What has happened to the concept of Customer Service? We at CARCHEX remember a time when you didn’t have to spend 20 minutes pressing buttons on the phone just to talk with a live human being. Or even worse, spending 20 minutes in public shouting “OPTION ONE” into your phone, which makes you seem a tad bit crazy. Our promise of “Customer Experience Above All” means we will not let this happen to you.

We hope you never will have an issue with your extended warranty, but we want to make sure anyone who might have a complaint can be quickly and easily heard. Pat Goss explains what this CARCHEX Complaints difference entails.

Even though we don’t think it will happen, if you ever have an issue with CARCHEX, please visit CARCHEX Complaints for a fast and easy resolution of your problem.

“It will never happen to me,” you say. “Why would I get stuck in my car during the winter? I’m a good driver and know how to handle my car in the snow and ice. I don’t need to carry around a winter emergency kit!”

Well, you might be right. You might be the greatest winter driver of all time. But, that does not mean that the person driving next to you is. What if they hit a patch of black ice, which sends their vehicle careening into yours, and you end up in a ditch? Or, what if you are driving and what should have been rain turns to freezing rain and all of a sudden the road home is too slick to navigate?

Mother Nature is unpredictable, so it is best that you prepare for whatever she might throw your way. For winter driving, this means having a winter emergency kit ready and in your car at all times. What should you have in that winter emergency kit? Funny you should ask, as we just spoke with Pat Goss about what he thinks should be in there.

Is there anything else you would add to your kit? Please stay prepared and safe this winter!

Up until this week, we’ve all been lucky to enjoy a relatively mild winter. Throughout most the country, there has been more rain than snow and more days of 50 degrees than 15. Unless you are a polar bear or an avid skier, this has been a good thing. You have been able to save on your utilities bill, not had to worry about your car starting in the cold, and not had to brave dangerously slick roads on the drive to work.

That is, until yesterday, when most of the Midwest and Northeast were blanketed by the season’s first major snow storm. You probably noticed that most people around you have forgotten how to drive in such snowy and icy conditions. To make sure that you don’t become one of those drivers, Pat Goss provides some simple but often forgotten tips on how to drive in snow, ice, and when you should break out the tire chains.

Here’s to you having a safe driving winter from CARCHEX!

Ah, yes…the New Year’s Resolution. That great idea for personal improvement that looked so attainable when you wrote it down on January 1st, but is already crumpled and neglected on the floor next to your bed.

We’ve all been there. Some resolutions are impossible to keep because they are simply not realistic. We all want to win the Daytona 500 this year, but something tells us that just won’t happen.

Other resolutions fall by the wayside because we simply don’t have the knowledge to make the change. You might resolve to make your home more energy efficient, but you don’t know how to install double-paned windows. You might resolve to take better care of your car, but you’re not a mechanic. You just want to get your car running like it used to and not spend heaps of time and money trying to figure out why it doesn’t.

Let Pat Goss help with some free advice from America’s Most Trusted Mechanic. In this video, Pat reveals the most common cause for lackluster acceleration and engine performance.

Now that you are armed with that knowledge, you are a step closer to keeping at least one of your New Year’s Resolutions. As for winning at Daytona…we’ll leave that one up to you.

Happy New Year’s from CARCHEX, wishing you all the best in 2012!

For auld lang syne, my dear…

Christmas has come and past and New Years is but a few days away. Now is the time of the year when you are enjoying all the new gizmos and gadgets you got for the holidays. It is also the time of the year when you are planning out resolutions for the year ahead. We at CARCHEX want to have you around for a while, so think of making one of your New Years resolutions be to a less distracted driver.

Cars with the latest technology are amazing. Voice recognition. Voice to text. GPS voice guided navigation. Wi-fi hotspots. Built in satellite radio. All amazing things that ten years ago seemed to be in the realm of science fiction. But, as cool as these technologies are, they can cause distracted driving which is a leading causes of injury and fatal crashes. In fact, according to the NHTSA, 36% of these crashes were caused by distracted driving. And the University of Utah has concluded that talking on a cell phone while driving, hands-free or not, is equivalent to driving drunk.

Not all new technology in cars is bad. Blind spot detection, accident avoidance warnings, and driver alertness alarms all help make you safer while driving. But, can you rely on technology too much behind the wheel? Pat Goss takes a look at new automotive technology and gives his take on if it makes you a safer or a dumber driver.

From all of us at CARCHEX, have a Happy New Year and a safe, productive, and prosperous 2012!

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go…

‘Tis the time of year when many of us are gearing up for long road trips to visit friends and family for the holidays. Or, perhaps, we are spending way too much time stuck in our cars trying to get out of the mall parking lot. Either way, in the rush to remember all the presents, diapers for the baby, medicine for Grandpa, and whether or not you left the oven on, the condition of your vehicle often is overlooked or forgotten.

Winter driving can be some of the most stressful for you and your car. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, ice, fog, and cold temperatures can wreak havoc on the traction of your car’s tires. The longer nights mean you will be running your headlights more often and therefore draining your battery at a faster rate. Before you make that drive to the office Holiday Party or to your aunt’s house in Ohio for Christmas, make sure you winterize your vehicle. Pat Goss explains what you need to do before you hit the road this winter and how to easily prepare your vehicle for the long, cold drive ahead.

Happy Holidays from everyone at CARCHEX. To learn more about CARCHEX and to Get Protected, visit www.CARCHEX.com.

In this week’s episode of “Wondering About Warranties”, Pat Goss talks about luxury vehicles. People who choose to buy luxury vehicles pay more so they can enjoy technologically advanced innovations like wireless communication devices, navigation and audio systems, 10-way power adjustable seats, dual-zone climate controls, rain-sensing wipers, and striking wood interior trim. However, just because luxury vehicles are the industry’s highest-quality cars does not mean they do not experience mechanical and design malfunctions. Luxury vehicles, just like non-luxury vehicles are machines, and all machines experience problems, and require upkeep and maintenance work.

Buying a Mercedes-Benz or BMW costs a pretty penny and the repairs for these vehicles are expensive as well. Some people wonder whether it makes sense to buy a used luxury vehicle because as the vehicles age, the repairs become increasingly expensive.

“America’s Trusted Mechanic”, Pat Goss advises that we not be deterred from purchasing previously owned luxury vehicles because we fear costly repairs. With a Mercedes-Benz extended warranty from CARCHEX, owners of used Mercedes-Benz can rest assured that CARCHEX has their back when their vehicles need expensive repairs.

To learn more about CARCHEX and to Get Protected, visit www.CARCHEX.com.

When the factory warranty for your vehicle has expired, you know it is time to purchase an extended auto warranty to protect yourself from costly repairs. However, we here at CARCHEX know that extended auto warranties can be very complex and in some cases difficult to understand. That is why we have created a brand new video series to provide answers to common uncertainties people have about auto warranties.

In this video, Pat Goss gives “next step” advice for people who have recently purchased an extended auto warranty from CARCHEX and have a concern or complaint about it.

Pat Goss gives his two cents about the  technological advancements in modern cars. While technological innovation in vehicles (like blind spot detection) is both beneficial and cool, it should be noted that as vehicles and their parts become more intricate, the possibility for repair increases. For this reason, it is extremely important to make sure your vehicle is covered by warranty.

To learn more about CARCHEX and to Get Protected, visit www.CARCHEX.com.