Had transmission problem in my Ford Expedition. Took it to AAMCO (who were great, AND who stated that Alpha was the worst warranty company they had ever seen) for inspection. We were told that Alpha would only supply a "salvaged" transmission. I had purchased extended warranties before and had in fact had 2 transmissions replaced under the warranties, with no issues. Total time my vehicle was down = 33 days, most of which was waiting for Alpha to provide the salvage transmission. I asked them to provide information as to the heritage of the salvaged unit. They declined, stating that they didn't have to do that. I stated that it ought to be just a normal component of customer service. They again stated that they didn't have to do so and would not do so. My opinion is that they would only decline this simple request if they were hiding something - like the transmission actually having far higher mileage than stated.
To all potential used car buyers - Avoid Alpha Warranty Services like the plague. Run, don't walk, in the opposite direction. Their customer service is nonexistent. Their favorite practice is to repeatedly put you on extended hold to discourage you from asking questions. They are rude, contradictory, dishonest, unreliable, repeatedly requiring prompting from AAMCO to get approvals and to deliver the transmission itself.in the end they paid out less than $800 toward the replacement cost, despite their up-front claim of being zero deductible. My share was in excess of $300.
Although everyone I spoke with (and was repeatedly on hold with) at Alpha were abjectly rude, abrasive and remarkably unhelpful, a special thanks goes out to "Dean", for even more extraordinary incompetence, idiocy, and utter absence of any understanding of the term "Customer Service."
Bear in mind that Alpha makes their money by selling these so-called warranty services by providing the used car dealership with a portion of the upfront cost - a commission, if you will. So, understand that if your dealer pushes an Alpha plan onto you, they are, in my now experienced opinion, doing you a grave disservice, and I counsel any prospective buyers and any and all dealerships to seek better alternatives in the marketplace.
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