Many service contracts and vehicle warranties do not start at the same point. Some count from the date the item was first sold as new, some count from the date the contract was signed, and some count from the first day the item was put into use. Many also set a ceiling on mileage or on hours of use. Before you buy a used item or a used vehicle with a contract attached, find out which of these measures the paper uses, because the meter on the item may be the thing that decides whether the contract still applies.
Find the eligibility terms
Eligibility terms are usually stated in a separate section, often near the start of the contract or in a schedule that lists covered items. Look for a model year limit, an age limit measured from a stated date, a mileage limit, an hour limit, or a combination of these. Read whether the limit is a condition for buying the contract, a condition for each claim, or both. A contract may accept the item at sale and then deny a later claim if the meter has passed a ceiling, or it may refuse the sale outright. Those are different outcomes, and the paper should say which one applies.
Also read the wording that defines the start point. The words original sale date, date of first use, date of contract, and date of delivery are not interchangeable. A used item bought from a private seller may have no clear original sale date, and the contract may require the buyer to supply one. Ask what document the contract accepts as proof of that date and whether the seller is expected to provide it.
Keep the meter record
Many contracts require the owner to report the meter reading at the time of a service visit, at the time of a claim, or at set intervals. Some require the reading to be shown on the service invoice. Others accept the owner's own log. Ask which record the contract will accept, how far back it will look, and whether a reading taken from a dash display, a service tool, or a dealer printout is treated differently. A missing reading can be read as a gap in the owner's records, even when the item itself was maintained on schedule.
If the meter is replaced, repaired, or reads incorrectly, the contract may have its own rule for what reading to use. Ask in writing how a replaced meter is handled, who must report the change, and whether a corrected reading must be supported by a dealer or technician record. Keep the old reading, the new reading, and the date of each change together.
Questions to ask before you sign
Ask which measure controls eligibility: model year, age, mileage, hours, or a mix. Ask where the count starts and what document proves it. Ask whether eligibility is checked only at sale or again at each claim. Ask what the contract does when the meter passes the limit during the term, and whether coverage ends at once or only for later claims. Ask whether a transferred contract keeps the same limits or resets them, and whether a sale of the item to a new owner requires the new owner to show the meter reading.
Ask what the refund is when you cancel and whether the refund method changes after a certain meter reading. Cancellation terms often tie the refund to the time used or the distance driven, so the meter may affect a refund as well as a claim. Read how that calculation is described and ask for the formula in writing.
Compare the paper to your records
Before you buy, put the meter reading shown on the item beside the limits in the contract. Then compare the start date in the contract with the date on the item's original paperwork. If the two do not match, ask the seller which one the contract will use. Keep a copy of the comparison with your signed contract so you can point to it later.
For the rules that apply where you live, check the state page for your state. A page such as the Florida page names the regulator and statute for that state and says whether a roster is published and as of what date. Those pages describe the state's rules only as far as each page reports them, so read the contract itself for the eligibility limits that apply to your item.