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ATTENTION Warranty Gold Customers!!!

wyrickre

SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
398
Location
Firestone, CO
If you have a Warranty Gold extended warranty that you purchased before June 2003 (maybe even more recently than that), your warranty is currently USELESS.

Here's my story:

We purchased an extended warranty for my wife's 2002 Buick Rendezvous earlier this year. Her vehicle is only about 1.5 years old, but she drives a lot and it has 39,000 miles on it. The 3yr/36,000 mile factory warranty is, therefore, expired. We purchased a 5yr/150,000 mile warranty from Warranty Gold shortly before the factory warranty expired.

Well, the air conditioner quit working and we took it in for service. This is our second extended warranty through WG and I didn't forsee ANY problems. The dealer calls us later to say that WG won't pay due to some legal issues... 3 hours and several phone calls later, this is what I've learned.

WG is required by law to have a company that "administers" their warranties. The company they had doing this was National Warranty. National Warranty is currently involved in several lawsuits and is also in bankruptcy... You can read the legalese on National Warranty's site (it was up earlier today, but currently appears to be down).

So, long story short, WG WON'T PAY on claims. They told me to pay out of my pocket and to file a claim with National Warranty. They say that the "funds" from my warranty are currently frozen and that they are trying to get the judge to release them so they can put them with the new administrating company. If they can get THAT done, the warranty will go back to "normal" coverage.

To make matters worse, the problem with the AC is noted in a service bulletin. It is EXACTLY the same problem and states to replace with a new part with an "updated design". So I tried to get Buick to cover the expense... ($860). So far, I've had no luck... but that may still pan out. Currently, I'm getting the line that since I have an extended warranty, Buick won't assist me. But my extended warranty is NO GOOD! Things may still pan out with Buick, but I thought you all should know about the Warranty Gold issues.

I have recommended WG several times in the past, and while I do believe them when they say that this is a situation that is out of their control, I also think that they could do SOMETHING for their customers who are in a bind. I'll probably even buy from them again in the future, but had I known about this issue earlier, I would have just waited to take the car in until after everything was sorted out in the courts. But since I didn't know, I had the choice of paying out of my pocket for the repair and hoping I get reimbursed or paying the $95 diagnosis fee and bringing the vehicle home. I chose the latter.

I'm seriously ticked off right now... at WG... at Buick... at the dealer who told Buick about the WG issues (had he said nothing, Buick would have covered it, I'm pretty sure)... it's been a bad day.

Thanks for letting me vent.
 
Ouch! :eek: Thanks for the heads up! Sorry to hear about your missfortune. :6: Information passed on like this is one more of the reasons this site is so valuable!


Wiki
 
WOW! ?Thanks for sharing, and sorry to hear of the trouble. ?We were seriously thinking about purchasing a WG Platinum warranty but will look elsewhere now.

Wishing you the best with your claim. ?Keep us posted.

Lorry
 
Actually, the warranties they are selling now are fine as they are with a new adminstrating company (I'd ask, though). Like I said before... WG has always been a great warranty! These issues really suprise me....
 
That sucksssssssss
 
Sorry to hear this i just looked for my exwarrenty card to check for what my company is havn't used it yet as still have some factory warrenty left.
My'n is Universal Underwriters good to 7/08 or 75,000 miles
 
You can get a real good update on the WG problem at this site http://www.extended-warranty.info/nwig/#foreword. I second the motion of ygmn when he said this "sucks". Man, I paid $1250. bucks and am still under factory warranty so I haven't collected a penny, and probably won't ever from WG.

Somebody set up a poll so we can see how many members are getting hosed on this one. Maybe if there are enough we could pool our resourses and hire an attorney to at least get some advice, even....if it's not what we want to hear. :7:
 
Thanks for the heads up, I'm look to get an AV in a few days and thats something I was really thinking about, I guess I'll stick with the GM extended warrenty, Unless there is a problem with them too????
 
The weird thing is that they didn't stop collecting the funds on the payments. I wonder what legal position that puts them in?

-John
 
About Warranty Gold, Warranty Direct, 1Source, or any other Warranty Co, I bought a GM plan because I believe we would have to have much bigger problems before I heard that GM is insolvent. Warranty Gold may, or may not, work out their problems this time. But what about next time, two years from now, etc?

I just purchased the GM "Major Guard" Warranty from OURISMAN Chevy of Maryland (I live in NH) for $1665 for a zero deductible 72 month - 75K mile. My warranty purchase date was considered the same day as the sale of my Avy. OURISMAN is NOT where I purchased my Avy. My Avy dealer wanted over $2K. Do a web search for "GMPP" and you will find many GM Waranty wholesalers. Black Pontiac is another major GM warranty wholesaler. Never pay retail for a GM warranty. I choose the GM warranty as Warranty Gold is still having problems, and Warranty Direct was about the same price as my GM plan. I have faith the GM plan will be around, and the service deprtment loves the GM warranty so no hassles for me. It is approx 5-8% more for the warranty when you purchase at a later date then the vehicle sale. Black Pontiac wholesaler gives rates for less than 10 days old, and another rate for greater than 10 days old but withinn the factory warranty. Hope this helps.


Regards,

SPOTTYJ
 
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I just got off the phone with the dear great folks at Warranty Gold. I asked what the situation was, and they make it all out to be that it is not their problem and that the problem is with the underwriter and that they just do business with them. When asked why they are still billing my credit card, they said they fronted all the money to the underwriter and are just collecting their money back. What a crock and a load of BS. The ole boy was about as defensive as possible and about as worthless as t*** on a hog. I asked why they did not post anything on their website about the situation or send me any information - and he said it was not their problem or fault and that I needed to go to the underwriters website. I don't like this attitude of "it's not our fault" and "it's not our problem". I asked if I was just out my $ and he said, they had a team of lawyers working on it. But, all claims were being denied/held whatever at this time. Boy, that is comforting. He said they were selling new l policies, I felt like I was just being written off because I had an old policy. This is such a crock. Sounds like all of the warranty gold customers of the world need to file a class action lawsuit. I think I'm going to call them back and ask for a full refund.

I just got off the phone with them and told them that I wanted to cancel my warranty and they said they would fax me a form and it would be prorated, but that funds would not be refunded to me until the funds of the underwriter were freed up. SEE: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news03/natl_warranty.html for information - According to the article, losses are estimated at $100 million. KISS THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THAT $ GOOD BYE.

I am BLACK LISTING WARRANTY GOLD AND AM RECOMMENDING THAT NO ONE PURCHASE A NEWLY UNDERWRITTEN POLICY FROM THEM!!!! Tell all your friends not to purchase from Warranty Gold.

The underwriter has information @ http://www.nwig.com/

Any lawyers out there that want to file a class action lawsuit? Anyone want to join a class action lawsuit?

If so, email me at shanea@sfajacks.com
 
;D ;D ;D ;D
I just sent the following email to Warranty Gold @ care@warrantygold.com

Good afternoon: Why are you not keeping your customers updated regarding the situation? I just got off the phone with your customer reps. and everyone made it out to be the underwriters problem. Well, it maybe the underwriters problem, but Warranty Gold chose the underwriter and I did not! I chose to do business with Warranty Gold. Warranty Gold seems to want to sweep this under the rug and continue business as normal. I was told to go to the underwriters website, which I did, and it was about as helpful as your reps were. Then, I decided to call back and ask for a refund. I was told they would fax me a form, but I would not receive money until the issues were cleared up.

1. Warranty Gold needs to post information on it's website or
   contact it's customers by mail.
2. What options are there for customers right now? Can I switch
   policies.

I am getting ready to start a website that will be very prominent on the Web regarding this problem and may start soliciting lawyers for a class action law suit against Warranty Gold and the underwriter.

It would not be so bad and I would not be so mad if I could get information out of Warranty Gold, but it's like pulling teeth. I've already posted comments to a variety of websites advising everyone to steer clear of Warranty Gold, even though you are with another underwriter, because of this current fiasco. Before you get any ideas, everything that has been posted has been my comments that are protected under the first amendment and I am a card carrying member of the ACLU.


 
They have this big Better Business Bureau logo on their website. How about we all file complaints against them?

I am going to stop the payments. I'd rather save the money for when something actually goes wrong, then to just kiss it goodbye and be denied when I go in for a repair.

I wonder if Amex covers issues like this?

-John

 
I requested a quote from Warranty Gold before all of these problems came to light. To this day, I am still receiving emails from someone named Robert C. offering me these great deals from Warranty Gold, which I immediately delete. It is unbelievable what is promised in these offers. :9:

I really feel for those who have been taken by these people, and hope you get your money back. Thank you for sharing your plight and not letting us be their next victim. Good luck to all.

Lorry
 
Be warned and note that Warranty Gold is not making good on this issue.

People purchasing WG after the date mentioned should also not be so smug. Who know how stable ANYONE associated with WG is?

http://www.nwig.com/pressrelease-080403.htm

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-
Lincoln, Nebraska. August 4, 2003.
G.T.L. Bullmore and S.L.C. Whicker, partners of KPMG in the Cayman Islands were appointed as Joint Official Liquidators ("JOLs") of National Warranty Insurance Risk Retention Group ("NWIG") on August 1, 2003 by Order of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands ("the Court")

The Order was made after hearing a winding up petition presented to the Court by NWIG on June 4, 2003, which was supported by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.

NWIG was placed into Provisional Liquidation by order of the Court on June 6, 2003. Based on the work undertaken by them since that date, the Joint Provisional Liquidators formed the view that NWIG is insolvent and that there was no viable alternative to the appointment of JOLs. For that reason they also supported NWIG's petition.

In short, the objectives of the JOLs are to achieve the maximum possible return to the creditors of NWIG as expeditiously as possible, as well as to effect an orderly wind down of NWIG's affairs. The JOLs will now progress these matters by forming a Creditors Committee and initiating a Proof of Debt process.

The latest Order of the Court, and periodic updates as to the progress of the liquidation will be posted by the JOLs onto NWIG's website, the address of which is www.NWIG.com.


 
9 minutes and counting before they begin answering their phones this morning. Soon I will find out if I blew $1600. I was just on their website, and I highly suggest that each of you go to the bottom of the page and click on the "WebAssure" link, and read the fact that WG is on their watch list, and there are currently 7 unresolved complaints, with another 14 pending complaints, all recent. Summmabiatch I am not having a good morning so far.
 
Who do we contact to have Warranty Gold removed from the "Links Page" so we don't mislead new members? I know I researched Warranty Gold because of the link, but I went with a GM Plan (Thank goodness!).

SpottyJ
 
Ok, I just got my answer...my warranty is currently no good. All previous info posted is accurate. "John" at WG said they are working on putting up a link on their website to address this issue. He said that NWIG is domiciled in the Caymans, so those courts will have jurisdiction over the case. I asked about the "trust account" paragraph, and he said that is where the issue lies. It is the trust account which has been grouped in with NWIG's bankruptcy, and according to WG, that should not have been done, and they are currently fighting to get that money released. Once it is released back to control of WG, then they will be able to pay claims. It is the trust account where all policy monies were pooled, and NWIG was brought on only as an administrator of those monies. They were "not" to have taken 100% control of the money. WG cannot provide a refund of unearned premium because they do not have the $ available from that trust account. John said that should they gain control of the trust account, everything will go back "to normal." They were caught by surprise just as much as we all were, saying that their notification of this came via fax on a Friday afternoon at 5pm, too late to jump into the process to fight NWIG's placement of the trust account into their solvency proceedings. Sure as hell doesn't make me feel any better.
 
Just to let people know its not only Warranty Gold that is having problems. I purchased an extended warranty (American Road) through another wholesaler on the internet the underwriters for that policy were also National Warranty. When purchasing this extended warranty this was my main concern it looks like the company backing National Warranty KPMG is liquidating it. I should have been more suspicious when finding out that KPMG headquarters were in the Cayman Islands.
 
Just got off the phone with the Alabama Dept of Insurance, and the person I spoke with is aware of NWIG's bankruptcy. He said that unfortunately we have no recourse through any state DOI, and to cross our fingers that good things come from the hearing, which he understands should take place in the next couple of weeks.
 
I bought an extended warranty called "Major Gaurd".
I think that it is from GM itself. Is that correct?

Nowere does it say "warranty gold"
 
djfcars said:
I bought an extended warranty called "Major Gaurd".
I think that it is from GM itself. Is that correct?

That's correct. No worries on your GM Major Guard. (y)
 
Thanks Edward K. I thought that only GM would offer a program for its customers. Seems a little misleading about "warranty gold". I hope the customer is warned ahead of time that it is NOT A GM warranty program!

Thanks,
Djfcars
 
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