Having become an expert on extended warranties, I figured it was a good idea to get one for my 2000 Buick Century. I want to at least get another year or two of use out of it… even if I do buy a new car sooner.
For awhile, I’ve been in the market for an extended warranty for my car. Over the past couple of months, I wound up with a $1,000 total set of repair bills. That’s more than two monthly payments on a new car. Three if I went for a cheap new car.
As a consumer advocate, I’m very cautious towards U.S. Fidelis. Their executives have a shady past, and worse, the company promises the world in their ads. If it sounds too good to be true…
I called U.S. Fidelis first. The quote they gave me was around $1,000 for two years and around 50,000 miles of coverage. Powertrain-only coverage. I was told my 2000 model year car was too old for any other plan.
Then the high-pressure tactics rolled in. I was told that if I didn’t buy the warranty today, that I would be subjected to a mandatory inspection. In follow-up sales calls, I was told this was “incorrect and a miscommunication”. Yeah, right; it was a scare tactic. Actually, I would prefer a free car inspection, then there would be no disputing a breakdown later. When I asked further questions and expressed concerns (as I’ll go into below) about the underwriter… I was hung up on by US Fidelis.
Multiple other companies gave me the same plan. So, I decided to look into the underwriter. I check for an AM Best rating, couldn’t find any. Also couldn’t find this “magical second underwriter” that was supposed to back them in case they went under. All I could find was a PO Box and a telephone number. No corporate web site (not uncommon with middlemen insurers), but the lack of an AM Best rating is unacceptable. Do not buy a vehicle warranty policy unless you can personally verify the current AM Best rating of their underwater. Do not rely on a salesman to give you this info, it’s just as easy to lie and say “A-“.
The lack of an AM Best rating indicates a shady underwriter. It does not guarantee that the underwriter will/won’t go under, but an unrated insurer is a major red flag.
I decided to go with Warranty Direct and was presented with several options. I chose the mid-range (Standard MBI) plan, which added electrics, brakes, and other non-powertrain items. It cost $722 for one year of coverage or 20,000 miles. I tend to put that many miles per year on a car, so that works. Oh, and a $200 deductible.
And yes, the plan I had was underwritten by a company with a real A- rating from AM Best. This plan is actually realistic too, the amount of coverage doesn’t have that “way too good to be true” tinge to it.
In addition, I paid $30 for a rider that covers when a non-covered part breaks a covered part. I did not chose to pay for the opposite; when a covered part breaks a non-covered part. I figured that a non-covered part breaking a covered part is an easy excuse for a claims administrator, and that it would be much harder to show that a covered part was responsible for a non-covered part’s failure (or rather, that it would be hard to get them to admit it). Another option was for a $50 rider for emissions coverage, but I passed on it. It didn’t cover the most expensive emissions-related items (like the catalytic converter, something quite prone to failure on middle-aged-to-older cars).
Mostly I grabbed this plan so that I didn’t have to negotiate with car repairmen. I’ve been in very high-pressure environments, where it basically broke down to the repairman lying to inflate a bill. I had to dispute credit card charges, and even with written proof that I was lied to… it took months to get the charges reversed.
I’ve seen extended warranty negotiations, and well, it’s a lot more civil. The repairman knows that the claims administrator has access to average repair rates (a la RepairPal), and is basically clinical. Either the repairman accepts the rate, or the warranty provider tells the car owner to go to another repair facility. There’s no impression that you’re a dumb consumer and can be charged a “little extra” because of it.
Now it doesn’t mater if something short circuits, or if the transmission blows… I’m only out $200, plus $62 per month. Theoretically.
We’ll see if it actually works out that way. Bottom line: US Fidelis is on my no-no list, Warranty Direct is on my hopeful list.
One final thing I should note, that I omitted in the original article. All of these extended warranties have a cap on their value. So, while you hear in the TV ads that they’ll “replace your transmission for free…” they really mean that they’ll “pay you for the car if it’s worth less than the transmission job.”
So, be sure to ask your warranty provider how the value of your car is determined. Most will use either NADA or KBB, but often you’ll find yourself fighting over which value is the “true” value (fair condition versus good condition, etc).
Great information as we are thinking of giving our son an extended warranty on his 1999 audi a6 that he wants to keep for a few more years. I did notice in reading Direct warranty about the limit of liability based on car value. I guess that is to be expected but I had not thought to think of that before…
Very helpful, thanks again.
Yeap, great information indeed. I got an initial quote from Fidelis and was told I had to take it that day also. I just don’t work like that. Salesmen kept calling me. That only stopped when I told him that I sold the car.
I haven’t researched it yet but my Triple A (AAA) magazine came yesterday and it appears that they offer an extended warrenty insurance plan. Now there’s a nationally known company that’s been around and has an acceptable reputation (hopefully).
AAA Extended Warranties are serviced by a third-party. They aren’t sold in all regions (like mine), so I can’t give a lot of info on who’s providing them. When I search my local AAA region’s web site, their server crashes.
Why the AAA that services Silicon Valley, has such a broken site (based on an ancient version of WebObjects) is beyond me. It gives WO such a bad name…
Thank for warning. I never known about it.
That was the best information I have gotten since I started this process. Thanks a lot.
I have been looking around for an extended warranty also. I contacted US Fidelis first due to the large amount of commercials I see on TV. They keep calling, I found their BBB.org rating is F due to the large amount of complaints resolved and unresolved they have had. I am looking into Warranty Direct right now, thanks.
I also saw the US Fidelis ads on TV and saw the negative reviews on the web. Mogi is another one promising the world. Not much good about them on the web. Warranty direct will cover my car with 70,000, but do they dump me as a customer when I reach 100,000? Do all of these warranty places make you get an inspection?
Very few warranty providers require an inspection. As I said in the article, I would prefer if they offered a free inspection (even if that means a higher cost). Warranty providers love to blame defects (especially early in the coverage period) on pre-existing conditions. Ask the healthcare industry how that’s going.
Warranty Direct did not offer, nor provide, an inspection. The contract says they can require one at their choosing.
As to your question on mileage, most warranty providers state the coverage period in addition to what miles are already on your car. But, read the fine print and see for yourself.
I spoke with a salesman at Warranty Direct as well. When I asked about an inspection he said that they can do one at your request (and you pay the cost) but it takes about 2 weeks to set up. Otherwise it’s the usual 30 days/1000 miles. I also asked about the “pre-existing” deal…he said that after the 30-day/1000 miles, anything that happens is on them as long as it’s covered. At least that’s what the sales person said.
Also, if you are looking to buy a warranty, be sure it covers wear and tear as well as mechanical breakdown. Many older cars are more likely to have wear and tear issues…or if a part fails “on the road” a warranty company might say that it was because of wear and tear and not cover it.
Here are some other questions to be sure to ask:
Is the warranty transferable when you sell?
Is the deductible “per visit” or “per part repaired”?
Does it cover overheating? Many do not cover overheating of any sort.
Does it cover a rental car if your car is in the shop for more than a day?
Do they offer roadside assistance or pay for towing?
Do they pay the repair shop directly or do they pay you back?
Can you take your car to any certified repair shop?
The advice on researching the warranty carrier or underwriter is very good…I was comparing a warranty with Warranty Direct just this morning and while the coverage looks good as does the price…when I looked up the warranty provider (Vemeco, Inc) I found many customer complaints.
For the truth about US Fidelis you should visit http://www.rustywallace.us there you will find tested suggestions that work on how to get your money back.
Post these links in as many blogs and websites as you can and on wikapedia. Another great website is http://www.usfidelissucks.com The more links to these sites the more people will be warned.
There are two types auto Extended Warranties, The ones provided by car manufacturers and others that are backed by a third party. There are no valid third party extended warranty program at any dealership or the Internet where you get pestered with junk mail about auto warranties, on the subject about email warranties offered, have you ever noticed that not one of these type warranties are offered by a manufacturer ?
After 35 years in the auto industry ” now retired ” having sold thousands of warranties I must confess I am not proud of my accomplishments, but I had to provide income for my family best I could. Yes salespeople and the finance office are compensated very generously as most warranties are marked up from 80% to 120%
When I first build a hobby website teaching consumers how to buy a vehicle I had affiliates such as Smart Auto Warranty, and yes I also recommended Warranty Direct for about 2 years, and got $100. for every buyer that signed up through my website, But to many complaints came back to hunt me about 3th party warranties, I came to realize I was pulling the wool over people’s eyes that trusted my website content, saying to myself, why am I doing this, I am retired and vey financially secure.
I note in this thread I am replying to, you got Google Ads, Google ads are great for adding supplement contents to any link. I stopped having google ads for the simple reason my contents on third party warranties was telling buyers to stay away, and at same time Google is promoting them, the same also applied to Public Auctions, here I was telling consumers to stay away, while google are promoting Auction sites.
.Here are some excerpts from my website http://www.usedcartips.org/
Would i personally consider buying an extended auto warranty
1, Yes, only if warranty is provided by the car manufacturer, under no circumstances would I consider buying a third party warranty
2, The warranty cost from a dealer in most cases are negotiable, if you pass the first offer, chances are excellent that a discounted price will be offered prior to taking delivery of vehicle.
3, There are different levels of warranties and cost factors, many consumers buy a warranty, file it away, without reading the contract, figuring whatever issues arise it’s covered, when in fact it may not be.
4, Buying an extended warranty for a brand new vehicle ? Most vehicle’s have 5 years warranty or more to start with, if you firmly believe you will still be happy with vehicle after Mfg’s warranty expire or your lifestyle will not have changed, go ahead let the dealer make a score. Personally thinking 5 years is a long time ” no thanks ” I pass
5, Buying an extended warranty for a used car I recommend only if the provider is the manufacturer of that make.
Surfers Beware “Fair Information Practices buying an Extended Warranty
You been surfing for answers automotive related, whom are the best third party warranty providers ? you will not find the answer on my website, simple reason there are none. You will find on this website affiliates by choice such as new car quotes, auto Insurance, vehicle history, a very few considered my best choices for value.
The site is not inteded to plant a hook for you to buy products ” read my biography ” I could promote a third party warranty company and make profit should you persue the link, but that’s not my game. I really consider this as hobby site, not a profit site.
One of the leading sites about buying car tips in today’s market is also the best polished scammer on the Internet http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ buying an extended warranty, getting a loan or car quote, repeatedly there will be highlited links in royal blue for you to persue, that leads to affiliate profit I don’t have a problem with that except it’s overdone misrepresentation for personal gain, I note some valid links that I agree with, but very few at best.
I must add, If consumers want a third party warranty, then Warranty Direct came out on top by a mile.
Thanks for all the thoughtful comments. My husband is bombarded with all these shyster ads all day long on XM radio. When he wants to act on them it becomes a part time job for me to justify that queasy feeling in my gut.
This was succinct while including relevant details and rational.
I was thinking about getting warranty from Warranty Direct for my 2005 Porsche 911 but after reading all these complaints from consumers at ripoffreport.com now I am turning away from Warranty Direct.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Warranty-Direct.aspx
A lot of those reports seem to stem from insurance companies that have gone under, or are state-owned. This is why I say it is critical to check the AM Best rating of the underlying insurer… by yourself.
Can anyone tell me if I must purchase my extended warranty BEFORE the manufacturer warranty expires? Or if letting the date lapse will incurr higher rates to purchase the extended warranty? I’m getting conflicting information from all sides (of course the dealer says it will increase my rate substantially if I wait till after the expiration date). What about the ‘delivery date’ of the car? I understand this is the date the car was originally purchased and the effective start date of the original manufacturer warranty – thus indicating when the manufacturer warranty expires. Does anyone have any info on how the delivery date comes into play? Thanks!
Re, Can anyone tell me if I must purchase my extended warranty BEFORE the manufacturer warranty expires?
The dealer’s statement is correct, in most cases there will be an increase in rates if you purchase after current expiry date.
A warrant is measured from the in service date not delivery date ” example ” a vehicle may have been registered at a prior date to delivery date.
A warranty will expire by date if within miles allowed or expire when set miles allowed are reached ” which ever occurs first “
It depends on the warranty provider, you have to ask them. Typically, most car warranty providers simply charge a higher rate if your car is outside of manufacturer warranty.
I was surprised you did not review or evaluate https://www.warrantyelite.com . They are one of the highest rated companies in the industry. They are backed by an A rated insurance company and the same policy is sold by thousands of dealers and financial institutions. Their prices are on average better than warranty direct and the coverage is superior. Warranty Elite is the only company in the industry that allows you to get a price quote online without having to enter any personal information.
actually I got a quote from wholesalewarrantyclub.com without putting in any info as well. I’ll check out warrantyelite.com though.
Good info- got an offer from GM itself for an ext. warranty with best price prior to 1yr old or 12k miles. WarrantyDirect theoretically covers more and costs a bit less, but am quite hesitant considering the other posts. I have purchased warranties for a couple used cars in the past…from Allstate Insurance Company- their parts and labor policy. They used to give quotes on-line, think one needs to contact directly nowadays. Good coverage and it paid for itself in my case.
thank you for the information.I have a question i would like to get a warranty on my Oldsmoble Alero 1999 i paid about $5,000 in repairs since i’ve had the car.My car also has 112,000 miles on it is my car too old for a extended warranty ?My scenrio is that i’m s single mother of 2 and can’t afford to buy a new car either so will someone insure my can?
Unless your car is a collectible/vintage, extended warranty offerings generally lapse after 100,000 miles and/or 10 years. I seriously doubt anyone will offer a warranty for your Alero at this point.
I bought a new 2010 Toyota Tacoma. Shopped for an extended warranty. Compared Warranty Direct, Carchekx and one other. Warranty Direct had a 1 day(3-8-10) $500.00 discount off of the original quote($1315.00). I bought an 8 year/85000mi extended warranty(bumper to bumper) for $815.00. In the meantime Carchekx continued to call and email me but at a quote of $1500/yr for the same coverage.. When I told them that I had decided to go with Warranty Direct they said “good luck”, but “have you considered that companies don’t give discounts unless they may be in financial trouble and ready to go under”. Made me sorry that I ever contacted Carchekx in the first place. Sleazy way to say “good luck”
I had called carchex my self found the way they talk everyone is very sleazy.
Just tried warranty elite to get a quote, if you live in the state of Florida like myself you are SOL. They don’t have coverage for Floridians. I called when the online quote failed and that’s what the sales rep told me.
Y IS THIS CALLED STAY AWAY FROM US FIDELIS WHEN U SAID OTHER COMPANIES DID THE SAME THING
To tamaroh: Yes, you can get a warranty for that old Alero. My brother also has an alero and it has given him issues also. He now has 127,000 miles on it. I suggest you look deeply into Warrantydirect.com. You can do it by only paying 83 dollars a month also!!!! There will finance you with a 0% interest. No joke. Call them, look it up on their main website. I have them for my 99 chevy prizm with 106,000 miles on it.
To the person who posted about that ripoff report at http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Warranty-Direct.aspx
You are pure silly to trust this report. WARRANTY WILL NEVER COVER YOU IF YOU FORGET AN OIL CHANGE!! That is simple logic… This person did miss an oil change and now whines about it????? unbelievable….My question I would like to ask this person who wrote this story on ripoffreport.com is What type of service records did they want other than the oil changes??? because they will also want you to perform the regular service as recommended by chevy/ford/etc.
Let’s get smart and logical. I think Ray makes some excellent points in this forum also!
TO THOSE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT WARRANTY DIRECT: STAY AWAY!!!
I just had to use my extended warranty from Warranty Direct on my 2004 C230. It has been a NIGHTMARE from the very beginning.
First of all, when you call the claims department, you will be put on hold forever. Expect at least 15 to 25 minutes holding for help. Mechanics don’t normally have the time or the patience, so that makes it very difficult when they have to get an authorization to start working on your car.
Then, expect an itemized haggling of your mechanic’s list of repairs. My repair went from $800 estimated to $425 actually covered.
Then, the rental. Yes, it’s supposed to be covered and when it goes over $400 you are entitled to 3 days of rental. Well, the nasty woman who got my call told me literally “we only cover 1 day for 4.5 hours of labor”. All of a sudden, we were talking hours of labor, although my contract doesn’t mention that anywhere. I had to send them A SCAN OF MY CONTRACT! After that she said “3 days of rental for 4.5 hours of labor? Like that’s going to happen.”
After that call, I was instructed that Enterprise would have to call them. When they did, and after 20 minutes on hold, they finally said that the car shop had been authorized to rent the car for me, so the car shop should have the car ready for me. That was bullshit, since they never spoke to the car shop, as I found out later. When I called again to complain about that, a guy who said to have personally authorized the rental blamed it on the car shop again…
Anyway, I don’t want to bore you any longer with this pathetic story, but my point is this: out of $800 they paid only $400 and I’m still waiting for the rental money.
Warranty Direct was a horrible choice. I don;t know how the others are. Maybe, as a gentleman said, there are no good extended warranties, but this company and these people were nasty, liars and incredibly difficult to deal with.
STAY AWAY from Warranty Direct!!! I would NEVER recommend using Warrany Direct. Their service is a joke and so is their affiliation with the Better Business Bureau. I filed a complaint with the BBB and got absolutely no satisfaction. DON”T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
I am considering extending warranty on a 2007 hybrid car I just bought with 30K miles on it. Normally, I would never consider an extended warranty since I trust Toyota (I think) but since it’s a hybrid and lots of electronics with NAV, I”m nervous. I plan to keep it a long time, need a warranty. If Paul is still out there (the ex salesman), PLEASE give me some tips on negotiating the price with the dealership! I was considering Warranty direct but not after reading all this! When I tried to go to the warrantyelite.com website, my browser would not let me go there…said “untrusted site” and some other not so encouraging verbiage. So much for that! Need negotiation tips! Thanks.
RaLene, your best bet for satisfaction is your state’s insurance commissioner, and forcing Warranty Direct into binding arbitration, as mandated by the contract.
Re: Patty considering extending warranty on a 2007 hybrid car.
Did you buy the vehicle from a Toyota dealer ?
Personally if I was in your shoes an extended warranty is totally out of the question from a 3th party provider, and that includes warrantyelite.com… the warranty you want to negotiate for best price ” is that a Toyota warranty issued by Toyota ? ” provide an answer, and I will tell you how to negotiate the price.
Hybrid warranty components with Toyota is 8 yr. / 100,000 mi from in service date, so I would not buy a warranty at this time if my fear was based on vehicle being a hybrid.
What is the in service date on your vehicle ?
Ray, thanks so much for getting back to me! Yes, bought from toyota dealer and will be speaking with the finance MANAGER today on his warranty offer so please give me tips to negotiate the lowest rate possible! In service date was April 2007. It is my understanding that the 8 yr/100K is for the hybrid “battery” only and not the other components like the part that switches back and forth from battery to engine…it’s about $7K to replace if it goes out. Also, the NAV and all those electrical components concern me as they are integrated in with the hybrid operation. powertrain is 5 yr/ 60K. Thanks for helping me to rule out the third party….but I do have a quote from warrantydirect which I plan to use in negotiation but not sure how to without offending the finance manager. ??? Patty
Peace of mind is getting a Toyota warranty, you will have options as for level type warranty you want, I suggest you read all the fine print what is covered and sleep on it overnight.
As for negotiations about price your at the mercy of the business manager,,, Well not quite,,, whatever Toyota warranty you decide on, you could phone another or several Toyota store’s and ask to speak to the finance/business office, tell them the selected warranty you’re interested in, and let them quote you,,, you may encounter an inspection is needed prior to a warranty program or a time frame before warranty become effective if you decide to buy from the non selling dealer.
I fully agree the business office is entitled to a fair profit but without you getting gauged, here is a link on my website that will explain how the Finance/ Businees deal with consumers http://www.usedcartips.org/ANYWARRANTY.html
THANKS!
I have a bumper to bumper warranty with Warranty Direct that was not cheap and I never used or made a claim on until now! When I took it to a national GM dealership because I thought the starter was going and the transmition had been slipping,the dealership found that it was not my starter and just my battery, but the story really starts here, the dealership found through a road test and a computerized test that there was something definitely wrong with my transmission. Then my service rep called Warranty Direct they said yes they do cover transmissions but I have to approve $900 more in diagonistics so they can find out what is really wrong before they will approve the claim. After this was done they found that there was clutch material in my transmission fluid and the dealership said this was due to leaky seals so Warranty Direct sent out an adjuster and when they did he came out and took pictures of everything and agreed with the dealership that there was something wrong and it needed to be replaced. But then when he sent his report back to Warranty Direct it somehow changed to “he found nothing wrong with the transmission”! When I asked Warranty Direct to send me a copy of his findings they responded “we can’t send that to you” I asked “why not” the lady on the phone responded “uh, uh, we just dont”! They just kept giving me the run around everyone that you speak to has a different reason why they would not cover the repair. One supervisor even told my service rep “there is abnormal clutch material but its still not enough reason for us to cover this claim”! Warranty Direct said that I could send out another adjuster for just an additional $90 as if they would not alter his findings as they did the last adjuster. DO NOT EVER DO BUSINESS WITH WARRANTY DIRECT!!!!!! You will never get any staight answers out of them, they will never put anyone on the phone with any authority and ability to make any decisions!! They want you to wait until your car stops working and you are stuck on the road and put yourself in danger before they will consider honoring the warranty.
Jimmy,,, Having answered thousand of questions in various forums through the years, my personal findings I must admit the only true happy consumers that purchased a warranty from a 3th party service provider are the one’s that never ended up having an issue, with that said, without going into a song and dance, Warranty Direct are still the best 3th party provider compared to others.
Would I purchase a warranty ? yes only if issued by the manufacturer ” here is how I would approch should I want to purchase a vehicle warranty.
1,,, If I was buying a vehicle ” example ” Pontiac ” from a GM dealer franchise, and the Pontiac qualify within model year and miles for coverage for a GM warraty I would purchase, but would not consider ANY OTHER warranty offered by the dealership finance office should vehicle not qualify for a GM warranty.
2,,, If I purchased the Pontiac at any other store than a GM store I would not consider buying a warranty, sure the business/finance office will tell me their warranty covers GM, but it’s still not a direct warranty from GM which can only be obtained through a GM store in most cases.
3,,, If the Pontiac was purchased from a source other than a GM dealership, Phone a few GM stores and ask for the business/finance manager to get quotes for a warranty, they will be more than happy to accommodate you, however some restrictions may apply, such as, an inspection of vehicle by dealership or a time frame before warranty will become valid.
SUMMARY,,, any vehicle you purchase simply phone a franchise dealer that sell that brand, you will have eliminated 3th party warranty’s and obtained the best warranty for your vehicle that is available.
Ray, thanks again for your tips. I am still in negotiation with toyota on the extended warranty for my vehicle but it looks like I am going to get a much, much better deal than what they offered me the day I bought the car in the finance office. I have two dealerships working for my business at the moment so we’ll see who will win! I have finally ruled out Warranty Direct thanks to all the comments and working on with the toyota dealer for the toyota warranty. Thanks again.
Christopher, I see nothing recent here, but we are seen ads for Auto Assure, whom I ‘ve contacted. They offered 5 year 100k miles for $2751 ($12,00 max coverage) on my1997 Lincoln Towncar. The actual plan would be with Interstate Deluxe.The car is in great shape with less than 94k miles. When I just paid a bunch to get the air suspension repaired (the air bag things had dry rotted from age) our repair man suggested I get an extended warranty due to the car’s age. I know a transmission or A/C replacement would cost a lot, but I’m going crazy trying to decide on a company. Every one I research has complaints. One company said because my cost would be so much more here in Fla. that I could use my sister’s address in another state in order to get a cheaper plan. have you had any claims yet for Warranty Direct?
well I just bought a 3yr/50,000 mile warranty last night from warranty direct…I was very scared and did a lot of homework…I also checked them out with the BBB nad they do have an A+ which makes me feel better!!! I asked lots of questions and yes they are sales people but I felt ok about it in the end. Yes you do have to take very good care of your car with having it serviced if you don’t do that then NO they may not cover your issues..this is for things that happen when you are a person who does it ALL right but still issues happen. I am going to believe in this company and do it all by the book..if I have any issues I will let you all know…I hope I don’t!!! I work in the rental world and I know that people who write bad reviews are usally the ones at fault so I am going to give them a break and trust they will not screw me!!!
Re,,, Anna April 28th post.
I wish for you never having to make a claim, that way I know you will have joined many other satisfied customers,,, please bookmark this thread just in case a claim, so you can post hopefully happy results.
PS,,, Would you mind sharing type of vehicle – year – model – present miles,,, and cost of warranty
Ray – I have a 2005 mini convertible that I bought used in November 2009. It only has about 35000 miles on it and we drive it very little maybe 5k per year. will mini sell me a warranty? I know that if I bought a used mini from them they would so I was just wondering. I was getting sold a warranty today from warranty direct for 4 years 49k miles for 3300 bucks with a $100 deductible. It appears that all 3rd party are hard to deal with and I do not want to drop 3k and have problems. Suggestions? Should I just call mini dealership and ask if they will sell one to me? I live 275 miles from closest dealership so I was wondering how that would work. I know that if one thing goes wrong with the convertible top I can be looking at an easy 5k.
Thanks.
Re,,, 2005 mini – $3300. plus tax and $100. deductible,,, Please you’re looking at close to 4G ,,, and you’re worry is to save $1000. if the convertible top goes ?
With any 2005 model the type warranty’s that’s available, my answer is no,,, if you negotiate a warranty with anybody, please don’t commit, post the details right here, and let me check it out.
I am scared to death right now. I need a warranty on my 2004 VW Touareg, I keep being told to use Warranty direct or warranty solutions and neither of which I know anything about. I just know that I wont be able to afford the repairs if my SUV breaks down. Is it even possible to get a warranty from the dealer if I bought it used?
Scared to death ” lol ” great introudction.
Your vehicle don’t qualify for a backed VW warranty, that leaves you with 3th party, and if you have read all the comments in this thread I would give the notch to don’t invest.
You can’t afford the repair bills if your car breaks down ??? but you can afford to buy a warranty $1000 to $3000 range that will most likely be loaded with exclusions in the service contract to not cover anyways.
Summary, you got an excellent choice of vehicle and some real major breakdown would have to occur to have secured your investment especially with a third party.
Well when I say I cant afford repairs I mean like 2k or 3k at one time where with the warranty I pay monthly. I truly understand what you are saying and will just save that money I would pay monthly in the bank and hope for the best.
Thank you so much for your response.
I just cancelled a policy with AutoAssure after a lot of agonizing over the decision. I have an ’06 Ford 500 and I got the policy last month when the car had just under 150,000 miles on it. I am just too nervous about them having some excuse to not cover it down the road…I am going to sock that money in the bank each month instead.
I have a master mechanic who worked at the chrysler dealership for 30 years. I asked him about warranty direct and any other ones he had dealings with. He said don’t buy an extended warranty they are horrible they find every reason not to pay. I paid $1424 at warranty direct for a used 2011 toyota sienna almost out of factory warranty due to the miles. His advise was to get my money back put that money in an interest bearing savings account and add $50 a month to it. So if I have a break down I can cash flow it myself. If not I have a good amount saved for whatever.he said a guy came in his shop and needed a repair on his engine….his charge would have been $400 but the guy made him go thru the warranty company who made him take the engine apart to diagnose it……after the problem was confirmed the company made the owner of the car tow it to another facility for repairs. Would not cover the teardown nor the diagnoses which came to $1400 and that my mechanic explained was the “good buddy discount”. I called for my refund the next day only to be notified it could take up to 8 weeks to get my money back.
Could take up to 8 weeks to get your money back ?
My guess is 8 months – 8 years or never, if you ever manage to recover any funds it will be prorated huge. Please post any refund in this thread, I will be the first to offer congratulations and post how misleading I been.
When my warranty was almost expired on my 2006 Mazda 5 I started getting calls from this company. Before I was willing to agree with anything I asked my local Mazda dealer about it. If a Mazda dealer was unfamiliar with this offer I knew it was a red flag. In future calls from US Fidelis they told me they were based out of St. Louis, MO. I bought the car in Florida and was living in North Carolina at the time and wasn’t interested in dealing with anybody from Missouri so I told them I no longer had the Mazda 5, I had an AMC Eagle (20 years discontinued at the time) with 350,000 miles on it because I needed something four wheel drive. They told me the offer was only good up to 15 years old and not more than 200,000 miles. They asked me if I had another vehicle. I told them I had a Daihatsu Rocky (more than 15 years since sold in the US) with 298,000 miles. I guess if they were to honor that they would’ve been made too easily. As far as no vehicle inspection required goes I would’ve requested them to suggest to me a local dealer in my area that can do that for me. I bet they couldn’t do that. They probably wouldn’t want me to ask any local shops if they were familiar with their plan, not without at least getting money from me first.
I came across this thread as I was looking if others had issues with Warranty Direct as I did on Tuesday.
I have a 2004 Dodge Neon SRT4 which has 80K miles on it now. Based on reviews from various sites at that time, I purchased the highest level coverage, a supposed $0 deductible, “True bumper to bumper protection” as per their message, warranty from Warranty Direct.
Well After paying thousands of dollars for the policy, 2 years ago I tried using it for my sunroof not working anymore. I had my car at the dealer’s shop and they sent out an inspector. I thought this is going to be great I can finally use my warranty. That is when the trouble began. The dealer called me and said that I my warranty company inspector had come out earlier that day and that he just left but I would have to pay for the cost if I wanted it fixed. I said what do you mean that he just left I have a bumper to bumper warranty. I called up warranty direct and they told me that the inspector left because the dealership did not have the sunroof taken apart. I called the dealer back up and they said that the request was ridiculous. They said that they were not going to take apart the entire thing to show the inspector the broken part unless they were guaranteed pay for the labor. I asked how much and they quoted me $500 because to take it apart the way that the inspector wanted, it would take a very long time. I told them to go ahead and do it and I called warranty direct to send the guy back out. Warranty Direct told me that I would have to pay for an inspector to come back out because he was already there once. I told them that it was BS. Why did I have to pay for someone to come back out when they didn’t coordinate with the dealer to begin with? Well I was not going to pay 500 + 100 = 600 to get sunroof looked at before any work was even done. They said that if the warranty company would only pay for the part that was broken if it were found faulty. WTF??? I called the dealer and told them to just forget it. My sunroof hasn’t been used since.
Attempt #2: 10/10/2011
I brought in my car into the dealer last Friday because the engine was misfiring and the engine light came on. Well when I called the dealer on Monday, they said that Warranty Direct ( whom they said they never ever heard of ) would NOT pay for most of the items on the bill. They would cover a few sensors and that was it. The shop had to reflash the PCM with upgraded firmware as the old version would cause the misfiring of the pistons. The misfiring caused oil to get into the crank case and air charge temperature sensor so they had to clean it out. They also had to replace the thermostat and gasket.
Well called up warranty direct and they said that according to their file, they did not deny anything. So I called the dealer back up and they said that the number that they called with the claims department said that those items were denied. I asked them what exactly was denied and that I had bumper to bumper coverage. The dealer said that perhaps I bought the wrong policy. I told them that I was looking at it in front of my face and indeed I had bumper to bumper. The shop told me that Warranty Direct would only cover the parts and labor associated with a few sensors and thermostat. They would NOT cover the cost of cleaning up the oil that got into the crank case ( which stemmed from the misfiring ), they would NOT cover the flashing of the PCM because there was no code returned for it but only a manufacturer recommendation to update it, and that the dealer should “resuse” the antifreeze they had to drain when they replaced the gasket and thermostat.
I told the dealer that I was not going to play this phone chain game and that I would conference call all of us in. Well I called up warranty direct’s claim special phone number and after waiting for 10 minutes the shop rep said that she needs to get back to work. I told her that I would call her back when I got the claims department on the phone. Well after another 10 minutes I got a person and immediately when I told him that I was a customer, he tried to get me off the phone and told me to call customer service. I told him no that I was calling to get it directly from them that I had bumper to bumper coverage and that nothing was denied in their system but that the dealer said that they denied it. I conferenced the dealer back in and when she asked the warranty rep if I had bumper to bumper he said yes. Then she asked why they denied this and that, and he said well we dont cover that. I jumped in and said that it was complete BS. The PCM caused this misfiring which led to the parts being broken, which led to the over flow of oil into the crankcase. They said that there was no codes to update the PCM. I told them how could the PCM tell itself that it needed to be fixed! It didnt even make any sense. Well they refused to pay it and the dealer dropped off because really they dont care who pays for the work. I was so furious and the claim guy told me that he couldnt help me anymore and when I asked for a supervisor, he said that I could only talk to the customer service department.
I called up the customer service department and immediately asked for a supervisor. I told the lady that I was upset and that I wasnt upset at her but that after paying thousands of dollars on what was supposed to be a bumper to bumper policy, they were being ridiculous on a couple of BS items which they would still make out like a bandit from me. I told them that they were fighting me on $300 for something which I said was not arbitrary. I told them that I would not back down on this and that I would call them every single day if I had to to argue with them about it. I also told them that I was going to go to every review site on the internet and blast them for their misleading sucky coverage. The customer service rep and manager were both Very nice. They tried to work with me. The manager said that she couldnt change the outcome of the claims manager but that she could try and work with me on some of the costs. She agreed to reimburse me $100 bucks which still not even half of what I had to pay out of pocket plus the thousands of dollars wasted on WARRANTY DIRECT SUCKS!
If others are on the fence about them I would think twice. I cant tell you what to do with your decision but I can only give you my 2 lousy experiences and total waste of money.
and like many others have stated, their hold time on the phone was like 15 minutes.
I just got warranty direct last month. So I took my car to get an oil change and had them check it out and see what needed repair and there were a few things wrong. Warranty Direct refused the claim and every time i talked to someone I got a different reason. They are such liars. I am cancelling my coverage after a month. I lost $100 for trusting them. If they are like this now obviously it will only be worse in the future. Too good to be true always applies!!
Warranty direct is a total scam…look at the internet.
The above post by Jennifer McAnally ” I lost $100 for trusting them ” I would be interested to know how you figure you only lost $100.
Re Refunds – Please read the post by Teejay Sept12/11, I posted a reply to the post the same day and it’s now past 8 weeks,,, So please Teejay tell us the good news that you got your money back ?
The only happy consumers having purchased a 3th party warranty are the ones that never had an issue.
Other happy consumers are the ones that were fortunate enough to come across this link prior to purchase http://www.usedcartips.org/warranty.html
You know, I think I am the only person to have a good review of warranty direct. I had a transmission issue on my 2006 Chrysler 300, and they did take a while for inspection, and I did have to sign that I authorized a breakdown, but in the end, they replaced my transmission. I did have to pay for a new filter and fluid, but really I have to be realistic and accept that they will find something not to cover. I even received a check (4 months later, however) to reimburse me for the price of my rental when the repair took longer than expected. The dealership did tell me that my warranty guys were a pain in the butt, and it took longer than it needed to, but in the end, the car was repaired, the dealership got paid, and I got a policy that was $500 less than the competitors… its just like the old adage, do you want it done cheap, right or fast… pick 2.
I just cancelled my Warranty Direct they pissed me off so bad I purchased an Xtra Care plan which you would think covers everything that needs to be covered but they find a way not to pay the trick is take your care in the dealership they look up the part number and then determine whether they would cover or not $1800 I have paid into this plan and can’t use it this sucks the sad part is the BBB give them this rating and people for it they take your money out right away but it take 4 to 6 weeks to get your money back what the hell after you fill out this paper work this was on a 2006 buick lucerne so it did not save me any money as a matter of fact I have to spend at $1100 to get my car fix still and when you call they try and give you this script, I went on facebook and put my comments which they probably deleted then I went to pissed consumer I will be going to bbb and placing a complaint times are hard it is cost to much to waste money on a service that is no service I am so pissed right now I don’t know what to do
Renna, you just cancelled your warranty, does that mean you think you are getting money back ?,,,lol
As for complaints to the BBB,,, it’s a joke,,, you been burned by a third party provider, and hundreds of consumers still get burned every day when the dealership business office sells them useless warranties to make huge profit,,, and trust me from experience every dealer knows these warranties are over 90 % useless, but its a cash cow for dealers.
You been burned, but am sure you have learned a lesson the hard way.
I have 2006 Dodge Charger RT. The factory warranty ended and I went with Direct warranty. I was put on a 18 month payment plan with a $100 deductible as I requested. Two months later I had issues with my car. I took it to a Dodge dealer, they fixed it for $1500 which direct warranty paid with no problem..I paid the $100 deductible…all this while i’m still paying on the warranty..DIRECT WARRANTY HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME..I recently bought another car and plan to go through them as well. Sorry to hear the bad stories but Direct Warranty is a good company.
Having made several posts in this forum on the subject I did mention that of all the 3th party providers Warranty Direct try to be the best,,, but the problem here is for every happy camper like you there are 20 that is not.
Yes, I understand. I just wanted to share my experience with the company.
STAY AWAY FROM WARRANTY DIRECT, I’M WARNING YOU WILL HAVE ONLY HEADACHES AND DENIED SERVICE CLAIM.
I typically don’t write reviews but Warranty Direct will deny your claim or at least make you pay for it.
Even their road assistance service is nasty. I went to a station to get fuel with my F350 when I saw water leaking from the engine, then called the Warranty Direct (WD) for road assistance ant they said “we pay the first $50 for the wrecker and you pay the rest”. Well it would be fair if their towing company didn’t want to charge $100 to tow my truck to a mechanic shop about 1.2 miles from the gas station where my truck was. I decided to call 3 other local towing companies and their rates were $50, $60 and $45 and I ended up $45 paying from my pocket which was cheaper than using WD pathetic road service.
Now the worse part, the mechanic found out the EGR cooler is messed up, called the WD and they DENIED the claim saying the EGR cooler is not included to my policy which has EGR recirculation system listed as covered. But they said the cooler is not part of it, really?
Now look at the links below for the EGR recirculation system and tell me if the cooler is not part of it, but WD says it’s not.
http://www.agcocorp.com/_images/egr_0001.jpg
http://www.komatsuamerica.com/images/JobStory/EGR_system.jpg
Anyway I paid over then $3,200.00 for a stack o paper that they call “policy” which is not worth the paper they use in the toilet.
I read some of the other complains about WD days before I bought it, but I thought people were not being honest, or even WD competitor was writing it. But now I paid a very high stack of money to find out how bad and worthless WD direct is.
The main reason they are still in business is because of the people buying insurance with them, and some never use it or ended paying for part of the service because the majority of the population in US doesn’t know anything about mechanics, so these poor people swallow whatever WD tell them.
They will discretely say “shut up and pay for it because you can’t do anything against us”.
If you save the money that you will pay for the insurance, and pay for all the maintenance you would have for your coverage, you will still have money at end.
Be wise and keep your hard earned money.
Now I know. The mistake I made by buying extended warranty from warranty direct. they will find every reason to deny you when it comes to a major fixing. What an idiot i was to buy their warranty. I am a reasonably smart person and usually do my research but I fell into the trap of warranty direct. It is not like life insurance. It is an extended warranty. They will rip you off big time. Just save they money. Do not buy warranty from Warranty Direct. They are the God father of all warranty ripping off. I lost $3000. How can I forgive myself.
I must share this. The first time I took my car to a local mechanic shop. I told them that I had an extended warranty from Warranty Direct. The mechanic asked me what I do for a living. I said I am an electrical engineer. The mechanic said, you are a smart guy, Why did you buy an warranty. Don’t you know that they will find every reason to deny you, if your car breaks down. I though he was just an arrogant person. Weeks later, I realized that he was very right. Warranty Direct denied to fix my car. Please do your home work and research. Don’t believe me- just do some research. I don’t know how simply I can put it in writing.
If we the sufferers try our best, I think we can put Warranty Direct out of business. In this case, thousands of people will save thousands of dollars each. Let’s make it happen. In next few years, I will try my best to put Warranty Direct out of business. Readers- I just save your money- do some research.
Related Article: This time I take a stab at Chrysler’s new lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty extensions: http://christopherprice.net/chrysler-mopar-lifetime-bumper-to-bumper-warranties-a-hidden-gem-2345.html
I’ve had three different policies with Warranty Direct. Needless to say, if I wasn’t satisfied with them the first time, I wouldn’t have bought two additional policies. I’ve never had a problem with Warranty Direct. I fully understand what is and what is not covered by my policy. I would use them again.
Ok, I have a warranty direct policy and frankly I’m very happy and imposed with the company and how they have kept my jetta now going on 194k miles running strong 1 new a.c. compressor 1 transmission 1 injection pump and finally a window motor. I see complaints and every bitching about them and frankly if a party is not covered or hours bad due to neglect ok likewise, your the idiot not this company. Everyone is in business to make money, and these guys are honest and reliable. And I’m sick of people saying they are horrible. If you think they are horrible you did not read the contract before you bought it!
Thank you so much to the people who posted above. I was just about to sign up with an extended warranty with Warranty Direct. After reading the complaints above I will pass. I am so sorry to hear about your experiences and maybe I can help you. For all who felt they were scammed by this company. Please contact your State Attorney General office and the Federal Trade Commisson and tell them what they are doing. That is the only way this company and companies like it will be investigated and made to either change or permanently shut down. God Bless.