ACCESS Warranty / Continental Warranty And Others Crazy High Pressure Sales Tactics Access Warranty no better then Continental Warranty Play CONSUMERS!!! Van Nuys Lynnwood California - Washington

Hello,

The question I have is this: If a business who has sold a product for 20 years has found a protected way to sell their clients without taking the risk of fraud, why is it a rip off to conduct business on your terms. Many companies control who they enroll, life insurance companies, health insurance companies, car insurance companies, home owners insurance companies, why are we a rip off for controlling which clients we enroll?

Did you have to buy our product? Answer no. Did we force you to do something you were unwilling to do? Answer no. We simply explained how we sell our product, and offered to sell it to you under our regulations and the regulations of our insurance company. I just don't see how typing a message on a "Rip off" site a legitimate resolution to you're obvious greviance with our enrollment process.

Here is a simple analogy and I hope you the best of luck with your vehicle, if you could sign up anytime you want for insurance, and the company was forced to let you buy at anytime because you are the customer and that is your right. What would stop people from calling insurance companies when they already need the service they provide? I broke my arm, I need to buy health insurance to fix it, I have recently found out I have an incurable illness I want to buy life insurance, my car just blew up I need car insurance, I have a transmission broken down, let me buy your warranty now. It just doesn't work.

Lonnie Pitts Welcome Center Manager Continental Warranty 1-866-989-9100 extension 1620

Thanks for your time, please contact me if you have questions on this response.

Just to put in my two cents...
I had the exact same experience as this person (see my post). First of all the person didn't say anything about the 30day/ 1000 mile waiting period before you file a claim. Which is what you're talking about in your analogy. That's a given. Of course companies have to protect themselves against people who are attempting to get a warranty on a car that's already messed up. That's why they have that waiting period of 30day and 1000 miles which LEO from your company told me you had. That's not what the writer is talking about. They are talking about Continental not wanting to provide any written paper work of the terms and coverages until AFTER you put money down. And on top of that the person is talking about the sales tactic that was used by telling the customer that this is a special type of deal that you can only get on the initial phone call.

If your product is so good then you should have no problem with the customer reviewing and comparing the information that's being given. You won't even provide written proof of everything that you're saying because YOU KNOW THAT IT'S ALL BS. Why does someone have to put money down before they can get written proof of what's being said to them? Any company that does that is a scam. If you can verbally say it then you should be able to provide written copy of what you're saying FOR FREE NOT FOR A DOWN PAYMENT. Since you're giving analogies, Here's one for you. Would you buy (pay for) a used car over the phone before you see it? No. Would you pay for a contractual agreement based on what the person said before you actually see the contract. Hell no, You won't come across too many trustworthy, reliable, upholding, truthful and loyal people in this world. Lonnie and Continental are DEFINITELY NOT one of them.

Some advice to who ever is looking for a warranty. Go with Triple A (AAA) or Mercury insurance. I know several people who are with them and had never had a problem.

I read the prior post by Jazee and my take on it is this:

You don't know anything about the industry I work in. Nothing but what you have learned by calling and getting quotes. So the information you are relying on to make your comments is based on what sales people have told you. I don't blame you for your comments, but they are uninformed and false.

New car owners do get a copy of the contract and brochures. They are allowed to shop and compare and sign up randomly. They get 3 years and 36,000 miles to make an informed decision. If that is not long enough, then obviously marketing our product that way hasn't worked, so we apply some urgency.

Used car owners we have to protect ourselves against, I hope you are not suggesting we mail a copy of our contract to every used car owner that requests one and then say sign up whenever you want? If we did that every single broken down car in America would call our phone. Why pay for a troublesome transmission when you can get a company like us to do it. Especially since we will let you make payments at 0% interest which repair facilities won't do.

I don't blame "customers" for feeling pressure, and complaining about it.

I just hope people understand that you cannot run a business that stupid, or else it will fail and let me ask you this what is the point of finding a company who lets you sign up any way you want, has real cheap prices, and mail you all the paperwork and let you buy anytime and then goes bankrupt. You didnt save any money, you got ripped off. That has never happened to one single client we sell and it never will because we protect clients better than any other company out there.

You might not like how we do it, but if you had our program you would appreciate and respect it.

Thanks Lonnie Pitts Welcome Center Manager

Any questions contact lpitts@continentalwarranty.net

I work for a major reporting firm and before I bought an extended warranty. I did my homework and research. I asked a lot of questions and read a lot of posts before putting any money out. This is what I found.

Laws vary from state to state regarding extended warranties.

Almost all warranty companies take on vehicles sight unseen. The companies who say call back any time probably won't be around when you need them. Warranty Gold is a good case in point. That's why Continental Warranty states they don't have open enrollment, because if they did, what would stop someone from waiting until their car broke down before they purchased a warranty? However, I did find out that Continental Warranty wants you to enroll the first time they talk to you because of incentives, like 0% financing, roadside assistance, car rental, etc. They claim to give you more benefits the first time they talk to you. Which is not true, the incentives are the same whether it's the 1st, 2nd or 3rd time.

One consumer from a different post wrote: Consumer rights to a 30 day cancellation are already in place under the consumers rights laws. If not mistaken, that's a federal law to protect consumers.

Answer: This is absolutely correct, with the exception of Florida which allows 60 days.

Same consumer from a different post wrote: Solely based upon having been told by a sales rep, you'll have the ability to cancel within 30 days. A common sales ploy used to earn a commission on a sale.

Answer: I asked the agent the same question. I was told the Sales Agent DOES NOT get a commission until after the 30/60 days have elapsed, and only if the customer does not cancel and has made the first monthly installment.

Same consumer from a different post wrote: In order for the article to be more informative, it needs to be stated how the Continental Warranty was able to immediately charge your credit card? What you failed to note was, in order for Continental to do that, you had to have given them the card number.

Answer: Not only must the credit card be given in order for the transaction to be processed, but all customers are sent through to the “Verification Dept.”. A verification agent reads from a script and the call is digitally recorded to protect both the consumer as well as the company. Throughout the call the verification agent asks “Do you have any questions so far”? At the end of the verification process the agent asks “Do I have your permission to charge $ X to your X Credit Card today? Your credit card cannot be charged without your express permission.

As far as California law regarding the power train warranty. It is not any better or any worse than any other extended California warranty. That is not to say it's a good warranty. It's called a “Product Warranty”. What that means is they are guaranteeing when you add the product, which is a coolant additive to your radiator, if any of the parts listed on the warranty breakdown as a direct result of the product not working as stated, they'll repair it. But this type of warranty is iffy at best as it only covers certain components. Read this plan carefully before your 30 days is up, and definitely BEFORE your add the product. They DO NOT have to give you your deposit back after the product has been added, and from what I understand, most times won't give it back (unless you make a big stink and get a reporting agency involved). Although that goes for all warranty companies, not just Continental. If you decide to go forward with this type of warranty and the component(s) which is covered does fail, the warranty will pay 100% parts and labor up to $4500 which can be a very good investment on your part. I do not recommend this type of warranty for either a high end vehicle (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus etc) or a new car with virtually no mileage, buy a “Full Coverage” warranty from the dealer BEFORE you drive off the lot.

By the way, there's no such thing as a bumper to bumper warranty. Bumpers are cosmetic as is the glass, upholstery, trim etc. Warranties also do not cover maintenance like oil changes or tune-ups, or wear and tear items like your battery, brake pads, light bulbs, etc.

Which leads me to the question of; Is it a good idea to buy a warranty from the dealership?

Depends on what state you're in. In California the laws are much different than in other states. Think of it this way. Dealerships specialize in selling cars, warranties are up sells for the finance dept. Dealerships do not sell you the warranty at their wholesale rate, they add on a mark up amount, which can be ½ the cost of the warranty. If you financed the vehicle and the warranty is included in the financing it means your warranty is accruing charges at whatever interest rate you're paying. Some time's a good thing; but only if it's on a new car with a low interest rate and the warranty lasts as long as the financed payments. On a used vehicle you've financed for 5 years, and the warranty is only good for 3 years, you'll be paying interest on a warranty that expired 2 years before the loan is paid off! Not a good deal.

As far as Continental Warranty goes, they're brokers, They sell warranties, no more, no less. The company has been around for years but it's the underwriter who'll be paying your claims. A lot of warranty companies do not use underwriters, they're self insured companies, many have also been around for years and pay your claims too, others close their doors before they have to put out any money. Do your homework. Ask a lot of questions.

Does Continental Warranty give you the facts? Yes, but you need to ask the right questions and be willing to listen to the answers all the way through. Can you call back? They'll tell you “Yes, but you won't be eligible for a certified plan”. That's not true, you can call back and get certified coverage, however keep in mind since you'll driving your car, your mileage will go up which may change the plan you're originally eligible for.

Were the Continental Warranty Agents I spoke with rude? Not at all. The 3 different agents I spoke with were very firm in their policy about not calling back and willing to explain in detail “why” I needed to put down a deposit today (which I didn't do till the 3rd time, so the “First Time Applicant” rule isn't true) I did not find any inconsistency in what they were telling me about underwriters or Risk Retention Groups. They were patient, informative, and yes, at times they put me on the spot about having let my warranty lapse. They also called me on some excuses I made about speaking with my wife before I gave them the deposit by reminding me I had given them permission to submit my Vin #. Several times during all three calls, I too felt my integrity was being questioned. But the bottom line was, looking at it from their point of view, as the woman explained to me; she couldn't see my car from her office (I live in another state) and if the Ins. Co. was willing to take on my car sight unseen I would need to give them the same amount of trust with a “small” refundable deposit on a secured credit card.

People, this is how all sales work. Just like any other company they want to earn your business. But in order to earn it, you must first read the fine print, and DO read the fine print, however you've got to get the contact into your hands first so you “can” read the fine print, and the only way you can read the fine print is to put down a refundable deposit.

Whichever company you decide to purchase from, read the contract until you understand what you're getting, and if you have questions, call and ask someone to explain (I called as there were a few questions I had after I got the paperwork). A warranty like any other insurance based product is something you'd probably rather not spend your money on, yet it sure is a great investment when your car breaks down! I know, I'm the guy who didn't think I needed one until I ended up sending $3800 I didn't have (I had to put it on 3 different credit cards), on a repair for my last car.

Will I keep this warranty or return it within the next few days? I still have a bit more reading to do, but one thing's for sure, I'm at least well informed and if I decide I don't want it I'll ask for my money back.

Thank you for taking the time to do your research as I did, and that is why I came back to post this so I could share my experience.

Hello TC and others looking for extended auto warranties. It is very simple and easy to do, join a credit union like Alliant Credit Union or other reputable credit union. Not only will you be safe in your purchase but you will save a truck load of money with no hassle. Good Luck  !