Many of you reading this have received the frequent pre-recorded calls on your home phones, cell phones (how do they get cell numbers?), etc., making interesting, and even wonderful sounding offers of extended warranties for your aging vehicle. Sometimes they will try to alarm you with a line about your "last chance to buy a warranty is about to expire!!!" No matter what the claims, or the sales pitch, or even the company name, most often it seems to lead back to Consumer Direct Warranty Service (C.D.W.S.) or one of their equally unsavory A.K.A. Derivatives.
My continuing nightmare with this pure-profit boiler room operation began in summer of 2008 with the purchase of a so-called "product" glowingly referred to as "Great Choice" (sic) from Vehicle Services Inc. (v.S.I.), which is apparently one of many "front" marketing companies. What an unbelievably BAD CHOICE it was to ever get involved with this "company"!
First, they informed me, more than once, that this was an "all-inclusive" "bumper-to-bumper" warranty for $2,400.00. I told them "Sounds great, but I just can't afford it...", at which point the salesperson offered to "help" by giving me one of his only two "friends and family" deals he supposedly got each year and dropped the price to "only" $1,800.00. Wow, what a guy, right? How could I say no? (Don't worry, I'm seeking help!)
Well, I wish I had! V.S.I. Set me up with a package, as well as financing though their cronies at Mepco Finance (who also appear to be part of this whole charade). I had a problem with a power window moter on my aging Jeep Cherokee a couple of months later, and was told by C.D.W.S. That my Extended Power Train warranty (NOT bumper-to-bumper!) would not cover it. When I informed them of what I was told by the salesperson, they informed ME that I would have to talk with V.S.I. About it, because C.D.W.S. Didn't even sell bumper-to-bumper warranties on cars with way over 100,000 miles like mine. And V.S.I., who supposedly records all of their contract sales calls, didn't seem to have that particular conversation in their files...
This was later followed by two attempts to cancel my contract, one by Mepco, and one by C.D.W.S., and both due to inept bookeeping! The last straw came in January when my very reputable mechanic submitted what he referred to as an absolutely "cut-and-dried" claim of pinion and side-carrier bearing failure in my front drive axle. After stalling, passing the buck, and dishing out one different 'B.S.' story after another to my mechanic and I, I was told, after FOUR days of waiting for approval, that the problem appeared to be caused by simple wear and tear, and therefore was not covered and my claim was DENIED.
Did I mention that during all of this time I had to rent a car, and that my rental expnses were also denied, of course, along with the repair claim? What shoul have been a 2-3 day process, from start of claim to repaired car, was now headed into the FIFTH day, and no work had started on my car, nor would it, at C.D.W.S.' expense, anyway. My mechanic, who has dealt with most aftermarket warranty companies out there, both good and bad, had NEVER seen ineptitude and "B.S." on this scale from ANY company he had ever dealt with. A "great choice" indeed!
Next stop, the Califonia State Attorney General's Office, as well as any other local, state, or federal office that has a business complaint process in place. And I have been able to determine that I am far from alone. Class action, anyone? Research and avoid these dirtbag companies like the plague!!! lawrence, pasadena, ca.
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