These are not "shady" deals, but I think that all 3 favor the dealership, and not the auto owner. 1. Extend the warranty from 5 to 7 years for $1480 and get the money back if no claims. This is a free loan of $1480 to the dealer for 7 years and it probably does not cover much, maybe just the drive train. These parts are already warranteed for 5 years. What happens if the dealership changes hand, goes out of business, or re-incorporates before the 7 years is up? These days, auto dealerships are very fluid and a long term, fixed business arrangement for 7 years is more rare than new dealerships. Do you thnik you will own this vehicle for 7 years? What happens to your money if you replace this vehicle within 5 years? 2. Rust proofig for $848 or more option at $1248. The time to add rust proofing to a vehicle is when it is new and the surfaces are clean. This one is a maybe. Some sources say it is wasted money. It all depends on what is done. If it merely duplicates the coatings already placed by the manufacturer, it is not very helpful. It may offer some protection if you live on a gravel road where the undercarraige gets pelted with stones on a regular basis. If they add coatings to the interior of the doors, be careful here. Too much in the wrong place can gum up the workings of electric door locks; It can plug door drains. If you live in the "rust belt" where road salts are used extensively, it may some added value. This one is a judgement call. 3. Accident and health insurance. This is assurance (to the dealer) that you'll have cash to pay off the loan in case of debilitating accident or sickness to you. Very likely, it will be written to the effect that in case of accident or illiness, the car loan is the first item to be satisfied. If you are employed, have adequate health and life insurance, this is not needed. For a long trerm loan, say 5 years, the dealer (and loan agency) is very anxious to make sure that the loan covered.

Your damage is "2000-3000" and her's is "minimal" ? I'm not so sure about that. I was rear ended years ago (my only accident). At the scene, the driver insisted that the damage was minimal, until I saw the SIDE of the trunk where it was creased from the impact. Where I was (New York), drivers are required to report the accident, if the damage exceeds a certain monetary value, regardless of who pays for it. So don't expect the accident to remain a secret.

A person who owns a home can file a claim to the insurance company that they pay a premium to-THEY pay the premium and in most cases it is up to them as to whether they use that money for repairs or otherwise. If they have a mortgage, usually the check is made out to the homeowner and the mortgage company-and because the mortgage company is part owner, they want the damages fixed and will normally inspect the project to assure that something they are vested in is repaired. It's the same with owning a car-if you own your car and get a dent, insurance will pay you but if you don't have it financed, you can choose to fix it or not with the check. The down side to that is-if you do not have it fixed or the home repaired with the money, the insurance company can refuse to renew your insurance when the time rolls around.

The beauty of having a good insurance agent is that they can do all the 'leg work' for you. Ours found us a great insurance company (one I'd never heard of--they aren't big, they don't advertise a lot) that was very reasonable. They only insure drivers with impeccable records. We've been with them for many years now. Over that time, I've checked some of those companies that advertise that they'll save you money, their rates are the cheapest--not once have I been able to find ANYone who can compare to our company--they're hundreds less than any other insurance company. But we've never have found them on our own. A few years ago, dd was a little strapped for cash, and asked the agent if she could find her something cheaper (than OUR company). Believe it or not--yes, the agent was able to put dd into a company that was an even better buy for her. So when our insurance came up for renewal, I got a quote from that company--nope--due to the differences in our needs, THEY were more expensive for us, than our original company. Not only does an agent help you find the best deal for you, but they represent you if and when you need to make a claim. It's not worth it to me to pay more for insurance from a big company who is just interested in selling their product, and not caring for their customers after they get their money.