American Auto Shield, LLC

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/13) */
Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to address it. It appears that the claim was actually authorized on October 20, prior to our receipt of the complaint. The repairs were completed and the...

shop has been paid by credit card. We do apologize that there was a delay in our receipt of the independent inspection reports. As an accommodation and good will gesture, we would like to waive the customer's contract deductible for his next two claims.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/11/16) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Because when I called them it was always someone else's fault as to why it was taken weeks and I was without a wheelchair accessible vehicle. And as to their offer of waving the next 2 deductibles, what if I don't have another claim? I had a Warrenty on another vehicle for 4 yrs now and have yet to make a claim on that policy. Besides the deductible is $100 that I pay the shop, the company is not affected at all!
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/12/03) */
Again, we apologize for inconvenience to the customer for delays in the completion of the repair. While it is true that the claim was initially called in on October 2, 2015 by the repair facility. We did not receive a diagnosis and estimate from the shop until October 13, 2015. We do not understand how the customer concludes that our waiving the deductible does not effect us, since it would increase the amount that we would pay towards a claim by that amount. If Mr. [redacted] has additional concerns or would like to discuss this matter, he may certainly contact me directly at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Here is the copy of the letter that you requested.  Thank you

Thank you for informing American Auto Shield of this customer's concern and for the opportunity to respond.  We are uncertain what the basis for the customer's complaint is insofar as the repair was completed in full at no cost to the customer over his $100.00 deductible.  The only failed...

part was the compressor and AAS supplied a new compressor for the repair.  No other parts were failed or required.  With respect to the freon, it has been the law in Florida since 2005 that no repair facility performing automotive air conditioning repairs "shall perform that activity without the use of approved refrigerant recycling equipment."  It is our understanding that from the repair facility that such was done in this instance, otherwise they would be subject to fines of up to $1000 per day.  Naturally since the system was full, we would not pay for freon to replace that which is legally required to be, and in fact was, reclaimed.  We apologize for any confusion on the customer's part, but it is clear that the claim was properly adjudicated and paid in this instance.  If Mr. [redacted] still wishes to cancel his contract for a prorated refund less claims paid and the cancel fee, he is certainly welcome to send a cancel request with his current mileage pursuant to the terms of the contract and we will see that it is promptly processed.

Complaint: 11243243
I am rejecting this response because: I have taken this transmission to 3 different shops all claiming the transmission needed to be replaced. American Auto Shield finally said we need to have it torn down, So I paid to have the transmission torn down at AAMCO in Las Vegas Nevada. At that time AAMCo said there failure was caused from an internal Pump failure causing damage to the clutch discs and an electrical seal but the overall failure was caused by the internal PUMP. American Auto shield keeps going to an electrical issue even though that was not a cause. on top of this I have not driven it another 2700 miles since diagnosed. that is a LIE.. I have driven 2700 ,miles since the purchase of the contract that is useless. After following up with the attorney general's office of Colorado I have found that this company has had multiple claims of fraud and manipulation of words in a contract or just plain not paying for claims that are valid.  Due to this Company and CARCHEX selling me a Warranty that is useless I can Not just go out and get another contract to have several things covered. Due to the fact that I am now over 150,000 miles and no matter how meticulous this 2007 Cadillac Escalade was taken care or or how many service record I show it is now over 150,000 so Warranty claims are harder to get.  I have since paid for the Transmission ($3338.00) and for the rental car ($495.00). After speaking with the Family Attorney and showing Contracts and  Service records from all the mechanics shops he said there is a valid case for suit against the American Auto Shield. At this point I have waited 3 weeks for a response for arbitration. this would be the 1st response I have received at all and I am out almost $4000.00. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for providing us with this customer's concern and for the opportunity to respond.  The contract purchased by Ms [redacted] is a stated component contract that specifically lists each component covered by the contract.  While the Deluxe contract has very extensive coverage, it is not a...

bumper to bumper contract.  On August 5, 2016, Ms [redacted]' repair facility called and indicated that the vehicle needed a throttle body.  A copy of the contract including the covered components is attached.  Unfortunately, the throttle body is not listed for coverage under the contract.  We apologize for any inconvenience to the customer, but we are required to adjudicate claims in accordance with the express terms of the contract.  We look forward to assisting the customer with covered repairs in the future.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I don't really care what the contract says. The contract is a scam and a fraudulent document. I paid American Auto Shield for two years of warranty coverage and I want two years of warranty coverage. American Auto Shield needs to pay for the covered claims during that two year period end of story. I do not want to be back charged for covered claims and on top of that be charged for the coverage I did not get period. My next step is to file a complaint with the Attorney General for the State of [redacted] and to start a class action law suit against American Auto Shield and I would hope the Revdex.com would give them the lowest rating possible. It would be far cheaper for American Auto Shield to send me a check for the covered claims rather than fight me in court.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/08/13) */
Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond. Upon review of the inspection report for this claim, it is clear that there was a long-term failure to the transmission. Attached is a picture...

of pan magnet from inspection. This type of failure simply does not spontaneously occur in five days. Furthermore, with respect to the customer's statement that there are no service records for the transmission, this clearly demonstrates that the vehicle was not properly maintained. According to the Ford service manual for this vehicle, a copy of which is attached, the transmission fluid in the 4R70W transmission is to be replaced every 30,000 miles. The contract requires that maintenance be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Accordingly, the customer should have changed the transmission fluid at least twice since purchasing the vehicle, having driven it almost 79,000 miles.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as an accommodation to the customer and as a good will gesture, the seller of the contract has agreed to issue a full refund of the monies paid by the customer. We trust that this satisfactorily addresses the customer's concerns.

Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond.  Unfortunately, American Auto Shield has recently been receiving reports of sellers who have no relationship with our company and who do not sell our products falsely claiming that they are...

calling from or on behalf of American Auto Shield.  We are vigorously working to identify these illegal actors, however since they typically use spoofed telephone numbers, this is a difficult process.  We do not conduct business with any marketers that engage in outbound telemarketing to numbers on the Do Not Call list and have confirmed that these calls were not made by anyone with whom we conduct business.  We have spoken with [redacted] and explained this situation to him and he was very understanding of the difficult situation that we are in.  He has offered to provide any additional information and, if possible by a contract from these callers, in order help us to identify these bad actors should he receive additional calls.  We will of course continue to do everything that we can to identify and stop these people who are illegally making these calls and using our name.

Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond.  Pursuant to the express terms of the contract, rental reimbursement is limited to 4 days and $160.00 per occurrence.  Unfortunately, the repair facility delayed performing appropriate tests...

and providing American Auto Shield with necessary information to determine coverage.  We have reviewed the telephone calls and do not find that our adjuster advised the customer to rent a vehicle.  In fact, he clearly stated that rental could not be authorized until the claim was determined to be for a covered failure.  With respect to the lower engine noise that was demonstrated on inspection, the repair facility indicated that they wished to open up the bottom end of the engine to diagnose the problem.  A week later, the repair facility and customer declined to proceed further so the air conditioning claim was authorized.  As a good will gesture, we are willing to go outside the terms of the contract and reimburse the customer for an additional $160.00.  She may contact me directly at [redacted] or [redacted] if she would like to speak with me about this.  We look forward to assisting her further.

I am rejecting this response because: it was not caused by overheating he seals and gaskets are in tact. At end of water pump which goes into the motor the bearing failed. That is what failed. The internally lubricated part. Ford dealership said so. These newer model fords has internal water pump that goes into the motor. Was not a gasket or overheat. Everything in tact
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond.  In reviewing the invoice submitted by the repair facility, it appears that there were three items that were billed that were not requested or included in our original authorization.  With...

respect to car rental, it is always our policy to pay car rental for delays in parts shipments by our suppliers.  Accordingly, we have agreed to reimburse the customer an additional $99.47.  We have spoken with the customer and she indicates that she is satisfied with this resolution.  We apologize for any inconvenience experienced by the customer and look forward to continuing to provide her with excellent service in the future.  If she does not timely receive the additional check being sent out today, or if we may assist further, she is welcome to contact me directly.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  This continues to be an ongoing issue. The most recent claim was not reviewed as promised and nothing has been done. This time I had to bring the car back in to be worked on because the part that was replaced back in June resulted in water condensation within the cabin due to the HVAC drainage system not correctly working. When I called about the claim American Auto Shield said that the claim was denied because they don't cover water damage however they failed to realize that there were two separate parts that were involved in the water damage and they have yet to knowledge I'd they would pay for any type of repair to the HVAC drainage system which was causing the AC condenser to malfunction.  The company is having an issue with realizing that the HVAC drainage system is malfunction is resulting in the AC condenser working in properly causing the water damage. Instead they keep denying the claim and have refused to pay for any services.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/08/28) */
Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond. Upon review, we never denied this claim or refused to send the inspector out a second time. The initial inspection indicated a "possible...

failure at the turbo charger" and that further teardown was needed to confirm the failure. Mr. [redacted]'s mechanic signed that he agreed with the inspector's findings. A copy of the inspection report including a photo of the mechanic's signed acknowledgment of agreement is attached. The last contact that we had from the repair facility or customer was on July 31, 2015, at which time we requested that they call us back after the vehicle had been diagnosed to the point of failure so that we could set it for inspection to determine coverage. To date, we have not heard back from the repair facility or the customer so the claim has been placed inactive.
We remain willing as always to proceed with further review of the claim once we are provided with a diagnosis for a covered repair.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/09/04) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I had to call the insurance company personally. Normally this is done by the repair facility.
The person who inspected the vehicle for the insurance company guessed it was the turbo. The turbo was replaced 3 months prior to this happening. The problem definitely was not the turbo. When I called the insurance company and told them this they said on a turbo car like this the turbo goes out very often. The turbo is not covered in the warranty. So no matter how far we disassemble the engine the insurance company can still say the turbo was at fault so they don't have to cover the engine. I decided to spare the expense required to disassemble the engine and just get turned down again as they stated. I would put the money toward rebuilding the engine which is what the insurance company should have done. Since I feel this warranty was worthless I only asked for a full refund of $1743.00. I don't have the time or energy to go back and forth with an insurance company who clearly will not stand behind any warranty they issue.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/09/29) */
Thank you for bringing the customer's additional concerns to our attention. It seems that his issue is with the repair facility rather than with American Auto Shield. We are not certain what his basis for disagreeing with both the independent inspector and his own mechanic, who signed his agreement with the inspector's finding, but obviously without a diagnosis we are unable to determine coverage. Since he would prefer to not proceed with the claim, we are more than happy to refund the purchase price of the warranty product. We will have a check sent immediately and trust that we have resolved the customer's concern.

Thank you for advising us of this customer's concern and for the opportunity to respond.  Unfortunately, the repair facility in this instance was very uncooperative and we had difficulty finding an inspector who would even visit this shop because the service manager informed the independent...

inspection company that they would only allow an inspector who would agree with whatever they asked for.  Naturally, no ethical professional would agree to such a thing and several inspectors, in fact, refused the assignment.  Nonetheless, as an accommodation to the customer and as a good will gesture, we have sent the customer a check for $6,602.90 to assist with the repair and towing costs.  We hope that we have resolved this matter to the customer's satisfaction and look forward to continuing to serve him in the future.

Complaint: 11243243
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted] I have not had any resolution concerning this claim that was denied. The pump failure was the issue and the electrical part only had a torn seal.... When speaking with my Attorney he was asking me if I wanted to file the demand letter before we file suit. Is that the direction this is going. I was told we would have arbitration but all you have done is manipulated the claim to work in your advantage when the part was clearly from the internal pump. on the image of the piece of paper you sent just states that the pump failed and caused damage to the internal pert of the internal electrical part causing code to be thrown but the initial failure was caused from pump failure. Again the writen proof you submitted is just statign the the PUMP failure cause the damage to electrical part (tore the seal only) had the PUMP not failed it would not have thrown a code to indicate an issue ... SO... AGAIN THE PUMP FAILED CAUSING DEBRIS TO TEAR THE SEAL ON the Internal electrical part...AGAIN YOU ARE TRYING TO MANIPULATE YOUR GUIDELINES AND WHAT THE DOCUMENT SAY..... VERY FRAUDULENT just as the attorney general's office said.....

Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond.  Unfortunately, American Auto Shield never received a diagnosis and estimate from the repair facility until May 4, 2016 at 11:15 a.m. despite repeatedly following up wit them.  The repair...

has now been completed with our providing a remanufactured transmission at a cost of $2,400.00, paying the shop's labor in the amount of $1,674.48 and reimbursing the customer $479.81 for a rental car during the time that the transmission was in shipment.  We trust that this satisfactorily resolves the customer's concerns and look forward to continuing to serve her in the future.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
 but in addition to the acceptance of this resolution I do want to stress the manner in which the customer service person we were talking to both times concerning this matter - each stressed the reason for the refusal of repair was as stated above, yet both people refused to send us an email concerning the refusal.... and both stressed the "need for a reason as to why the timing jumped."  whether it is improper installation or whatever, how can the customer service reps baldly state to the policy holder that my mom needed to find the reason for the failure of the timing chain - how is a person not a mechanic supposed to answer this... I personally feel, both times, talking to your service reps, that they were not helpful in conducting the business with my mom (i was here both times and talked with both reps)  and the lack of service when trying to get an email from your reps concerning the refusal of repair (which I still have not received) is appalling too.

Complaint: 11032268
I am rejecting this response because I am not satisfied with the reasoning to reject the alternator bracket seal and because the decision regarding the valve stem seals. If a shop says that will correct the problem, they should not have to prove that to AAS beyond the scope of their diagnosis and the verification of the independent inspector. If the repair does not solve the problem, that is something AAS will have to take up with the shop to get that repair cost allocated to further repair if necessary. Punishing the customer and putting them in the middle is unethical business practice. That is why they are the technicians, and AAS are just insurers. And the satellite radio is highly unethical to say that since a shop won't accept a part you find, your customer has to pay the difference. Atrociously unethical business practice. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for bringing this customer's concern to our attention and for the opportunity to respond.  With respect to the rental car, the customer has already been reimbursed for three days at the daily rate of of $22.91.  Since the parts delivery was delayed with [redacted], we are...

able to authorize the additional two days for an additional total of $45.82.  We are unable to pay for the additional optional insurance coverages elected by the customer in connection with the rental.With respect to the parts, the initial repair facility attempted to grossly overcharge for parts.  They requested $311.89 for an aftermarket window motor at a markup of over 175% of its retail price.  The motor that we supplied was an actual ** OEM part for less than a third of that price.  The original repair facility requested $224.07 for an [redacted] water pump (part no. AWP-9261) that retails for $93.08, a markup of 140%.  These are not prices that any reasonable customer or service contract provider would pay.Thank you again for the opportunity to assist.  We trust that we have satisfactorily addressed the customer's concerns.