Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
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We still offer a 5 yr./ 150,000 mile plan through our company. If there are any questions, please let me know.
Thanks,
Anthony J. Rossi
Warranty Gold.com
As you can see by my posts, your company really hit a responsive chord with what i believe to be borderline unethical tactics; tactics I think others shouls be made aware of.
Jim
The administrator initially disapproved the replacing of the sunroof motor since it still operated the sunroof. I called WG customer service and told them my contract said that a failure was not only a breakdown, but also when a part failed to meet the manufacturer's specs. I explained that since the sunroof was not working as it was designed (it was slow), the motor should be replaced. WG immediately agreed and called the administrator while I was on the phone with them. They said everything was taken care of.
I hung up with WG and called the service department at the dealership. My contact there said that the WG administrator had already called to approve replacing the sunroof motor. Bottom line is that they fixed everything to my complete satisfaction. The total repair was $1,800.00 My warranty has already more than paid for itself, and I still have 2 years of coverage remaining. Am I happy I went with WG? You bet.
Regards Mike Ames
Here is my sorry tale...
I noticed a problem with my '95 Ford Mustang - basically a bearing/crank noise. I took it to the local Firestone Mastercare shop where I have the car serviced and they said that the engine would need to be replaced. Warrantly Gold - or rather Interstate National Dealer Services - requested that I take the car to a Ford dealership to have the engine broken down to identify the exact cause of failure. I did this and the Ford dealership basically said the same as Firestone, that the motor was shot and that it should be replaced. However, they went ahead and broke down the engine as requested - this took two days until it was broken down such that Interstate were satisfied to send out their own adjuster. It then took 2 days for the adjuster to arrive. After his inspection it was a further 3 days before I was informed that the repair would not be covered.
During this time I made many calls to Interstate trying to find out the status of the claim and one thing that came up in discussion was what would be done if the repair was covered, and yes, USED parts could well have been used to fix the problem. There was even talk of getting an engine from a junk-yard!
So, 7 days after this all started I was no closer to having the car fixed and in addition to the cost of the new motor there was also now the additional cost of the breakdown/analysis - some $600.
The reason that the repair was not covered was that the damage was a pre-existing condition caused when the Firestone shop above had changed a water pump and timing cover a month earlier - the oil pan and oil had been contaminated when cleaning off the old gasket material.
I have no argument that Warrantly Gold would not pay for the repair (in the end Firestone paid for a NEW engine without complaint - not used or from a junk-yard!) but the length of time to administer the claim.
If this had been a Ford extended warranty I would have been back on the road in 3 days vs 7 days before a decision was even made on whether to cover the repair or not. The Ford dealership would not have bothered to investigate in such detail the exact cause of the problem.
If you are weighing the pros and cons of manufacturer vs Warranty Gold please consider the following:
+ The length of time before approval for repairs is given.
+ The use of new vs used parts for repairs.
+ That Warranty Gold may reject your claim based on the care, or lack of, from a previous owner leaving you stuck with the cost of the problem diagnosis and the repair. This is important if you buy a car in good faith only to have problems later.
+ That there may be expensive tear-down costs only to find that the part that has failed is not covered - leaving you to pay for the tear-down and repair.
The true value of a warranty is only seen when you have to make a claim. Being able to recover more of the initial premium if the policy is surrendered and saving a few hundred dollars to start with is nice but is outweighed greatly by the additional hassle of dealing with people like Interstate. This whole experience was a real nightmare, the WG WWW site with all the happy smiling faces is a complete contrast with Interstate who I found to be unhelpful, rude, and not at all interested in helping resolve this speedily.
In this case I was not able to purchase a Ford extended warranty so I bought what was available. However, in future if there is a choice I will take the manufacturers warranty even if it costs twice as much.
On our first and only (so far) WG claim as I mentioned above my daughter was sent by WG from our neighborhood mechanic to the Nissin dealer. She got confused and didn't have the Nissian dealer preapprove the work that Nissian did, so we got stuck with the bill. Now I see that eussebn also was sent to a dealer by WG.
One reason I went with an aftermarket warranty was that I have a good relationship with a local mechanic, and prefer dealing with him over the impersonal and bureaucratic car dealer shops. Now I am faced with at least two cases where WG sent customers (my daughter and eussebn) sent customers from local mechanics to a dealer anyway. In eussebn's case it sounds like he got caught in a triple bureaucratic nightmare.
If WG really wants you to go to the dealer anyway, then one wonders why one didn't just buy the manufacture's extended warranty to begin with, thus cutting out the possibility of having to deal with two extra bureaucracies, WG and the WG administrator. If WG really sugggested a junkyard engine to eussebn then that is downright horrifying.
This was one of the reasons I chose wg over a mitsubishi warranty. I did not like the ideal of always having to bring your car to the dealer for service.
Obviously having your car inspected by a no name garage, would be just cause for wg refusing to cover a bill.
But, what's wrong with having a ASE certified mechanic at pep boys diagnosing a starter problem? I'm sure he's fully trained, experienced and has replaced a number of starters before.
It's beginning to sound like wg nothing more than a marketing company, selling somebody elses product...
I bought a policy for my used Mercedes in 1996 and drove the car for almost 2 years when the transmission failed in Oct 1998...thinking I had a valid warrantee to cover me for the risk....
HERE IS MY EXPERIENCE>>>>
Warranty Gold and their outside administrators made me wait 3 weeks arranging inspection, then they kept setting a list of documents they needed from me to verify proper servicing, servicing of the car by the previous owner etc... after passing all the items they always had an additional item they wanted. Finally they just claimed wear and tear and overheating and refused the claim.
I had a letter from Fletcher Jones Motor Cars(the Mercedes Dealer) explaining on record that they had never been jerked around so much by an adjuster. I had alternative mechanics telling them the reason the transmission failed could not be their explaination of overheating which is one the "excluded items in my coverage"
My Warranty Gold policy cost me $2295 for a
7 year, 100k miles coverage. It cost me $2900 to repair the transmission.
Fortunately for me Citibank Master card reviewed my 30+ pages of service records, letters from the dealer etc and decided themselves to reverse a 2 year old credit card charge and give me my money back.... However as you can imagine, the time, aggravation, and almost $700 out of pocket cost me dearly even if I did get the policy cost back.
Warantee Gold is not a fair corporate citizen. They hid behind an outside Administration firm which uses subcontractor inspectors who try to deny claims. That is my experience
Beware if you think you can trust Warranty Gold.
Think about it.......
A warantee is no good if they try never to pay...
I thought warranty gold covered wear and tear items, like waterpumps, alternators. Where does it state in there policy how many miles a transmission must have to be considered worn out?
Shame on you warranty gold...
But first a digression: another company just turned me down (policy bought at a dealer-forgot the name of the company)for a u-joint replacement on my Infiniti -seemed strange, almost like they left it out by mistake - they cover CV joints which fail more often, and every other policy I've inspected on the web covers u-joints. But I won't complain too loudly because the policy cost about $900 for 3/36 on my 93 J30 and it's saved me about $1500 so far.
So - Warranty Gold - recently I worked for a very reputable used car outfit in San Rafael CA. We sold a warranty called Star and could honestly recommend it highly after a ten-year relationship with the company. Imagine my surprise when posting #182 identified Interstate as the administrator giving him a runaround. Now I'm not trying to deny anyone's nightmares - I know how real they can be, but Interstate is the administrator for Star, and they have been exemplary for our company.
I can immediately think of two variables... first is customer attitude - having been on both sides of customer service problem scenarios I know what a fine line it is between nice/cooperative and pushover, not to mention how hard it is to be firm about what one wants without incurring resistance on the other side. But let's say every one did fine on this score. Why does interstate (www.inds.com by the way) come off looking like an ogre who doesn't like to pay up?
Another variable is the relationship between the repair shop and the administrator. The administrator had learned to trust our shop in dealing with us over the years, such that they usually wiaved the necessity of an inspection. This points up a potential weak point in the service flow with web-purchased warranties. They tend to answer the essential question "where can I get service?" pretty glibly... Why, anywhere!! but this experience suggests that having established relationships in place is invaluable. In theory, any repair shop should be happy to have warranty business, but that's theory.
I want to address a couple of other comments I've seen. One expressing surprise at dealing with another company - the administrator - and another saying that WG is "just a sales outfit". Well yes, and so is the Safeway store. I've been studying warranty companies for a little while and the traditional structure is Marketing company, Administrator, Insurance company, and Re-insurance company. And that can work well. Believe me you don't want the marketing company insuring itself. So usually the smaller fry/marketers have a relationship with the Admin co. who has structured relationships with big-gun "obligors" who have all those impressive sounding Best ratings. Until the advent of the web, the admin'ers had little idea how to reach you and sell to you -that was the job of the marketers. Now they (admin co's - can reach you directly with a website (such as AutoServiceContracts.com for Heritage) the down side is the possibility of the same old problems with warranties cropping up in these new ways(basically no trust between the three parties). And the innovators are usually not the oldest most stable companies (the one's you'd generally want) but the smaller furry mammals who adapt more quickly to this new environment. Also it's even easier for a couple of sales guy to set up a store front on the web.
So obviously the administrator is key. That's where the after-sale service comes from. If I wanted to set up such a company on the web, I'd cross train the phone folk to service customers and to sell - and I'd advertise that the people you'll talk to about claims are the same ones you talk to to purchase your contract. That way at least you could form your own opinion about the company's service before the 11th hour. Until that happens, the only source of feedback is conferences like this.
Car_Man
Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
Boy, are we glad we were missed!!! For those who were worried, our business is growing at an unprecedented rate(65% over last year). Many thanks to our present and future customers.
Best Wishes,
Anthony J. Rossi
Warranty Gold.com
i already bought warranty direct today, but can change.
forgetting the extended warranty or going with
Warranty Gold. I noticed that Edmunds stopped
supporting WG and started supporting 1stSource.
Why, what happened to sour Edmunds.com on WG? It
was Edmunds support that led me to them in the
first place.
I wish I had known about you when I had all of my problems before, I could have added your name to my list also. I think that I have talked with every manager at your office.
I was so discouraged on a $ 400 claim. (Rack and Pinion problem).
The problems started from a wrong VIN # (18 digits), to getting transferred to a pizza place from your policy administrators when the person got pissed off. The claim was finally approved 4 days later, (Car was finished the 1st afternoon) but not paid properly. I even received a check from your customer service manager's office to straighten the situation out. Even she was tired of hearing all of the complaints that I had.
Mr. Rossi, I am currently waiting for a pro rated refund from your company. If you feel to your company is so reputable and above board, then help me get my refund with out hassles. I WILL then post the experience to this board either way.
If you have any doubts, check my name in your database. If you want dates, times and also people that I had talked to, let me know.
I have since traded the car and purchased a used Ford and a Ford ESP. No hassles and no bull.
Sincerely,
Terry L. Snyder
In the future, look for us to have less exclusive relationships. This means we will offer you more choices and ultimately ask you all to rate them.
Hope this helps!
Bonnie Rick
Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
Concerned Customer
receive and read the contract for
the quotes W.G. is e-mailing .
Business Disclosure statement for more information regarding your posting.
Bonnie Rick
Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
At the company I work for we have many partnerships and agreements with our vendors. But my company has terminated some in the past if they ran counter to our core values and mission statement. If you wish your company to be alive and strong in the next century then we you must protect the one single thing that is important. Your company image through integrity and honor and being a good corporate citizen.
With regard to 1sourcewarranty vs WG vs Warranty Direct. I have viewed them all and I can say that I am leaning now between 1source and Toyota's plan directly. But I will not purchase one for at least 12 months into the new car to see what the cost will be then.
After I requested an on-line quote, I was constantly receiving WG e-mails telling me of specials, but with an expiration date either that day or the next day. That made me suspicious.
So I asked them via e-mail for a copy of their warranty contract for my review (which I normally like to do before I buy/sign anything).
Since then, I have heard NOTHING from WG. As a result, I have concluded that this doesn't appear to be a company I would want to do business with.
I'm still thinking of purchasing a warranty contract for my 2000 Honda Odyssey EX, which I picked up 2 weeks ago, and still looking for anything that might be less expensive or have better coverage than HondaCare.
When I purchased my 97 Passat, I opted for WG as the carrier for an extended warranty. 3 months ago, I my alternator died and and in the process destroyed my battery, which was not faulty. I had my car towed to a VW dealer. Then the nightmare began. It took 2 days for WG to authorize the repairs. Then it took 4 days of phone calls from me and the dealer rep for them authorize payment. Despite the fact that my contract clearly calls for WG to make payment via a corporate credit card, they insisted to the dealer that I pay for the repairs and then be reimbursed by WG. After 6 days of being without a car, they finally agreed to honor the terms of their contract and authorize payment by credit card. Even though the failure of the alternator destroyed the battery, WG refused to pay for this repair. I submitted the receipt to be reimbursed for the towing fee, and 3 weeks later a $50 check arrived which I deposited to my checking account. 10 days later my bank advised me that the WG check had bounced and I was charged a $6 NSF fee. It took 4 days of phone calls to get WG to agree to re-issue the check but they refused to reimburse me the $6 NSF check fee caused by their financial mismanagement. They have never responded to my letters or e-mails. It is only when I spend hours on the phone that I am able to get any kind of action and then it is always the least amount possible.
Bottom line -- get your warranty from some other source -- this is the WORST customer service I have ever encountered for any transaction. They do not honor the terms of their contracts, unless forced to and then only minimally; they are impossible to get timely service or information from; they do not respond to written complaints; and they do not pay for their own errors.
Edmunds is well rid of Warranty Gold.
Most warranties out there, not just WG don't cover that type of stuff.
720 bucks sure does sound steep though.
good luck...
I told the service manager he just made my weekend
They had to order the part and yesterday I had the work done. They installed a new manifold, with new gaskets and seals. WG paid the bill without any hassle what's so ever.
I guess it's true what they say, people are more verbal about their problems in life then they are about good experiences.
Just figured I would share a good experience here for a change...
Other than that I don't know...
I only had WG for a week or so and asked for a refund (well within 60 days) and it has been almost a month now and still no credit.
This company was wonderful selling me a warranty but is terrible after they sold it.
I will be filling a claim with the BBB among others.
BEWARE!!!
DONT TRUST THEM.... THEY ARE A WASTE OF YOUR TIME.
THE CUSTOMER SERVICE STOPS RIGHT AFTER THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY.....I HAVE WASTED HOURS TRYING TO GET A REFUND.
WARRANTY GOLD - my opinion DO NOT BUY IT.
TO WARRANTY GOLD ---- you guys are nothing but a slases force selling the policies and have nothing to do with the customer or customer service once the warranty is sold.
ONCE AGAIN - TO EVERYONE DO NOT PURCHASE THIS "CONTRACT."
David
Cannon
Warranty Gold coverage on three vehicles over the years and have
yet to have any problems with claim experience of any kind. It's always been fair and efficient. My most recent experience was about two months ago when I brought in my 95 M3 for some work. I needed a new OBC and the sunroof had some rattles.
The OBC had to be replaced and the sunrood dismantled and some parts replaced. The total was about $800. Warranty Gold paid it with no problems and no questions asked - I didn't even have to get involved as they handled it directly with the dealer. Since the sunroof was a questionable call from a warranty standpoint, I was pleased to find they had covered it.
They no doubt have some problems as does any company at times but my experiences have always been good. Of course, your mileage WILL vary!
I'm now shopping for an extended warranty on the wife's 99 328I now so find the exchanges here interesting. One point of interest: Warranty Direct will not cover factory GPS or Navigation Systems (which her car has) whereas Warranty Gold will...
Tom
>ok, so NOT warranty gold, but the BBB report on
> warranty direct does >cause me to have caution. what
> are folks feelings >about WD or Warrantybynet? or
> the expensive dealer >warranty?
Yesterday I took my car to a shop because of the excessive noise from the engine department. I thought that drive belts are due for replacement. It appeared that drive belts were OK, though the noise was produced by the timing belt. I asked my mechanik to contact WG. He expressed serios doubts, though called them. He got an approval!
While when I was buying the coverage 3 years ago, I was told that WG would pay dirctly to the shop, now I have to submit a copy of the invoice to them and receive a check. I'm going to do that and I'll keep you posted on my claim progress.
And to top it off, I reffered one of my co-workers to WG today and will be sent a $50 bonus from them.
I just wanted to share my positive experience
with everyone. I have saved about $650 in repair costs with them so far...
thanks WG
-YH