Back in 2003 I purchased my first hybrid, a Honda Civic. After the deal was sealed, the salesperson said, "And now, of course, you'll want to purchase the extended warrantee." I said, "No, thank you." He said, "But the manufacturer's warrantee is only for 35,000 miles! They know that after that, problems are more likely to occur." I said, "Look. A few minutes ago you were telling me that I was making a really good choice...that this car has a great reputation for reliability--one of the best in the industry. Now you're trying to tell me that it's going to start having problems after only 35,000 miles? No, I'll pass on that extended warrantee." He was not a happy camper! (I sold the car after 150,000 miles and had had very few problems with it.)

These "Buyer Protection Plans" are NOT for the benefit of the consumer. They are for the benefit of the seller. This is why the sellers are so anxious to promote them. While there may be an occasional exception where the purchase of such a plan is actually a good idea, the default answer when asked should be, "No, thank you!"