Complaint Review: DTV Express

An extended warranty was purchased from DTV Express for a replacement television purchased through Sony as part of a settlement agreement. Because the price of the television had been discounted by Sony, I initially contacted DTV Express to ensure that I was purchasing the correct extended warranty and that any problems with the television would be covered. A $99.00 five-year extended warranty was selected after discussion with a DTV Express representative, who assured me that they dealt with extended warranties as part of settlement agreements all the time, and as long as I retained a proof of purchase I would be covered. Approximately 18 months later a problem developed with the television. Since the television was outside of the original manufacturers warranty, I contacted DTV Express and was then confronted with a barrage of questions - even accusations - suggesting that whatever happened to the television was my own fault.  After numerous back-and-forth responses, they ultimately claimed that I had purchased the wrong warranty and that they would not honor their warranty agreement (in spite of the fact that the warranty that I purchased had been advised by one of their representatives). Instead they sent me a partial refund of $89.10 from a third party with no explanation as to what this partial refund represented. I had later learned that they had deducted a "cancellation fee" for refunding the cost of the service that they never provided.  DTV Express was apparently eager to take my money and simply hoped that I would never develop a problem with the television and make a claim. After issuing the partial refund, they failed to respond to any emails from me.  They claim to have an "A" rating with the Better Business Bureau but this is also greatly exaggerated, because they are selling a bogus warranty service that the vast number of their customers will never even attempt to use.