When you shop for a service contract, the first thing you usually see is a number. The more useful question is how much of the contract the company is willing to show you before you buy. A provider that publishes its full terms gives you something to check. A provider that only quotes a price asks you to trust everything you cannot see.
Start with what you can read
Look for a sample contract you can open and read without handing over your personal details. If one is posted, read the coverage list, the exclusions, the claim steps, the cancellation section, and the transfer language. If nothing is posted, ask for a copy in writing before going further. The providers that publish a sample contract page is a practical place to start.
Compare the same checkpoints
- Waiting period, meaning how long after purchase before coverage begins. The waiting period list sorts the published figures for you.
- Money-back window, meaning how long you can cancel and which refund rule applies. The money-back period list sorts those figures in order.
- Maximum vehicle age and the mileage limit at purchase.
- Who handles claims, and how payment reaches the repair shop.
- Whether the contract can transfer to a new owner if you sell the car.
Watch for gaps in the answers
A provider that cannot show you where a term appears in its own contract is giving you a reason to slow down. Ask the seller to name the page, the section, and the sentence that answers your question. If a promise is made out loud but never written down, it is not part of what you are buying.
Use the site, then verify
Use our tables to narrow the field, and read the methodology page to see how we arrange the companies and what we count. Then read the contract itself. A table can only show what the provider published, and our summary is no substitute for the paper you are asked to sign.