D. Dahle Mazda Extended Warranty Rip-Off Murray Utah

In 2009 I purchased a 2007 Honda Accord from D. Dahle Mazda in Murray, UT. As a single woman without knowledge of car maintenance and the mechanical problems that can arise when purchasing a used vehicle, I felt it necessary to protect myself by purchasing the extended warranty. The salesman representing the dealership sold me an Easy Care extended warranty at the cost of $1483. The most convincing selling point of the Easy Care warranty was the guarantee of a 100% refund if no claims were made against it within 60 months or 100,000 miles.  In my mind I was protected should there be any major mechanical issues with the car and if there happen to be none the warranty was FREE, so what did I have to lose…?

Since I had no major issues with the vehicle for the timeframe and number of miles stated in the contract, I was looking forward to making a claim for the refund as soon as possible.  As the expiration date of my policy approached, I received numerous solicitations by mail from Easy Care to extend my contract with them.  I called Easy Care to inquire about my refund and was informed that Signet Financial Group, the entity offering the refund through D. Dahle Mazda has no direct connection to Easy Care. They also informed me that D. Dahle Mazda no longer sells Easy Care extended warranties. The customer service agent told me to contact the dealership.

I contacted Rob Meyer, General Manager of D. Dahle Mazda to find out how to go about requesting a refund.  He informed me that Signet Financial Group has declared bankruptcy and that the dealership has no responsibility to refund the policy. I was invited to apply for the refund but told that my application would simply be kept on file at the dealership as proof that I have requested the refund.  I asked what the dealership was prepared to do for their loyal and trusting customers and was told that they would give me a “dollar for dollar” ($1483) discount on the purchase of a vehicle. This is certainly not a satisfying answer to a customer who, in good faith purchased a warranty based on need and the promise of a full refund.  In addition, some contract holders may have paid for repairs out of pocket to avoid making a claim on the policy and thereby forfeiting the refund.  The policy was sold to me by a salesman representing D. Dahle Mazda and acting as an agent of Signet Financial Group. Perhaps the sales person was paid a commission for the sale of the policy or the dealership was given some kind of kick-back for the number of policies sold.

 I believe by acting as an agent the dealership is liable to honor said contracts. I am not interested in purchasing another vehicle in order to get what is due to me nor would I do business again with a dealership that does not stand behind the products they provide and promote as a standard practice. D. Dahle Mazda assumes no responsibility for the business decisions and partnerships they enter into but rather allows their customers to be bilked through such practices while hiding behind the pretense that the extended warranties were not sold to them by the dealership.

It is my hope that the team at Get Gephardt will research this issue and shed some light on this deceptive operation.