When and what to get when it comes to lawn care, auto service ratings

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A beautiful lawn could make you the talk of the neighborhood but should you hire a service or do it yourself? Plus what is the value of vehicle service contracts?

Our partners at Checkbook Magazine said out of all the ratings it collects on services, lawn care is rated one of its lowest.

"Some services just do abysmal work their customers are unsatisfied with the results, they pay for treatments they never get," said Kevin Brasler.

They said you should meet with several services and spell out your expectations so you don't fall into a "one size fits all" plan.

"If you can live with some bare patches, if you can live with some weeds, if you're willing you know for it to take a couple of years for your lawn to get you know really perfectly green, then the good lawn care service will take a different approach," he said.

They also said consider natural or organic programs which can create lawns that are just as attractive as those that receive conventional treatments.

Turning to vehicle service plans:

"You cannot get away from these pitches," said Brasler. "They're just blasting our even our cell phones with these messages promising to cover us against expensive repairs."

But when you dive into the details, Checkbook said there are more things they do not cover than things they do.

"A lot of these plans exclude brake systems from coverage, electronics like navigation systems, things like that, safety equipment and on and on," he said.

Checkbook also said even if you do have a repair that is covered, you might have to fight to get a reimbursement.

For more information, visit: 6abc's Full Access to Checkbook Ratings