I purchased a 2 year "no hassle" protection plan through Overstock.com for a new coffee maker in Feb. Of 09. The coffee machine is a unique design by Cuisinart that dispenses coffee via a lever, instead of a conventional pot.
A week ago, the lever for the coffee dispenser mechanism snapped off the the machine, making the machine totally useless, as you cannot dispense the coffee that is made without it.
We filed a claim for repair or replacement of the machine. However our request was denied on the basis that it was an accident. An "accident" as termed in the agreement we were provided, is as follows...
"abuse, misuse, introduction of foreign objects into the product, unauthorized product modification or alterations, failure to follow the manufacturers instructions"
We explained to the OUTSOURCED CUSTOMER SERVICE that the failure of the part was due to normal use and not an accident as termed in the agreement. However, they kept referring to "physical damage" as the #1 reason for not honoring the protection plan. When asked for an explanation as to what exactly IS physical damage, they could not offer an answer. They also stated they do not cover pieces that fall off of any product. Our copy of the agreement stated very clearly that "Failures caused by defects in workmanship and materials" are fully covered. The piece that broke is a critical part of the machine and under NORMAL everyday use, and without it, it is non-functional. The company claims that the actual agreement we have is not the full disclosed agreement. When asked for a copy of the full agreement, the company refused to provide one, they further refused to provide a link to the "full" agreement that could be read online. This in itself is VERY suspicious and sent up red flag warnings.
Overstock is knowingly pushing protection plans with hidden agreements that are not made known to the consumer at the time of purchase. They are also supporting 3rd party insurance scams that are impossible to redeem if something should happen to the product because of hidden agreements that the consumer is not made aware of and unwillingness of the protection plan company to honor the agreement.
To top it all off, the customer service reps literally hung up TWICE when challenged on the terms of the agreement. The answer to all our problems according to the customer reps? Call the manufacturer and have them fix it... Well I thought that was the WHOLE POINT OF A PROTECTION PLAN IN THE FIRST PLACE. Was to avoid such a hassle. No Hassle Protection Plans from overstock are not "No Hassle".. They are a RIPOFF. Don't waste your money.
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