Is us fidelis auto warranty a scam?
Posted: December 23rd, 2008 | Author: Joe | Filed under: Scam, spending | Tags: auto warranty, Extended Warranty, Scam, U. S. Fidelis | 135 Comments »One of my vices, when I’m up late and my wife and kids have all gone to bed, is watching bad science fiction, or bad science programs on late night T.V.. Yes, I know I’m a tremendous geek, but thank you for the compliment anyway.
About a week or two ago I saw a commercial for U.S. Fidelis, an auto warranty program. I thought it was hokey, and scammy and didn’t think anything of it. But I must have seen it 5 times in the space of 2 hours last night. To be fair, it was a very long 2 hours, since I was watching something about the edge of the Universe narrated by Alec Baldwin who was apparently attempting to deliver his poorly written lines like William Shatner doing a parody of himself as Capt. Kirk! But I digress…
The U.S. Fidelis auto warranty program.
The commercial goes something like this:
“An alternator can be a $825 repair… throw in a new transmission and you’re out almost $2500…”
Then the words:
“Repair bill paid!”
Flash on to the screen, followed by:
“Customized warranties – you choose deductable “
It goes on to show some couple and a young woman who look about ready to slit their wrists (It’s never that bad people!) because of the outrageous repair bills. But if they got an auto warranty through U. S. Fidelis, they wouldn’t pay a dime. Sounds great. An auto safety net.
It got me wondering how many people think this auto warranty program is a good idea. Is U.S. Fidelis a scam, or just a bad deal?
It seems that there are few sites out there that question these companies and their ads. So, I went down the rabbit hole, and this is what I found…
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, U.S. Fidelis is really a company called “Dealer Services”, and they have 809 complaints against them over the past 3 years alone.
U.S. Fidelis obviously has some unhappy customers, but that doesn’t make them a scam. But what about the concept? Are extended auto warranties a good deal?
Playing the odds.
The basic idea behind any warranty is the same as insurance: it’s a gamble. It’s a mathematical function of the odds that you’ll need the service vs. what the service costs.
These companies offer extended warranties to make a profit. The cost of the warranty that you pay minus the cost of repairs they pay out, is profit for the company. Ask yourself, if that many transmissions go belly up on cars today, why would the warranty company charge you much less than the cost of replacing the transmission? They’d go out of business, unless the quality of cars today is such that most don’t need the kind of staggering repairs profiled in the commercial.
I’m pretty sure companies like these also limit their coverage to cars less than 10 years old, or they cover less on older cars to limit their loss.
A better deal.
It’s a shame, because the likelihood of a major repair is so low on newer cars that people would be better off setting up an emergency fund as their own “safety net”.
If people took the money they pay companies like U. S. Fidelis, or “Dealer Services”, for the warranty, and put it in a high yield savings account from ING, they would have the money when they needed a costly repair AND they’d earn interest while they didn’t need the money.
UPDATE:
NBC had a story on U. S. Fidelis earlier this week. I’ve posted a link to it at the post: MSNBC Thinks U.S. Fidelis Auto Warranty is a Scam! (Video).
Do you really think people will set up “emergency funds”? Most people will not, so these warranties are a good fall back. As for the number of complaints, have you looked at major retailers such as Walmart or Sears or big companies? You will see numerous complaints there, only because of sheer volume, same here for US Fidelis, they sell hundreds of thousands of warranties a year. Just my 2 cents replying to someone who appears to be jealous of a company making money.
James,
I think the fact that many people do not set up emergency funds is a big problem in this country. It’s why so many people depend on the government to help them or get trapped in dead-end jobs for fear of losing that paycheck. I don’t have any problem with a company making money, I just think people should know that their money would serve them better in an emergency fund to save themselves from debt, rather than going to someone else and likely never seeing the money again. Not because the company is unscrupulous, but because they (thankfully) didn’t need the service. Do you think paying for a service you don’t use, and could do with out is a smart use of money? I don’t.
James maybe if you would take a bit of time and do your own research on this company you would understand that it is a scam and no one’s hating on a company making money. If you think so why dont you give them a call and see for yourself.
Wouldnt there be more complaints against this company if it was a scam? I mean 809 complaints in the BBB is less than 1% if they have 100,000 customers, and based off the add I would believe that 100,000 is a low estimation. I am not saying they are a scam or not, but all I found on the internet about the company was bad press with no supporting evidence. But from experience Scam companies do not stay in business, reguardless of the company name.
Bill, you make a good point about the possibly low number of complaints, but I’m not sure what the customer base is for U. S. Fidelis. What was it exactly in the commercial that leads you to believe 100,000 is a low estimation? In my experience, companies that run scams DO stay in business, though under different names. Remember: not all scams are illegal, most are just incredibly bad deals for the consumer, and are often as close to illegal as possible.
Here are some examples of investment scams (though the same tricks are used for other scams):
http://simpledebtfreefinance.com/6-tips-for-spotting-an-investment-scam/
I’d much rather hold onto my money, earn interest and still have the safety net when I need it than have yet another monthly bill to take money out of my bank account for something I probably won’t need anyway. But that’s just me.
I agree with the comment about setting up an emergency fund. Anyone with a balanced budget and that knows how to handle money will see the value of maintaining an emergency fund as well as budgeting for regular car repairs and maintenance.
Joe,
US Fidelis is out to make dollars. It’s up to us, the consumers to protect ourselves by doing research and more research on what we get ourselves into. Buyer beware.
It is a fact that all businesses will have at one time or another some unhappy customer, it is inevitable as it would be impossible to please people 100% of the time.
As far as the company being scammers, I doubt that very much. Simply stated you get what you pay for. It is mandatory to say that one has to read the small print. The contract stipulates everything, just take time to read it.
Take my example, for curiosity sake, I entered my vehicle info for a quote. It is a 1992 Mercedes 500sel. The value of the vehicle is around 8,000 in good condition. My car is good with 75,000 miles on the clock. I bought it for $6,000. They quoted me $1400 per year. It does not pay for me to pay this sort of money as I will take my chances. Mind you that this vehicle has big ticket repairs. If the major repair should arise, I would simply parted for parts and make money.
Have read a lot of complaints. What about if you decide to cancel? How hard would it be to cancel if you decide to. What time limit do they give. I see good and bad complaints. Want to talk to someone that has had a good experience with them.
I am a mechanic and I have worked in a 2004 intrepid. It’s one of the must horrilbe cars ever produced but it does not cost over 3000.00 to repair it. This company may or may not be a scam across the board but it is very misleading.. It doesn’t cost 845.00 to repair an alternator either. I personally believe it isn’t worth the money.
I don’t know if this is a scam or not but, I’ve been seeing this ad for a couple of months & every day it airs it has a different phone number which tends to shake my faith.
YIKES!
The only legitimate reason *might* be to tell what ad callers are responding to. That does give me a bad feeling about the company though…
man, i guess i’m in bad shape then. too many negative issues eith us fidelis. i just purchased a 2yr warranty from them. gonna take my vehicle in soon for tranny work. we’ll see and keep ya”ll posted.
I cant believe the idiots who are so stupid as to fall for this “extended warranty” crap. Save your money !!! This kind of warranty have been floating around since the late 60′s…… just different rip off company names.
I have used allstates extened warrenty sevral times, New engine, new ac and a new computer,
no problems at all I paid my 50 dollar co pay and that was it. I paid about 800 dollars a year for it but it has paid for it self many times over plus it is nice to know no matter what happens to your car you are covered. I drive a 2000 tran am a pain to keep running but so fun to drive.
USfidelis is a good company, they have paid my claims for me and all I had to pay was $50 deductable for a oil pan gasket that was leaking on an ’03 Xterra with 47k miles. Also, AMtrust/Warrantech has paid over 7.2 million dollars in claims in just 2008 alone. It’s a faithful company and even though they have a few bad strikes against them, every company does who has this volume of business. By the way, they have different phone numbers on different channels so they can see how many calls they get from FX, TNT, CNN,…so on.
Thanks Julie! I am doing some research on US Fidelis since I have 30 days to cancel. I got warranty quotes for my 2006 Mercedes CLK350 and they were about $800 higher than the other place, but I got 5 years and 100K miles (basically doubles my factory warranty which ends next May). The other place gave me 4 years and 75K miles . $50 deductible as well and paying about $720 a year for the extended warranty.
Does anyone know about the prorated refund? How good is US Fidelis in paying that if you sell your car? I had another warranty on my other car and when I sold it–I got a lot of it back because of the lower miles….
ANY warranty company should be rated by AM BEST… It is their rating that makes a difference. Auto dealers still have the best warranty IF you want it. They know that if they want your business in the future that they must offer the best warranty.
Julia…
Could you tell me of your experience with USfidelis? I’m very interested in the Carmor aspect of the warrantee. Did you use Carmor, the product they send out with the contract? Did you have to show proof of usage of the Carmor product?
Thanks
attentio : if you paid for this warranty service with a credit card . take note , federal law states that if you pay for goods or services with a credit card and you do not get what you paid for or the service promised you might not have to pay the balance of what is still owed on the card for that particular charge to that provider of goods and services , however note : you have to try to resolve the dispute in good faith with the provider , such as sending your complaint to them by u s mail certified return receipt requested ( around 5 dollars) and give a reasonable amount of time to the service provider or goods provider to resolve problem . if after you try in good faith , meanng having all your attempts to resolve problem documented ( certified mail) and such contact your credit card provider and state you want to take advantage of the federal law concerning removing a charge for defective goods, service not right , and such , to remove such from your bill , also ask your credit card provider their address for submitting your complaint and charge removal letter with copies of all your complaint letters and letters where you tried to resolve the issue with the company you have the problem. note , only do this for legitimate reason for there is trouble for false claims , good claims ok , and note , this is federal law , read the disclosure provided with your credit card , or ask your credit card company to send you one.
In responce to Lowell: the carmor treatment is for higher milage vehicals that would come with the warranty if the vehical is usually over 150k miles. This treatment is just an oil based product to help the engine and transmission run smoother and helps reduce friction. Similar to the products you would find at Auto Zone or Advanced Auto, “Xmax or slick 50″
I didn’t have to use the product b/c of I have Bumper to Bumper (platnuim) coverage. They do send out a prepaid postcard with the product so the customer can sign and send it back showing they received the product. There hasn’t been any complaints about it. They obviously wouldn’t send out a product that would damage the vehical in any way, because they would then be responsible for the repair.
Like I said in my previous post, I had no problem with making my claim with the company. Usfidelis is actually only the broker for selling the warranties. They use top rated companys like, Royal Admisitration: http://www.royaladmin.com/
AMtrust: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=112945
Mercury: http://www.mercuryinsurance.com/ (Mitsubishi has used them for over 35 yrs)
Tier One: http://www.tieronewarranty.com/
All of these companies are even backed by billion dollar insurance companies, Lyndon Property Ins. American Service.
Just thought I would share a bit. I considered purchasing a warrenty through U.S Fidelis(USF) about a year ago for my mom, as a previously scammed shopper, I talked to them, they wanted $ 1400.00 to cover a 2000 neon, didn’t sound so bad to me.
I asked them to send me some coverage documentation so I could be sure I understood what it entailed, they said “no, you will get that when you buy the policy” and asked me for my credit card number. So I hung up on them.
A week later they called back offering the same coverage for $ 1000.00, sounded like a better deal, so I asked them to send me documentation so I could review it, they said “no, you will get that when you buy the policy” and asked me for my credit card number.
So I asked them if they wanted to buy a bridge in brooklyn for a $ 1000.00 but they weren’t aloud it see it until they bought it.
Word to the wise, if it ain’t on paper or ain’t in your hand, how do you know what you got?
Just got a letter in the mail myself from US Fildelis and I own a 2005 Acura TL. I thought I’d look into it because I’d rather be safe than sorry on a $36K car no matter what possibly can occur. They offered me a warranty to 120K miles/4 years for $2,500. They were willing to do everything but to share the documentation of what the warranty did or did not cover. They even went as far to tell me to go to their website to review the information while I put them on hold to make my decision and proceeded to ask for my credit card info. These folks obviously are preying on the weak and ignorant. If a warranty company has nothing to hide, then they would be happy enough to disclose all the information to the buyer so that the buyer can make a sound, remorseless decision. I bet that all those hits on the BBB report are because of lack of disclosure…plus think of all the ones that didn’t respond back to BBB. Some people just give up and don’t know how to react.
Warranty companies are just like insurance companies but sometimes worse. They make their money on the probabilities that your car won’t break down and if it does, not to the extent to where your coverage outweighs their fees in the long run. If they’re the largest company, then they have a lot of policyholders on board who do not get their cars covered. Be careful and read the fine print and do not let them bully you into making a “infomercial-type” of ACT-NOW decision. You’ll regret it and become another remorseful statistic.
I glad I decided to look on this web site before I went to the fidelis web site. I was very skeptical about the legitimacy of this offer when the person on the phone kept telling me he was going to send me sominthing in between him asking how I would like to pay for the “set up” of the service. It just seems to me that noone really asked exactly they were getting and when exactly they were going to get it. all questions I had planned to clearafiy all of those concerns before I authorize anything and I sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone take any money from me unless I say so!
The problem I see is that people are letting this company bully them around THAT AIN’T HAPPENING, BELIEVE THAT!
Let me get on thier website now.
I’ll get at ya”ll later.
I had one of these auto warn. policies a few years back. First of all when I tryed to use it , I couldn’t find a shop that would accept the Insurence. What I had to do was to pay the shop out of pocket and try to collect from the Insurer myself. Then they would tell me I was over charged and they would only pay a (SMALL) portion of the amount I payed. So I agree with the others save your money. Find an honest mechanic and maybe see your bank for a small loan.
I have had my car under warranty with US Fidelis for 10 months now. After buying it, I began to wonder if I made the right decision. About 7 months after buying, my car’s alternator went bad. I paid a $50 deductible and US Fidelis paid the rest. All I need is another repair and this warranty program has paid for itself. The company may seem a little shady at first, but they do fine business in my opinion.
WOW! I saw one of their commercials and having just purchased a 2001 Honda Odessey w/105k miles, I thought I would give them a call. I’m glad I Googled them first. But I had dialed the number at the same time I started reading, so I hung up before anyone answered! They called me back! Since I’m at work I answered with out company name and they hung up! Thanks to everyone who has posted their opinions here. Sometimes even those of us who are considered to be intelligent individuals can get sucked into these “great deals”. These forums help keep us aware and able to make a more informed decision. I will NOT be dealing with this company. Thanks again.
Does anyone know of any good auto warranty companies out there. I know it is best to set money aside, but there seems to always be something else that the money needs to be used for just before the trans, alternator, water pump, etc goes out. Then I’m caught short of funds! Just thought some “insurance” could be a good idea, if it is really a legit company.
I work at an auto dealership and would like to share a bit of information with you. Many people have their different opinions on extended service contracts and what would work for one doesn’t necessarily mean it would work for another (ie…putting money aside for repairs). The bottom line is; one has to look at Extended Service Contracts as a form of insurance. You might have 0 repairs, you might have 5 and there isn’t anything guaranteeing either! I would let the deciding factor in regards to purchasing a service contract be whether or not you’re financially secure enough to fork out an undetermined amount, for a repair, at any given time. Most can’t. Yes, there are many companies out there that are a scam or are not insured. However there also are good companies out there that are on the up and up. In finding a service contract company make sure they’re willing to send information on EXACTLY what is covered. Unwillingness to disclose this information makes it appear that they’re trying to hide something. Make sure the company is insured. Make sure the coverage can be canceled or transfered. And make sure they cover wear and tear, as without wear and tear coverage you risk a repair being denied due to a part breaking after it’s beyond it’s lifetime expentency (I feel this is a huge “gray” area). I also agree that it is a good idea to purchase your coverage at a dealership, as they do need customer satisfaction so are more apt to have a reliable product. Also, if your claim is denied you should be able to contact the dealership where your vehicle was purchased and they will handle trying to get your repair covered rather than you haveing to do battle with a service contract company. My e-mail is pom@bresnan.net. I can provice reliable coverage on vehicles up to 100,000 miles and am also more than willing to answer any questions you might have in regards to purchasing extended service contract coverage for your vehicle.
Barb #27
basically there are no good companies out there that will honor their services as we believe they should.
Their profits prohibits them from really making good on a repair job. Greed is the name of the game. They will put many excuses not to pay up completely. It’s sort of like car insurance such as Geico, Progressive, etc. they make you believe that they will be there when something happens, but if you have gone thru an insurance claim, you know that they are really not “on your side”. Better off saving some money for repairs or even getting a small loan when the moment hits. There are really no good policies when it comes to extended warranties. Like I mentioned in my previous post, my sister works for this company, and they are trained to say “NO”.
I dunno bought all this . See i done purchaised a warranty cuz I do a lot of tearring up in my car see and them those peeps wouldnt cover the costs yo. Me and my girl was in the car late right and you know one thing goes to the next and so on and we done break the window making love. Well, these cats wouldnt pay yo. naw it aint right
Mr. Big, you won’t find an extended service contract that will cover cosmetic things, which is what a window would be considered. The company should have explained what is covered and what is not when you purchased your coverage.
First off,Mr. Big is full of caca,lol
second,I,ve read all these letters and concluded to keep searching for another company,one that does not advertise on tv where it keeps their quotas high to pay for the advertising,these companies biggest expense is advertising,NOT paying claims,and the only way I’d committ to a company like this is if my car has already broke down and i need it fixed now! That would be scamming the scammer so to speak,but careful,they know these things too.
Check out http://www.fidelis-scam.com. US Fidelis is a complete fraud.
I have been in the automotive service business for over 30 years with the majority of those as a new car dealership Service Director. A few things all of you would benefit from is contacting the repair shop you take your car to. If you trust them and really don’t want some other repair shop working on your vehicle, ask them if they work with automotive service contract companies. I can tell you that they will be happy to tell you which companies they work with and the ones that are not worth the paper their printed on.
It does not matter where you go it’s not cheap to have your vehicle serviced. New car dealership or Joe Blow’s auto repair. I have been asked many times for my opinion on if service contracts are worth the money spent. Honestly, my answer is YES. Life changes daily, I hear people in this discussion saying put your money in a savings account and you will be ahead. I can tell you from personal experience, things happen in life that you don’t expect. I have seen people to the point of tears when they are told what the cost of repair will be on their vehicle. If you live somewhere like here in So. Cal, you cannot be without a vehicle. It’s just not an option.
I’m sure some of you are thinking if purchasing a service contract is so good then why don’t I have one? I have one on all my vehicles except one (can’t find one on a 68 Dart GTS).
If some people are looking to purchase a service contract on a vehicle that is still covered by a new car warranty. You can contact the manufacture or local dealership and should be able to purchase the manufactures contract. They are the best in the business. Even if you purchased your vehicle used you can still get the manufactures contract before the basic warranty runs out.
I have only one more issue to address. This is for George #9. I take issue when someone singles out a particular vehicle and labels it “one of the most horrible cars ever produced”. I own two Intrepids a 2004 ES and a 2000 RT. I finally had my first failure in over 200,000 combined miles. My son the gorilla broke the inside door handle. Kind of minor for one of the most horrible cars ever made. George should know that lack of routine maintenance and abuse are the majority of most repairs.
2 days after I purchased this , I left my lights on and killed the battery , well out of the 150 people I asked for a jumped not one of them cold pricks said yeah I’ll help ya, but when I remembered I just had purchased this fidelis shit 2 days previous , I called them up and in a hour and a half some one that contracts with fidelis came to jump me and I made it home, and this was 2 days after I purchased it , so I don’t believe it’s a scam, I believe most of you people that think it’s a scam are idiots that don’t know what you’re talking about, why would a person like RUSTY WALLACE a nascar LEGEND put his name, signature , and back them up, you really think he would trash his legacy for money from a shit business , no , felix J get a life, I need something else fixed soon and I will update this p.e.a.c.e
I didn’t pay a single penny for that jump either US FIDELIS came to the rescue!!!!!! I will update soon !!!!
You need to take the time to read the fine and very fine print on the contract.
I’ve been in the auto repair business for over 40 years, I’ve dealt with many of these companies. Some are good some are not.
many have the right to repair your car with used parts. In some cases if the contract runs out with out a claim. You are entitled to most of your money back,if you ask
My first comment to this whole argument would be the idea of a warranty is being misconstrued. The warranty is basically a form of insurance. It is protection against the unforseen future. Unlike auto insurance it is your god given right to play the odds that your car will or will not break down and yes the newer your vehicle may be the less likely it may be to a costly repair. We can honestly say the same thing about auto insurance. A person could play insurance premiums for 40 50 60 years of 100 200 300, etc. and never get into an accident because they are impecable drivers but there could be another person that gets into an accident once a year that in they same way pay premiums for 40 50 60 years. Person A may believe that Auto insurance is a waste of money and that the only reason they have it is because its the law and Person B may think that insurance is a god send because they would be up shit creek without a paddle without it. With this example we can illustrate that the basis of insurance is not for one person the basis of insurance is a pooling of societys fund as to disperse the risk among entire society. In the same way, warrantys are not supposed to be looked at for the face value of each case to case. Just like insurance we have to examine the entire society of all the warrantys being administered. Joe Blow A may pay a 2000 dollars and go 5 years and only have a couple hundred dollars in repairs but jane blow may go 5 years and have a 3-4000 dollars in repairs. Who knows? Is that not the definition of risk. So, To buy a warrany or not. If you are the type of financial dinamoe that can diligently budget out every dollar and also put away that security fund than good for you but if you are like the majority of Americans especially right now that live day to day then i suggest a warranty. Also, if we think in terms of todays economic climate and the uncertainty in the face of our largest auto makers who is to say that they are going to be there to back up their warrantys in a year or ten.
My next comment would be to “is Us Fidelis a scam” the author of this article leads us to question the marketing practises as being misleading because of the facts and fiqures they present on the commercial and the overall amount of times the commercial is aired on television. A couple of weeks ago I saw a commercial from geico that i could save hundreds of dollars a month by switching my auto insurance to geico and like many people that wish that they had more money in my pocket every month I decided to go to there website and get a quick quote. To my suprise though, they could not save me any money they would actually charge me a couple hundred more dollars every 6 months. Well using the same logic I should be livid because this companies is making falty statements on national television and getting my hopes up. I mean i almost ran out the door and started to spend the imaginary money. Alright enough with the sarcasm. Well we must understand that these fiqures are mostly likely based on averages on what they pay for these particular repairs based on their fiqures across the board whether it be in southern california or in the middle of nowhere wyoming. So yeah these figures could look high to one individual and low to another. Then we look at the how many times these commercials are aired during our favorite shows like csi or our morning news and the idea of our cars most certain end is pounded in our head so that’s all we think about. Should we chaulk this up to bad business practise or incredible marketing. As a small business owner myself I think that we should chaulk this up to incredible marketing not poor business. If we want to start pointing fingers at companies that use this type of media advertising shouldn’t we be more focused on maybe A&B, McDonalds, that guy with the screechy voice that will refinance your mortgage. Geez people watch the disney channel one day and watch how many times they will play cinnamon toast crunch commercials but then the next time you are in the cereal aisle watch what those kids scream run jump for. Don’t be made at the company because you fell victim to marketing.
Yes, This company just like any other company is out to make a profit. I’m sure that these owners were not just sitting around one day and saying hey lets open a company and not make any money!!!! No these people are like an other business where profit is the goal. Know i don’t if thats true about the author saying there is profit from every extended warranty being sold vs. the repair cost of the cars being worked on. I do know however that most insurance companies biggest profits are generally produced from investing the premiums that are being submitted. I don’t know about the people that are critical of this company but I am not a communist. I believe in capitalism and I enjoy profits that are generated in my business.
Wednesday i signed up for the warranty. Yesterday i cancelled it after redaing the posts. additioanlly i contacted the BBB at St. Louis, MO. Here is the rating for U.S. fidelis ‘F’
BBB Rating
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
•Number of complaints filed against business.
•Number of complaints filed against business that were not resolved.
•Advertising issue(s) found by BBB.
Click here for an explanation of BBB Ratings
The BBB has received numerous complaints regarding this extended vehicle service contract broker. Complainants primarily allege difficulty cancelling policies and obtaining refunds, misleading advertisements, misleading, high pressure or improper sales tactics, poor customer service, failure to pay for vehicle repairs, difficulty contacting the company, misrepresentation of coverage, harassing phone calls and failure to remove names from mailing lists. These complaint patterns are reflected in the complaint statistics below.
You may access the BBB’s Reliability Report of this company by using the following link:
http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/auto-warranty-processing-service/dealer-services-in-wentzville-mo-310016763
I want to thank whomever set up this blog on U.S. Fidelis and those who have posted their information to it. When I discussed the poor performance and complaints on the phone with the representative she was ‘shocked’. She claimed that the company was unaware of any complaints. “We are just trying to help you get service on your car! Of course if you want to take a chance with your car?”
This of course after untimely waits and listening to repeated ads claiming benefits and extolling the company. According to the information this company uses ‘bait and switch’ methods and frequently changes addresses and company names and phone numbers. I have over 33 years of federal law enforcement experience and I fell for the “hurry up and take advantage” in a weak moment. As we have all heard “If it sounds too good to be true- it usually is!” Thanks again to all!
To Barb (Post number 27 on March 12, 2009….. As stated by many others here, you have to read the fine print very carefully before signing up with an extended warranty plan that is NOT a Manufacturer’s Warranty (such as GM for example). Firstly, a Manufacturer’s Warranty will be the most expensive.
I own a Chevy Impala (2000). I got it brand new (back then). The warranty on it was for 3 yrs/36,000 miles (standard warranty). In 2002, I received a letter from GM offering me an extended warranty plan for 5 years/75,000 miles. I called them for clarification. The 5 yrs/75,000 miles was from day 1 of the car and 0 mile, so in effect, the warranty plan they were offering me was only for an additional 2 years or 29,000 miles to what I already had. They wanted $1,500 for that plan. I asked them if they offered a 7 year/100,000 mile plan, and they quoted me $3,500.
I decided to look elsewhere, as that was way too expensive for me. I found something through AAA (called Member Care). They were not the insurers, but they acted as a broker, and transferred me to an underwriter for an extended warranty plan. I got a quote from them for an additional 5 years (from the date I enroll) or 100,000 miles on my odometer (whichever came first). Their quote was $1,500. The coverage was Bumper-to-Bumper coverage, but there were a lot of exclusions. They sent me a booklet which itemized EVERYTHING that was covered, and also listed things that were NOT covered. I had to buy the plan while my current warranty was still in effect. The longer I waited, the higher their quote was (as they based their quote on the current mileage on my car before purchasing their plan).
Overall, I purchased the Member Care plan, and I was satisfied with them. In the 5 years that I had them (the 1st year of the plan didn’t count, because I was still covered under the original GM plan), I definitely got my money’s worth. They did deny several claims, and at one point, they had issue with how much Labor the place I was going to charged, but I got them to pay it. For the most part, my biggest gripe was their response time (from the point of bringing my car in for work, to the point when they paid the place for it). For what could have been only a 2 hour wait, would cost me an entire day without my car. By the way, the plan cost me $1,500 (stated before), and I had about $4,000 worth of repair/claims that they paid out for my car (so I definitely got my money’s worth).
Now, I have another plan (because my car has over 100,000 miles on it), and I will NEVER do that again. The catch with a high mileage car is, they won’t pay out a claim for a repair if it is more than the Blue Book (or equivalent) value of the car. Also, for a high mileage car, there is even LESS that they are willing to cover. In fact, a lot of these extended warranty plans will ONLY cover you up to 120,000 miles.
The plan I currently have, I would AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!! Their name is “Auto Repair Warranty.” They have denied more claims of mine than they have honored. 1 such claim was for my transmission…. about 16 months ago i had my transmission rebuilt (this was under the Member Care plan). They covered it in full. The place I went to had done horrendous work. I kept going back to them every few weeks. They finally replaced something that seemed to have fixed the tranny issue, and the car was fine for almost 3 months. Now, the tranny was past its 12,000 mile/1 year warranty from the mechanic, and it died on me. Prior to that happening, it gave me signs of a breakdown, and I had brought it to a different mechanic. Now, I was under this new warranty plan (with “Auto Repair Warranty”), and they said that I had to go back to the original mechanic. I told them that I did not trust them, and did not want to, and they said that if I didn’t go back to the original mechanic, they would not cover it. Well, I went back, and after all the hoops they made me jump through, they said that they were not going to cover it, because it was already rebuilt.
I could go on, but I think I’ve said enough.
I was shopping around for additional coverage on my vehicle and like many others saw the wonderful USFidelis commercials so I decided to call them and was pressured to purchase their warranty. I told the rep that I was doing research and he said that the company has been in business for over 20 years but failed to mention under diffent names. I was quoted 2900 for an 02 Honda but after telling the rep AGAIN I was just researching he asked me did I owned a Honda before and I said yes and he said “we have a loyatly plan for Honda” and then quoted me 2200. I found this a joke and said thanks but I’m just quoating right now and I was told that my file will be placed in a delete file and will not be allowed to call back because the company didnt want to risk me calling to get coverage when my car is broken down. I was a bit leary at this practice and good thing I didnt jump at the sense of urgency. This whole time he only wanted my CC number and never answered none of my questions. I wouldnt call this company a scam but I wouldn’t give them a dollar until I reviewed their information. I thank everyone for posting their buyer beware comments and even thank the USFIDELIS (I know who you are) workers that posted their comments. I’ll keep looking for another warranty, any suggestions?
“You have to read the small print”. Sounds good. How many have read the small print from U.S. fidelis? If you have dealt with them you on the telephone signing up how many have a contract available before you sign up?
Interestingly they appear to be using a new commercial which does not feature the name : U.S. fidelis. All the former information seems to be there. They should have examples of their contract online on their website.
They wanted $2000 for my 2008 Ford Taurus with less than 10,000 miles. That is a piece of change. Plus the warranty isn’t in place till at 1000 miles.
Robert:
Yes, since Honda does all the work, just as if you were to bring it in there w/o a warranty and you would be paying for repair, the only different is with the warranty, the warraanty company pays with corporate credit card.
Update on the Nissan I have, took to Nissan St. Charles, they charge $120/hr… I went in for state safety inspection and emmissions and to redeem free oil change, they found that my rear main seal and coolant gasket were leaking ( not that I knew of) but I paid my $50 ded and Amtrust paid for it all, 6hrs of work each they quoted, plus parts and diagnosis = $1333.00. This is with my B2B coverage. I was sure happy. Then I went to auto tire and had new brake pads put on and had my tires rotated and they charge 90/hr they said my power steering pump was leaking, I said ok, fix it.
Covered under warranty, even sent out an inspector because the claims were made within a couple days.. He even ok’ed it and that was covered, I just had to pay for a flush. Over all my warranty has already paid itself off.
I called again and asked USfidelis some questions but couldn’t get any straight answers. I asked if they use authentic or generic parts and couldnt get a straight answer. Has anyone filed a claim and what type of parts did they use?
When I was typing my response I should have clarified the 2004 intrepid as being unreliabe in regards to the transmission and not so much as the entire vehicle. My fault on that but I used that vehicle because of the commercials us fidelis are using. I did some reaserch through google I course and it has an average rating overall but a horrible rating for the tranny. Also think about this do you think that us fidelis would use automobiles in their commercials that have a good reliabilty ratings? I haven’t seen any hondas, mercedes, bmw’s or american made trucks in any of them. You at correct though so my fault for insulting your car.
Julie,
Thanks for the info!!! However, I went to my local Honda dealership to see if this was an accurate statement and their response was NO. I was told that USFidelis will allow customers to use their shops (Honda) for repairs but when Honda submits the claims to the company it is rejected. It was also mentioned that the company pushes for rebuilt or “generic” parts. So Honda will not do the work on the vehicle because they do not put generic parts in their cars. So if I purchase this warranty I’ll be stuck on either using “generic” parts or paying the difference from what USfidelis seems fit vs what Honda charges. My local dealership doesnt deal with the company any more because of the issues that was experienced in the past so I would say the statement is not 100% true. One of the Honda techs mentioned that usfidelis claimed a part should cost 100 dollars where honda charged 550 bucks. I dont remember the part but that’s just one example of what they used. I’m looking at purchasing a warranty but if its not worth it then I’ll just put the 2k aside and sell my car for parts when it breaks down.
Robert,
I’m really suprised to hear that. Keep in mind, USF is the broker for these warranty administrators. Ask them about Royal admin, AmTrust, Warranty America, Tier one. Those are a few that we use. Also I’d call another Honda dealership to get a second opinion. May just be that dealer, not sure. There is also a company in FL called US Fidelity, not get to confused with us… That is a newer place that opened, bad reviews from what I’ve seen.
From my expirience all the companies we use pay with corporate credit cards to pay claims and that is the main thing dealerships look for. I’ve never had a problem calling one on conference call with a customer.
Ok, I’ll call another dealer but can you comment on the generic parts vs. Honda parts.
To the generic parts, I didn’t have a problem at Nissan, they didn’t question using OEM or Nissan parts. But when I went to AutoTire they did bring up the cost difference on using Generic (Napa parts) or using OEM… I Don’t know what they ended up using to be honest. I figure any new part would be better than a used part by far, but I since I don’t work in the claims dept at the actual warranty admin. place I don’t know what they are “supposed” to use.
Boy, what a load. I hope I never have to deal with a Nissan dealer for that price. You think if they suckered you in for that price, they would have found all of the other faults also. Instead of paying US Fidelis, pay US Bank and just start a car repair fund. Put that $150 a month into the fund and use it if needed. If over a 5 year period you don’t use the money, use the money as a down payment on a new car if you want. That would be a good way to get a head start. Why pay thousands to a company that you might not be able to trust? If you want to take your car in for every little thing and pay $50 every time, it may come back and bite you in the butt. The company might drop you, or the mechanics might get tired of seeing the car and give you less then quality service. Everyone has to make there own bed and sleep in it also. If you choose wrong, you will pay. If you choose right, you can sleep well at night knowing that you made the right decision.
My has paid itself off, I paid 1195.00 Oct 2007 for my warranty and I’ve had total of 2200 approx paid out. total deductables paid 150.
Someone stated on their comment that the 809 complaints are about 1% of the companies business, where are they getting this statistic? Do they own one of the many names US Fidelis uses? 809 complaints are a red flag! I just checked with the Phoenix BBB and the rate the company with an F (the lowest score a company can receive). I call this another red flag. I never heard of this company until today when my husband came up to me excited about a phone call he just got off from and Jason offered him at first $2,475 to warranty our 1994 Toyota Corolla with 146,000 miles and he said he had to discuss it with me first and then dropped the price to $2,175 and gave the excuse that this offer is good only until tomorrow morning. (This was my first red flag), but instead of knocking him down for what he thought might be a good deal, I said I would look into it. My advice to him, call back and tell Jason to put us on his do not call list with verification. Also, one red flag he had was that when he asked for a brochere of what is covered and what is not, he was told that to company does not send out brochures to keep the prices down but all he had to do was go on http://www.usfidelis.com and the information was there. I went on the website and they exclude: cosmetic items, with no futher detail and at the bottom it states that this is an example of a contract and to refer to your contract for details. One person got the contract and when she needed to have her AC replaced which shows up in her contract and also the example that I just visited, the company changed the contract without notice to exclude AC in the state of Florida without giving her any notice and refused to pay. I would call the another red flag. In Arizona we have a Lemon Law/Auto Warranty fraud which just helped me to win a $17,000 lawsuit for a repair shop who vilated their warranty and tore up our mercedes. (1979 that we loved) and now missing the entire fuel system.
I suggest that if a company shows any red flags like the high pressure to buy now or have misleading advertizement the BBB recognizes, it is best to put the $240 back and the $81 payments over the next 60 months in the bank for emergency and you will comeback a winner. My 1994 has cost me $2000 in repairs after it hit the 100,000 marker and that is all I’ve paid for it since my father left it to me in 2001. He had nothing ever go wrong with the car. if you spread $2000 over the 14 years, and it would have cost you $7500 on the warranty if purchased, we by far have come out ahead. Somtimes its important to get a good quality vehicle and keep the oil changed regardly and do preventative maintenance and you won’t need auto warranties the take your money and leave you high and dry when you need a repair that is suppose to be covered under a one-sided contract that you have to purchase before you can even see the details or fine line print.
I don’t think the number of complaints can be compared to the number of customers. It should be compared to the number of claims. Maybe 100,000 customers 800 complaints but only 2,000 claims. That would up the percentage quite a bit. Many more would still be waiting for their “ripoff”.
I think it’s “curious” when people post replies in a forum and then when post again offer new information that surely would have been given in the first place. Especially “curious” when they’re eventually telling us why they can be “believed” because they have such special access to knowledge that no one else has or trashing what others have said by accusing them of secretly having a financial interest in the company. Personally, when someone tells me that they can be believed, that’s when I know for sure they can’t be. Even as prevalent as the internet is today, these online bulletin boards have little to zero impact on business. It’s laughable to think that it would be worth a company rep’s time to post defensive comments to trolls making uninformed and inflammatory statements. Bulletin boards might actually be worth something if it weren’t for the trolls and the just plain stupid. I’ll bet Felix has other imaginary sisters that work at other companies that he likes to trash without any real reason too. There probably all named probably Julie. haha
[...] I get A LOT of reader comments on my December post, Is us Fidelis auto warranty a scam?. [...]
Did any one out there ever hear of Geico Car Ins. It may not be available in every state and I do not work for them. However Geico has been my Ins. Co. of choice for over 30 years. Most car warranties are 3-36.You have a choice down the line of either getting an extended warranty from the car dealer or some place else.Part of my car ins has what’s called mechanaical breakdown coverage with a $250.00 deductable. No other ins co offers it. This is my extended warranty.The premium is part of my car ins and is very low.All of you out there should check it out.
I just responded to the advertisement. The customer service agent I talked to was very helpful and was very professional. Keep in mind they are sales people, they will try to close the sale in any way they can, cant blame them for that. I called in to get info on the service, and to be honest dont think it is a terrible deal by any means for some people. I will break it down below with the quote I received.
US Fidelis charges an up front fee, what I was told was $295.00 and would set up montly payments of $222.22 for the next 18 months to give me a 5 year 80,000 mile warranty on my vehicle. (You can negotiate this, but not by much). This would end up costing you a total of $4295 within 18 months including your 1 time set up fee. Sooo…if your looking for this warranty to cover the little things that happen over time on your vehicle you will be spending more than what its worth with the warranty considering that any time I have replaced small parts such as an altenator costing about $200 once every 3-6 years if not longer or tie rods or ball joints for a couple of hundred that have a long life expectancy probably not even doing one time with your vehicle before it hits 180,000 miles. There is a laundry list of small nickel and dime parts. If your worried about your motor or your transmission then this would be a great option for you considering the costs to repair those things. In some cases alone the motor would cost more than what you would pay for the warranty, this does not include the labor portion. But lets face it, if you change your oil and other fluids when needed and dont drive like a jerk then these two things should last a long time, there are many cars on the road with 150,000 miles or more that drive on our roads perfectly every day.
Going back to what some above had said and considering the costs of the service plans available I will put my money into a savings account, all $4295 over the course of the next 18 months. I will probably end up selling or trading in my car within the next 3-5 years, as most people will decide to do themselves and will have $4295 plus interest compounded that I can either keep saving or apply towards the purchase of a new car. For those of you that dont know this, these warranty groups do the same thing with the money you pay in, they pay administrative costs then throw the excess into a high interest account so the money grows and they can keep paying out the claims and still show high profits, just like insurance companies. lol.
Again, this service is not for everyone and it makes perfect sense to certain people to purchase these warranties. US Fidelis is filled with high quality staff and warranty agents and because of that fact would be my only reason to extend my warranty through this company.
Don,I’m sure you have seen all the Ins.Co adds on TV saying that they can save you so much money per year over other Ins Co. Big deal! What good is saving $300.00 a year if your car breaks down and it is out of warranty and you need $2500.00 to repair a trany,or engine etc. Hello credit card. All I am saying is check out Geico,ask about the mechanical breakdown Ins.
If you are like me with an older car that is expensive to repair that you just dont seem to be able to rely on, then the US Fidelis extended warranty is a pretty good deal. Never mind the fact that throughout your contract you may not need to replace any of the big expensive parts in your car. The warranty gives you peace of mind, knowing that at any moment my car could stop dead on the freeway, I won’t have to stress, take out loans, work extra hours, or dip into savings to take care of the auto repair. The monthly payment is a little bit much for me, but it is a much safer route to go, than to risk having to pay thousands and thousands of dollars all of a sudden at any point.
I’ve been a customer of US Fidelis for a year now and recently I had to get my car fixed. The guy who helped me on the phone was nice. I got my car fixed and US Fidelis paid for it with no hassles. I think it all depends on who helps you when you call in.
this is for the guy that said he just got a 2 yr warr. from them the lowest years you can get is 3 people like you make companies look bad just so you can look important… and I have had a 96 ford and made my money back with a warr. with US FIDELIS it helpd me out so much I got one for my mom and girlfriend
don must have a benz or bmw cause my warr. was only 2975 and I have had 1900 in repairs in the 2yrs I’ve had it and I have 3yrs left and I will renew it if I can cause its an older car I love it =)
For anyone who has purchased a policy from US Fidelis. Can you all provide me with the name, address and phone number of the shop that you had your repairs done at. I would like to verify myself instead of all the “he said she said”. Doing your homework is not just reading what someone has to say, but checking the references. Everyone has an opinion, but everyone knows what opinions are like, ????, everyone has one…Peace out.
I can say this, with all of the negative review,im gonna cancel my policy tomorrow.The one thing they also dont tell u is that the policy is only good up to the book value of your car.So if u own a older car,you could be paying more for the warranty than what the car is worth and once you have gotten repairs up to the value of your car,the policy is voided..Whether youve had the policy 5 years,or six months, one your repairs exceed your cars book value,thats it for your policy.So if US Fidels pays or not cause i dont know,u better hope that the value of your car well exceeds how much you pay for the policy…FYI mine came up to 1600 dollars..
I just bought a mustang convertable 2006..when I called for a price on a warranty, us fidelis started to try and use the “SCARE” tactic on me..telling me about the transmission and or power train costs but when I started asking about the replacement of the top he said it would not be covered, radiator replacement, not covered..I told him I was going to pass because normal wear and tear I could pay for myself…I have had many vehicles in my life owning a business for over 30 years and I have never had a power train break..Maybe I have just been lucky but this US Fidelis just didnt pass my stink test…..#30.00 or forty dollars a month for the insurance might be worth the gamble but $2500. friggin dollars? I dont think so….
USF saved me. My car wouldnt shift out of park on Memorial Day. The next day it was towed to the dealership, I received a rental car, and 2 days later it was repaired (including some AC and brake work). The bill totalled close to $1700 and I paid $100 deductible only. I am a single parent living paycheck to paycheck. I don’t know what I would have done without USF.
your right i think us fedelis is a scam so far i have had my car in the shop for 2 weeks and they havent even decided if they are going to send an agent to check it out ive been patiant and ive been waiting and it hasnt gotten me any where but you never know they could help just saying im not seeing it
In general, you should only purchase insurance for something that you absolutely can’t afford to pay for if it goes wrong.
Well, I purchased a extended warranty from US Fidelis. For starters, they give you 30 days to get the upfront money you pay for the warranty. I bought it without reading this posing first (hopefully it’s not a mistake). But I bought a 97 Audi with 117,000 miles, roughly. As some of you may or may not know, this is a expensive car to maintain and holds it value pretty good. But, when I called, I got the B2B “Platinum” Warranty. They said if anything goes wrong, besides normal wear and tear, then it would be covered. They gave me a short list (2 to be exact) of dealers I could take it to in my area (I live in Detroit). So I chose a very reputable company. I just called them after reading this post, and they told me that they do honor US Fidelis BUT make sure that they use a company credit card. Hmm…seem like this dealer has dealt with them before, but they also told me that if any parts were to get replaced, that it was up to US Fidelis if they wanted to pay for used/refurbished parts or new parts. I got a pretty good deal, price wise for the warranty (about $2775 for 5 years/100,000 miles with $50 deductible). I’m not sure how soon I will try to put the warranty to use, but I’ll definitely update once I do.
US Fidelis has had SO MUCH bad press these last few years. It seems to be pretty much warranted from what I’ve seen though. I run a site where we review auto warranty companies – I’m going to refer my readers to this post, as right now it is a much better reference for what people think of US Fidelis. Here is our little discussion so far:
US Fidelis Auto Warranty
Just want to let everyone know that I purchased a warranty from US Fidelis and the packaged arrived today with my contract. Appears that there is more “fine print” than what the salesman leads you to believe (no surprise there). So for all intents and purposes (since I plan on cancelling within 30 days), I will use this opportunity to enlighten others with what will unfold during this (what’s soon to be) painful and costly cancellation process.
The package I received today includes my contract, along with 2 bottles of lubricant (1 for tranny, 1 for engine). I remember the salesman stating that I would need to add this to my engine and transmission, fill out the postcard that states I did this, sign it and send it back. Now, I don’t know about you, but pouring lubricant from some “no name” company into my car makes me skiddish. Anyhow, I thumbed throught the fine print of the contract which is approx 5 pages long (not bad) and found many things to dispute. Here are a couple to make you think….
1. They give you a 30 day Money Back Guarantee. But “How Much” money do they give you back? Well, according to the contract they state “All cancellations will be calculated by time and mileage factor from the inception date, less a $75 cancellation fee.” So basically if I mail them back the unopened fluids, they will give me back approximately $45 (or less) of the $120 I originally paid? Wow, what a deal…and I had to eat the shipping costs to send it back.
2. If your a do-it-yourselfer like me, it appears it would take a lot of effort to get a claim through. In a nutshell, you have to document all oil changes and keep all verifiable receipts and….”the vehicle must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. Service receipts and invoices must be presented in the event of a claim.” Ouch, all that MUST be presented for a claim to be processed? How many people do you know that keep strict records?
3.(My personal favorite) They only pay up to a certain amount on these repairs. 3k for engine, 2k for tranny, $1500 for transfer case, $500 for Electrical, $500 for AC. That totals to $7500 (if my math is correct). Once any of these repairs are done, this is what they say, “If WE pay the Limits of Liability as stated, this Limited Product Warranty will become fully earned and no more claims can be made.” Are you ready to sign….
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on here. They rope you in, pressure you into staying on the phone and paying for this useless warranty with a $120 down payment. Once you try to cancel, you only get a fraction back. Can you imagine the kind of money they make off of the cancellations alone? Anyways, that’s it for now, I’ll keep you informed as time goes on. -Thanks
The majority of repairs on a car usually involve the basic maintenance that isn’t covered in the plans, such as plugs, wires, and brake pads and perhaps exhaust systems. the “major” repairs like trannys and waterpumps can be expensive…. but not as expensive as they advertise and they don’t happen often enough to merit insurance to cover them. i’m a mechanic…. i would love to get a vehicle in with a tranny replacement and make close to 4k on the deal! or an alternator and get 845 for it! my advise, if the repair shop quote is outrageous then go get another quote.
I think too many people get scared into these shady business deals. Its the whole “what if” scenario. what if i can’t afford to get my car fixed?! i wouldn’t get to work or be able to take the kids to the hospital if something happens! although there are a few cases where the customer does come out on top, majority of the people throw away money. then the ones who came out on top continue to purchase it thinking its a safe investment and eventually end up throwing away money too.
Here’s a good way to test whether its worth it. get a quote from these people and use that quote to set up your own personal car repair account. for example: if your quote is 2800 a year then put 234$ a month into a secret stash account(perhaps into a safe at home or an account opened at a bank). when your car needs repaired deduct it from that account(not counting the cost of brake pads, plugs, wires, oil changes or anything else not covered). at the end of the year see if the balance is negative or positive. if its negative then it was a good plan…. for that year. try it for 2 more and see how much money you would have thrown away.
When people think of the total cost of repairs they spend on a car they usually add in brake jobs, tires, alignments, exhaust, plugs, wires, fuel/oil filters, oil changes, air filters, wiper blades, and any fluids added. take those out and the amount you actually spend on repairs drops drastically (in rare rare rare cases… some people seem cursed. i suggest those people buy a bicycle)
Also if you don’t keep up on regular maintenance then the coverage is void and if you do keep up on maintenance then the odds of major repairs are greatly reduced.
If the timing belt breaks and you bend valves because of it then its not covered if the timing belt is listed as part of routine maintenance
Warning though, one good experience can dupe you into a bad investment. if a person wins at playing slot machines and they leave the casino with more money then they started with then next time they go to a casino they’ll be drawn to the slots. in actuality the odds of winning on slots are horrible especially when compared to the ratio of money played to money won.
This insurance concept is a consumer nightmare and perhaps a mechanic’s dream come true. the mechanic wouldn’t have to barter his quotes because the customer is no longer looking for a deal and doesn’t care.
These warranty deals that US Fidelis and the like are worse than the Nigerian email scams floating around. But if it is too good to be true like US Fidelis, it definately is. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY. THEY DO NOT LIVE UP TO THEIR COMMERCIALS. Buyer beware.
i dont kno if us fedilis is a scam or not but i signed up for their policy today and there was a down payment of 150 dollars and 96 dollars a month…there is a 30 day money back guarantee and i recieve my policy in the mail…it is a 5 year policy but i only pay 96 dollars a month for 2 years and i can get out of the policy whenever i want.and for the remainder 3 years of the policy i dont have to pay a dime and my car will still be covered if anything goes wrong wit it…my policy also includes 24 hour roadside assistance, 0 deductible,free towing, and also a rental car is included…so how can dat not be a good deal…..or am i stupid for signing up
Hello I am so glad that I found your site, I was just about to purcahse this plan, because the one that I was with Dealer Services is a rip off, they say you pay we will reimburse you, well i m waiting and it’s been over 14 months no money yet. so i am glad i saw that dealer services is desguising them selves as u.s. fidelis. thanks for the heads up.
Well, last week I used my warranty. Alternator went out on my 02 Saturn Vue, had to tow it. New alternator was just under 300.00 labor was 2.7 hours to replace. The warranty covered all of it and reimbursed me for the 75.00 tow bill. Complaints happen in business. But so far the only bad thing I have found is long wait on the phone to talk to someone. Oh and it took less than 5 days for it all to be over with. The mechanic was paid before the work was even done! Bash them all you want but I am VERY happy with them.
If people would just get a life they wouldnt be bashing a company all over a website like this. The contracts are very black and white. If you live up to your part of the bargain and do your scheduled maintenance then the policy will pay for the parts listed for coverage. And a little FYI about generc parts or used parts, even if you go into autozone and buy a part it isnt new! It a refurbished part so basically the dealerships are taken advantage of people and selling refurbished parts for ridiculous prices and trying to bash warrany companies to be the bad guys for not paying their price. Do a little more research before you gripe!
For P T:
You definitely do not need to post anymore comments LOL
Sorry that I am telling the truth George!
MAN THANK GOD I DIDNT GET ROLLED IN THIS MESS CAUSE… I ALMOST BOUGHT A CONTRACT!
I purchased a U.S. fidelis warranty back in 2008 and have made 6 payments on it for $128.17 and just last week the transmission on my 98 mustang gt stopped working so i called them to make a claim. apparently there are a few steps one must take to make a claim so i followed them. First i just got it towed (which they did not pay for) then i got it taken to a shop ( which charged me a holding fee just to leave it there ) now they want me to mail them 3 receipts of oil changes for the mustang and i only have one on paper because i know how to change my oil so i dont have a receipt. i am now stuck with a bill for a 1,600 repair and when i called them and told them this they told me they would lower my rates and try to help me out but they still will not pay for my repair bill. take this information into consideration before buying the policy because if you do buy it be prepared to save every receipt of an oil change, go through a huge hassle, waste of time, waste of money, and be on the phone getting transferred to 4 different people all of whom are in completely different departments which makes you explain your story four times, and lastly be prepared to listen to a voice recording of rusty wallace for literally 45 minutes and that is the honest truth. im still not 100 % sure its definitley a scam but what i am sure of is that it is not a smart way to invest money.
I guess this is going to become less actual because of the world financial depression, what do you think?
I have a US fidelis road hazard warranty on my 05 Bonneville GXP i just purchased. And I have a nail in my tire close to the side wall and i took it in to the dealership and they replaced the $200 BF gforce tire under that warranty and i didn’t have to pay a dime. With that warranty I have up to $5000 for 5 years of road hazard coverage through US fidelis. I was also alittle on edge about that company when i first seen the commercials about them, but after this experience with this company i think they are a pretty good warranty company. Also Toyota(which is where i got my Pontiac from) offers the US fidelis warranty’s on all of their vehicles….
According to the BBB, U S Fidelis got a grade of F.
“Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
1098 complaints filed against business
Government action(s) against business.
Advertising issue(s) found by BBB.
Length of time business has taken to resolve complaint(s).
Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints”
http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/
I called today to get pricing on our GMC. Anyone who buys a policy from ANYone without first getting a full disclosure, in writting, as to what is and isn’t covered is…well…let’s just say, not very smart.
Interesting comments…just to add to it… I did a little more digging based on a telephone number in my caller ID, and from what I can see they (“Dealer Services”)are also tied to the unsolicited and never ending auto warranty phone calls that we ALL get almost daily. They are a scam and an aggravating one at that.
Here is the latest BBB report. (F)
Reasons for this rating include:
* 1115 complaints filed against business
* Government action(s) against business.
* Advertising issue(s) found by BBB.
* Length of time business has taken to resolve complaint(s).
* Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints.
Ok ill flat admit that i work for Us Fidelis and it is not a scam. if you read the contract you will figure out everything. we give a 30 day money back guarantee on every policy we sell. this is royal we sell there product and they have a A+ and been in business since 1994
so if you like to hear more about the product call 1-800-724-8513 ask for john saparito like i said royal is the best there is there is non other that come close. they even offer trip interruption they will pay 100 dollars a day 3 days max for hotel expenses when your 100 miles away from home.
feel free to say its a scam think what ever you want to be honest i laugh at people that say this is a scam because you put “scam” after anything ans your bound to find stuff….
http://www.bbb.org/boston/business-reviews/auto-warranty-processing-service/royal-administration-services-inc-in-hanover-ma-89028/
now lets talk about the BBB. first lets break down the name Better Business Bureau. lets look at the word “business” this is a company that is looking for a profit. if it was a non for profit org. that’s different. so you have to be a member to get access. not going to say you can or cant but i guarantee that if you gave them 100k that you could turn a F into a A. at the bottom there is a disclaimer…
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.
BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.
BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.
If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted the BBB for a BBB Reliability Report.
Well, they hooked me with the many late night ads and I bought a US Fidelis (warranty in Mar 09. I was told that I would receive my warranty information in the mail.
In April, I took my car in for an oil change and the check engine light, and was told that my purge control valve on my 2002 Nisssan Altima was bad. I called US Fidelis and was told that due to clerical problems they were a couple of months behind in processing paperwork and the company I had been set up with to receive services was Choice Manufacturing Co. I got a number and called them. After reaching an operator, I was told that I had to wait two months and 1000 miles before I could make a claim. I was also told the purge control valve was not covered and that I would be finally receiving my warranty information within the month.
Later that month I finally received my warranty info and a box with three products they wanted me to put into my car, which if I didn’t would void my warranty.
I took my car in today and the muffler or catalytic converter had a hole in it and it also was not covered under the warranty.
I just called and cancelled my warranty with US Fidelis because it is not financially feasible for me to have “repair insurance” on my car, when I can, if the car needs repairs, have it repaired, and if it doesn’t, spend the money on something else.
choice manufacturing is a product of tier one warranty they cover the transmission engine transfer case and water pump, along with the starter alternator voltage regulator power window motors heater fan and wiper motors, along with the ac like the ac compressor condenser evap. and orifice tube. this items are all hundreds if not thousands of dollars and there is a probation period on the policy it is 60 days AND 1000 miles. muffler is a wear and tear item…. any way the catalytic converter is covered with the manufactures warranty its a 8 year 80k warranty. varies by manufactuar
Hi everyone,
Thanks for posting your experiences and opinions about this company.Since I’ve had many bad experiences with other companies.Those lessons have taught me to research and read the fine print,over and over,lol.And,since doing this my buying journey has been pleasant and without unwanted surprises.
I have been scammed by a similar company. I received a postcard in the mail telling me my warranty was to expire on my vehicle. I ignored it and they started calling me, leaving me messages on my machine constantly. So I finally called them back and I got a person on the phone that sounded like a professional game show host. So I decided to try it for a while. The monthly deductions were kind of steep, so I called back to cancel the warranty…they refused to oblige my request and reduced the monthly fees. I tried to cancel again recently and they refused to cancel my policy…they switched me around from person to person. When I asked the person whom I was speaking to, he replied in a sarcastic tone “I already gave you my name and I am not telling you again.”!!!
I think those warranty companies are scams!! Don’t fall for them, hang up on them…they should not be calling you if you are on the “Do Not Call” registry in which I am on and they still called me. How they got my phone number, my car information, etc…I don’t know. But I am under the assumption that some of the car dealerships “sell” our contact information to those warranty companies.
If you get scammed by those warranty companies, save all the information…all emails, correspondence, etc….even record the phone calls you get from them or when you contact them…they record our conversations when we call them (so they say) just make sure you tell them you are recording the call to insure better business like the bull crap they tell us.
Just beware…please!
really id like to know how its a scam were going to pay for the repair we accually pay it in full before the repair starts so i really dont know how its a scam. and if its such a SCAM how does Royal Administrations have a A+ on the BBB we sell Royal’s contracts so if its such a scam why does royal have over 3 million customers and why do they have 0 unresolved complaints? so i doubt you work at a dealership because if you did you would love to have a customer that has a vehicle service contract, because we pay it in full
Adam, well i bet you anything you knew your engine was going to go how convenient of you getting the coverage and then the 1st day you can use it you file a claim. hmmm. there’s a reason why you have to wait 60 days AND 1500 miles.
If you want a company to stop billing your credit card just report your credit card stolen…works all the time.
I just left the BBB website and this is what I found.
BBB Rating
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
1196 complaints filed against business
Government action(s) against business.
Advertising issue(s) found by BBB.
Length of time business has taken to resolve complaint(s).
Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints.
I know I wouldn’t do business with a company like this.
US Fidelis or ANY company with that many complaints and a rateing of an ” F “!!!!
Well I purchased a U.S Fidelis Warranty today and I’ve done my research but I’m not the type of person who takes anyone’s word. After reading some of your comments i decided to call U.S Fidelis and ask them a few questions. My call was answered promptly, which is a plus. The sales rep tranferred me to customer service. I spoke with a representative who didn’t seem to know much about their policies(she had to keep referring to my contract), which was not a plus. I also heard something like a tv and people in the background, which is another negative. My first question was reguarding a cancellation fee that i was not notified about before i purchased the policy. She assured me and read it to me verbatim which stated that if i decided to cancel within the first 60 days i would recieve a full refund less any claims paid out. Anything after 60 days is a 40 dollar cancellation fee. I then ask whether i would be able to change my own oil. She said I would as long as I kept my receipts for the purchase of the oil and logged the mileage in the maintenace log. I also asked about the additives but she said according to my contract, The additives were not necessary. Im still a little skeptical about my purchase but not as skeptical as I was before I called. Im a 22 year old male. I drive a 2006 Nissan Maxima . When I got the car it had 34,640 miles on it. It now Has 96,351. I’ve been doing alot of driving. I keep up with regular oil changes and scheduled maintenance and i dont get my car serviced anywhere but at the dealership. If you have ever taken you car to the dealership then you know just regular scheduled maintenance can run you clode to 500 dollars, so i can only imagine how much a transmission or engine repair would cost, which im sure would be 2000 dollars or better which would pay for the warranty and then some. Just trying to say be an individual and make your own decisions based on your own experiences not everyone elses because who knows what variables caused that person to have a bad experience.
I bought coverage for my truck and was very excited. I had problems with the truck before and thought this would help put my mind at ease. YEAH RIGHT! I should have known it was too good to be true.
I took my truck to the shop, because it wasn’t pulling like it use to. I was told the #3 injector was bad. Guess what happened next…US Fidelis denied payment.
The Customer Service Guy told me emissions are not covered under the contract. I am not a motorhead like the rest of my family. I can change fluids and make minor repairs. So to me an injector is fuel delivery…not emissions.
I called to cancel the contract because I can’t afford to pay for the contract and the repair bill. I told them several times “I want to cancel the contract!” In the end all I had to do was get an address to mail a letter to them.
Anyone thinking of getting extended coverage through US Fidelis I give you these words of advise. DON”T!!!!!!
here is my story. i bought the policy 7/21 by 10/8 well into my 60 day/1500 miles i was told ‘u should have had a ase shop do your oil change’i said i always do them myself. they said somewhere in the policy it states i had to perform an oil change within 60 days even if i only drove 500 miles/month and oil changes are done every 3k miles. Just BEWARE. at this point i am convinced it is a scam because the next time they’ll find their way out and read me another line from the contract. BEWARE.
You should never pay for extended warranty each year. Most of them you pay up to a couple of thousand dollars once it is paid you should not have to pay anymore on the warranty. If it takes 2 years to pay the warranty and you have your car for ten, you are still covered until you reach your mileage or how many months it covered.
so far so good with US FIDELIS. i have a 1997 dodge grand caravan with all wheel drive that had a bad transmission. in order to get the tranny replaced i had to provide 2 docs. showing that my motor oil had been changed on time per their specs. thay paid $1,200.00 and my deductable was $359.03. so far so good as i took delivery of my 1997 dodge all wheel drive caravan just in time for winter. TRANNY FIXED. MY ADVICE:read read read ALL THE FINE PRINT AND FALLOW IT TO THE (T)!!!!!!!!
I work for Potamkin Cadillac Chevrolet dealership in New York. I thought I would call US Fidelis just to get an idea how much coverage would cost. I have a 2007 Cadillac CTS. The gentleman offered me their platinum new car coverage for 3475 for 5/100k. I guess for the average joe, that would be a lot of money. And even for me, that’s alot of money since I can get my buddys in the service dept to do most of the work. However, compared to how expensive repairs “can” be, it might be worth it. Sadly, I am the guy that waltzes into the service dept looking for the customer that has a repair that might be too much money for him to pay up front. So yes, I try to entice him to buy a brand new car instead of paying for the repair. I mean, who wants to spend thousands of dollars on their car when they can just put that towards a down payment,right? Makes sense. Unfortunately, I also do see the many many customers that are pretty much in tears because they can’t afford the repairs or they end up leaving their car there to be junked. But we have families to feed also. Bottom line, I wouldn’t buy a warranty while I’m working here, but if you’re the person that really can’t afford a breakdown, it might be good to look into. My shop charges 125/hr for the labor. And trust me, the guys here aren’t shy trying to find more problems on the car than you came in with. As far as them paying claims? I am not sure about that. We do work with warranties all the time. Especially when it comes to Caddys, its a good idea. But I do know that it’s not US Fidelis that pays for the claims. It’s the underwritters. We gladly accept administrators such as Mercury,Royal,TierOne,Presidential,Amtrust, etc etc. I asked the kid I was talking to from Fidelis who my underwritter was and he did mention that mine was Royal. I was pretty happy with that, but I didn’t buy the warranty. I just don’t need to right now. Perhaps if I change fields I might. I wouldn’t say they are a scam. Plus I’m a Rusty Wallace fan. I would just recommend that they go through the coverage with you. It can be a little shady when it comes with older cars. Hope that helps someone.
joe i work at usfidelis we do work with royal tier one choice amtrust all of those are great companies i try to tell customers that repair shops dont care when you get paid or anything like that and i know people do cry when they see 1200 dollars hell id hug the dam service manager if they let me make 12 payments on a repair bill buy it just not work like that most dealers charge 100-150 a hr and depending on the yr make and model of your caddy i bet i could get you royal at 2500 like 150 down and 24 months of 97.92 a month you can call us directly at 1-800-724-8513 ext 8825 my name is john saparito been working there for over a yr we also have a 30 100% money back gaurantee
This is to #104 aka John
I’m not in any position to buy a warranty at this time. I work at the dealership and get most of my problems done at no charge or at very little cost. I’m not sure it’s very appropriate for you to come on here to solicate sales on here. If you’re here to defend your company and educate some, then please do. Otherwise, it doesn’t look very professional on your part to weasel sales on here. You have made some good arguments on some of the negative comments on here, and you seem to have a knack to educate some of the people on here that are in dire need to see both sides of the spectrum. From my personal opinion, I think it is good to hear both sides of the argument. We have had plenty of complaints ourselves however, most are dismissed since it’s most are based on emotions, not facts. I wouldn’t be suprised if you guys do have a lot of customers, you obviously can’t make all of them happy. If you think about it, there really are only a few websites that have bad press/comments on your company. To me, that’s enough to think you are legit, you probably do what you say you will, and people just need to read ALL the small print before going through a claim. But I tell you what John, if I ever leave my career, I might just give you a call and see what you have to say.
Sorry Joe,
You may be right about no such thing as extended factory warranties on American cars (Not sure as I won’t buy them) but you certainly can buy them for brands such as Honda.
Take a look for yourself:
http://www.hondafinancialservices.com/Planning/Honda.asp
Oh and like I said before, if you buy a good brand in the first place, you really don’t need an extended warranty. Toyota and Honda have never let me down and I have never needed an extended warranty.
I work at a repair shop when I have a customer come in with thier warranty it is the longest process. The look for every reason not to pay for a covered repair. The will leave you and the customer waiting for weeks. Its a scam as far as I am concerned.
Fletch, you’re correct to a certain degree. I don’t know how old you are but I’m in my 50′s. I’ve dealt with cars all my life, growing up around them since my father used to be a mechanic. Honestly, the older cars were so much better and dependable than these new “robots” so I call them. I see more new cars (Honda,Toyota,Cadillac,Chevrolet) in our service department more than some 10 year old clunker. The fact is, there is just more to fix on them now. If you have done any backup research you will actually see that Honda and Toyota are worse than what they used to be. They ABSOLUTELY used to be the best running cars out there, you could keep a Honda up to 20 yrs old with over 300k miles without ever having a wrench to it. But that was the problem. They were ultimately losing money because people kept those cars longer. Chevrolet or Ford, they would break down after only a few years, but then they’d go back to the dealer and buy a brand new one to replace it. Honda/Toyota saw that trend and guess what? They aren’t building them like they use to. My son “had” a 2008 Honda Civic SI Coupe. He went back to their service dept more times than I’ve seen my doctor. Luckily he was under his factory warranty, but he got sick of it and traded it in for a different car. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter what kind of car you have. You can even splurge and buy yourself an 80k dollar mercedes-benz. The point is that we’re in the future now. So much damn technology to keep up with and damn computers, I can’t even work on these cars myself anymore. However, I am glad that you haven’t seen an ounce of problem yet with any of your cars. Hope that luck never runs out on you.
Fletch, as far as that “extended factory warranty” goes. You need to read the print. When going to that link you will notice that it is called a Honda care VEHICLE SERVICE CONTRACT. It is not called a Honda extended factory warranty. They used to call it that but with the regulations we are now required to call them service contracts. The reason you ask? Because that’s just what it is. It is not a warranty that is provided from the manufacturer itself. Trust me, I know. You can ask your dealer if you’d like. Ask him if the manufacturer Honda is the actual provider for your contract. If he tells you a name of an underwriter, then it’s not from the factory. I’m sorry if your favorite dealer has lead you on. Like I said on a previous post, I’m just being honest since we are all kept anonymous here.
I considered the warranty with US Fidelis but researched comments about it on the internet first. Yours makes great sense and I wouldn’t have thought of it myself even though I am in a Financial Peace University Class. Thanks to your recommendation, I will put my money into an emergency fund instead. Thanks!
In order to remain in business, even the most corrupt companies make good on a few hand picked claims. It all boils down to one simple concept, honor. US Fidelis has no honor. This is the very reason that many US Marines have began to boycott US Fidelis. The Marine motto is “Semper Fidelis,” this means Always Faithful. US “Fidelis” is not faithful nor do they exhibit honor. In regards to a free tow, AAA is much cheaper. Most insurance companies offer emergency road service. Keep your oil changed and do what Penny suggested and start an emergency savings account. If you have been mistreated by this company call your state Attorney General. To my fellow Marines out there reading this, Semper Fi. Contact Headquarters Marine Corps and let them know that you object to the partial use of the Marine Corps motto, I did!
Joe,
I agree, to a point, that Toy and Honda may not be as good as in the past though I think most of this would apply to Toyota more than Honda. That is part of the reason as to why I said you are better off getting a unit made in Japan. My ’08 was made in Japan and about as basic as you can get- Not many features, but also not anything added just to make it fail like a timing belt (good old chain like the old days).
And yea , they may call it a service contract but you can still get it directly from Honda..that is a Honda web site I listed in the other post. “Honda’s exclusive factory-backed protection package is transferable” is even on the main page.
The bottom line is when you buy a new car you are taking a risk so I prefer to reduce my risk upfront by buying brands that have served me well in the past and continue to do so. I have never had an extended warranty and quite frankly have never needed one.
I recently began to see USFedelis commercials on TV and decided to give them a call.
The quoted me for a 8 year old car at $ 3,400. They wanted $ near 700.00 down and almost $ 300 a month. They wanted me to pay it off fast .
I asked a few questions and the agent wanted my credit card number He kept asking for it. I refused saying I needed time to think this over. Then I got all the disaster stories about my car. ( I think after reading ALL these reviews the DISASTER would have been signing on with them ).
I said that would be difficult and they magically reduced the price and payments 2 times. Then put a closer on the phone to pressure me more…
I ended up saying ” have a nice day ”
I see numerous Fidelis employees on here espeially the one who quoted hours in decimal times such as 7.5 hours. Thats definately not a what a customer would say in time frames but more likely a FeDelis employee who is used to computing labor hours.
Yes i would love to find a reputable honest warranty company. Is it possible ? I will continue my search.
@Mary,
$300 A MONTH for a warranty?!
That’s a car payment on a new car!
That’s ridiculous…
Felix, warranty companies are nothing like auto insurance companies. “On your side” is the truth, out of Nationwide’s own mouth. Best claims experience ever, and I was hit by their customer. I suppose you think the THOUSANDS of dollars paid out on claims grows on trees. I’m thinking $892.10 for a 6 month premium is fair compared to the $7,183.32 paid out on my claim at the hospital! I’m sorry where’s the profit??? Point is don’t compare auto warranty companies to auto insurance companies. Auto insurance protects your investments!!!
I agree with joe. this is a poor decision to invest any money into something so sketchy! And Amber…damn right…I had a horrid situation where someone with no insurance hit me and Nationwide took care of everything! I will never change. I learned that it isn’t always best to price shop..you need to value shop.
This company is a total scam. I paid my monthly payments for 7 months then my engine blew. I was honest when i purchased the policy that my car was used when i bought it and the milage was 115K, they denied my claim for too many miles and when I didnt except that they said oh well your denied for lack of maintence so i faxed them 3 copies of oil changes to prove i took care of my responsiblities and their last denial was for normal wear and tear…ummmm hello its only a 2002 and the estimated engine life span is 300k miles. needless to say they had to return all my money i had paid them…after 6 weeks with no car i still had to pay out of pocket!
DO NOT GET A POLICY WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Hi James,
Thanks for the article. I’m currently doing research on extended warranties as the warranty on my current car is about to expire and though I haven’t had a trasmission go out, I certainly have used the warranty extensively. Though I whole hartedly agree that a high yield savings plan is a much better idea, the extended warranty plan offered by the manufacturer seems quite reasonable. At $1700 for a 3yr/36,000 mile plan with zero % financing for 17 months, and with the exact same coverage as the original warranty, and no up front fees (some extended warranty companies require you to pay up front, then haggle later whether or not it’s covered) and work done at their (the dealership) service center (again, other companies require you use an exclusive list of providers) I found this to be competitive and convenient. I agree with another poster that with the sheer number of people covered by Fidelis (likely in the tens of thousands), 809 complaints over 3 yrs actually seems kinda low. However, I felt compelled to research alternative options. And the first poster who stated you as being jealous of a company making money seems to have missed the point completely.
Thanks,
Christopher
Follow up – apparently they’ve been busy…
40 state Attorneys General are currently investigating the company for misleading consumers.
The Today show goes on to point out that the company has 1100 complaints with the St. Louis Better Business Bureau.
Mary Johnson,
yea just go out and buy yourself a new car i encourage it so that you can invest 20k into a new car and 8 yrs later its worth nearly 4k. i may not be a investment nerd but if you said i have a investment plan to invest 20k then 5 yrs later its worth 5k o would say your out of your mind. so lets look at the payments 300 a month for 60 months that’s 18k…most are at at lest 10% interest so that 1800 dollars in interest you pay so the total is 19200. you drive the car off the lot you lost 2500 dollars.
the manufacture give you a 3/36 so after 3 years you will be out of warranty. so magically most cars break down when there outside the warranty. so here we are 3 yrs later still doing the same thing looking for coverage. except you have to look that your already paying 300 dollars towards that car payment. so you will search and search for cheep coverage and maybe you give up because you think warranty’s are a scam so 4 yrs later your car breaks down and the car is worth 3k and the tranny costs 2200 you say its time for a new car you trade it in and buy a new one…..see there is a common pattern the dealer has you right by the collar so go ahead think 300 dollars for 12 months with no interest is to high and don’t get coverage wait on it your car is running GREAT so when it does break down ill walk up to you and say I TOLD YOU SO and walk away laughing
1100 complaints i believe like 3 are unresolved
3/300,000 customers .00001 of are customers are unhappy
1100/300,000 X 100 is .36666 so that’s a 99.6 approval rating. hm if i was a business owner id say im pretty happy with that.
This John saparito kid makes sense. They have 1100 complaints cuz they talk to over 10,000 people everyday. That’s not bad at all. I will be calling us fidelis tomorrow to see what they can offer me on my 2001 accord
You all have way too much time on your hands…
Just out of curiosity, how is a refund 100% money back if they clearly state in the fine print that there is a 75$ cancellation fee. Last time I checked, 100% of the money I would have paid us fidels minus 75$ is not 100% money back, but here we go gettin all technical about the fine print, math, and what the definition of 100% is
it varies from contract to contract from the amount of coverage on the engine and transmission. exactly what are we leaving out?
Transmission/Automatic or Standard: The internal components of the automatic transmission or manual transmission. Drive chain, drive chain gears, carrier bearings, and internal trans-axle seal. The manual transmission case and automatic transmission case and torque converter are covered, if damaged by the failure of internally lubricated parts. Flywheel/ flex plate, vacuum modulator, electronic shift control unit, transmission cooler, transmission mounts, oil pan, seals and gaskets, shift linkage and shift bushing.
it does vary from contract to contract. this is why we give all our customers a 100% money back guarantee. its state law that customers get to review the terms and conditions, before they make a final decision. after 30 days you get a pro-rated refund minus a canx fee.
The “terms and conditions” of any insurance policy determines what will and will not be paid. As for automobile extended warranties, one should make sure that claims will be paid for ‘Seals and Gaskets’ and ‘wear and tear’. Another important item is their definition of ‘failure’.
Most warranty companies can turn down almost any claim for wear and tear if your policy does not cover those.
if you do your finanacing thru a credit union, they sometimes sell a warranty product and then you have them to go back to if you do have a problem. When you buy yourself thru an independant company you have no one when the answer is NO
Hmmm, when thinking about manual transmissions John the clutch isint’ covered, the pressure plate isint’ covered and the clutch assembly isit required, roughly 1300 worth of parts and labor, I know cause I just had it replaced. Also, like I said earlier a 100% refund is considered 100% of the money I’ve paid you not 100% of the money Ive paid you less a cancellation fee….there we go with the ‘precision in English’
also you negleceted to address why you were so rude to some of the previous posters. I especially love how you only address the non covered items and leave everything else out in your reply.
Bottom line is this people, call us fidels and see how much they are going to charge you for a warranty. Take what they give you as a down payment and open a savings account with it, then each month take the money you would be giving them and put it in your savings accout. This way you have a stable emergency fund and you can make decisions about what will and will not be covered by your emergency fund
To clarify my previous post it is supposed to read ‘and the clutch assembly isint’ covered’
Stupid iPhone auto correct
For those of you who think its a scam check this out… I purchased a plan with not deductible and once my grace period was up I took in my 2004 F-150 with over 75,000 miles in for service. The warranty I puchased paid for two new lower ball joints, a new A/C control unit, and all the labor. Not one cent came out of my pocket. This all totaled over $1,000 which is about half the cost of my plan. Well worth it!
Just spoke with a customer service rep from US Fid of course He probably just told me what i wanted to hear. Was confirmed that they are no longer sale warranty contracts at this but customer service is still avail. Assured me that my vehicle was still covered they only sold me a contract the actual company that my contract is Teir one and i have contacted this company and my vehicle is stilled covered. And far as payouts I do have complaints but I guess minor overall. I had to use my warranty twice. One for a/c needed a compressor only paid 500.00 and the repair company(Firestone) charged me a total of about 800.00 caharging for removing and rplacing a part of the a/c that had to come off to replace compressor and for replacing coolant you would think that inc in a/c service but thats an issue with firestone not us fid they paid with no problem. Second I needed a transmission Only requirement proof of maintainance. They shipped in a transmission taking three-four days paid for labor refuse to pay for rental car stating hours of labor did not qualify and the fact that they had to ship in the transmission did not qualify. Transmission repair would have cost me apx 2300 runs great so I say I got mines. By da way I have 2002 with over 190,000 miles
Even Rusty has seen the hand writing on the wall and burned his tires leaving the place. Check out his comment towards the bottom:
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-savvy-consumer-blog/uncategorized/2009/12/nascar-team-says-us-fidelis-wont-be-a-sponsor-next-year/
I purchased a warranty, put 180.00 down and it started that day. I paid on it for 8 months, 92.46 per month, thru Mepco finance. I had an issue with my 2007 Jeep Liberty, took it to Aamco, which requires NO deductable if taken there or pep boys or firestone, and they paid the repair bill of 1,049.00 with NO hassle. Last month I took to a jeep dealer and got my blower motor fixed, cost them 329.00 with labor, they paid it and all I paid was a 100.00 deduc, since it was not a preferred place. They been awesome to me and I am keeping it. Bill in Pittsburgh.
U.S Fidelis is a complete scam. I had this insurance for almost a year and a half and I never used it. Recently, I needed about 900 dollars worth of work done and they denied my claim. Obviously I was upset and decided to cancel the service. Since I was on a monthly plan, I would not recieve any refunds because under the provisions section it states that the contract must be paid in full before any money that i have paid out will be issued. So all the money that i had paid was a lost cause. They also make you wait 30 days or 1000 miles after purchasing the warranty before you can fill any claims so it is not a quick alternative to an immediate repair. In addition, if you happen to have many repairs that are back to back they have the right to send out an inspector who can deny your claim for any reason. Wow, what a rip off. So if anyone has any questions about what they cover please feel free to post here and i will gladly let you know what they say. I dont want others to fall into the same trap that I did.
Complete waste of my money. The water pump went out and I had to show ORIGINAL receipts for all my old changes for 2 years. The garage that I go to, to have the water pump and oil changed offered to send them copies of all my oil changes and they said it wouldn’t work. They actually expected me to have copies of all those ORIGINAL receipts with me in my wallet so that I can fax them over. Keep in mind I dropped the car off earlier in the day and I’m at work. I only had 2 payments left and I canceled it. They actually said to me, “you only have 2 payments left, are you sure you want to cancel?” My response, “Why in the hell would I pay you $90 a month for 2 more months? You won’t even cover a !@# windshield wiper.” GOD I’M SO MAD AT MYSELF FOR FALLING FOR THIS SCAM!!!!! They spend 30 minutes on the phone with you talking about all the wonderful things they cover, you’d think they could spend 2 seconds telling you to please make sure you keep all the ORIGINAL receipts in case something breaks.
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!!!
Peter