For me, not a day goes by that I do not receive some type of unsolicited telemarketing phone call or piece of mail trying to sell me something.

Unfortunately many of the companies that do direct marketing have a terrible reputation and are generally very poorly rated with the Better Business Bureau. The reason for this is most higher-quality companies do not participate in direct marketing as they generally get enough business through traditional marketing methods. And no business is this more true than in the auto warranty business. There isn’t a single company we have found that direct markets warranty plans that actually has an insurance company underwriting their business. This is the gold standard for determining whether a warranty company is reputable and upstanding. These unscrupulous marketing companies are simply sham companies set up to scam you out of your money. Unfortunately this also goes for auto warranty companies that advertise on the radio or cable television. No “reputable” auto warranty company does any type of television or radio ad.

Purchasing an auto warranty is actually one of the best financial decisions the vehicle owner can make. The way to protect yourself and make sure that you purchase an auto warranty from a company that will be there to pay claims when the need arises is to make sure that you follow certain criteria. Some of the things to make sure of are…
• Be certain that the auto warranty company is in business for 10 years or more to assure that they are successfully paying claims, not just selling warranties.
• Check to make sure that the company is not only A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau but also an accredited BBB company.
• And perhaps most importantly, you want to make sure that the warranty company is backed and insured by a United States-based insurance carrier that has at least an A rating with AM Best. This means that even if the warranty company itself goes out of business your claims will still get paid directly by an underwriter.

The bottom line is you need to do more than just get a quote and assume the plan is a quality auto warranty program. You should always do your research to make sure that you know what you’re getting yourself into. An excellent place to start is one of the most reputable companies in the industry, Auto Advantage Inc. who have been offering automotive warranties and roadside assistance since 1979.

When you are choosing an extended auto warranty program is important to look through the various exclusions of the policy you are purchasing. Most reputable auto warranty providers make their inclusions and exclusions clear and concise and have no mixed wording to confuse a repair shop or customer. However, some of the shadier companies out there, typically without a direct underwriter to get out of many different claim situations.

Overheating is a good example of this. Some companies will exclude any repair, even if it has nothing to do with the vehicle overheating if there is any sign that an overheat has occurred. More reputable providers will cover the failure of any covered part as long as owner negligence did not close the failure. Owner negligence in reference to a vehicle that is overheated would be if a driver would continue to operate the vehicle even after the gauges or warning lights have come on. This would obviously cause additional damage to the vehicle from continued operation after the overheat and would not be covered by any warranty program. So in conclusion, it is not overheating that is not covered by a quality auto warranty program, it is the damage caused to the vehicle by the continued operation after the vehicle has overheated.

To be sure you get one of the highest quality auto warranty is available you can request a quote from Auto Advantage or other A+ rated and BBB accredited warranty companies.