Concerning your posting about 1SourceAutoWarranty.com’s overheating coverage, I would like to point out that our coverage is basically the same as other warranty companies concerning overheating, with the exception of WarrantyByNet, which currently does not even cover thermostats. All we ask is that you pull the car over immediately to prevent further damage caused by continuing to operate your vehicle when the warning lights are on or your vehicle is having obvious mechanical problems. Since you have posted on the WarrantyGold site, I am going to post the actual exclusions from their agreement and 1SourceAutoWarranty.com’s.
The following overheating exclusion is from the current WarrantyGold agreement:
“Repairs to seized or damaged engines due to con- tinued operation without sufficient lubricants or coolant. You are responsible for making certain that the oil and temperature warning lights/gauges are functioning properly. You must pull off the road immediately as is safe and discontinue vehicle operation when either of these lights/gauges indicates inadequate protection or performance”
The following overheating exclusion is from the current 1SourceAutoWarranty.com agreement:
“Subsequent damage to covered components/parts due to Your failure to protect Your Vehicle once a Breakdown occurs or warning lights/gauges indicate a problem exists. You must immediately cease operation of Your Vehicle to prevent any further damage.”
As you can see, both companies are saying the same thing. All we ask is that as soon as you notice a problem, that you cease the operation of your vehicle immediately. If you need to have your vehicle towed, we will be glad to do that at our cost (up to $75.00).
I hope this clears up any confusion you or other consumers may have regarding the whole “overheating” issue.
I appreciate your response. The issue of overheating is a very serious one because, as you probably know, an overheated or overheating engine can cause very expensive problems in modern engines.
My concern is this: when an engine overheats, there does not seem to be a logical process to determine if the engine continued to be operated. Overheated engine? No problem! Blown head gaskets, warped heads, damaged sensors? You MUST have continued driving the car! And, to add to the frustration, once your inspector makes a determination, however that decision is made, the customer seems to have no recourse.
According to the scenario I posted in the 1Source forum, (which actually happened to me and was fully covered by the GM Protection Plan I had on the car) a 1Source rep stated that other damaged parts, such as sensors, would not be covered because obviously I continued to operate the car.
The reality is that if a significant coolant loss occurs quickly, which is very possible in a catastrophic failure, a gauge or light will be VERY slow to register an overheating condition because these sensors are usually mounted high on an engine and designed to be fully immersed in liquid in order to function. If the liquid, in this case the coolant, is lost quickly, the sensor is encased in steam, which makes it slow to respond, if at all. By the time the operator is aware of the condition, the actual temperature in the coolant passages may exceed 350+ degrees, and the ambient temperature under the hood is likely to be that high or hotter. In that period of time, the car may have been driven from 1-10 miles, depending on vehicle speed.
As for the warranty claim, an inspector MIGHT be able to determine how long the car was operated after it overheated if the car was a '96 or newer model equipped with On Board Diagnostics, Second Generation, or OBD II. That system monitors more engine functions than previous OBD systems, and records the time, speed and other vital information when the malfunction occured, and how long the vehicle was operated after the malfunction occured. Of course, if the battery is disconnected in the course of repairing the engine, the information will be lost from the computer's memory.
On virtually any other car, determining a pre-existing condition or continued operation is VERY subjective, and other qualified mechanics could just as easily make a case in favor of the owner/policyholder. When relying on the subjective opinion of your inspectors, your current and previous customers don't seem to be coming out of the situation very happy with the results.
As I've said before, I don't know yet if Warranty Gold has a better track record covering overheated engines. Like other visitors to this forum, I'm still listening to the experiences of Warranty Gold and 1Source customers. If a flood of 1Source customers started praising your quick and complete coverage related to overheating-related repairs, I would view that with an open mind.
I can not comment on the other warranty companies out there because I have never used them. But I can comment on one, and that is Warranty Gold. I have only had 1 claim with them so far. But with just that 1 experience with them,I had no problems. I had $1800+ in repairs done on my transmission.
Trust me! other then my contract I have no other ties w/ WG. The reason why I speak so highly of WG is that they came through for me at a time where I had barely a dime to my name.
I believe in karma. What comes around goes around. WG did me right, so for that the least I can do in return is speak on what a great job they did for me.
just had my 97 olds aurora at dealer to have hub bearing assembly replaced on both wheels. this was my third claim with wg. all three were handled promptly and completely. i am very happy with wg and recommend them highly.
Having studied many extended warranty companies I was confident that I made the right choice when choosing Warranty Gold. After todays experience I am considering cancelling my two contracts.
Over a month ago I decided to get an extended warranty for my 2000 Eclipse and Dodge Grand Caravan. The sales rep was very helpful and informative. The Diamond Plus contract came in the mail in a couple of weeks and I read it over cover to cover. It covered most parts with a few exceptions. Great, I thought. I am covered. Boy was I mistaken. I felt that this was a great insurance policy for future potential mechanical problems. However, that wasn't the case.
Last week my wife started experiencing problems with our Caravan transmission. It would "shudder" when slowing down from second gear to first gear. I brought the car to my dealership who has been maintaining this vehicle for the last five years. The diagnosis was that the solenoid pack was defective. In addition the mechanic found a small pinhole in the casting of the transmission because it was leaking fluid on the top of the unit. I was advised the best thing to do was to have the transmission replaced at a cost of $2,300.
My service adviser contacted Warranty Gold's administrator and was told that because the transmission casting problem was a "preexisting condition" that no coverage would be allowed. The rep went on to say that the transmission obviously was flawed at manufacture and that it could not authorize payment for repair. Although I tried to explain to him that for the last five years I was not having transmission problems or evidence of leaks. I was very upset over this. How the warranty company decided this was a prexisting condition I will never know. No physical inspection was made nor an inquiry on past service I have had on the vehicle.
So, Warranty Gold, what good is a Diamond Plus extended warranty if your "representative" can make arbitrary decisions that there are preexisting conditions on parts? To me that is a easy excuse to get out of covering the claim.
Glad you've had a good experience. Like I said, I wasn't out to question anyone's integrity, I'd like to think that the posts are the true and real experiences people have had. It's just that my alarm bell threshold goes down as the $'s go up and there seemed to be more commercial-like cliches than substantive commentary. Maybe that's a reflection of the impact of commercials on our language and the way we speak.
It's all academic for me anyway, I pursued a WG warranty only to find they don't sell north of the border.
I understand...when reading some of my old posts, I realize I did come across like a sales person in someways. Why? I dont know...I Guess I'm just tired of being screwed over and ripped off in different ways..I guess when something good comes across my way, like WG for example and saves me thousands of dollars. It just makes me want to express that experience.
Then again...you will also see me bashing other products in other forums like mitsubishi, chrysler and solaris autobulbs for example. I paid almost $30k for my eclipse spyder and I have absolutely no shame in admitting the mitsubishi eclipse build quality Is Not that Good
But...owning an extended warranty has given me the peace of mind not to care about break downs. I still would'nt trade my car in for a higher quality one like a honda prelude or celica gts.
All cars break down, just some do it more than others..
I have been quoted by Warrantybynet for a 1994 Infiniti J30 for an extended warranty. They are the only ones offering me 4 years or 48,000 miles. All the others offer 3/36,000. Is this company reputable? Any advice is appreciated. I am buying the car today, so a quick response is appreciated very much.
I am in need of an extended warranty as we are close to the 36K or end of the original warranty for our 99 Venture. I have read nearly every posting on this topic here and am now totally confused. They started out as negative towards Warranty Gold and then became positive. Did the customer service at Warranty Gold improve that much or are these postings just "shills" to boost the WG image? After examining the different coverages from various warranty companies my head is spinning. If I wasn't so nervous about the potential large repair bills we could face if something went wrong with my van, I would drop my search. Any advice?
Put this one in the FYI department. It looks like Warranty Gold is a good company, I just hope none of you that have warranty coverage thru them has a claim denied wrongfully. Warranty Gold's contract has an arbitration provision. This is not unusual at all since all the companies I reserached have some type of arbitration clause in their contract. But what is odd is that you, the consumer, have to file your arbitration claim in Austin, Texas. Because of this one provision, I recently bought a warranty from 1Source (they have an arbitration clause, but no reference to where the claim must be brought--this means you can file your claim where you live). They have almost identical coverage but Warranty Gold was about $450 more expensive AND would require me to go to Austin, Texas to dispute a denied claim. When I requested that this provision be striken, they checked with their legal department and called me back. You guessed it, they said "no can do." Just thought I would pass this along.
I have a 98 Malibu, base with V-6 engine. Early build, July 97. Bought used and possibly somewhat abused in September 98, with 15k miles.
Early Malibu are not particularly reliable in general, and my car has his share of problems. I do not know what happened to it before I bought it used, but have suspicions that few owners would sell a perfectly good car after one year.
So I decided it would be wise to buy an extended warranty. Bought one from Warranty Gold about 11 months ago, when the car was still under the original warranty. The "New Diamond" plan, bumper to bumper, with zero deductible.
When servicing transmission recently, I also asked my mechanic to replace the coolant and, just in case, to check the cooling system. They are always doing it together at this shop, according to their advertising. Under pressure test it turned to be the car developed a small coolant leak through the engine manifold gasket.
Well, to make a long story short, Warranty Gold approved the repair. From the first attempt. But it took two days to get to their repair administrator. He did not call my mechanic back. Even after I called Warranty Gold service and the service representative called my mechanic, it took 15 minutes on hold to connect to the administrator.
So, my car will be three days in shop, instead of one. Fortunately, this happened at home, and I have a spare old car (with not-working air condition, about 90F on the street). And what if somebody have the same problem while out of home?
In my impression, such an administration is not tolerable. Mechanics are too busy to be put on hold for an hour or so. But, according to my mechanic, that this is usual with extended warranties. Possibly even intentionally, to not pay the warranties, or rather to not pay some of them. Few mechanics would call them for smaller repairs.
The same administrator is servicing several other extended warranty companies. When I tried to call them, they listed 8 companies or so. You may check this by 1-800-531-1926.
After the experience, I decided against dropping the current warranty, but also not to buy new ones. Neither for my new car (2000 Buick), nor for future cars.
I'm at 86k miles with 2yrs 2 months left on my 5yr/150k diamond plan. So far I've gone through 4 claims without any hassle yet. Over $3000 in repairs, $1400 spent on policy. I haven't put in a claim for a while. My trunk lock is jammed though, it won't open with the key. I wonder if wg covers the repair of that?
I had to pay everything myself recently because I needed my car back and they (Warranty Gold's adminisitrator) couldn't, in 3 days, get around to giving them the appropriate authorization.
Quote from the Mechanic (at Irvine Mazda) "that's the strangest extended warranty I've ever seen"..........
I have the Platinum.
I'm sure I'll have no luck in getting reimbursed....
..........that they get many many complaints about their claims administrators. It's a real sore point according to the guy I just spoke to, in fact all of th epeople I've talking to at Warranty Gold have pretty much said that the administrators are giving them grief in terms of how many complaints they get.
I guess I've been lucky so far. There are the obvious drawbacks of owning a 3rd party extended warranty. I'm willing to bet most of the warranty companys out there like WG, probably operate the same way. Their just marketers selling someone elses product with their name on it. Hence the price which reels us in...compared to similar "manufacturer" extended warranty contracts costing much more.
The same administrator is servicing several warranty companies. Eight, if I remember right the voice message prompt. But definitely not all of them.
The manufacturer warranty is not only more expensive. It is for shorter term, and, more important, the repair must be performed at dealership only. I like my Chevrolet dealership a lot, but this is in 11 miles from my home, and needs appointment even for oil change. The Firestone is in walking distance, probably less then 1/2 mile, does not need an appointment, and is open late and through weekends.
I would prefer to buy the General Electric warranty, when shopped a year ago. A huge company, huge resources. Do not know how well are they servicing the warranties, but overall the corporation have a very good reputation, and clearly will not disappear overnight.
Additionally, I have the car insurance with GE, and the renter insurance. I would happy to pay GE $100 or so more than to a small warranty company - but the GE warranty was less expensive.
However, if I understood the GE policy right, it did not cover electronics, even radio. Only the mechanical components. This was the only reason I bought the WG warranty over the GE one.
Maybe you guys can help me on this warranty issue. I am dying here... I had my transmission overhauled two months ago. After paying nearly 2k, I also got a warranty for 12months/12k miles. Thought the trouble would be over... Last week, I found the transmission fluid is leaking. Even worse, I found a small crack in the transmission case, near the bottom bolt. I have been driving very carefully, never hit any thing. I do not think I made any mistake driving the car. (just two months!) Before I argue with the mechanic, I want to know should this problem be covered by the warranty? Is there anyone with the same experience? Thanks!
i have a 97 olds aurora, one of the most complex cars GM ever built. i love this car, but it's very expensive to maintain. i'm in the same boat as spyder98 and his car. with out warranty gold, i'd be out many $$$$. i have the peace of mind that WG will cover any repairs i may have in the next 4 years and some 85k miles. i recommend WG i very highly. i am not paid to say this! but i hope i will be able to renew my policy with WG, for i hope to keep my 97 aurora for a long time. they say it might become a classic one day!
I'd like to hear more details about your warranty experiences.
mnardini, why did it take them three days to authorize something? Was the repair eventually made with their approval? What was the repair? Was there any sort of gray area about whether it was covered or it was a pre-existing condition?
lobsterman, could you give me some more detail about your experiences with WG? The Olds Aurora is probably a great test of their resolve to either stand behind their contracts or give you the runaround.
I have a very time-sensitive reason for asking this. My wife's car and my mother-in-law's car are both about to go out of factory warranty. I don't want my mother-in-law to get any runaround on a covered repair since she is 1200 miles away. I don't want to go with the GM extended warranty because it is more expensive, covers less time and miles than WG and it is basically a cash cow for the dealer's service department. So, I'm about to buy TWO extended warranties, and so far, WG is my first choice.
Have you had any claims put through on your aurora as of yet?
The eclipse has never been known for its reliablity and an extended warranty was a must in my opinion. With the the cost of repairs these days...I would'nt chance not having a car under warranty. Even if I never put a claim in..the peace of mind alone would still have made it worth it.
What would worry me is the "crack" on the transmission case. The warranty company in defense may claim operator negligence. Even though it probably already was there after the first repair.
Be prepared for a dog fight possibly and don't let your guard down!
I agree, I should of been more specific with my last line. What I meant was...Manufacturer warranty coverages are similiar to WG. I realize they would'nt use the same administrator like WG does though. It would be directly through them.. If Mitsubishi motors offered a 5yr/150k mile plan like WG does...reasonably priced higher..I probably would have gone with it instead. WG does seem to have a few strange stipulations in their contract.
With my recent claim. My motor mount pulley broke which destroyed my serpentine belt. WG covered the repair..but I had to dig into my pockets for a new serpentine belt. But if the pulley never broke..the belt would not have prematurely gone bad? I also remember reading about a claim here...where WG covered a expensive transmission job..yet would'nt pay for the fluid though? New radiator..yet you pay for the antifreeze?
With the bumper to bumper manufacturer warranty...I'm almost positive one would'nt have to deal with those little annoyances...
my experience with WG has been great. i had no problems with replacing an alternator back in oct.,00, first claim, mileage 52674, $459. second time, dec.,00, replace radiator,55611 miles, about $725. third claim, feb.,01, replaced both front hub assemblies, $1021, 60221 miles. i have the diamond plan which takes over when the factory warranty runs out for 5 years from the time of purchase and upto 150,000 miles on odometer. cost me $2000, $1200 down and 8 payments of $100 for 8 months, no interest. also have $0 deductible. my service guy says he has no problems with administrator. great company or what?
I appreciate the quick response. Looks like whatever they spend paying claims on your car from this point forward, you are money ahead. It's a shame that so many people don't understand the value of an extended warranty. I don't like the fact that a transmission can cost up to $3,000-4,000 on some cars, but when they are totally computer-controlled and operate in the limited space in these compact cars, seems like an extended warranty is the only thing you can do to protect yourself.
I could do many of the repairs you had done to your car in my own driveway. Unfortunately, that is MY time, and I've worked on enough cars because I HAD to; it will be nice to let someone else do those things that always break around 75-90,000 miles.
I've found a couple of bulletin boards where someone was bad mouthing WG, but I've come to be suspicious of those outrageous claims. To see what I mean, go look at the listings for the guy that was really complaining about 1Source extended warranties. They don't always tell you the details about WHY the warranty company denied the claim--like previous damage that any shade tree mechanic could tell had been there for months, if not years.
SPYDER98, I'm curious about some of the things you've had to pay for. Do you have the Diamond warranty, or do you have one of the other ones? If so, they seem to be VERY specific about what they cover, and nothing else. That may explain why you've had to pay for belts and anti-freeze.
I'll keep everyone posted about my luck with WG. The only thing that I wonder about is their pricing. One week, I get a message for $500 off, the next week I get one for $350 off. I'm wondering if buying from them is like buying a new power drill from Sears--if they are having a REALLY big sale the week you need one, you can almost steal the thing.
paman, My first claim was for a faulty display on my radio at about 40k miles. WG covered the entire bill $270. Next claim was for a cracked exhaust manifold, 50k miles. WG paid entire bill $420. Next one was the biggy, dead turbo at 70k, WG paid entire bill $1750! The 4th one was at 77k when my motor mount pulley broke and I needed a tow. Total bill came out to about $470. WG paid for $300 of it. I had to pay some labor and for a new belt along with a little extra for towing. I believe WG covered it upto $50.
I also bought a 5yr/150k diamond plan for $1400. I actually called WG a couple of times and was given the run around about pricing. I finally got into an argument with someone there and spoke to a higher up who wanted to settle things and gave me a great price of $1400 I thought. So I bought it.
I can't say anything bad about WG..they have saved my butt big time and I would strongly recommend them to anyone, based solely on my experience with them so far. I convinced one of my co-workers to buy a policy from them for his 323 bmw. WG sent me a check for 50 bucks for the referral.
You wrote: found a couple of bulletin boards where someone was bad mouthing WG, but I've come to be suspicious of those outrageous claims.
Given I was the last who criticized WG on this board, I would like to clarify my position.
First of all, I do not want to "bad mouth" the company, only to objectively report my very limited experience.
I have a diamond plan, bumper to bumper, 6 year / 100k miles. It cost $1200. Bought when the car approached the end of the original warranty, 32k on odometer. It was 11 months ago.
Recently I had to use the warranty - the first time and, I hope, it will be the only time. The intake manifold gasket of my 98 Malibu started to leak coolant. A small leak, found under pressure test.
WG paid the repair from the first attempt. The gasket is not expensive, but the repair takes a lot of labor. $66 for gasket, $450 labor, $30 tax, total $550.
The only thing WG did not pay was oil change. Mechanic told me the oil needed to be changed after the repair, even while it was changed only about 500 miles before. To the best of my understanding, a bit of dirt can get inside engine during the repair, and it is better to wash it out. Any case, this is not a problem with me. I bought the warranty for peace of mind, not to save on small things.
The only problem I had with the warranty is a slow warranty administrator response. It took them two days to call-back my mechanic. Probably would took even longer, but I called the customer service of WG.
The WG representative was very friendly. He immediately called the shop manager, and connected him to the claim administrator. Though, even the assisted connection took 15 minutes on hold.
Second, the administrator company does not work on week-ends. My car was ready Saturday morning, but was released only Monday, mid-day.
Summary: the car was 7 days in the shop. Brought it in May 01, 7:49am, and took out May 07, 2:04pm, according to my copy of invoice. The repair itself took 3 days, and 4 days was wasted on waiting for administrator.
Plus this wasted the time and attention of the shop manager. With 8 or 9 bay garage, open till late and 7 days a week, and the Firestone tire dealership, he is a very busy person. Always friendly, always wants to help. Several times suggested me I do not need such and such repair, even while it means he lost the business. I like him very much and I feel uneasy for forcing him to work with the administrator.
Yours was not the comments I was talking about. I forgot what forum I was in, but I found it after doing a Yahoo search using the words "Warranty Gold." I can easily understand your frustration with their delay.
It seems that WG has undergone some sort of metamorphosis in the last 18 months or so. The web site Auto Warranty Review had them listed about fourth or fifth a year ago. Now, they are their ONLY 5-star warranty company. This was about the time they added a lot of extras like the roadside assistance and other features. It looks as if their pricing policy has also gotten more aggressive due to competition. However, as with ANY business that grows quickly, sometimes the service end is caught not keeping up with the sales and marketing side of the house.
Usually, I have found a simple fix to this problem. In the past, when my car has gone in for warranty repair and the repair will take more than one day, I get a rental paid for by whatever warranty or insurance company is paying the bill. It's amazing how much faster your car gets repaired when they are paying for a rental!! After looking at their provisions to pay for rental cars, it looks as if they have really tightened what they will and will not pay for. However, even with their new rules, the first time they put me in a rental and then drag THEIR feet calling the repair shop in a timely manner, THEY will likely end up paying more money.
Thanks again for the great information. When someone posts a message and says something very generic like, "Yeah they are great," or "they are really lousy," that doesn't tell you anything. Your detailed response and the ones from SPYDER98 helps fill a lot of gaps.
It's been almost 6 months since my last claim. I hope they have'nt gone down hill. I'm at 86k miles with 2yrs and 2months of coverage left. Joe do you have the URL to that website with the warranty reviews?
By the way, 1Source has come up to have a 5-star rating in the last couple of days. Interesting!
As for Warranty Gold, I know that Texas is a tough state inwhich to write insurance. Their headquarters is in Austin, TX. If they don't act right, well, it wouldn't be pretty......
Thanks for the link paman. Looks like WG has finally moved into the top spot...guess they must be doing something right..
Now if people are having claim difficulties with WG, I wonder what in the world its like going through a claim process with some of the lower ranked companies?
One of the biggest contributors to the lousy reputation warranty companies had for a long time in the 70s,80s and early 90s was their flimsy excuses for denying claims.
In the mid-80s, I owned a small fleet used for a vanpool business. The owners often met to discuss mutual interests and problems, and the biggest grip was often how a company could find the thinnest of excuses to leave you high and dry. Keep in mind that these vehicles were meticulously maintained to help ensure reliability, which is critical in a vanpool business.
One guy told of a company that denied his claim because they said a bolt came loose and caused the coolant to leak out and destroy the engine. I'm sorry, I don't think ANYONE, even the engineers that designed the engine can say for a certainty how coolant leaked out after an engine self-destructed and ate its own pistons for breakfast.
I think the reason a lot of those companies only have one, two or three stars is for the way they leave their policy holders holding the bag....and we all know what the bag is full of!
I'm willing to bet most of the companies on the top 10 list at the warranty review site use the same administrator? I know warranty direct uses the same one as WG and so does 1 source I believe.
Which would explain why they are all ranked in the top 10 I guess..
1Source does not utilize the same administrator that WarrantyGold (Independent Warranty Managment Corp – out of Arvada CO) or WarrantyDirect (Interstate National Dealer Services – out of Uniondale NY) uses. That is what is unique about 1SourceAutoWarranty; we administer our own claims. One thing I would strongly suggest is to always look at the BBB reports on the administrator of all warranty companies (not the selling division)- Customer complaints usually come in when they are trying to file a claim and it is denied. Always ask for a BBB report for the administrator (since we administer our own claims, the BBB report is the same for both divisions).
You can view any of the BBB reports at www.bbb.org
Bought two Diamond plans from WG. My wife's car, '99 Regal GS with a supercharged engine, was about to go out of warranty due to miles. My mother-in-law's car (98 Lesabre) was about to go out due to months.
Will keep you posted as to what happens. I don't expect to need them for some time, since both cars have been very dependable, and each one has well over 30 days of factory warranty left.
Great coverage at a great price...funny thing is, if GM had anything like WG coverage and prices, I would have GM's Major Guard warranties on both cars. If they were offered at a reasonable price as a factory option, rather than those 'joke vs. insult' prices that the dealers quote when they try to load it in with the useless undercoating, fabric protection and paint protection, I would have bought their warranties when the cars were new and rolled it into the financing. At least now I can use one of several good ASAE and AAA-certified shops closer to home.
Maybe one day GM, Ford and Chrysler will wake up and figure out that the fantastic 10-year warranty coverage is why Hyundai and Kia sales are up 40-60% IN ONE YEAR!!!
By the way, I did NOT get the high-pressure sales pitch some people have talked about on here. Just a Sgt. Joe Friday sort of just-the-facts-maam kind of approach. Maybe some people were so abused by the selling dealership when they bought their car that now they expect all auto-related sales to be high pressure.
If all goes well, when my 2000 Chevy S-10 hits about 30K miles, I will buy another WG policy.
Are you sure your extended warranty takes off where your mfg warranty ends? i was under the impression that the WG starts 30 days and 1000 miles after you buy it, not tacked on after the original warranty runs out.
Yes, the WG policy does state it starts 30 days after the policy issue date. The important thing to remember is that if you purchase it AFTER the factory warranty runs out, it changes the terms available and the price of the warranty.
I intentionally waited until the factory warranty was almost expired to take advantage of the extra time. The WG policy starts 5 years from the issue date--if I purchased it when the car was new, I'd essentially be buying two extra years of coverage because the first three years of the WG policy would be duplicated by the factory warranty. By the way, this is essentially how ALL manufacturer-backed extended warranties work. If you buy their extended warranty when the car is new or in the 35th month of the factory warranty, the clock started when the car was originally put into service. So, a 5-year GM Protection Plan Major Guard warranty is actually a 2-year warranty, regardless of when you purchased it.
In my case, I purchased both warranties for these cars knowing that they wouldn't start for 30 days, since it was clearly disclosed by WG. With at least 30 days/1,000 miles left on the original GM warranty, I have plenty of time to have any breakdowns covered by GM before I start calling WG.
Personally, I don't have a problem with this, since I'm buying an INSURANCE policy that covers breakdown and wearout repairs. Most insurance policies have some sort of waiting period, such as a life insurance policy stating that it will not pay off in the case of suicide for a period ranging from 1-3 years.
I did a little research because I couldn't decide whether or not to get an extended warranty on my first new car. Then I discovered what you confirmed, that even the dealer's extended warranty runs concurrently with the standard mfg warranty. As long as I buy the ext. warranty while my car is still under the original warranty, the extra cost was only $50-$100 over buying it immediately. So basically that $100 extends the WG warranty the length of my original factory warranty.
I'll recheck my contract, but I believe their warranties end dates are based upon the first in-service date of the auto being covered, or the date you bought a new car, not the date you bought the warranty from Warranty-Gold. So a 5 year warranty is 5 years from the date the car went into service, though I could be wrong. You are also correct about factory warranties being in effect only an additional 2 years, though they may cover some services not in the factory warranty.
I believe that is one reason they want to know the mileage of the car when you buy the warranty, it effects their costs. I do know that free loaner car coverage is one thing they will pay for, even if the repair itself is covered by the factory warranty.
Anybody else here take advantage of the $500 in free gas offered if you purchased a warranty back around Christmas? I have had no problems getting my $41.66 gasoline checks so far.
I went with the WG contract because of three reasons: cost, more flexibility in choosing a repair shop and terms of coverage.
Virtually ALL extended service policies backed by manufacturers start with the vehicle's in-service date. According to the WG contract, page 3, item 1, it states that the "the new vehicle plan expiration is measured in time/mileage from the contract purchase date and zero (0) miles." That means it expires in 5 years from the date of purchase, or when I hit 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. With GM's Major Guard, which is an excellent warranty, the coverage period is calculated from July '98, even though I bought the warranty in May of '01.
Flexibility is probably not a plus if you live a few blocks from a dealer that sells and services your brand, or if you live in a small town. However, in San Antonio, Texas, I can assure you that is a BIG plus. From work, I'm at least 20-30 minutes to the nearest Buick dealer. With a GM warranty, I would have to go back to the dealer. With an independent warranty, I'm not forced to do that.
The dealers are also often at the mercy of a more, rather than less, restrictive parts supply system than some independents. When my wife's car had two bad Goodyear tires on it, we waited a week for replacements to arrive. They HAD to get them through GM. So, going back to the delaer isn't always a plus.
Bottom line is that Cavender Buick (my dealer) is an excellent dealer, but they are not convenient from my home or office, or fast. Good, independent shops have access to the same parts and technical data as most dealers.
The mileage and time limits of the WG contract speak for themselves. In Texas, we LIVE in our vehicles. It's not unusual to see a like-new one to three-year-old car for sale around here with 80K-100K miles. Public or mass transportation in Texas? Don't make me laugh... So, 150,000 miles in eight years (3 years factory + 5 years WG) will be adequate. The best I could do with a GM Major Guard policy is four additional years for a total of seven, and coverage to 70,000 miles at the most.
Personally, I think that WG and others like them will probably have the same affect on manufacturer-backed warranties that Japanese cars had on American cars. They will get better because they HAVE to in order to be competitive.
You are correct on the warranty beginning date, it is in the contract as you stated above. He definately did his homework.
I purchased a 7 year, 100,000 New Diamond plan when my 2000 Intrepid R/T had 4,165 miles on it. The only issue is I changed jobs, so now I am driving only about 12,000 miles a year. If that holds for 7 years, I will have only about 88,000 miles on the car when it expires. The warranty is also transferrable to a 2nd owner.
I recommend getting the Diamond plan, as it is an exclusionary warranty. What that means is it lists what is excluded, and if it not on the list, then it is covered. It is much clearer in case of disputes over what is covered.
The quote I received for the similar warranty from Chrysler was much higher, and while the one from Warranty Direct was less, the $500 in free gasoline dropped the cost on the Warranty Gold to about $200 less, and the coverage was better as well. One major air conditioning, electrical, or drivetrain repair over 7 years is going to be more than the cost of the warranty.
I just want to confirm that if I buy a 7yr/100K warranty when my car has 35K already on the odo, the warranty expires in 7yrs from date of purchase or 100K miles, not 135K miles.
A little over 3 years ago I bought a WG Diamond package together with a new Range Rover 4.6HSE Vitesse. It is a 7 year 100,000miles package. Now that I am out of factory warranty I have to replace the head gasket of the engine because of oil leaks and also a broken Window regulator. I got the car to my RR dealer with the Warranty documents. They filed the claim for about $ 1,600.00 for the complete repair. I am surprised that WG only pays part of the cost based on a $ 58.00 labor rate. Range Rover's labor rate however is $ 85.00 per hour. I have to pay the difference! I checked with other car dealers and found that even Volkswagen dealer here work with $ 85.00 per hour. Nissan was even $95 p.h.. I called Warranty Gold myself and asked how I can avoid to pay more than the specified deductible of $ 50.00. They gave me phone numbers of PepBoys and Aamco. I called there but they refuse to work on RR engines. I wanted my car being repaired by professionals. Range Rovers Computer diagnostic equipment is only available at RangeRover dealers. So I have no chance to have my car repaired under warranty. I have to pay $ 400.00 myself for this repair. At least WG approved $ 1200 for the repair. However nobody will do the repair for this money.
There is nothing in the contract telling about this $ 58.00 per hour limit. I don't think WG's approach is legal and I would like to hear some other opinions about this.
Most dealerships have two labor rates....the one the manufacturer pays for warranty work, and another one they charge to Joe Public. Guess which one is cheaper? That's right....the MANUFACTURER sets a warranty rate that is usually much lower than the "street" rate.
Many times, extended warranty policies base the rate they pay on the rate the manufacturer pays. I don't know if this is the case with WG. You didn't say where you are (I suspect either New York, Boston or LA) but I DO know that most shops here in South Texas would welcome $58 per hour for repairs.
You have several options. One is to return to the selling dealer. Talk to the sales rep, or sales manager or the service manager and see if they can be of any help, stressing that you bought the car there. Remind them that you would like to keep bringing the car back to their shop...if they will play ball. Also, ask them if they will adjust the labor rate to the level paid by Range Rover for warranty repairs. If you don't know what that rate is, look at some warranty repair documents. The labor rate paid by RR should be listed on the repair order. I'll be willing to bet you lunch that it is NOT $85 per hour.
If that doesn't work, check the Internet for other RR dealers close to you, and call them to see if they will do the work for $58 per hour.
Next option is to find a good independent shop that specializes in Jags, Mercedes, BMW and even Range Rovers. I would think they would jump at a $58 per hour job. You DON'T need a RR computer to repair a head gasket. Just a mechanic who knows what he is doing.
If this doesn't work, you may be stuck. You'll have to admit that Range Rovers are sold based upon a certain amount of snob appeal, and that snob factor doesn't come cheap. NOW you know how the dealer pays for those "free" Range Rover weekend excursions they are so proud of. You mentioned that you wanted your car repaired by "professionals." That statement seems a little arrogant, so I guess you HAVE bought into the snob appeal of the Range Rover. Do you REALLY think that only RR dealers hire professionals to work in their shops?
If nothing works, guess you'll just have to figure that snob appeal runs about $85 per hour. Hey, $400 for reapairs isn't so bad, unless you add that to your $750 monthly payment....
If all of this doesn't work, you could always call Click and Clack.
ATTENTION ATTENTION !!!! YOU DO NOT WANT TO PURCHASE A CONTRACT FROM WARRANTY GOLD. I had a trans go out on my 97 Taurus at 55k miles. the first thing they do with a major bill is ask for maint. records. YOU HAD NOT BETTER OF MISSED ONE OIL CHANGE or any other manufactors suggested maint. item. BECAUSE IF YOU HAD...THATS THEIR WAY OUT of having to pay the claim. THEY DENY YOU ON THE SPOT. I had to spend 1 week on the phone until I talked to someone high enough up that would listen. I purchased the car at 30K and I was told by dealer all fluilds were changed. the next schedule for trans changed is at 60K. Trans goes out at 55K. I no record that fluid was changed at 30K..I changed oil every 5-6K...some orignal receipts and some canceled checks (that was not good enough)....they want all orginal receipts...THEY TRY TO STICK TO ME...$2500 repair DENIED. I had to fight tooth and nail and keep going up the chain until I got someone to see how I was being treated. Then as others have mentioned...it does not matter what the bill is they will only pay what their book says the parts should of cost and what the labor rate should of been. I still had to pay $250 out of my pocket...SO TAKE IT FROM AN AVERAGE PERSON none of this is printed in their contract...its all how its interperated...and guess what...they will STICK IT TO YEA...or at least try....PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE A CONTRACT FROM WARRANTY GOLD...oh one more thing....when you call them be prepared to be on hold for 30 mins or more all the time....My repair facility told me they do not want my business it they have to deal with WARRANTY GOLD...
If you read your contract, it clearly states that all maintenance must be performed according to the manufacturer's requirements. It also states that you must have receipts for the work that was done. This is common to all warranty companies. How else are they going to know that you actually had the work done? Are they going to take your word for it? This is only common sense. None of these companies is in the business of giving away money. They must protect their investment and profitability to remain a viable entity. I have heard from many other satisfied Warranty Gold claimants. They had their receipts and they were fully compensated. Sorry for your trouble. But it doesn't seem unreasonable to me, except for the extended phone waiting period.
Comments
Concerning your posting about 1SourceAutoWarranty.com’s overheating coverage, I would like to point out that our coverage is basically the same as other warranty companies concerning overheating, with the exception of WarrantyByNet, which currently does not even cover thermostats. All we ask is that you pull the car over immediately to prevent further damage caused by continuing to operate your vehicle when the warning lights are on or your vehicle is having obvious mechanical problems. Since you have posted on the WarrantyGold site, I am going to post the actual exclusions from their agreement and 1SourceAutoWarranty.com’s.
The following overheating exclusion is from the current WarrantyGold agreement:
“Repairs to seized or damaged engines due to con-
tinued operation without sufficient lubricants or
coolant. You are responsible for making certain that
the oil and temperature warning lights/gauges are
functioning properly. You must pull off the road
immediately as is safe and discontinue vehicle
operation when either of these lights/gauges
indicates inadequate protection or performance”
The following overheating exclusion is from the current 1SourceAutoWarranty.com agreement:
“Subsequent damage to covered components/parts due to Your failure to protect Your Vehicle once a Breakdown occurs or warning lights/gauges indicate a problem exists. You must immediately cease operation of Your Vehicle to prevent any further damage.”
As you can see, both companies are saying the same thing. All we ask is that as soon as you notice a problem, that you cease the operation of your vehicle immediately. If you need to have your vehicle towed, we will be glad to do that at our cost (up to $75.00).
I hope this clears up any confusion you or other consumers may have regarding the whole “overheating” issue.
Thank you,
Troy Hale
I appreciate your response. The issue of overheating is a very serious one because, as you probably know, an overheated or overheating engine can cause very expensive problems in modern engines.
My concern is this: when an engine overheats, there does not seem to be a logical process to determine if the engine continued to be operated. Overheated engine? No problem! Blown head gaskets, warped heads, damaged sensors? You MUST have continued driving the car! And, to add to the frustration, once your inspector makes a determination, however that decision is made, the customer seems to have no recourse.
According to the scenario I posted in the 1Source forum, (which actually happened to me and was fully covered by the GM Protection Plan I had on the car) a 1Source rep stated that other damaged parts, such as sensors, would not be covered because obviously I continued to operate the car.
The reality is that if a significant coolant loss occurs quickly, which is very possible in a catastrophic failure, a gauge or light will be VERY slow to register an overheating condition because these sensors are usually mounted high on an engine and designed to be fully immersed in liquid in order to function. If the liquid, in this case the coolant, is lost quickly, the sensor is encased in steam, which makes it slow to respond, if at all. By the time the operator is aware of the condition, the actual temperature in the coolant passages may exceed 350+ degrees, and the ambient temperature under the hood is likely to be that high or hotter. In that period of time, the car may have been driven from 1-10 miles, depending on vehicle speed.
As for the warranty claim, an inspector MIGHT be able to determine how long the car was operated after it overheated if the car was a '96 or newer model equipped with On Board Diagnostics, Second Generation, or OBD II. That system monitors more engine functions than previous OBD systems, and records the time, speed and other vital information when the malfunction occured, and how long the vehicle was operated after the malfunction occured. Of course, if the battery is disconnected in the course of repairing the engine, the information will be lost from the computer's memory.
On virtually any other car, determining a pre-existing condition or continued operation is VERY subjective, and other qualified mechanics could just as easily make a case in favor of the owner/policyholder. When relying on the subjective opinion of your inspectors, your current and previous customers don't seem to be coming out of the situation very happy with the results.
As I've said before, I don't know yet if Warranty Gold has a better track record covering overheated engines. Like other visitors to this forum, I'm still listening to the experiences of Warranty Gold and 1Source customers. If a flood of 1Source customers started praising your quick and complete coverage related to overheating-related repairs, I would view that with an open mind.
Trust me! other then my contract I have no other ties w/ WG. The reason why I speak so highly of WG is that they came through for me at a time where I had barely a dime to my name.
I believe in karma. What comes around goes around. WG did me right, so for that the least I can do in return is speak on what a great job they did for me.
Over a month ago I decided to get an extended warranty for my 2000 Eclipse and Dodge Grand Caravan. The sales rep was very helpful and informative. The Diamond Plus contract came in the mail in a couple of weeks and I read it over cover to cover. It covered most parts with a few exceptions. Great, I thought. I am covered. Boy was I mistaken. I felt that this was a great insurance policy for future potential mechanical problems. However, that wasn't the case.
Last week my wife started experiencing problems with our Caravan transmission. It would "shudder" when slowing down from second gear to first gear. I brought the car to my dealership who has been maintaining this vehicle for the last five years. The diagnosis was that the solenoid pack was defective. In addition the mechanic found a small pinhole in the casting of the transmission because it was leaking fluid on the top of the unit. I was advised the best thing to do was to have the transmission replaced at a cost of $2,300.
My service adviser contacted Warranty Gold's administrator and was told that because the transmission casting problem was a "preexisting condition" that no coverage would be allowed. The rep went on to say that the transmission obviously was flawed at manufacture and that it could not authorize payment for repair. Although I tried to explain to him that for the last five years I was not having transmission problems or evidence of leaks. I was very upset over this. How the warranty company decided this was a prexisting condition I will never know. No physical inspection was made nor an inquiry on past service I have had on the vehicle.
So, Warranty Gold, what good is a Diamond Plus extended warranty if your "representative" can make arbitrary decisions that there are preexisting conditions on parts? To me that is a easy excuse to get out of covering the claim.
A very dissatisfied customer.
It's all academic for me anyway, I pursued a WG warranty only to find they don't sell north of the border.
It just makes me want to express that experience.
Then again...you will also see me bashing other products in other forums like mitsubishi, chrysler and solaris autobulbs for example.
I paid almost $30k for my eclipse spyder and I have absolutely no shame in admitting the mitsubishi eclipse build quality Is Not that Good
But...owning an extended warranty has given me the peace of mind not to care about break downs.
I still would'nt trade my car in for a higher quality one like a honda prelude or celica gts.
All cars break down, just some do it more than others..
Early Malibu are not particularly reliable in general, and my car has his share of problems. I do not know what happened to it before I bought it used, but have suspicions that few owners would sell a perfectly good car after one year.
So I decided it would be wise to buy an extended warranty. Bought one from Warranty Gold about 11 months ago, when the car was still under the original warranty. The "New Diamond" plan, bumper to bumper, with zero deductible.
When servicing transmission recently, I also asked my mechanic to replace the coolant and, just in case, to check the cooling system. They are always doing it together at this shop, according to their advertising. Under pressure test it turned to be the car developed a small coolant leak through the engine manifold gasket.
Well, to make a long story short, Warranty Gold approved the repair. From the first attempt. But it took two days to get to their repair administrator. He did not call my mechanic back. Even after I called Warranty Gold service and the service representative called my mechanic, it took 15 minutes on hold to connect to the administrator.
So, my car will be three days in shop, instead of one. Fortunately, this happened at home, and I have a spare old car (with not-working air condition, about 90F on the street). And what if somebody have the same problem while out of home?
In my impression, such an administration is not tolerable. Mechanics are too busy to be put on hold for an hour or so. But, according to my mechanic, that this is usual with extended warranties. Possibly even intentionally, to not pay the warranties, or rather to not pay some of them. Few mechanics would call them for smaller repairs.
The same administrator is servicing several other extended warranty companies. When I tried to call them, they listed 8 companies or so. You may check this by 1-800-531-1926.
After the experience, I decided against dropping the current warranty, but also not to buy new ones. Neither for my new car (2000 Buick), nor for future cars.
So far I've gone through 4 claims without any hassle yet. Over $3000 in repairs, $1400 spent on policy.
I haven't put in a claim for a while. My trunk lock is jammed though, it won't open with the key. I wonder if wg covers the repair of that?
Quote from the Mechanic (at Irvine Mazda) "that's the strangest extended warranty I've ever seen"..........
I have the Platinum.
I'm sure I'll have no luck in getting reimbursed....
There are the obvious drawbacks of owning a 3rd party extended warranty.
I'm willing to bet most of the warranty companys out there like WG, probably operate the same way.
Their just marketers selling someone elses product with their name on it.
Hence the price which reels us in...compared to similar "manufacturer" extended warranty contracts costing much more.
The manufacturer warranty is not only more expensive. It is for shorter term, and, more important, the repair must be performed at dealership only. I like my Chevrolet dealership a lot, but this is in 11 miles from my home, and needs appointment even for oil change. The Firestone is in walking distance, probably less then 1/2 mile, does not need an appointment, and is open late and through weekends.
I would prefer to buy the General Electric warranty, when shopped a year ago. A huge company, huge resources. Do not know how well are they servicing the warranties, but overall the corporation have a very good reputation, and clearly will not disappear overnight.
Additionally, I have the car insurance with GE, and the renter insurance. I would happy to pay GE $100 or so more than to a small warranty company - but the GE warranty was less expensive.
However, if I understood the GE policy right, it did not cover electronics, even radio. Only the mechanical components. This was the only reason I bought the WG warranty over the GE one.
I had my transmission overhauled two months ago. After paying nearly 2k, I also got a warranty for 12months/12k miles. Thought the trouble would be over...
Last week, I found the transmission fluid is leaking. Even worse, I found a small crack in the transmission case, near the bottom bolt. I have been driving very carefully, never hit any thing. I do not think I made any mistake driving the car. (just two months!) Before I argue with the mechanic, I want to know should this problem be covered by the warranty? Is there anyone with the same experience? Thanks!
I'd like to hear more details about your warranty experiences.
mnardini, why did it take them three days to authorize something? Was the repair eventually made with their approval? What was the repair? Was there any sort of gray area about whether it was covered or it was a pre-existing condition?
lobsterman, could you give me some more detail about your experiences with WG? The Olds Aurora is probably a great test of their resolve to either stand behind their contracts or give you the runaround.
I have a very time-sensitive reason for asking this. My wife's car and my mother-in-law's car are both about to go out of factory warranty. I don't want my mother-in-law to get any runaround on a covered repair since she is 1200 miles away. I don't want to go with the GM extended warranty because it is more expensive, covers less time and miles than WG and it is basically a cash cow for the dealer's service department. So, I'm about to buy TWO extended warranties, and so far, WG is my first choice.
Joe
The eclipse has never been known for its reliablity and an extended warranty was a must in my opinion. With the the cost of repairs these days...I would'nt chance not having a car under warranty. Even if I never put a claim in..the peace of mind alone would still have made it worth it.
Be prepared for a dog fight possibly and don't let your guard down!
thats my advice...
If Mitsubishi motors offered a 5yr/150k mile plan like WG does...reasonably priced higher..I probably would have gone with it instead.
WG does seem to have a few strange stipulations in their contract.
With my recent claim. My motor mount pulley broke which destroyed my serpentine belt. WG covered the repair..but I had to dig into my pockets for a new serpentine belt.
But if the pulley never broke..the belt would not have prematurely gone bad?
I also remember reading about a claim here...where WG covered a expensive transmission job..yet would'nt pay for the fluid though?
New radiator..yet you pay for the antifreeze?
With the bumper to bumper manufacturer warranty...I'm almost positive one would'nt have to deal with those little annoyances...
I could do many of the repairs you had done to your car in my own driveway. Unfortunately, that is MY time, and I've worked on enough cars because I HAD to; it will be nice to let someone else do those things that always break around 75-90,000 miles.
I've found a couple of bulletin boards where someone was bad mouthing WG, but I've come to be suspicious of those outrageous claims. To see what I mean, go look at the listings for the guy that was really complaining about 1Source extended warranties. They don't always tell you the details about WHY the warranty company denied the claim--like previous damage that any shade tree mechanic could tell had been there for months, if not years.
SPYDER98, I'm curious about some of the things you've had to pay for. Do you have the Diamond warranty, or do you have one of the other ones? If so, they seem to be VERY specific about what they cover, and nothing else. That may explain why you've had to pay for belts and anti-freeze.
I'll keep everyone posted about my luck with WG. The only thing that I wonder about is their pricing. One week, I get a message for $500 off, the next week I get one for $350 off. I'm wondering if buying from them is like buying a new power drill from Sears--if they are having a REALLY big sale the week you need one, you can almost steal the thing.
Joe
My first claim was for a faulty display on my radio at about 40k miles. WG covered the entire bill $270.
Next claim was for a cracked exhaust manifold, 50k miles. WG paid entire bill $420. Next one was the biggy, dead turbo at 70k, WG paid entire bill $1750! The 4th one was at 77k when my motor mount pulley broke and I needed a tow. Total bill came out to about $470. WG paid for $300 of it. I had to pay some labor and for a new belt along with a little extra for towing. I believe WG covered it upto $50.
I also bought a 5yr/150k diamond plan for $1400. I actually called WG a couple of times and was given the run around about pricing. I finally got into an argument with someone there and spoke to a higher up who wanted to settle things and gave me a great price of $1400 I thought. So I bought it.
I can't say anything bad about WG..they have saved my butt big time and I would strongly recommend them to anyone, based solely on my experience with them so far. I convinced one of my co-workers to buy a policy from them for his 323 bmw. WG sent me a check for 50 bucks for the referral.
Given I was the last who criticized WG on this board, I would like to clarify my position.
First of all, I do not want to "bad mouth" the company, only to objectively report my very limited experience.
I have a diamond plan, bumper to bumper, 6 year / 100k miles. It cost $1200. Bought when the car approached the end of the original warranty, 32k on odometer. It was 11 months ago.
Recently I had to use the warranty - the first time and, I hope, it will be the only time. The intake manifold gasket of my 98 Malibu started to leak coolant. A small leak, found under pressure test.
WG paid the repair from the first attempt. The gasket is not expensive, but the repair takes a lot of labor. $66 for gasket, $450 labor, $30 tax, total $550.
The only thing WG did not pay was oil change. Mechanic told me the oil needed to be changed after the repair, even while it was changed only about 500 miles before. To the best of my understanding, a bit of dirt can get inside engine during the repair, and it is better to wash it out. Any case, this is not a problem with me. I bought the warranty for peace of mind, not to save on small things.
The only problem I had with the warranty is a slow warranty administrator response. It took them two days to call-back my mechanic. Probably would took even longer, but I called the customer service of WG.
The WG representative was very friendly. He immediately called the shop manager, and connected him to the claim administrator. Though, even the assisted connection took 15 minutes on hold.
Second, the administrator company does not work on week-ends. My car was ready Saturday morning, but was released only Monday, mid-day.
Summary: the car was 7 days in the shop. Brought it in May 01, 7:49am, and took out May 07, 2:04pm, according to my copy of invoice. The repair itself took 3 days, and 4 days was wasted on waiting for administrator.
Plus this wasted the time and attention of the shop manager. With 8 or 9 bay garage, open till late and 7 days a week, and the Firestone tire dealership, he is a very busy person. Always friendly, always wants to help. Several times suggested me I do not need such and such repair, even while it means he lost the business. I like him very much and I feel uneasy for forcing him to work with the administrator.
Yours was not the comments I was talking about. I forgot what forum I was in, but I found it after doing a Yahoo search using the words "Warranty Gold." I can easily understand your frustration with their delay.
It seems that WG has undergone some sort of metamorphosis in the last 18 months or so. The web site Auto Warranty Review had them listed about fourth or fifth a year ago. Now, they are their ONLY 5-star warranty company. This was about the time they added a lot of extras like the roadside assistance and other features. It looks as if their pricing policy has also gotten more aggressive due to competition. However, as with ANY business that grows quickly, sometimes the service end is caught not keeping up with the sales and marketing side of the house.
Usually, I have found a simple fix to this problem. In the past, when my car has gone in for warranty repair and the repair will take more than one day, I get a rental paid for by whatever warranty or insurance company is paying the bill. It's amazing how much faster your car gets repaired when they are paying for a rental!! After looking at their provisions to pay for rental cars, it looks as if they have really tightened what they will and will not pay for. However, even with their new rules, the first time they put me in a rental and then drag THEIR feet calling the repair shop in a timely manner, THEY will likely end up paying more money.
Thanks again for the great information. When someone posts a message and says something very generic like, "Yeah they are great," or "they are really lousy," that doesn't tell you anything. Your detailed response and the ones from SPYDER98 helps fill a lot of gaps.
Joe
Joe do you have the URL to that website with the warranty reviews?
thanks..
~Rob
http://www.autowarrantyreviews.org/
By the way, 1Source has come up to have a 5-star rating in the last couple of days. Interesting!
As for Warranty Gold, I know that Texas is a tough state inwhich to write insurance. Their headquarters is in Austin, TX. If they don't act right, well, it wouldn't be pretty......
Joe
Now if people are having claim difficulties with WG, I wonder what in the world its like going through a claim process with some of the lower ranked companies?
One of the biggest contributors to the lousy reputation warranty companies had for a long time in the 70s,80s and early 90s was their flimsy excuses for denying claims.
In the mid-80s, I owned a small fleet used for a vanpool business. The owners often met to discuss mutual interests and problems, and the biggest grip was often how a company could find the thinnest of excuses to leave you high and dry. Keep in mind that these vehicles were meticulously maintained to help ensure reliability, which is critical in a vanpool business.
One guy told of a company that denied his claim because they said a bolt came loose and caused the coolant to leak out and destroy the engine. I'm sorry, I don't think ANYONE, even the engineers that designed the engine can say for a certainty how coolant leaked out after an engine self-destructed and ate its own pistons for breakfast.
I think the reason a lot of those companies only have one, two or three stars is for the way they leave their policy holders holding the bag....and we all know what the bag is full of!
Joe
I know warranty direct uses the same one as WG and so does 1 source I believe.
Which would explain why they are all ranked in the top 10 I guess..
1Source does not utilize the same administrator that WarrantyGold (Independent Warranty Managment Corp – out of Arvada CO) or WarrantyDirect (Interstate National Dealer Services – out of Uniondale NY) uses. That is what is unique about 1SourceAutoWarranty; we administer our own claims. One thing I would strongly suggest is to always look at the BBB reports on the administrator of all warranty companies (not the selling division)- Customer complaints usually come in when they are trying to file a claim and it is denied. Always ask for a BBB report for the administrator (since we administer our own claims, the BBB report is the same for both divisions).
You can view any of the BBB reports at www.bbb.org
Thank you,
Troy Hale
My mistake!
I like the fact 1source handles everything internally. Thanks for the URL also..
Will keep you posted as to what happens. I don't expect to need them for some time, since both cars have been very dependable, and each one has well over 30 days of factory warranty left.
Great coverage at a great price...funny thing is, if GM had anything like WG coverage and prices, I would have GM's Major Guard warranties on both cars. If they were offered at a reasonable price as a factory option, rather than those 'joke vs. insult' prices that the dealers quote when they try to load it in with the useless undercoating, fabric protection and paint protection, I would have bought their warranties when the cars were new and rolled it into the financing. At least now I can use one of several good ASAE and AAA-certified shops closer to home.
Maybe one day GM, Ford and Chrysler will wake up and figure out that the fantastic 10-year warranty coverage is why Hyundai and Kia sales are up 40-60% IN ONE YEAR!!!
By the way, I did NOT get the high-pressure sales pitch some people have talked about on here. Just a Sgt. Joe Friday sort of just-the-facts-maam kind of approach. Maybe some people were so abused by the selling dealership when they bought their car that now they expect all auto-related sales to be high pressure.
If all goes well, when my 2000 Chevy S-10 hits about 30K miles, I will buy another WG policy.
Joe
Don't forget to share your claim experiences with us in the future.
Yes, the WG policy does state it starts 30 days after the policy issue date. The important thing to remember is that if you purchase it AFTER the factory warranty runs out, it changes the terms available and the price of the warranty.
I intentionally waited until the factory warranty was almost expired to take advantage of the extra time. The WG policy starts 5 years from the issue date--if I purchased it when the car was new, I'd essentially be buying two extra years of coverage because the first three years of the WG policy would be duplicated by the factory warranty. By the way, this is essentially how ALL manufacturer-backed extended warranties work. If you buy their extended warranty when the car is new or in the 35th month of the factory warranty, the clock started when the car was originally put into service. So, a 5-year GM Protection Plan Major Guard warranty is actually a 2-year warranty, regardless of when you purchased it.
In my case, I purchased both warranties for these cars knowing that they wouldn't start for 30 days, since it was clearly disclosed by WG. With at least 30 days/1,000 miles left on the original GM warranty, I have plenty of time to have any breakdowns covered by GM before I start calling WG.
Personally, I don't have a problem with this, since I'm buying an INSURANCE policy that covers breakdown and wearout repairs. Most insurance policies have some sort of waiting period, such as a life insurance policy stating that it will not pay off in the case of suicide for a period ranging from 1-3 years.
Joe
Lobsterman, I think I misread your post anyway.
I believe that is one reason they want to know the mileage of the car when you buy the warranty, it effects their costs. I do know that free loaner car coverage is one thing they will pay for, even if the repair itself is covered by the factory warranty.
Anybody else here take advantage of the $500 in free gas offered if you purchased a warranty back around Christmas? I have had no problems getting my $41.66 gasoline checks so far.
I went with the WG contract because of three reasons: cost, more flexibility in choosing a repair shop and terms of coverage.
Virtually ALL extended service policies backed by manufacturers start with the vehicle's in-service date. According to the WG contract, page 3, item 1, it states that the "the new vehicle plan expiration is measured in time/mileage from the contract purchase date and zero (0) miles." That means it expires in 5 years from the date of purchase, or when I hit 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. With GM's Major Guard, which is an excellent warranty, the coverage period is calculated from July '98, even though I bought the warranty in May of '01.
Flexibility is probably not a plus if you live a few blocks from a dealer that sells and services your brand, or if you live in a small town. However, in San Antonio, Texas, I can assure you that is a BIG plus. From work, I'm at least 20-30 minutes to the nearest Buick dealer. With a GM warranty, I would have to go back to the dealer. With an independent warranty, I'm not forced to do that.
The dealers are also often at the mercy of a more, rather than less, restrictive parts supply system than some independents. When my wife's car had two bad Goodyear tires on it, we waited a week for replacements to arrive. They HAD to get them through GM. So, going back to the delaer isn't always a plus.
Bottom line is that Cavender Buick (my dealer) is an excellent dealer, but they are not convenient from my home or office, or fast. Good, independent shops have access to the same parts and technical data as most dealers.
The mileage and time limits of the WG contract speak for themselves. In Texas, we LIVE in our vehicles. It's not unusual to see a like-new one to three-year-old car for sale around here with 80K-100K miles. Public or mass transportation in Texas? Don't make me laugh... So, 150,000 miles in eight years (3 years factory + 5 years WG) will be adequate. The best I could do with a GM Major Guard policy is four additional years for a total of seven, and coverage to 70,000 miles at the most.
Personally, I think that WG and others like them will probably have the same affect on manufacturer-backed warranties that Japanese cars had on American cars. They will get better because they HAVE to in order to be competitive.
Joe
I purchased a 7 year, 100,000 New Diamond plan when my 2000 Intrepid R/T had 4,165 miles on it. The only issue is I changed jobs, so now I am driving only about 12,000 miles a year. If that holds for 7 years, I will have only about 88,000 miles on the car when it expires. The warranty is also transferrable to a 2nd owner.
I recommend getting the Diamond plan, as it is an exclusionary warranty. What that means is it lists what is excluded, and if it not on the list, then it is covered. It is much clearer in case of disputes over what is covered.
The quote I received for the similar warranty from Chrysler was much higher, and while the one from Warranty Direct was less, the $500 in free gasoline dropped the cost on the Warranty Gold to about $200 less, and the coverage was better as well. One major air conditioning, electrical, or drivetrain repair over 7 years is going to be more than the cost of the warranty.
They filed the claim for about $ 1,600.00 for the complete repair. I am surprised that WG only pays part of the cost based on a $ 58.00 labor rate.
Range Rover's labor rate however is $ 85.00 per hour. I have to pay the difference! I checked with other car dealers and found that even Volkswagen dealer here work with $ 85.00 per hour.
Nissan was even $95 p.h.. I called Warranty Gold myself and asked how I can avoid to pay more than the specified deductible of $ 50.00. They gave me phone numbers of PepBoys and Aamco. I called there but they refuse to work on RR engines.
I wanted my car being repaired by professionals.
Range Rovers Computer diagnostic equipment is only available at RangeRover dealers. So I have no chance to have my car repaired under warranty. I have to pay $ 400.00 myself for this repair.
At least WG approved $ 1200 for the repair. However nobody will do the repair for this money.
There is nothing in the contract telling about this $ 58.00 per hour limit. I don't think WG's approach is legal and I would like to hear some other opinions about this.
Did anybody ever make the same experience?
thanks for any advice.
Dolf@aol.com
Most dealerships have two labor rates....the one the manufacturer pays for warranty work, and another one they charge to Joe Public. Guess which one is cheaper? That's right....the MANUFACTURER sets a warranty rate that is usually much lower than the "street" rate.
Many times, extended warranty policies base the rate they pay on the rate the manufacturer pays. I don't know if this is the case with WG. You didn't say where you are (I suspect either New York, Boston or LA) but I DO know that most shops here in South Texas would welcome $58 per hour for repairs.
You have several options. One is to return to the selling dealer. Talk to the sales rep, or sales manager or the service manager and see if they can be of any help, stressing that you bought the car there. Remind them that you would like to keep bringing the car back to their shop...if they will play ball. Also, ask them if they will adjust the labor rate to the level paid by Range Rover for warranty repairs. If you don't know what that rate is, look at some warranty repair documents. The labor rate paid by RR should be listed on the repair order. I'll be willing to bet you lunch that it is NOT $85 per hour.
If that doesn't work, check the Internet for other RR dealers close to you, and call them to see if they will do the work for $58 per hour.
Next option is to find a good independent shop that specializes in Jags, Mercedes, BMW and even Range Rovers. I would think they would jump at a $58 per hour job. You DON'T need a RR computer to repair a head gasket. Just a mechanic who knows what he is doing.
If this doesn't work, you may be stuck. You'll have to admit that Range Rovers are sold based upon a certain amount of snob appeal, and that snob factor doesn't come cheap. NOW you know how the dealer pays for those "free" Range Rover weekend excursions they are so proud of. You mentioned that you wanted your car repaired by "professionals." That statement seems a little arrogant, so I guess you HAVE bought into the snob appeal of the Range Rover. Do you REALLY think that only RR dealers hire professionals to work in their shops?
If nothing works, guess you'll just have to figure that snob appeal runs about $85 per hour. Hey, $400 for reapairs isn't so bad, unless you add that to your $750 monthly payment....
If all of this doesn't work, you could always call Click and Clack.
Good luck!
Joe (drives a Buick and a Chevy)