I first wrote about Automotive Warranty Advisors in April and still see waves of new comments every couple of months (probably about the same time their scare-cards are mailed again). Some of the stories posted in the comments to that post are worthy of note. Some samples:
Mike:
The longer I talked to the rep the more pushy he became. He then put his floor manager on the phone to close the deal and he was even worse. The whole thing reminded me of the movie “Boiler Room”. When I told him I wasn’t ready to commit right now and that I would call him back, he said that if I hung up, the deal was off. That just solidified the fact that it was a scam. I’m glad I did not give him any of my information. I should have checked them out on the internet before calling. Beware of these guys.
Tom:
… so I asked him where they recieved their information from- He said they got it from the dealership. So I asked what the dealerships name was. He said that they did not have that information. I asked whos name was on the car/policy- He said that I had to give him the year, make and model of the car. I said no way, that they must be stupid to think that I would fall for that. Brian then started cursing at me saying that I must have mistaken him for someone who gave a s*** and that he had too many other people to call before the end of his shift to deal with me not purchasing anything from him and he hung up.
Anonymous:
Basically, they are keeping my 2000 dollars and I got nothing. They said I am not qualified to get any money back. I like to think I am a pretty smart consumer. I usually ask a lot of questions and check things out first before I purchase something like this but I guess I am not as smart as I thought.
Javier:
This time I pressed 1 to talk to a rep and as I was explaining my situation they hung up. All this time I thought it was regarding my 2004 toyota matrix. Now I know for sure this is a scam. I almost thought of calling my Toyota dealer and cussing them out. Anyway everyone should steer clear of this.
Manhattan:
I’ve received at least two “Final Notices” from them, and I have never even owned a car!
Out of 28 comments, one was positive, and that one linked back to their site, which means it was nothing more than linkbait anyway.
If you get a call or a card in the mail about your auto warranty expiring, do not give them your personal information over the phone. If you are truly interested in purchasing an aftermarket auto warranty, stop by Edmunds.com and read their tips first so you know what you want and how to shop for it. Buy it with your eyes wide open and after researching the warranty company thoroughly.
Keep in mind that the manufacturer’s warranty isn’t the problem. What these folks want to do is sell you an expensive post-warranty warranty using scare tactics and loaded language to hook you into calling them and handing over your credit information on the phone.
One thing that we did with the Prius and the Scion was to buy not only an extended warranty through the manufacturer (Toyota), but also prepaid maintenance. It’s really been nice, because all we have to do is drive into the dealership and leave the car for a couple of hours and the maintenance is done. Having the regular maintenance done goes a long way toward keeping the car in good running order down the line when the extended manufacturer warranty runs out.
More complaints here.
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Tags: automotivewarranty advisors, mail, scam, alert, aftermarket warranty, auto warranty
