Wynn's Extended Care Warrantee Co refuses to pay claims for covered parts, ignores their own inspector's assessment AND deliberatly delays all correspondences to wear you down. Rip-off! BREA California

Two years ago I purchased a 1999 VW Passat wagon in very good condition with 53K miles on it. At the same time I purchased a vehicle service contract from Wynn's Extended Care.

In September 2003, I started hearing terrible loud squeeking noises from the front end. It scares the kids in the neighborhood! My specialty mechanic instantly knew what the problem was - failed control arms, ball joints and bushings on both sides of the front suspension. He sent me to the local VW Dealership in Glens Falls, NY.

Garvey VW is a huge company that has been selling and servicing VWs for decades. The service manager Phil worked so hard he's now bald trying to get Wynn's to MAKE GOOD on their obligations under the contract to replace the control arm system ALL OF WHICH ARE COVERED PARTS under my contract. Phil spent hours on the phone and faxing info. to Wynn's. We followed ALL THE RULES! Garvey gave up and were so disgusted and frustrated by delaing with WYNNS that they now have a policy to never handle a claim with WYNNS again.

Here I am 9 months later and I am still trying to get these repairs made. I've spent hundreds of dollars and lost days of work pursuing this. My local mechanic is so concerned about the condition of the car now that he wants to repair it immediately and go after Wynns later. I may have to do that and risk Wynns claiming we didn't following their procedures. But my mechanic and I have DONE EVERYTHING, yet Wynns refuses to hold up their end of the deal.

Two weeks ago, my mechanic called them with a renewed claim for the same repairs. About $1100 worth of labor and parts would fix this problem. (Car now has 88K) Wynns sent an inspector who said - "Yup, this car needs the front control arms replaced. I will have to give them a lesson in German Engineering." Wynns wants only to replace the bushings (4200) though the mechanic knows this is a poor temporary fix. They claim that they are not responsible for repairs because the problem is described in VW's "Technical Service Bulletin" which, frankly, just alerts mechanics to what parts to use to fix this problem. IT IS NOT A RECALL. The people we talk to at WYNN"s do not understand the mechanical problem and argue with my mechanic. They ignore their OWN INSPECTOR's CONCLUSION.

Wynns also using tactics to delay and discourage claims. They refuse to accept correspondence via FAX. They have said that letters sent have not reached them. It takes FOUR MONTHS for mechanics to be paid.

I have now filed complaints with: The NYS Attorney General's Office Consumer Fraud Division, The California Better Business Bureau, The complaintstation.com, Rip-Off Report and a private Attorney.

Any ideas from anyone else who has dealt with this RIP OFF corporation would be appreciated. What they don't know is that they have pushed me too far - my patience and polite following of bureaucratic procedures is done. they need to pay for these repairs IMMEDIATELY or brace themselves for one hell of a fight.

S.B.
Lake Placid, New York
U.S.A.