There's a company advertising that they can provide auto repair customers peace of mind with a guarantee. If you're not happy, they'll set things straight. The fine print of the guarantee reveals a very different message, however.
To be clear, I have no personal gripe with this particular company. Their commercial just happened to show someone typing in "auto repair" into the search bar. Intrigued, I decided to investigate. The TV ad shows images of helpful car repair people such as a tow truck driver, as well as happy consumers - grateful because they've finally found someone they can trust. In essence, they're telling us that we don't have to worry if we select one of the service providers listed with them. Unfortunately, this type of protection is just not possible.
The actual terms and conditions behind the guarantee reveal that the program will do very little. It states that it makes no representations or guarantees. In other words, it's not any kind of binding car warranty.
What's interesting is that the commercial goes out of its way to suggest that they will relieve all our worries, but they do not pre-screen or review ANY of the companies that participate in the program. While there is a modest reimbursement if you have an issue, you must prove it was negligence on your time and at your expense.
There's nothing wrong with aggressive marketing - but it has to be backed up. It has to have substance. Many auto repair companies cross the line by overpromising and under-delivering. When things sound too good to be true, it's because they very often are. When it comes to car repair and guarantees, we can't be too careful. Read the fine print.
