Complaint Review: Autosave Warranty (Charter Warranty) - Farmington Hills Missouri

Greg, thanks for the comments. I agree with a lot of what you wrote. And I did do the research to determine that the maintenance requirements were unreasonable, and I said no to this policy/company. This was for a 2004 diesel truck with about 60K miles on it. Diesel truck oil changes can be 3 or 4 times the amount of a normal vehicle's oil change and typically are recommended half as frequently. This made the 4 month requirement even more unreasonable. I could have been spending over $600 a year in unnecessary oil changes. I usually get extended warranties for vehicles and do support the concept. My point is that a requirement to change the oil every 4 months regardless of miles is totally unreasonable and completely outside the normal maintenance schedule of any vehicle. I believe it's intended to give the company the ability to deny coverage. When their response to a request to justify this policy is "take your business elsewhere," that solidifies my suspicions. Again, thanks for the follow up reminder to people to "read the fine print" and make sure you feel the mainenance requirements of your extended warranty policy makes sense. If the requirements are more stringent than the recommendations in your owner's manual (which are already on the liberal side), consider another company. None of the extended warranty companies I've had policies with before have had requirements other then just to follow the recommendations in the owner's manual.

I do not have a vested interest in this complaint, however, I was once employed at a dealership that sold this product and am now in the warranty business and compete against this product. The Auto Save Warranty is a product designed for older model higher mileage cars that do not qualify for other more comprehensive warranty products due to the age and mileage of the vehicle. Most warranty companys cut off coverage at around 10 year old vehicles and/or vehicles with 100,000 miles. Why? Insurance is about risk and mitigating risk. The older the vehicle and the more miles it has, the more likely it is to have problems. In an effort to carve out a niche in that older model higher mileage market, Auto Save offers a product for the older model higher mileage vehicles, but YES, the coverage is limited and the maintenance requirements are strict! It states right on the front of the contract that you must change your oil every 4 months. It also states that the warranty has a claim hold period, meaning that it does not go into effect until some time after your purchase it (usually 30 days and 1,000 miles). This clause protects the warranty company from what is known as a pre-existing condition. The warranty company does not want to fix problems that the dealer should have fixed before he sells the car. It is incumbent upon the dealer to do some sort of inspection or pre-delivery check on the vehicle....if he cares about his reputation. The real problem is that the people who sell this warranty to you at the dealership typically oversell the coverage. Also, the consumer usually does not read the coverage and thinks just because he is purchasing a warranty that he has "bumper to bumper" coverage. This is not true because, BUMPERS ARE NEVER COVERED!!! With all do respect to the consumers who disagree with the maintenance requirements or coverage limitations of this product, you had the option to say "No." The maintenance requirements and limitations of the warranty policy are on the front page of the warranty contract....they are not hidded in legal jargon 6 pages deep into the paperwork. You must always read before you sign! Again, I sympathize with your plight and your situation, and I would feel the same way you feel, but some of the onus is on you to ask the right questions, read the paperwork before you sign and if you don't like it....say, "No." I still believe that warranties, or "service contracts" are a wise investment. Especially, when purchasing a used vehicle. You don't know how the previous owner treated and maintained the vehicle. Let's face it, today's vehicles have thousands of working parts, electronics, and computers. The days of pulling them under the shade tree and wrenching on them yourself are over. Today's mechanics are constantly updating their education and training in an effort to keep up with the technological advances. I urge you to not get discouraged with Service Contracts. They can be life savers, and usually a very good investment. Just be sure to do your homework, ask questions, and read the policies.