This is my story:
CLAIM IN PROGRESS: I am the owner of a 2001 Civic covered under an Ultimate Warranty Platinum protection (whatever that means now) contract that is facing about $2500 in repairs, some of which are covered in the warranty. Will the Attorney General help at all? Has anyone contacted Consumer protction Agency, Federal Trade Commision. I haven't filed the claim yet.
A week ago (Friday) my dealer called them and told them we would be making a claim on a bad power steering pump. They wanted to hold off on ordering the part and see if they could get a cheaper one and order it in. They said they would call back that day or on Monday. My dealer also said I had bad ball joints and needed new struts. The ball joints have play, left side has grease coming out, and should be replaced. It was Monday and they never called back so I had my dealer order factory replacement parts.
Wednesday I left my vehicle with the dealer and they began fixing the vehicle and called the (800)576-5113 number and told them it was in the shop being worked on. THEN they said they were sending out an inspector to make sure my Honda DEALER isn't lying. This inspector person wasn't mentioned at all on Friday when my dealer called them saying they were making a claim on the power steering pump. They don't believe that a certified mechanic can diagnose bad car parts. This inspector person will take 24-48hrs to come out and inspect my vehicle at the dealership, all the while I am without a car. They told my dealer that they didn't want the factory power steering pump that had already been ordered (although they failed to call us back after we told them Friday it needed to be replaced). The dealer can't put crappy cheap parts into an auto and I don't want them...it is my car.
I called Ultimate Warranty and they said they were not covering the ball joints because the certified lifetime mechanic had already fixed them. They had to physically be on my car still, untouched. The dealership has saved the ball joints to show the inspector. I had to call my dealer back to tell the mechanic to not fix my power steering pump. This is absolutely insane.
They want to put cheap parts in my car (not factory) and not pay for all the labor. It also sounds like my car should be in such a condition for them to pay for it that it could literally fall apart resulting in a potentially fatal crash. Sounds like a scam. When I call the receivership company they don't sound like they intend to re-imbuse me at all. Has anyone had any luck at all getting re-imbursed?
From what I read this company was supposed to put the amount paid for the contract into a Claims Fund and they were spending it elsewhere. If you are going to warranty used vehicles, expect them to break down. People who buy used auto's aren't rich and a warranty is nice to have to cover major repairs.
It sounds like the receivership isn't afraid of facing any Consumer protection agencies. They keep pelting me with new "regulations and rules" like I'm the one at fault.
Laura G
Sumter, South Carolina
U.S.A.