"Warranty Gold" Claims

jhungness

I'm glad the article went through on Saturday from the Chicago Tribune. I've filed complaints with everyone and didn't even think to file with the Illinois attorney general. According the rest of the article in the Trib only 12 people have complained in Illinois. I'm sure there's more than that in Illinois. I mainly thank the Edmunds site for hooking me up with the Trib. Rick Popley did an awesome job on the story. I love the fact that Kurt from WG says it was highly unlikely that I wasn't told about the insolvent NWIG. Wow, let's think about that. Would anyone in their right mind continue to pay a company that they know wont pay there claims? Would a person say "hey let me send you my $1100 check any way?" They still continue to lie. The other women told me "your salesman shouldn't have taken your check". I told her then send it back, she told me the rest of my money after 6-6-03 was sitting in the WG account. Why won't they give it back? WHATEVER! I've emailed the general manager at WG like 4 times and he has yet to grant me a response. I emailed Walter Jacobson on Fox in Chicago so I'm hoping he got wind of the newspaper article.

skye86

I did not find out that my warranty was useless until I called to make a claim, I was told then about the whole mess. I assumed that since my contract was useless that they would stop debiting my account, oh no, a week after I talked to them I checked my account a was furious to find out they had taken another payment from my account. I was so mad I called and asked them why they were still charging me for a warranty that was useless, the lady on the phone told me "who told you your warranty was useless" I asked where that money was going and why I cant get a refund, surely they aren't putting my money into the no good account any more. I got nowhere, so I had to call my bank and have a stop payment put on WG debits, that cost me 25 dollars. I then filed complaints with the Atty general, bbb and a internet fraud site, I sent the attorney general a copy of the WG website touting the double insured crap. I then had to go and pay another 1095.00 to get another warranty, through my chrysler dealer, wish I would have done that in the first place. WG is a rip-off and should be shut down until this mess is cleared up with all of us people. I encourage all victims of WG to complain to anyone that they can think of, my contract was between me and WG not some out of the country insurance company, I think WG should refund our money, if they were an honest company they would.

jayzze74

to roadrascal isdptl and the rest of us. i not only have been sending copies to everyone i just found out wg has been selling policies in florida without the state insurance approval. can anyone use this info jayzze74

2crnot2c

Boo ooo, Wah wah wah I am so sad. I don't know what to do. I feel so bad for these NWIG employees also got a raw deal ... NOT

I got screwed by WG/NWIG. Am I supposed to weep and feel sorry for NWIG employees? Not me. Let WG/NWIG refund my money first. Then I'll shed those tears. I want MY money back (oh so I dream).

roadrascal

How/ where did you get the info about WG selling policies in FL w/o state insurance approval? Web link? This info may come in handy to anyone trying to get credit card chargebacks/ refunds.

akangl

TY to G for posting the warning. I got my money back from WG today so they don't have anything on me now.

I had put 2 posts in this thread and had cancelled my warranty with WG. Shortly after talking the the sales manager on the phone and posting the second message in this thread I got an angry phone call from him.

I guess one of his "co-workers" had "overheard" the conversation and checked Edmunds.com and found my original post with the replies. The SM was quite rude and informed me that they DO NOT do business that way and that my contract was good and my money was NOT at risk. I basically said that I was cancelling the warranty because I couldn't afford it and sure the NWIG mess did play a part in my decision. He then went on to tell me that there were 8 warranty companies involved and WG was the only one still answering the phone and paying claims. I simply re-enforced my reason for cancelling, apologized for any misunderstanding and hung up.

I then emailed him stating that I was sorry for any misunderstanding and I deleted my posts. He emailed me back wishing me good luck and thanking me for deleting my posts.

I felt pretty dirty after that mess, wanted to take a shower and scrub for an hour. Very snakey tactics to monitor a forum and then call me and lie to me about what was really going on.

Never again, thank you WG for teaching me a lesson, a lesson in not trusting people when it comes to money.

So there you have it, I'm just glad to have my money back and sincerely hope that everyone else is made whole that was victimized by this company.

alexbay

I been waiting for Jolie aka Akangl!
Glad you got your cash back !

I told All of you here that they were watching
this thread closely.

She got her cash back and the story is told.....

02psd4me

"i just found out wg has been selling policies in florida without the state insurance approval. can anyone use this info" jayzze74

Would you please post link to this info.

roadrascal

Warranty Gold's website says the same thing. I got the same sales pitch last fall too before I plunked down $2800 for two contracts. Still, I was told by a customer service rep that any claim that I make now could not be paid nor could I get a refund. Sounds like my money WAS at risk, and there's absolutely NO GUARANTEE that my contract will EVER be honored. Oh, according to the Chicago Tribune story:

"Extended warranty contracts have grown increasingly popular in the last decade. Consumers bought such contracts on nearly 30 percent of new vehicles sold last year and more than one-third of used vehicles.

Contracts not true warranties

By law, though they are often referred to as "extended warranties," the policies are "service contracts" and not subject to federal regulation, said David Robertson, executive director of the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals.

States can set financial regulations governing insurance firms, but Robertson said as a risk retention group, National Warranty is not a bona fide insurance company, and it falls beyond the purview of state insurance requirements."

That's why WG can still sell policies in FL. That's why I'm still pretty upset that I got suckered into this mess.

quigonjohn

If they weren't supposed to be selling the contracts in FLA, then that is more reason, (besides the NWIG debacle), that they owe me a refund.

Jolie (Akangl), how did you manage to get your money back, when they seem to be hiding behind holding onto the money and blaming it on NWIG's accounts being frozen? I think that WG should pay us the refunds, then when those assets are freed up, they'll get to keep them. My contract is with WG, not NWIG, (NWIG is just the administrator).

HEY, ANYONE FROM WG LURKING, please send me my refund of $849. My Contract Number is WG114599. I have already sent in a cancellation request and have heard nothing so far.

I have filed a complaint with the Texas AG's office and posted my complaint on ripoffreport.com. I will gladly retract these if you are forthcoming with what is due me. Otherwise I intend to file more and more complaints with any agencies and media outlets possible. Thanks!

akangl

I got lucky, I had recently purchased the contract and then heard that they were involved in the NWIG mess. I hurried and cancelled it before any more money other than the down payment had been paid. I only wish they had been honest with me. Good luck to you. I truely hope they come through and make things good for everyone.

eve_141

I'd like to thank everyone here for being honest with their experiences with WG. A few months ago I had seriously considered purchasing a contract with them for my Honda Pilot. I decided not to after reading the horrible experiences people have had with extended warranties (service contracts). I also decided to forgo getting the Honda Care warranty and just put my money in the bank and pay out of pocket for up keep and repairs. I thought the WG claims were too good to be true, and clearly, they are. Thanks folks!

illini4

Anyone looked into the feasibility of claiming the loss from this fiasco as a tax deduction? I've taken a quick look at Publication 547 and believe it may be possible. See Loss on Deposits, Non-business Bad Debt - it refers to financial institution becoming insolvent, etc.

chang3

I purchased the contract end of January and last payment was made in May. I contacted my credit card company few weeks ago to submit a claim for dispute after my claims have been put on hold. My credit card company has issued a full refund after I submitted a written request, along with a copy of contract, and emails responses I received from warranty gold to show them that Warranty Gold is not able to fulfill the contract they sold me.

akangl

Congrats!! Glad to hear you got your money back from these crooks. Hopefully more people will be able to also.

jhungness

I can't even get any of them to call me. I just get the run around from customer service. They say things like..

I'm not saying we won't transfer you but I'm not saying we will.

Must be the old cmb!

KCRam

EVERYONE RELAX.

There will NOT be any "calling out" of anyone from any company or organization on this message board. Such posts will be deleted immediately. You can share your expeirences and politely voice your opinions... but you will NOT challenge or demand confrontation from anyone.

kcram
Host
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jayzze74

to roadrascal the info was verified by the fla ins commision. i had a previous policy with wg and had no problem with them paying claims so i never realized they sold me my policys illegally

PAman

jhungness

I would say anyone in Florida definitely should look into that then. Wanted people to know a lawyer called me yesterday to start doing something about this mess. I emailed WG previously telling them to save face and pay me back because our story was going to be in the Chicago Tribune. I didn't seem to get a response, wonder why?

scammedinpa

I didn't get my warranty thru warranty gold but it was "insured" by NWIG. The point I'm trying to drive home in my complaint to the PA Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection and my credit card company is that I was never informed of the risk involved in buying the contract. I would never have paid 1500 bucks for a contract if I had known the contract could become worthless .0001 seconds after my credit card was charged. The salesperson told me the contract was insured, implying there was no risk of losing my investment. But an RRG (Risk Retention Group) is not a bona fide insurance company. I'm not a lawyer but that makes it seem like misrepresentation. Plus the fact that I was never told about the Cayman Islands domicile.

hooper5

I have reported to every agency suggested in this discussion. When will something be done?? I have two contract's with WG and have still not received anything in the mail or even a phone call, explaining the situation. I just get the customer service runaround that everyone else gets!
They are continuing to rip people off!

jratcliffe

Just because something is insured doesn't mean that it's worth the paper it's printed on - depends on the financial solvency of the insurance company. If, for example, John Hancock were to go belly-up tomorrow, a lot of life insurance policies would be nicely printed toilet paper. By the same token, if Ford went bankrupt (Chapter 7, not 11), a warranty on a shiny new Explorer would only be useful as a window rag.

chef228

Jhungness writes that he has been contacted by a lawyer. I urge you to not get involved with a lawyer. The lawyers will try and gather as many disgruntled people as they can and file a class-action lawsuit. The only outcome from this will be the bankruptcy of WG, forever ending any chance of getting our money back. The lawyers, of course, will get theirs and you might get back pennies on the dollar. Read Grisham's "The King of Torts" and you will see what I am talking about. I as angry as any of you, I'm out $1,400, but while retribution would be satisfying if it is only going to make money for some greedy lawyers then screw it. JMHO

scammedinpa

This is quoted from another thread (not my explanantion) but I think it explains what I mean: "The majority of dealers use Reputable [insurance] companies, (CNA, JM&A, Protective, Universal Underwriters, APCO) these companies have Fully insured liability policies backing the obligations of the agreement. EXACTLY like the factory plans. These programs have to be filed and approved by each state department of insurance. They all have federally protected "Guaranty Funds" if they become insolvent, which pays all claims for the consumer. (Example, Reliance insurance 1998)

unicorndreams8

Hey chang3...congrats on getting a refund. I also paid w/a credit card & my last payment was in July. I paid w/an American Express...can you elaborate a bit more on how EXACTLY you went about getting a full refund. That would at least help pay part of the $1,220 that Warranty Gold approved for repairs on my car at the end of August, 2003 but now tell me they won't pay till...yada..yada..yada...we all know the story. thanks...

crewdog5

Now that I got burned by WG, I still need to get a warranty for my Wife's jeep. I cannot buy a "factory" warranty since the vehicle is out of manufacturers warranty. Can anyone suggest where I should start shopping for a warranty? I though I researched WG before I purchased, but I was wrong. Please post which company you recommend?, and who to avoid? from experience!!
Thanks

q45man

Why would you think a reputable service maintenance insurance company would want to write a policy on an out of warranty jeep without major exclusions which would make the policy not cost effective? Surely you have been saving 5-10 [average 7 cents] cents per mile [since mile zero] for out of warranty repairs.

They depend on you buying from year one so your payments earn interest during the 3-4 years of factory warranty. Otherwise they would need to charge $2500.

illini4

Crewdog5, you must be a glutton for punishment. I'll never buy another warranty - period. The one I bought from WG was the first in many years and I knew going in I would probably never have enough claims to justify it. Little did I know, that would be the best that could happen. I'm going back to my previous plan - if it breaks I'll pay to fix it. With a warranty you pay wether it breaks or not.

quigonjohn

Illini - the thing is, often when repairs hit, if you're self-insuring, they hit at the worst time, when you can't really afford to pay for the repair. This is where a warranty helps out.

Crewdog - After I bailed on WG, I did some more research and ultimately went with AA Warranty. You can see my detailed comments about their financial backing in the below thread. Read my post, post #6 in this thread:

"Anyone know about Warranty Wizard?"

Kirstie_H

Not the host, but I'm here to remind you that this is an automotive-focused website, not a political one. Please steer back to the topic noted in the discussion title. Thanks!

Has anyone else had any success stories to tell?

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
PS-the role of the justice dept is to go after fraud if I'm not mistaken!

jhungness

Bottom line: WG suckered us all. I was never told about NWIG to do any investigating, my contract only reads an Administrator which made it sound like their accounting department pays claims. The lawyer who contacted me was talking class action, but I think I'll be calling my personal attorney. At this point (if anyone read the article in the Tribune) 950,000 are out of luck and not all of them know this just us grumpy people here. Think about multiplying 950,000 by say $1500 per policy. Here's my deal, none of us are getting our cash back so lawsuit is the only option. I only want my $2880 back, no more no less. I'm not asking for anymore then that. Anyone who even gets on this website and asks the question "should I get a warranty from any company" is well, anyone can finish the thought because I don't want to be rude. Look, I am just mad about the whole thing. I'll take it all in stride.

garnes

Someone here posted that they thought the end was near for the third party extended car warranty business. I agree. For what they charge vs. what I know some typical repairs (like the AC going within the next few years) you do have to wonder how they make money. Well we know the answer. Perhaps this (and other 3rd party warranties) are somewhat of a pyramid scheme and the party is slowly coming to an end.

I would never consider buying another - from anybody.

garnes

oh - and I wish the previous drivel political posts were indeed deleted.

roadrascal

I contacted my credit card company about 10 days ago and explained the situation to them. They told me to fax them (credit card dispute dept) a letter telling my story, send the company info, charge dates and amounts, etc. I called them yesterday and asked if they had a chance to look at my letter. They said yes, and we're refunding the whole amount ($2800, and I don't have the check in hand yet, but I'm going to believe them). I almost passed out, thanked them profusely, and then asked if this was an unusual situation. The lady said "no, we're getting a bunch of calls like this." So, if anyone charged a contract to WG, I highly suggest calling your credit card company and tell them what's going on.

KCRam

Garnes, your wish is my command

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards

ronsmith38

Would it be appropriate for you to post the jist of you letter here?

roadrascal

XYZ Credit Card Billing Disputes
Dear Sir or Madam:
On (this date), 2002 and (that date), 2002 I purchased two vehicle service contracts from Warranty Gold totaling $2800. It has come to my attention that the company that administrates and processes the claims for Warranty Gold, National Warranty Insurance Company (www.nwig.com), has declared bankruptcy and cannot pay for claims. I spoke to a customer service representative from Warranty Gold on August 28, 2003 (800-580-9889) and they said while Warranty Gold was in the process of finding another claims administrator, current claims cannot be paid nor is there any money for contract refunds. In other words, the two service contracts that I purchased from Warranty Gold are worthless. Warranty Gold is however, still selling new service contracts. Warranty Gold's website also states that the service contract claim reserves are properly insured, and that the contracts are absolutely reliable and secure.
The company that I made these purchases through was Warranty Gold, 7501 Hwy 290 East, Suite 101, Austin Texas 78723 (800-580-9889, www.warrantygold.com). My account number is xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx, and the dates of purchase were (this date), 2002 ($1400) and (that date), 2002 ($1400). I would like to know what can be done to recuperate the money I spent for these contracts. Please contact me if you have any questions or need more information.

I changed some of the info for privacy purposes (duh), and this is essentially the same letter I faxed to my credit card company.

mookie14

have exact dates when you did charge them? i did lose $350.00 the rest i lost like $100 a mth from them taking it out of my bank account. but dont get me wrong they paid for some work on my truck. but still they r wrong so let me know someone.

artgpo

I had a response from WG through the Central Texas Better Business Bureau. It is the same junk we have heard over and over again. The important thing the BBB is missing is WG's present and previous claim that it had "sufficient reserves" to back them up should there be any financial problems with their insurer. Also not addressed is the fact that WG continues to take money from people to pay for policies they know have no value. If that if not illegal what is?

That fact that WG is responding to complaints is a positive in the eyes of the BBB. A word to the wise here. Continue to pursue legal and law enforcement remedies and also through the media.

jayzze74

i just opened my mail and wg sent me my second notice that i stopped my automatic payment on 3 policys while they had no money to pay for my repairs. can someone give me an address where i can send them a copy of this letter thanks jayzze74

scarface2003

I've also been getting responses through the BBB from WG. It's the same old junk that is already known. I also got a letter in the mail from WG stating that I have stopped automatic payments. They have got some nerve.

jhungness

Some nerve WG has to mail you a letter about your stop payment. Do they seriously think anyone who knows their warranty is no good is going to keep paying them. If I would've known I wouldn't have paid another penny and I could've disputed my check with the bank, oh wait.. I would've never mailed my final payment had I known (trying to be sarcastic, hope it worked). I previously wrote that a lawyer contacted me about class action. I wrote him back that I'm no longer interested in that. I'd rather get a personal lawyer for myself. I read an article on ABC news about class action. I sure wish I new Erin Brockevich!
I hope everything works out for everyone involved.

buyersoon

I got reemed for 1500$ and just found out about it today. I contacted my credit card co- they are looking into it. What should I do? Which Credit Card co do you have?
Thanks for the help,

The worst thing is that they are still advertising like crazy! Bast....

garnes

First, call the credit card company and explain what happened and ask where and what needs to be sent. Normally there is a limit on how long they will go back, but in the case of an extended contract like this, it may be different. My credit card co. didn't think the time was a factor in this case. Usually this has to go to the "dispute" department. Contact WG and get their official "explanation" e-mailed to you. Write a letter to your credit card company and include a copy of the contract, any written explanation from WG that acknowledges you aren't going to have a claim paid, and include your credit card statement too if you have it. Copy it and highlight the transaction. It'll say Warranty Gold on the transaction too. In the letter, state that you are including "the following" and list off the above items in bullet format.

Oh yeah - If you have not ever filed a repair claim (or maybe a small one or two). Certainly mention this too. I think it makes a difference. This could be argued either way I guess, but heck, if you never even filed a repair claim, then all the more reason to make a clean break and "annul" this transaction.

Go for it. The way I see it, there's nothing to lose.

shellyn1

I have a 2000 Jeep which was also out of manufacturer's warranty and I just purchased a Chrysler warranty from chryslerwarranty.com. They had the best prices ($1400 less than my local dealer). I just bought the Jeep in April and the WG warranty. Two weeks ago I took it in and the transfer case needed replaced. I'm still not happy that the dealer didn't take care of the repairs since I only bought it 4 months ago. This model year Jeep has a lot of reliability issues so I felt I needed a warranty. I only wish the dealer had offered me the Chrysler warranty to begin with.

sameerxyz

I bought extented warranty from warranty gold - diamond coverage for my Mazda Millenia on 01/06/2000. Now, I need some repair and they told me that the Administrator has gone bankrupt and they will not cover my repairs till they resolve the issue with the Administrator.

What are my options? I did spend good money on my extented warrany. I live in Connecticut. Can I file a lawsuit against them?

I had bought the extended warranty from WG as Edmunds was recommending them at that time. Can I sue Edmunds too?

Kirstie_H

It is your right, in the U.S., file a lawsuit against anyone. It is not your right, however, to get a guarantee that your lawsuit will be viewed as having any merit, nor that you will get more out of the suit than it costs.

I see that you're new to Town Hall, so welcome! There are a lot of excellent recommendations if you read through the posts in this discussion, one of which is to work with your credit card or bank card company if you paid that way. You might start by going back through the last 100 posts to see if you find info that would be useful to you.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

kab243

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0903/warranty_liquidation.asp

The couple bought their policy through an Austin, Texas, based company called Warranty Gold, which markets such contracts nationwide over the Internet.

The couple put $800 down on their warranties in February and was paying $200 per month. In July, they asked, and said they were told, they could pay off their balance.

JoAnn Hungness says Warranty Gold deposited their check July 28 without mentioning that it had stopped honoring warranties covered by National Warranty.

"They took my money anyway, fully knowing that none of my claims would be paid," she said. "That's criminal."

cgrisales

Hello, my name is Claudia Grisales, a business reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, the newspaper in Austin, Texas where Warranty Gold is based. I am looking for someone in Central Texas who held a policy with the company. Please contact me by email, cgrisales@statesman.com or phone, 512-912-5933. Thank you.