SquareTrade, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/10/09) */
As per the customer's own admission he contacted the seller right away. This shows that the item was never working. As stated in our Terms and Conditions we cannot warranty something that has never worked. Also any issues in the first 30...

days are not covered by the SquareTrade warranty but the seller or the buyer protection offered by the web site that sold the item. We did refund the customer the full price of the warranty.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2014/10/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is right from the agreement sent to me:
HOW LONG OUR COVERAGE LASTS:
If your item is NEW, this Protection Plan begins on the day you purchased the item, and lasts for the number of years you chose at purchase time.
They didn't even try to honor any part of the coverage. I would have accepted shipping back to the manufacturer, which I have now had to pay to get it repaired.
More from their policy:
FREE SHIPPING:
This Protection Plan covers all shipping charges to authorized service centers during the Coverage Term, including shipping to the manufacturer if the manufacturer does not cover shipping charges to their facilities.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2014/10/28) */
As is stated on the warranty summary there is a 45 day waiting period. Warranty further explains in Terms & Conditions under Definitions: "during which if any issues occur, they are considered pre-existing conditions and render the item ineligible for coverage under this Protection Plan." If an item is ineligible for coverage, "We will cancel Your Protection Plan and provide You with a full refund of the Protection Plan Price"
We will be willing to reimburse the consumer the shipping costs as a demonstration of our willingness to work with the consumer. We will contact the consumer to make arrangements for this.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 16, 2014/11/08) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Received the check for shipping back to China. It is unfortunate that I had to take this route to get satisfaction. I once again looked over their policy sent to me AND listened to their advertisements endorsed by a FOX radio host that states the item is covered from DAY ONE...not 45 days after purchase as stated above. If that is their coverage, then they should make it known up front in the policy and advertising.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/15) */
We are sorry the consumer had an accident with his laptop.
Our system sends automatic emails to the consumer with updates. It also updates our system automatically. The claim is being handled by a replacement tablet being purchased and...

then sent to the consumer. When the claim is updated to the next status currently there is no automatic email template that states what is specifically happening because this is a new procedure that has just been implemented, it uses the closest status available currently in the system, parts replacement. We are addressing this issue so consumers and our specialists won't be misinformed by the status.
SquareTrade does have a 5 day guarantee stating that if a unit is not repaired in 5 business days we will refund the price of the warranty. We are currently processing that refund.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/04/18) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
SquareTrade replaced the tablet with what appears to be a refurbished tablet, same brand and product version of the product that was warranted. It arrived in working condition.
Since this ordeal took way more than 5 days, SquareTrade refunded the the price of the warranty.
I accept both actions as a resolution to this complaint.
Many thanks to Revdex.com for the assistance in resolving this matter.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/01) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with their device. We apologize for any delays and inconvenience uploading the receipt/documentation may have caused. The warranty is now in place and is in our system. We contacted the customer and...

left a message to contact us back to initiate the claim filing process and troubleshooting steps that may help resolve the issue.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Someone from Squaretrade did contact me to let me know that my information was now in their system. However when I called back and after verifying my information the representative ask would it be okay to place me on a brief hold. I held the line for 11 minutes. When I attempted to call back I could not get through. At this point I am done with this company because it seems to be a game to them. I will never buy another warranty from them
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/06/08) */
We are sorry the consumer had an issue with contacting SquareTrade. I called the consumer and left a message with my direct contact and extension so that she can contact me directly and be taken care of.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/17) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with their device.
We always allow the option to the consumer of trying to do a repair locally and send us the receipt for the repair. In this case the unit was unable to be repaired by the local...

shop. In cases like that we do not reimburse for diagnostics that do not result in a repair. When the local repair shop deems the unit unable to be repaired we ask that the consumer send the unit to our repair facility so that we can evaluate the device. Sometimes we are able to have it repaired whereas a local shop does not have the resources that our repair depot has.
We are addressing the issue of consumer not getting contacted on the correct number we are reviewing our training and making sure our specialist put in proper notes.
Due to the poor response the consumer experienced and not having been given the correct information we are paying out the consumer and reimbursing them for the diagnostics.
We have contacted the consumer to make them aware of the payout and reimbursement.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/02/19) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the resolution manager at SquareTrade. I am sorry for any confusion for you. But SquareTrade, contractually, can not offer extension warranties. We understand that this is something that customers want, and...

we're working to produce something like this. But this process will take a while.
Unfortunately, for the time being, we're just not able to offer an extension on your item.
Regards,
[redacted]
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2014/02/20) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
hen I purchased the tv I was under the assumption that Panasonic would be able to have contiuious warenty I will never ever buy another tv as long as it is under square trade warranty you are frauds and were wiling to take my money when the tv was new but now that it is a couple of years old you effuse my business ...unfair
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/02/24) */
Hi [redacted],
I'm sorry you feel that its unfair. We're very transparent with what we can and can't offer, though. Again, extensions has never been something we've been able to offer.
I'm sorry I can't deliver better news for you.
Regards,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/03/28) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted] the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry for the hassle you've had on this case, but we're not going to be able to offer you a payout on your claims. Our claim process, as stated to you, is that...

we'll attempt repairs and if a device isn't repairable we will offer you a reimbursement.
From your statement, you had already purchased new phones prior to filing your claim with us. Had you mentioned this, we would explained our position better. But our agent did offer to have your phones sent in for repairs, and clearly indicated to you that repair was our first resolution.
I am not sure why you proceeded with the repair process and expected a payout. Unfortunately, we're not able to offer you a payout after doing complete repairs for both your phones.
I am sorry I couldn't provide better news.
Regards,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/04/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We DID state that we had to get new phones in the claim that we filed. It is not our fault that your claims people did not see this. Our phones were not repairable and they were not repaired. This is a complete lie if you try and tell me this.
We stated in our claim that the phones were severely water water damaged and did not work as well as the fact that we bought new phones. Your contract and employees say that if the phone is not repairable you will get the payout. NOT that we will get new phones.
"Replacement is only offered on iPhones. If you buy our warranty from Costco or Sams club on any android phone then also you are covered for a replacement phone. If the warranty is purchased from our website on android phones then it is not covered for replacement but in the case of iPhone is covered."
These are 100% brand new phones NOT our phones fixed! My screen wasn't broken so why would they replace it. These phones do not have a single piece of our old phones in it. Your company is terrible if you cannot even follow through with your contract. Why are we being treated differently? Tons of other people stated their phones were water damaged and received payout before it shipped. Why were we not offered this? We sent in our phones for "repair" because we knew they couldn't be repaired and your company told us to send them in. Fully knowing that we had already purchased new phones!
We proceeded with "repairs" because that is what your company told us to do. We told you we had to get new phones and squaretrade said the old phones could be fixed. This is not our fault.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2014/04/29) */
Hi [redacted],
I had to review this case with other members of our escalation team. As I've previously stated, you had sent this unit in with the knowledge that it was going to be repaired, but the expectation of a reimbusement. So technically we did what we were supposed to do for you in this case.
But after review, we do find that having to pay out almost $1200 because of a miss-understanding is quite a hardship, so we'll go ahead and have you send your repaired phones in and will get you paid out.
I'll have an agent contact you to get the details hammered out.
Thank you,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/09/10) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry to the delay on this. It looks like we were having issues with getting a qualified technician assigned for your area.
We've moved your claim to a full...

payout for your printer. You should be all set. I'll make sure your refund for the warranty is also processed as per our 5 day guarantee.
Regards,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/09/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2014/06/09) */
Hello [redacted],
I am Shannon from the SquareTrade resolution team.
I apologize that you received a phone that was not in working order. We test each phone before it leaves our facility, but it is possible that phones slip through the...

cracks. We are not able to supply new phones for all models, which is why it states in our contract that your phone may be new or refurbished ("How we will service your Item: Provide a new or refurbished product of equal features and functionality").
Per our policy, we will issue a payment for the value of your item if after 3 attemtpts we are unable to provide you with a working replacement. As a result, your claim has been moved to payment. It appears that a check refund is on the way back to you for the retail value of your phone.
I apologize again that we did not clearly explain to you our policy and procedure for claims involving failed replacements. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact us at [redacted]@SquareTrade.com.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Resolution Specialist
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (4200, 16, 2014/06/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
There was no resolution offered here, simply someone trying to explain away horrible service. The 2nd phone I received was also broken, the customer service people are rude and know that bad phones are constantly sent out which I now know was the reason the first girl I spoke with told me she wouldn't promise I wasn't going to receive more broken phones, the supervisors refuse to return phone calls and the overnight shipping guarantee wasn't met. I hope this goes as a bad mark against a bad company. It's taken me over 6 hours of personal time to resolve a claim that was submitted online.

Been calling for over a month to claim my daughter tablet they keep say they can't find my claim sent them the receipt four time about to get a lawyer

I purchased a two year warranty on my son's phone 30 days after purchasing it as I was comparing the terms of the SquareTrade warranty and the warranty offered by the provider. Two days later, my son cracked the screen and I went to submit a claim. Square Trade denied the claim, stating that it occurred within the plan waiting period (which according to the warranty is one day). I then called SquareTrade to get the issue straightened out, and three calls later finally had the claim approved and was sent instructions on sending in the phone for repair. I then received a call stating that the claim will be denied because I told them that the issue occurred the day I purchased the warranty (which I didn't because that is not true - and if I did put that in the request, it was a typo which they would not allow to be corrected). To their credit, refunding my deductible and the money I paid for the warranty seems to have gone smoothly, but I would not be surprised if they come back and deny that later too (although if that occurs, I will be submitting a complaint to the Revdex.com instead of a review).

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/08/11) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted], Resolution Mgr
Contact Email: [redacted]@squaretrade.com
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry the repair did not fix your item. But generally speaking, on...

unsuccessful repairs, we do reserve the right to send the computer back for a "rework." Basically an opportunity to check on the repair and verify that it is an actual repair failure and to proceed from there to either continue repairs or move towards a reimbursement. As ** noted to you, we can't move to a reimbursement without that initial rework process.
But checking into the notes here, I see that one of our agents have made an exception to this case and have provided you with a reimbursement. This should resolve the case, but if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Regards,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/08/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do not accept this response, as "generally speaking, on unsuccessful repairs, we do reserve the right to send the computer back for a "rework." This is no where in the contract I agreed to when I purchased the insurance policy, and no one can show me where it does. I accepted the partial reimbursement because I am tired of dealing with Squaretrade. However, I do not view the reimbursement a satisfactory resolution.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/13) */
We apologize for the issue the consumer experienced with their device. During the purchase process on Amazon it does state SquareTrade Protection Plans are only valid for new products purchased at Amazon within the last 30 days....

Unfortunately the consumer misrepresented her warranty by indicating the device was "new". The consumer's device is being mailed back & a refund has been processed for the warranty.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/01/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
If you only cover new items only, why didn't square trade refunded my money after I purchased.
I paid for the warranty not knowing that only cover new items. Square trade did not attempted to cancel my warranty purchase or refunded the money. The original purchased date was September 21, 2015. Three months went by without any contact from Square Trade regards to the warranty purchased. Until, December 23, 2015, I called in for a claim on my chrome book. Square Trade returned my broken chrome book and kept the power supply. I still didn't see any refund back yet at this time.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2016/01/21) */
The consumer indicated they were not aware that the warranty did not cover used items however the purchase page clearly states the protection plan is only valid for new products purchased at Amazon within the last 30 days. SquareTrade was not aware that the consumer misrepresented their warranty for their device. The refund has been processed and will be returned in 7 to 10 business days. We can also reimburse the consumer for the power supply that was not returned.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/10/08) */
We are sorry for the delay in the payment. We do not know why there was a delay in the first place. According to our records a payment was made on 9/18. We will confirm the payment information with the customer.
Initial Consumer...

Rebuttal /* (2000, 10, 2014/10/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/02) */
The page referenced by the consumer is not a document that was signed by the consumer. It is a web page that is not accessible via the company's web site. It references most items under $500, not all. The 5 days that is refers to is 5...

business days. The unit was repaired and shipped to consumer on the sixth business day. Package was redirected. Only the shipper or the recipient can do that. We are not the shipper, the repair depot is the shipper. Consumer never picked up the unit from the redirected location. Our contract does not state that we will reimburse the item's price if it is not repaired in 5 days. We will reimburse the customer the warranty price as promised.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/10/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
"It is a web page that is not accessible via the company's web site" Is squaretrade.com not your company's website?!? Because that's the link - http://"www.squaretrade.com"/merchant/learn/guarantee.html.
"It references most items under $500, not all" If laptops are not included then "most" is very misleading. Laptops are not 1% of your warranties. "Most" would sound, to any reasonable person, like any of the standard items, excluding maybe some unique/exclusive items, which a laptop is not.
You made no proposal on how you want to handle my claim, you only argued with my. How would you like to proceed? What is your idea of how this should be handled?
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2014/12/15) */
First of all SquareTrade wishes to apologize to the consumer, the shipment was not "refused delivery" as we stated it was. There was no one available to sign for it and it was help at the shipping company's facility for pickup. No one picked it up so it was returned to the repair depot and shipped again, this time not requiring a signature. This was done to make the process easier for the consumer. We will contact the consumer to see if he has the unit or not.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 21, 2015/01/07) */
Revdex.com,
You can close this case as "customer satisfied". Business issued a refund per my request. Customer is satisfied with result. Thank you squaretrade. Thank you Revdex.com.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/07/29) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
A box has been requested. I'll make sure it gets to you ASAP.
As for the quote you submitted, that was not a receipt for payment, is it? I believe one of our...

agents contacted the repair service to confirm the quoted amount and he was told that this is a quote, based on the repairs needed, but the repair tech has not proceeded with repair yet, so shouldn't need to be paid, correct?
It it was just a quote for repairs, this should be fine, our depot will take over the repair process and will get this unit fixed for as soon as possible.
Regards,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/07/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
I received the shipping box and will send the laptop. There seems to have been a miscommunication as the receipt was a quote but we were told that since it appears that the laptop could not be completely repaired, we should submit it.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/06/10) */
Dear [redacted],
I am Shannon, a Resolution Specialist here at SquareTrade.
I apologize that our initial repair did not resolve your issue. I have reached out to the repair facility to confirm the work that was done: the main board of...

the tablet was replaced, which should have resolved the issue. Your item was tested before being returned to you and was in working order and connecting to the wifi network at the repair facility. It is also possible that the issue is with the wireless network you are trying to connect with.
In the event that a repair does not resolve the issue, we have a procedure in place to return to the item to the repair facility for them to re-attempt a repair. Our repairs are guaranteed to be returned to you in working order, and if it is not, we will make 2 more attempts to complete that repair. Our agent offered you that option when you reached out to us and you declined.
I apologize that you do not agree with our procedure. If you would like us to complete a repair on your tablet, per our contractual agreement, we would be happy to do so. However we cannot issue a refund for your item at this time.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Resolution Specialist

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/01) */
We are sorry the customer had this experience. We have no control on how long a depot takes to repair an item. The depot also did not update us on the status of the repair. We have since settled with the customer with a payout on the unit...

and refunding the warranty price as per our 5 day repair guarantee.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/10/05) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Squaretrade also promised that both of my hard disks would be returned to me. I have still not heard any news of them being sent out to me.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/10/14) */
We are sorry the consumer had so many problems with this repair.
The 5 day guarantee we offer is for when we cannot repair the unit in 5 days once it is delivered to the repair depot. This repair exceeded the 5 days and we sent a check to the consumer for the warranty price.
The agents were just relaying information that the repair depot sent to us based on what they were told by the suppliers of the parts. They were updating the information daily. We cannot control the suppliers of parts and the information they pass to our repair depot.
The unit was deemed unrepairable due to delays and we paid the customer out the price they paid for the unit. We also returned the unit's hard drive to the consumer for security reasons.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2014/10/15) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/07/26) */
We are sorry the consumer delays in the processing of their claim.
We don't know why there was a delay in processing the claim. As of July 26 the device is in transit to the repair depot. As per the tracking number the device should be...

at the repair depot by July 28.
Our repair guarantee guarantees the repair, once it has been received, will take 2 days to repair. If the device is not repaired in two days we will refund the warranty price. As the device has not been received yet the guarantee does not apply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/07/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I am glad that the item is en route to be repaired. But there is still a serious problem with their system.
I didn't delay this process. THEY stalled the process.
It took me over two hours of calling them to be able to file my claim the second time. When you call, you navigate through a menu indicating what kind of device needs repair and where it was purchased. At the end of the menu, you are connected with someone who tells you that they can't help you because the laptop team handles all laptop claims and you are told that the laptop team will call you back. A few minutes later you receive a call, and when you pick up you are connected with the same menu that you just spent 5 minutes navigating through. And you repeat the process. Over and over. After two hours, asking to talk to a manager (who never picked up, I was put on hold and they literally never picked up. I left that phone on speaker phone and continued to call from another phone.) finally I explained to the person that I had filed a claim with the Revdex.com and that time they said they were able to process my claim and I didn't need to get a call back from the laptop team. I believe this is a scam. It should not take hours to file a claim. Not to mention this was actually my second attempt to file the claim and they showed no record of my original claim.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/08/04) */
We are glad the consumer's device was repaired and returned.
We are sorry there were delays in the process. These delays had NOTHING to do with what the consumer did.
It is not our intent to stall any process. We are addressing the issues of being able to respond to the consumer when they place a call. The menu was created to help accelerate the claim process, getting the consumer to the specialist that will be able to resolve their issues. In this case the person that took the call did not process the call in the proper manner and caused more delays. We are addressing the issues the consumer had. We are hiring more specialists and mangers to relieve the issues of delays in working with the consumers and training so that the consumers are being handled properly.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 12, 2015/08/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
I hope that the company will live up to their promises. The issue was not one individual person who handled the call incorrectly. I called many many times over hours and every call was handled the same. If I was able to reach a person at all (most often I ended up in an endless loop of menus or was put on endless hold), they promised a callback and the callbacks were always just the same menu as when I called. This doesn't seem like a problem with an individual employee, this seems like the way the system is set up. Maybe they hope someone will give up and they won't have to repair the product.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/04/07) */
We are sorry the consumer had a delay in his reimbursement
The address we had on file was not a verified address from the United States Postal Service. That is why the check was delayed.
We have since sent the check and, as per the...

shipper, it was delivered on 3/31. Due to the delays the customer experienced we have refunded the $75 deductible and an additional $75.00 credit to the consumer's credit card account as a gesture so that the consumer will feel better about dealing with SquareTrade.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 9, 2015/04/08) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/08) */
We apologize for the issue the consumer experienced with their device.
Per the Terms & Conditions we do not cover lost, stolen, or irretrievable items. The consumer has been refunded in full for the warranty price.
Initial...

Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2016/03/01) */
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2016/03/06) */
The consumer agreed to the Terms and Conditions when the warranty was purchased. The Terms and Conditions state we do not cover lost and stolen items. We also reserve the right to cancel a warranty if our terms are not met. We initiated a refund and cancelled the warranty due to the consumer confirming the device was lost(irretrievable). We have contacted the reseller and confirmed that the consumer requested to not be refunded. Refusal of the refund per the consumer does not reinstate the warranty. The consumer's warranty still remains cancelled. At any time the consumer can accept the refund from the reseller.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 16, 2016/03/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
As stated numerous times, I called for clarification of your warranty on 2015.09.22 and spoke to Kathy. Her explanation of the warranty terms differ from yours. Ironically, you are unable to find the call record even after I provided you proof that the call took place, and even though you have repeatedly stated that you record all phone calls. I also have asked for clarification on how much of the drone you need back. I also have 3 years on the policy to look for the drone. Why you state that you have the right to cancel the warranty is rediculous.
It is clear that you will do anything you can to not pay out on a warranty claim. Your company is nightmare to work with. Your company clearly does not value your customers nor does your company put your customers first.