Before you sign anything, list every piece of protection the car already has. Most people think only about the factory warranty, but it is rarely the only layer. A new car usually comes with a manufacturer warranty, some models carry a certified pre-owned extension, and certain credit cards offer an extended warranty benefit on eligible purchases. Auto insurance policies can also add roadside help or rental coverage that overlaps with what a service contract promises to handle. Each layer ends at its own point, so the overlap is not a fixed fact you can look up once.
Why the overlap costs you money
A service contract is a product you pay for up front. If the car is still under the factory warranty when a part fails, the contract may pay nothing for that repair, the factory may pay first, or the two may split the job. In that case you are paying for protection you cannot use yet. That gap is the money to question, not just the total on the sales sheet.
What to check in the start clause
Find the sentence that says when coverage begins. Some contracts start on the day you sign. Others start when the factory coverage ends, and some run alongside it. A start on signing means the early period overlaps with the factory warranty. Ask the seller to point to that sentence, then read it yourself. If the answer is vague, the sentence is probably vague too.
What to check in the order of payment
Ask which coverage pays first when both apply to the same repair. Read whether the contract requires you to use the factory warranty first, file a factory claim, or provide a denial letter before it will pay. Look for wording about other coverage or other sources of payment. Some contracts include a coordination clause that you only notice when a claim is refused. Check it before you pay, not after.
What to ask about cancellation and refunds
If another coverage takes over, ask what happens to the price you already paid. Ask whether any refund counts the months when the car was protected by something else. Cancellation routes and refund calculations are contract terms, so get the answer in writing. A verbal promise from a salesperson does not bind the provider.
Map the overlap on paper
Draw three columns. The first lists each coverage you already have. The second shows the day that coverage ends, stated both by time and by mileage. The third names the parts or repairs it touches. Then add the service contract as its own set of rows. Look for places where both sets claim the same part during the same window. Those rows are the overlap. Mark each one, and treat any repair that falls inside a marked row as the one to question before you sign.
Questions to put to the seller
Ask whether coverage starts on signing or when the factory warranty ends. Ask which coverage pays first on a shared repair. Ask whether the contract requires a factory claim before it pays. Ask what you get back if you cancel after another coverage takes over. Get every answer in writing, and check that the written answer matches the contract sentence it refers to.
Where to find the published figures
This site lists each company's published terms in its comparison tables, including start language and other-coverage wording where a company posts it. Treat a table as a summary. The contract you sign is the document that binds you, so read it before you rely on any row. For the full term-by-term view, start with our side-by-side comparison, then read the sample contract if the provider posts one, using this list of companies that publish a sample to find them.