Extended warranty

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Fri 11 Jun 2010 18:53

Extended warranty - Turv

I have today spoken with a well known extended warranty company and asked the company a few questions.

My first question was, " I have read your policy summary and it states in significant exclusions and limitations section 4 . we will not pay for repairing or replacing parts which have not suffered a breakdown. Does this mean you need to breakdown? the answer was yes you need to breakdown. I asked if they were serious! the company said yes we are serious! I then asked what about if the gearbox is screaming and xyz company have said it will be £800 now or if it suffers a roadside breakdown it will be £1500? the warranty replied it must be a breakdown!, lol!, so basically how many people are driving around who are covered by this company? putting other people at risk, because they can not claim because they need to suffer a breakdown?

Example:

I have got extended warranty? i'll phone the company and tell them my front offside wheel bearing is screaming and needs attention.

Hello is that the well known warranty company that is advertised every where?

Oh yes can i help you,?

yes my wheel bearing is confirmed smashed, it needs replacing, when can i take it in to be repaired?

have you suffered a breakdown caller? have you wasted the AA & RAC's time?

no sorry i have not!

well drive it into the ground and hopefully if it goes you will not be held responsible if you kill someone, when the wheel locks up and you hit some one head-on.

Thats what i like about this warranty " NOTHING"

This company actually needs to be taken to the High court in strand London to change the law, because this warranty is actually encouraging people with a low IQ to drive around with a faulty car to destruction and may find themselves doing life in prison.

Edited by Avant on 11/06/2010 at 22:46

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Fri 11 Jun 2010 20:19

Extended warranty - bonzo dog

I realise everyone does not have a full understanding of the English language but when they say "breakdown" they mean "mechanical breakdown" NOT came to a sudden halt on the outside lane of the M1 on a Friday evening.

ie the part that is in question has failed or "broken-down". The term "mechanical breakdown" is used to distinguish this from a part which has simply worn out or not actually failed but is making questionable noises.

Please, take them to the High Court, I'm sure we would all welcome their views. And as for IQ's ..............

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Fri 11 Jun 2010 20:29

Extended warranty - Turv

I realise everyone does not have a full understanding of the English language but when they say "breakdown" they mean "mechanical breakdown" NOT came to a sudden halt on the outside lane of the M1 on a Friday evening.

ie the part that is in question has failed or "broken-down". The term "mechanical breakdown" is used to distinguish this from a part which has simply worn out or not actually failed but is making questionable noises.

Please, take them to the High Court, I'm sure we would all welcome their views. And as for IQ's ..............

YES, this warranty does mean come to a sudden stop on the M1, phone the company ask them, and as for the IQ's... i'm a physics teacher, not a muppet!

With regard also to the IQ, i'm not a holder of extended warranty by this company!

Edited by Avant on 11/06/2010 at 22:41

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Fri 11 Jun 2010 20:54

Extended warranty - bonzo dog

"i'm a physics teacher"

So you'll know what mechanical breakdown means won't you?

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 06:59

Extended warranty - LucyBC

Bonzo Dog's interpretation is correct.

We get a lot of questions about warranties through Ask Honest John.

They are really insurance policies which cover mechanical breakdown and come into play when a part defined as covered by the policy is failing.

Failing can include any indication that it is ceasing to work properly such as noise or smoke etc. You don't need to be picked up off the motorway from the end of a slick of oil

"Mechanical Breakdown" is usually further defined in warranties so as to exclude wear and tear, normal deterioration or negligence such as overheating or abuse.

This means that if bits are designed to be replaced at intervals they are not normally covered unless they are required to be replaced at a much shorter interval than might be normal and in that event will only be replaced if no bad driver practice is involved (for example, riding a clutch).

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Fri 11 Jun 2010 22:45

Extended warranty - Avant

Turv, you were right not to name the company concerned but if you would like to E-mail us at moderators@honestjohn.co,uk and give us their name, I will look into it for you and ask HJ for his opinion.

The most likely explanation is that you got a duff person on the phone who didn't understand their own company's terms and conditions.

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 11:35

Extended warranty - Turv

Turv, you were right not to name the company concerned but if you would like to E-mail us at moderators@honestjohn.co,uk and give us their name, I will look into it for you and ask HJ for his opinion.

The most likely explanation is that you got a duff person on the phone who didn't understand their own company's terms and conditions.

Avant,

Thanks, i have sent a msg to moderators, you may be right, maybe we got our wires crossed on issues, i really would like to clear things up, because it does seem a good warranty that i would take out, but i refuse to drive my car till the wheels fall off etc to make a claim, this would just be irresponsible (if this is the case)

P.s: are they any other warranty companies about that does cover without driving to destuction? i would be very grateful to know as i am serious about getting a warranty sorted.

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 11:52

Extended warranty - Turv

Right,

Just to sort this out once and for all, i have just phoned one of the warranty company's network garages, who CONFIRM, YES YOU NEED TO SUFFER A BREAKDOWN! i said so ok if a wheel bearing is nearly ready to go you wont change it, the garage said yes thats correct " crazy isn't it"

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 12:58

Extended warranty - LucyBC

Insurance policies are almost always based on common sense. The same applies to warranties (which are insurance policies).

We carry sample agreements for both warrantydirect and Warrantywise and both operate as outlined elsewhere in this thread on the definition of mechanical breakdown.

Most parts fail over a period of time and not catastrophically so if there is a warranty fault on a part which is clearly beginning to fail you do not need to run it until a catastrophic failure occurs to make a claim on the warranty.

A wheel bearing wouldn't come under a warranty. It counts as a wearing part. It is up to you to replace that yourself. If (for the sake of argument) a non-warranty covered part such as a wheel bearing failed and a part covered by the warranty also failed but only as a result of the wheel bearing failure it would be likely the warranty would be void in any event.

In fact it is almost certainly the case that - were you aware of a failing part which was covered by the warranty and failed to replace it, resulting in damage to other warrantied parts - then the warranty would not pay for the full extent of the damage as the chances would claim contributory negligence leading to a consequential loss.

I don't know what company you are referring to but virtually all these policies are underwritten at Lloyds and broadly use the same terms and conditions for the core cover.

So read the policy and go on that, not what some numpty in a garage told you.

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 13:12

Extended warranty - bonzo dog

At this point you would need to move away from general hypotheticals to a more accurate description of the nature of the problem. If the wheel bearing (& it's probably not the best example) has not actually failed then the warranty company would be under no obligation to pay for a repair - on the simple logical explanation that if it ain't broken why would it require repairing?

In a real life situation symptoms occur first which would lead to a diagnosis. The nature of the diagnosis would determine whether the claim is covered or not. A better explanation of "nearly ready to go" would be necessary.

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