Millennium Tires for Life - Anyone heard of it?

SPF ZERO · #1 05-12-2008, 09:01 PM

Our dealer (Ralph Schomp MINI) offers a "tire protection plan" that sounds interesting, but my gut is that it is not a great deal. Please take a look and let me know if I am missing something, or if my thinking is flawed.

First off, this is not a road hazard tire warranty. The program offers,

"free tires as long as you own your new MINI."
"free tire/wheel repair due to road hazard"
"free flats repaired"
"free towing if due to road hazard"
"free windshield repair/replacement if road hazard damage is incurred"
"free battery replacement after your manufacturer's warranty expires"
"free wiper blades after your manufacturer's warranty expires"

The interesting thing to me was that as long as you own the car (non-transferrable) the plan will give you new tires once you reach 3/32" tread depth. Here's my math:

OEM runflats cost about $200 per tire, $800 per set. a rain sensor windshield costs about $450 (windshield cracks in Colorado are very common). Factory wheels on my MCSc Sidewalk are expensive. At costs like that, the warranty sounds like it might be a good deal for the $2,050 cost.

But:

warranty requires that the dealer rotate balance your tires every 5k miles, and this costs $65 at Schomp. If the tires last 25k miles, you will have rotated at 5/10/15/20 for a cost of $260. So the savings is a lot less (Discount Tires will rotate/balance for free, but the plan requires that the dealer do it).
warranty requires that the replacement tires be the same as the original. No substitutions. So, if you love the itres you're all set, but if you hate them you're stuck.

Am i missing something?

shokk · #2 05-13-2008, 05:41 AM

I have the plan and you have it right. Add in there that you get bulbs replaced, except for Xenons (which I have).

I put 30k miles/year on the car, so I'll be getting new tires every year. I've had it in for the rotations, which is a convenient time for the Mini dealer to do other things for me.

BlimeyCabrio · #3 05-13-2008, 05:58 AM

There are a very few people who will keep the car long enough, drive enough miles, be attentive to the rotation schedule, etc. for whom this seems to be a pretty good deal (shokk might be one of them

)... but they're gonna make a fortune off most people who buy that plan...

Personally, I'd rather carry $0 deductable comprehensive (for windshields and dings), buy better-than-OEM non-runflats (for about $500 per set), buy better-than-OEM wiper blades, rotate my own tires, and invest the $2000 at about 10%...

But for folks who like runflats and drive high mileage, this may work. I wonder how punitive they are if you are late on a rotation... which can happen pretty easily...

minimarks · #4 05-13-2008, 06:16 AM

No thanks, I'm with Blimey.

BlimeyCabrio · #5 05-13-2008, 06:25 AM

Aren't you always?

minimarks · #6 05-13-2008, 06:53 AM

Now that's scary.....

shokk · #7 05-13-2008, 07:17 AM

They're pretty lenient about the grace period (before and after) for the rotations, but that may vary from dealer to dealer. I agree that they are probably making a lot of money off people who lose interest after the first year. I always keep my cars for a long time, so lifetime means until the car is limping along. They make off a fortune off the same people who buy the year gym membership and slack off a month later. And the same ones who get the Blockbuster Freedom Pass and don't watch tons of movies every month, like we do. ;-)

SPF ZERO · #8 05-13-2008, 08:00 AM

Thanks for the comments.

When I first looked at it I thought it could be a good deal as we're planning on keeping the MINI for a long time. The two factors that made me decide against it are that we're planning on using the MINI as a second car so it will get a lot of fun miles, but not a LOT of miles

and the feedback from so many on NAM about the run flats. If they would allow you a credit to get tires through the dealer up to the cost of the run flats, i'd probably go for it. I'm just concerned about being locked into a specific tire "for life" without ever driving it (and they can't even tell me which specific run flat it might be).

DyeLooper · #9 05-13-2008, 09:45 PM

Can you amagine if you totaled your car after you made that whopping payment!

MiniPol · #10 04-07-2009, 08:23 PM

Millennium gone bankrupt ? So those of us that have the "Tires for Life" agreement are out of luck ?

odentonmini · #11 04-09-2009, 07:58 PM

I just got my bankruptcy notice today....just great!

ScottRiqui · #12 04-09-2009, 08:15 PM

Well, I guess the protection plan might have been a good deal for the customers after all - good enough to drive Millennium out of business!

wandrur · #13 04-09-2009, 08:20 PM

Very interesting...I called on April 6th and set an appointment for April 17th to have my windshield replaced due to road damage (8 inch crack + bullseye). Schomp didn't mention any issue... I'd better catch my MA while I'm there, because I will be so very disappointed. And screwed. So, disappointed and screwed. Has anyone with Schomp as their dealer discussed this with them?

wandrur · #14 04-17-2009, 04:54 PM

I had my appointment today and had my windshield replaced under TFL warranty, no questions asked. So...dunno. I'm super pleased with Schomp, that's for sure.

Had my tires rotated and balanced (as required by TFL) today, too.

wandrur · #15 04-28-2009, 01:02 AM

Got a letter of notification for an emergency adjustment to their bankruptcy filing to switch from Chapter 7 to Chapter 11. Hmmm...the plot thickens...

shokk · #16 04-28-2009, 04:53 AM

Had windshield replacement and tires rotated this week under TFL. Mini service reps at the dealer said they would be honoring all TFL subscriptions.

wandrur · #17 04-28-2009, 11:17 AM

My dealer said they were honoring all contracts, too. Sweet.

Just got a call from MINI USA regarding my concern about Millennium Protection Group's bankruptcy filing. It was news to him, but he was going to check around the office as well as touch base with my dealer.

I must say--the customer service I've witnessed over this has been spectacular. I'm shocked--yes, shocked--that someone from MINI USA called me in addition to the email exchanges I've had with both them and my dealer. It's just pretty darned reassuring. Just had to say. I feel considerably more comfortable with dropping that dough now.

RLX · #18 06-27-2009, 02:42 PM

I heard Schomp still honors TFL even though they went bankrupt...

wandrur · #19 06-27-2009, 02:49 PM

Yep, same info here. Was reassured that Schomp would honor the contract as stated.

jonnygotscrewed · #20 09-16-2009, 09:51 PM

I am posting the filed complaint against the selling dealers. PLEASE READ ATTACHMENT.. any customer interested in joining the lawsuit should contact:

Roy L. Mason Esq.
Robert H. B. Cawood
Mason, Cawood & Hobbs, P.A.
69 Franklin Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-269-6620

Rmason@mch-lawfirm.com
Rcawood@mch-lawfirm.com

soccermac · #21 09-30-2009, 06:03 PM

Bought my plan with Northwest Honda in Owings Mills, Maryland. They are only covering free rotations and balancing (kind of a joke, as this is already included in routine maintenance cost). The are NOT covering the tire replacement but agreed to provide them at their invoice cost (I have low profile, high speed rated Michelin, about $210 per tire retail). I was lucky enough to cash in on 1 set before bankruptcy. Paid $1,600, so I guess I got half the value. Have 25k miles on second set. Will see what happens at 30-35k mile replacement. The plan called for replacement every 25k miles.:thumbsup:

BMBULBE · #22 09-30-2009, 09:42 PM

I would be very careful. Dealers plans of the sort you describe usually are "found money" for the dealer.

orangecrush · #23 10-05-2009, 06:45 PM

One more comment. You can buy a set of "next to brand new" tires on the forum all day long for 600 bucks. (I just sold my set with 3K miles for 350 bucks)

Point is, even at 600 bucks, you could easily buy 3 sets of tires which would be 80-90K miles. Windshields are covered under comprehensive on your auto insurance, bulbs are covered under the warranty, I don't think warranties like this are worth it.

Now, I did purchase a tire warranty for my car but it was under 400 bucks... a far cry from a couple of grand.

I'm glad to hear the dealerships are covering the warranty for you guys.

Mark

AbelianCommuter · #24 10-11-2009, 11:29 AM

We also bought from Northwest Honda in Owings Mills, MD and were also told that the product they pushed and which has their name on it would NOT be honored. Of course we found out after four rotations (<25,000 miles) and thus got nothing but a bad taste in our mouths when we had to replace our tires. Needless to say, although we were previously quite happy with this dealership, we will not be sending any money their way in the future. We are joining the class action suit that Mason, Cawood and Hobbs have started and are telling everyone we know to steer clear of Northwest Honda, as they evidently can't afford "honor".

Dan

sweetiedor · #25 10-18-2009, 03:14 PM

Can someone summarize in plain terms what the class action by Mason, Cawood & Hobbs encompass?

I bought an 07 Cooper S at the dealer in Towson, MD and paid for the Millennium Tires for Life program upfront. I asked the Service Manager this year after receiving the bankruptcy letter and was told I will be covered for new tires after they've been determined by the dearler's Service department that the tires are worn out and needed replacement (not every 25000miles regardless of tires conditions).