SquareTrade, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/12) */
We are sorry the consumer had an issue with their claim. We are not sure why there was a problem with submitting the invoice but we will investigate and try to pinpoint the issue. In the meantime, we received the invoice and it is...

currently being processed for reimbursement. For the difficulty experienced by the consumer, we are refunding the warranty price so that it's free.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/15) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
They have addressed only one of three components of the desired resolution. Square Trade has paid the claim and refunded the warranty only because a complaint has been filed with Revdex.com and Consumer Watchdog. The company is engaging in systemic, evasive, claims procedures to which I would guess tens of thousands of customers are exposed daily. Forcing customers to complain to Revdex.com or file lawsuits is not good faith payment of claims. Punitive damages are necessary to prevent such companies from engaging in blatant deceptive claims payment practices. The June 12 response to Revdex.com from Square Trade denies that these evasive practices exist which is far from taking the steps necessary to overhaul their claims payment practice. The representative who responded shows zero interest in investigating what should be disturbing news to them about their claims practices and certainly does nothing to overhaul their claims procedures which is the third portion of the resolution I am seeking.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/06/23) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with the process of resolving the claim.
No system is foolproof. The most important thing is that we addressed the issues in this case with the consumer and they were paid out as well as refunded the warranty price for the inconvenience that they experienced.
We are not satisfied that our process fails in some cases but the processes in place are able to resolve 95% of claims. It is not our intent to engage in blatant, deceptive tactics to delay payments to consumers. We gain nothing in doing anything like that. What we do have in place is a way for consumers to escalate their issues, be it through our internal procedure or through the Revdex.com, to resolve their issues and get the payment they deserve.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2015/06/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The second response from Square Trade continues to deny the existence of the problem by blaming the consumer, "We are sorry the consumer had issues..." and shrugs off their endemic claims problems with the platitude, "No system is foolproof." Who is the "fool" in their mind here, the consumer? The first response promised an investigation into their own claims process. Where are the results of the "investigation?" What statistics can they provide to support the seemingly arbitrary claim that 95% of their claims are resolved? My original claim, let's remember, required 13 emails, 6 phone calls, with the representative repeatedly claiming he could not "see" the receipt that clearly showed up in all of the emails. I still have a recording of the representative on my answering machine. The only reasons Square Trade responded ultimately was due to the complaints to Revdex.com and to Consumer Watchdog. I have yet to receive the refund of the warranty that was promised to me two weeks ago now. Square Trade has still only resolved one third of the desired resolution, payment of the claims. An overhaul of their circus of a claims process is still required. This would begin with an investigation and a report of the results of it and an real assessment of percentage of claims satisfaction, not a completely unsubstantiated number of "95%". Those would be first steps in the thorough overhaul of their claims process that is needed. And, punitive damages.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/27) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with their chair.
The database showed that there was a 6 day waiting period. This is an automatic waiting period for the consumers that purchase their product online to allow for shipping. This is a...

usually a convenience for the consumer as the warranty does not start until after the consumer has received the product. On the actual warranty there is a one day waiting period. The consumer filed the claim in our online system and it automatically denied the claim, but did file it after the actual waiting period. We will take the claim.
We have contacted the consumer to let them know we will process the claim.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/04/16) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted] Hua, the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry for the delay on this. I'll get that reimbursement for your ice maker processed right away.
I did want to provide an explanation on the delay on this,...

though. It looks like your claim for this ice maker was approved in November of last year. If you had shipped it out last month, our system had already closed out the claim for inactivity.
I've reopened it and will get a payout for you ASAP. Please check your PayPal account in tomorrow to verify payment.
If you need any further assistance, please let me contact me at [redacted]@squaretrade.com.
Regards,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/20) */
We apologize that the consumer had issues with their device.
The consumer's device was not replaced. It was repaired and restored to perform factory specifications.
As per our Terms & Conditions "Replacement parts will be new,...

rebuilt or non-original manufacturer's parts that perform to the factory specifications of the product at Our sole option."
We resolved the consumer's claim by repairing the device.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/10/28) */
Hello, just letting you know that [redacted] from squaretrade has only called me once and said she was going to look into my insurance policy and that was it I have not received anything not even a called back.

Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/10/29) */
We have reached out to the consumer on numerous occasions to resolve her claim. The consumer's contract was fulfilled by repairing her phone and it has been confirmed that the device is functioning properly.
As a one time courtesy we have refunded the consumer for her deductible and she has agreed to this resolution.

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/19) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with their device.
Upon further inspection we have found that the specialist was not exactly correct in the issue of software. This is the initial reason the claim was not immediately filed. The...

specialist was willing to try to resolve the issue, but did not make that clear to the consumer. Also in this version of TV the software is firmware on one of the boards. This would be covered by our warranty.
We contacted the consumer and let them know we will pay them out on the cost of the TV and due to the poor experience the consumer had we are also refunding the warranty price.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/06/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

We are sorry for any issues the consumer had with their device.  After looking into the account, a reimbursement has been processed for the device and the prorated warranty amount.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/07/14) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry for the confusion in this case. But our warranty only covers items that are purchased new with US manufacturer support. Overseas or grey market items...

that do not have US manufacturer support would not qualify for our coverage.
We'll provide you with a full refund on your warranty purchase.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/07/15) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

We have a on going claim that they do not want to take care off. We sent in our fax machine and had several email on it, they can NOT fix it. We have repeatedly sent them all the documentation many times and still nothing. DO NOT BUY IT

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/04) */
We are sorry the consumer had an issue with receiving their reimbursement.
The claim was not processed properly when it was first filed. We were able to process the claim correctly and have the payment sent out to a Paypal account on...

July 31, however the payment was denied by Paypal. We are in the process of getting a check sent to the consumer.
As per our Terms and Conditions we do not reimburse consumers for personal time taken to resolve issues. What we will do in this case is make an exceptions and offer a one-time reimbursement for the price paid for the warranty.
SquareTrade's intent is not to delay payments to our consumers. In this case the system had an error and did not process the payment.
We have emailed the consumer to let them know what we intend to do.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/08/05) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/20) */
We are sorry the consumer had problems with their billing.
The consumer was able to resolve this by working with one of our resolution team members and a full refund of the payments was processed.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal...

/* (2000, 7, 2015/04/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/14) */
We apologize for the issues the consumer experienced with their device. The consumer's device is currently in transit to be repaired. A resolution specialist has reached out to the consumer via email and by phone. We are currently...

awaiting a response from the consumer.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/24) */
We are sorry the consumer had issues with their device.
The warranty that was sold by the retailer was a warranty that would cover up to $59.99, however our system erred when the item price was input. We have resolved this issue and the...

consumer will receive the full payout of $59.98 once they file a claim and the claim is approved.
We have contacted the consumer to let them know that we have corrected the warranty and now they can file a claim.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/29) */
We apologize for the issue the consumer experienced with their appliance device. There was a delay to receive the second part needed for the repair. To resolve the claim we are paying the consumer out for their device. The consumer has...

been contacted and informed about the resolution.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/01/04) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2016/01/28) */
no follow up, no communication, and laptop has been out of my hands for almost a month now for repairs.
I sent my sons laptop in for repairs and then had the same issue again, when he finally went on break from school I was able to send it in. I was told on the phone that it had to have the same issue 3 times to get a refund. I waited almost 2 weeks with no update before I decided to call. when I called the representative told me that it looks like the computer cannot be repaired and I should get an e-mail in about 24 hours with an update. I waited two days before I called back. I spoke to a representative explaining my issues and he asked if he could put me on hold. I sat on hold for about 15 minutes before he returned to say he has been on hold with the 3rd party repair company. I asked to get a call back since I was at work, he said yes took my number and never called back. I then called two days later and spoke to a representative and told him I was done and wanted a refund, I was transferred to a gentleman by the name of [redacted] and was told he is the only [redacted] there. I told him of my issues and at this point I wanted a refund and was just done and the lack of communication and no call backs was very frustrating. [redacted] asked if he could call the 3rd party repair company, after a few minutes I said sure. He told me he would then call me back in 20 minutes. About 45 minutes later [redacted] called back to say that he was unable to get a hold of anyone and would need to call them tomorrow and get back to me. This was 01/27/2016 I told [redacted] that was unacceptable especially with all that I have already been through. I told him I wanted a refund and he said he was unable to do that, I asked to speak to his manager and he said hold on let me see if someone is here. when he picked back up the line he said he was the only supervisor. I asked him to put me in the escalation queue so someone could call me back he said he could not do that. The only offer he had for me was corporates number or wait until 02/03/16 and then the refund would happen automatically. I told him that was not acceptable. [redacted] continued with that he could not assist me any further and could not have anyone call me back. I took corporates number and told him to have a nice day and ended the call. I am beyond frustrated with this company and feel like they want the warranty to run out so they don't have to replace or refund the product
refund or replacement of laptop
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2016/02/10) */
This complaint is regarding an entirely different issue. The consumer will need to close this complaint & open a new complaint with Revdex.com.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/08/13) */
We are sorry the consumer had an issue with their computer.
Under the Terms and Conditions of the warranty that the consumer purchased they do not have coverage for any accidents. The consumer admitted that the unit is bent, therefore...

based on the Terms and Conditions we would not be able to take a claim. If the customer was to have the issue of the unit being bent repaired and documentation provided that it was repaired then we would be normally be able to take a claim, however the warranty has reached its limit of liability based on the prior repair.
There are a number of steps taken to have a unit repaired. The unit will be looked at, cleaned and tested, no matter what the issue. This is part of the repair procedure. Taking a closer look at the prior repair we can see that, based on the cost of the repair, the device should not have been repaired, it should have been salvaged for the price of the item. Based on that we will make an unusual exception and approve a claim to have the unit repaired locally and reimburse the consumer the cost of repair.
We have emailed the consumer our offer.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/08/18) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I spoke to [redacted] at Squaretrade and explained to him that the unit was bent well after (as their records showed) the problem occurred.
He proposed a compromise solution in terms of reimbursement that I accepted. I appreciated the fact that it's a tough situation for them and they were really trying, so I was willing to meet in the middle.
He warned me that it would take 1 - 2 weeks to receive the check, and that I was to call him directly if there was a problem. I have not received the check, yet, but it hasn't been that long since I spoke to him.
Once I receive the check, I will be satisfied with the resolution.
Thank you for your help.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/08/31) */
We have processed the payment and the consumer should see the check by 9/1.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 12, 2015/09/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
It is not perfect, but is good enough as I described in my last entry. It's a decent compromise.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
While I appreciate your timely response, I am still not in agreement.  I don't believe you have actually read completely through either my original complaint OR my responses since, because you seem to have missed my point entirely.
Your basis for denying this claim is that I did not return the item.  I understand this point and I acknowledge that it is in the contract that items may need to be returned using a pre-paid shipping label.  The wording you just quoted me says that YOU WILL PROVIDE a shipping label if the item will need to be returned.  That's great.  I understand that clearly.  The problem, AGAIN, is that the claim was made and approved - and I was told it was finalized - in APRIL.  The email with the shipping label was sent to me in [redacted] at 4:09am to be specific.  This was OVER THREE MONTHS LATER.  I had long since disposed of the item because I had already been told that the claim was finalized and the check would be sent.
Please respond specifically regarding this time frame.  If I was expected to return the item, why was I not sent the shipping label back in [redacted] when I still had the product?  Why did the representative that I spoke to tell me that everything was cleared and the check would be sent?
Sincerely,[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/07/18) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted], Resolution Mgr
Contact Email: [redacted]@squaretrade.com
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I apologize for the hassle you've experienced, but for security reasons,...

we do have to be stringent with our registration process.
Our warranties are set up to protect the original warranty purchaser after the item has been registered and a receipt is submitted. The receipt requirement is an integral part of the registration process.
In order for SquareTrade to change the warranty to your name, we would need the original warranty holder's permission to transfer the warranty under your name. He also has the option to log into our website at www.squaretrade.com where he can initiate the transfer online.
Either way, the receipt submission is still required. SquareTrade offers multiple options for submission: it can fax or email it to us.
If you can provide me with the warranty holder's account info by email, I would be more than happy to contact him and get the warranty transferred for you.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/07/21) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My position is that your position is deliberately and ridiculously complicated and probably results in your not having to honor warranties purchased in good faith. Why wouldn't the purchaser have been apprised of these requirements? I think you are a disreputable business and you can be sure I or anyone I know will never purchase your produce again.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/07/22) */
Hi [redacted],
The receipt and registration process is disclosed to the warranty buyer at the time of sale and also in our contract. Our website also provide convenient prompts and links to submitting the required paperwork.
But all of that still requires that the warranty holder act upon those prompts. I apologize that you feel this is overly complicated, but it really isn't the case. Had your friend registered the warranty, or contacted SquareTrade, we would be happy to assist with getting the warranty transferred to you. Unfortunately, without contacting him, we're not able to proceed with this.
Regards,
[redacted]
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2014/07/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
You have to live with yourself.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/05) */
We are sorry the consumer had an issue with our policy.
This policy was initiated to protect SquareTrade from continuous losses. The messaging to the consumers was not clearly done. Because of that there were issues consumers were...

experiencing.
To make our consumer experience better we have since stopped that policy and are no longer holding funds automatically.

We are sorry for any issues the consumer had during their claim process.  Its appears there were some issues with the consumer receiving their check through standard mail.  Ultimately an alternative carrier was used to send the consumers reimbursement after the failed standard mail attempts.  The consumer has since received their reimbursement.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/06/17) */
Hi [redacted],
I am [redacted], the Resolution Manager at SquareTrade.
I am sorry for the hassle on this case. We have your account, but as noted to you by our agents, the warranty that you've indicated you purchased on December of 2013 is...

not available to us.
The documents we need for verification would be either the purchase confirmation from eBay or a Payment statement from PayPal, if you used PayPal for your purchase. You sent us a clip of just a credit card statement without any identifying information, so we were not able to use that to help locate the missing warranty.
I will have a senior agent contact you right away to assist in getting this case resolved.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/06/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
No... I have not heard from SquareTrade. The credit card transaction is proof enough that I purchased the warranty. In Dec. 2013 I e-mailed SquareTrade my receipts. I do not have the PayPal receipt or SquareTrade receipt. my computer crashed and lost the receipts This should be proof enough.
[redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/06/20) */
Hi Mr. [redacted],
Unfortunately, the statement you sent us only had the listing, but does not have any contact info, so we're not able to verify the information on it.
PayPal keeps its own records, though, so if you can access the account, you should still be able to get the invoice for this purchase. This will serve as your receipt, which is what we need for verification purposes.
If you wish, I can have an agent contact you to assist with this process.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2014/06/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The cell phone was purchased though PatPal and in the transaction that I sent you was from my US Federal credit card. I contacted US Federal Visa and requested a receipt they said they would try to get it from SquareTrade. This is a SquareTrade Charge to my Credit card last four# [redacted]