I had mine inspected by the selling dealer (4/10) and my own mechanic. CSC accepted these when I bought the contract, but still claimed pre-existing...go figure.
Good luck!

ghilliehq

I am about to test out my first warranty claim under my extended warranty. My NAV system CD has locked up. I didn't have to go through any inspection when I got mine because my SL was still under warranty when I bought the extended warranty. Will let you know how smoothly (I hope) it goes.

mrdsl55

How did it go with your extended warranty?

ghilliehq

It went well. The bill was $3950 for a new command unit. The warranty paid for most of it. I had to pay the $100 deductible and a $25 trash fee.

They did come out and do an inspection since it was over $1000.

I have a Fidelity Platinum Warranty. I don't think this is the same as the CSC, but I'm not sure. I bought this warranty through a Mercedes dealer.

Mantooth

Really cool for an extended warranty to cover electronics like that.

yippyskippy107

Just called CSC, spoke to a Brett. Said that vehicle MUST BE UNDER 3yrs or 36k miles to qualify...they just changed that policy last month. My factory warranty ends next month..BUMMER!

Sgooter

Your Fidelity Warranty is not the same as the CSC warranty - totally different companies involved.