Protect My Car

When they did the deal with the service dealer, with the new motor, it was about a $500 difference that I could have saved that they got extra. In numbers, the deal would have been $2,800 for them to do the heads and fix everything that needed to be done. I would have paid 1,400 and they paid 1,400, but because they came up with the idea of putting a new motor in, they only paid 900 for the motor, instead of 1,400. The $500 should’ve come back to me and when I asked them about it, they gave me a wishy-washy answer but never really the answer that I wanted. I didn’t wanna get my dealer in trouble with them, but in turn, they should have given me the $500 back or a credit.

I’m happy with getting a new motor and everything came out good. My mechanic did a good job, but I should’ve gotten my $500 back and I was a little disappointed in that. I know what scam they pulled on me and I won’t recommend them. I’ll keep them as long as I got the car until I hit my max mileage, but if I ever do that on another vehicle, it won’t be with them only because they cheated me out of 500 bucks. Overall, they did everything that they were gonna do in a timely manner, but it took them a long time to get that motor in. They had to come back with a different vehicle, so it was delayed by about five days.

I have filed claims with them many times and the way they do it is a little unusual, but it works out. The garage contacts the maintenance people when they are done and submits the bill to Protect My Car. Then, they get in touch with me and tell me how much they are going to pay off that. I need to then pay them for the balance that's due and once they get paid from me, they contact the garage and send the payment through a credit on a Visa card on their account.

Protect My Car does a good job given the age and type of my car. However, they could be a bit more responsive to resolving questions on the issues. Sometimes there's a question on an invoice that's coming through as far as what they're supposed to pay or the validity of the charge and they are not always as responsive back to me to tell me what's going on. And since I have to pay them in order for the garage to get paid, I get calls every once in a while from the garage saying that the invoice isn't resolved yet. I told them that we paid for that, but it turned out that we hadn't. It has happened one or two times and it is a minor issue. It is not a regular thing that they do and those were taken care of right away.

Protect My Car has a main marketing group and they outsource the claims to a warranty company, Mepco, that handles the claim specifically. All calls regarding questions and process go through them and I made sure I understood it fully before I proceeded with the full maintenance that I had quoted on my vehicle, so I knew exactly what was going to be covered and why some things were not covered. They walked me through the process for filing a claim. I provided the invoice and I had it done in the Ford dealership. Ford knew the process themselves and forwarded the invoice on the work that was qualified for warranty rebates at least 50% of the costs for applicable and qualified repairs, material, and labor. I was able to be educated on it and understood the process at the time.

I have a monthly amount that I pay for and I am throwing an arbitrary number of $3,000 as the cost of the program. With each qualified parts and repair, they give 50% of it. I would have to pay for Mepco qualified portion of the invoice and have proof that it was paid for, then they would compensate me. They would then send me a check. Once I prove that I paid for my portion, they would pay theirs.

At one point, I was going to cancel the contract, but Protect My Car came back and renegotiated a lower monthly amount. Nothing changed and they were able to keep me on as a customer. I have an auto draft, so I get a monthly invoice for a draft that occurs and I know when it occurs. I set up exactly when the withdrawal occurs specifically. That works in consent with my paycheck so that it’s withdrawn at an appropriate time during the month. Everything works all good and I don’t have any issues.

I filed a claim because my car started falling apart, and I didn’t have a problem with their customer service team. I called them up and gave them my number and they talked to me. They said they were gonna call the service place that would be working on my car. The claims process has been really good and easy. I had the people at the service station call and explain what was going on, and then I called Protect My Car to verify that I needed the help and they approved it. I’ve had a few things that aren’t covered, but that was to be expected. Otherwise, Protect My Car’s service is great.

The last time my car broke down, I should’ve tried the rental service because I was stuck without a vehicle for quite some time. I locked myself out twice and once, the battery wouldn’t start. So, that was three calls within a year, and for the rest of the year, I couldn’t get AAA to help me. But I could’ve called Protect My Car and gotten a tow truck at least out there to get my car off the road. I know that it's available through them, and that is important. I’m disabled, so there are things I can’t do.

My truck is gonna keep running now but if it won't, I can call and someone will get it fixed right away. I took the car to the repair shop and they did the repairs. The issue has something to do with the computer that once you’ve disconnected the battery, when you reconnect it up, the car won’t run continuously until you do something to the computer to tell it that it’s supposed to keep running. I would start the car and it would just cut off. So, I called and they fixed it right away because it was part of fixing the vehicle.

My fiancé and I are really happy with Protect My Car's service. He would like to join as well but they said they’re not signing up more people in California at this time. California has such strict laws regarding catalytic converters and they even change the gas for summer, and maybe Protect My Car doesn't like that. Still, I would tell my friends that Protect My Car is a really good program and if they can get signed up, they should. The warranty is very worth the monthly fees that one pays out.

The process of filing a claim with ProtectMyCar starts when I take my car to the shop. Then the shop figures out what's wrong with my car and I give them the warranty card. Next, they call the warranty company to see if my car is covered and how much would be paid. Later on, they would give me a call and tell me the amount that needs to be paid. After I do that, I pay my debit card now. However, it used to be that I pay my debit card and as soon as I'm paid, they call the shop back and get started.

On my first claim with ProtectMyCar there was a miscommunication on the price. I went to the shop and the shop quoted me one price. Then the warranty company spoke with them, and they made adjustments on what the warranty would pay versus what the shop wanted. I was confused. It saved the warranty company money versus me, and I thought we were on the same side. But I let that go because they're still helping me pay.

I've had work done in my car in June, July, and October. Recently, I needed to get service done on it again and the reps helped me very well. They started a new process where I have to sign paperwork before the shop can get the job started. A little thing came to where they email me a contract of how much I had to pay, and I would have to sign and date it. Then I would have to send it back before the shop could get done. I was kind of upset about the new process, especially because I work and it took me a minute to get that done. I also needed the work on the car to get done as soon as possible.

The cost of ProtectMyCar’s policy is very reasonable. Actually, the vehicle is my dad’s, and I got the warranty for him because he's on a fixed income and so he doesn’t have as much money. I have a second vehicle, which is a truck, and I also have the warranty on it just in case. We've modified the truck and a lot of warranties would not accept the modifications of the vehicle. But ProtectMyCar does. They don’t worry about that, so I like them. I tell people that they need to get this warranty because it helps out, especially if it’s for older cars. I also tell people the stories that I've been through. My dad had $1,500 worth of work done, and I only had to come out $700 out of pocket, which is wonderful. Everything to me was really good. I recommend ProtectMyCar.

The Company never send you any hard documentation or policy they claim they are a green company so you have to memorize the steps by to file a claim and beware if you forget one of the steps it an excuse to denial of your claim but was told how I hadn’t gone about processing my claim correctly. When I asked to speak with a manager, I was informed that it would take 24-48 hours to receive a call back from a manager, and at that point, I was done. Doing business with this company was more frustrating, annoying, misleading, and infuriating than I’d ever want to deal with again. I spoke with someone from Protect My Car over the phone. It was a good sales pitch and it worked out well. They were very professional at that time. However, nothing that was advertised actually really happened. If they went by the things that were prompt and what they have in writing, then they would be a great company, BUT it not!!!

I needed to come in and sign the receipt to be faxed to PMC so they could pay the remainder over the 313 (that I paid) and at that time the total charges for the repair was 487.28 which is 138.72 less than the quote they stated they got at the beginning. I have only had this coverage since Sept so with the cost of the monthly fee and the 313 I could have paid the repair myself plus the one oil change that they did so where have I saved anything. My wife was also stranded on the side of the road and the roadside rescue stated they could not find the account to get roadside rescue so I paid 800 for towing so I have spent more than PMC has on this deal. They have only done one thing - RIPPED ME OFF and made money for themselves.

At the 10 minute mark I had already been put on hold for about a minute to check if my car would be covered. (I had already provided ALL the details on my car through the website so they should have known by that point.) And then transferred to someone new to handle my call because I would get a Veteran discount. Too bad I had already been told the policy would be $x over y months and I am really good at math so when I was told what my special deal was as a Veteran it turned out to be less than 4% off. Wow, what a savings. It was made to sound better because the monthly payment was lower but it was stretched out over more months. I guess they figure most people can't do math in their head that fast.

At 11 minutes into the call the "Veteran specialist" asked to put me on hold so he could verify that they would cover my car. Ummm, you already did that. This is a sales tactic (second time they used it on me in the same 11 minute call) used to get people to worry about whether they can "qualify" so that when they get back on the phone and say "yes" the customer feels "lucky" and they are more apt to buy. I hung up while on hold. They tried to call me back but I don't do business with companies that jerk me around with phony sales hooks.

Oh, BTW, their price was BETWEEN the two other companies' prices and because it is an older car, PMC has a 50% deductible. The other two companies covered the same types of repairs but only had a $100 "per incident" deductible, kind of like a copay at the doctor. Sure, if I had a $100 claim with PMC I would "only" pay $50 and with the others I would pay $100, but you don't buy insurance (which is what a warranty is) to cover little repairs ($100). You buy insurance to cover the big repairs (like $500+), which would end up costing you $100 with the other guys but costing you 50% with PMC. $2000 repair? Other guys it costs you $100, with PMC it costs you $1,000. BTW, most repairs that really need to be done cost way more than $200, which is the break even point for their deductible compared to other companies.

Bottom line, I don't know about their coverage for cars that are not so old but the "old car" coverage is terrible. Their sales pitch is a waste of your time and the fringe benefits they explain to you during the sales pitch are useless. I also don't know about how well they handle claims since I am not doing business with them. I don't leave reviews all the time and when I do I usually try to be as positive as possible, but PMC's sales tactics really irked me. Make sure you shop around. PMC might end up being your best bet but I certainly won't give them any more of my time, which is more valuable than money. Plus the fact that they made a big deal out of the Veteran discount (which I appreciate) only to have it be next to nothing but made to sound better by stretching the payments out is really reprehensible.

My interaction with their staff was horrendous. They were telling me why I lied and why I falsified documents. It was when I got a little steamed because I did not lie. I talked to half a dozen reps because they come and go quickly. It was a battle and a half. The dealership was calling, kept on the phone for over an hour waiting on call waiting. Not only did they declined the service, but they canceled my policy without an opportunity for reimbursement for everything I paid for. They said they would not reimburse me because I lied even though I had the original receipts from Irvine Chevrolet, buying the vehicle as it was.

After a year of having a conversation with them, fighting it and threatening legal action, they offered that I buy a new policy. The new policy would only cover 50% but it would allow "modifications". So, I bought the policy to be able to get my engine repaired since they agreed to cover a pre-existing condition if I bought the new one. I was kind of forced to and it was a horrendous nightmare. I bought it under duress because if not, I had a useless vehicle. I told them that if we buy a new engine, I will continue to pay the monthly amount and they do not have to worry about the engine because it is a brand-new engine from GM and it is covered for three years and unlimited miles.

When we went through it after I bought the contract, they told me they found an engine in a Pick-A-Part and they said that they can get it priced at an amount and they were gonna cover 50% of it. But I told them that it was about an engine replacement. I was told that my engine was used and they were gonna buy me a used engine so we started fighting about it. I wound up paying for more than 50% of the removal replacement of the engine myself because the most they would pay for was a refurb, which I was okay with then I would pay the bill. But I kept telling him a refurb is only 90-day warranty versus the three-year warranty for a full one. So, I paid the difference.

Protect My Car changed their company name three times over the six years that I was with them. I figured that they did that was because I started doing Better Business Bureau searches and there were so many people complaining that they were changing their names only because they had bad reputation. It was a year and a half of not a good time but since then, they have done better.

At that point, I was annoyed, but knew the service wasn’t for me, and asked to cancel service. It was then that I was transferred to a retention agent who implored me to reconsider while they reviewed my claim to assist me. I relented until the next day. The next day, I was informed that my claim was approved, and that gave me a sigh of relief that at least they were applying common sense and things were moving in the right direction. They asked for my 50% deductible payment and I completed it. Two days later, PMC hadn’t paid the dealership, and my car wasn’t released, so I called claims to find out what was the source of the hold up. The rep told me that they were only paying for $335 worth of repairs. I asked them when I would receive the difference of the $1,200 that I paid and was told that I wouldn’t receive one.

The total cost of repairs was $2,490, so $1,500 was what they would cover, INCLUDING the $1,200 I had already paid them. I asked how they considered $300 above my deductible, plus another $1,000 could be considered a 50% deductible per the contract, but was told how I hadn’t gone about processing my claim correctly. When I asked to speak with a manager, I was informed that it would take 24-48 hours to receive a call back from a manager, and at that point, I was done. Doing business with this company was more frustrating, annoying, misleading, and infuriating than I’d ever want to deal with again. I’ll yell from the rooftops how terrible they’ve been.

My vehicle is in really good shape. However, it was 13 years old when I got the warranty a year ago and I thought it was a wise thing to do. Things happen and as a matter of fact, within a year, something did happen. And the claims process was very simple. I pretty much put the repair shop in contact with Protect My Car and they worked through all the details. I had a major thing done to my car and it was painless and easy. Also, as part of that offer, there were some free oil changes. I anticipated those to be somewhat problematic. Not much is for free these days. However, it was really easy. I gave the shop the number. They called and got paid.

The customer service team was also very easy to deal with and I would recommend the company. But Protect My Car has to make it easy for the client to spend money. This is something that every business, no matter what type of business, should really consider though. They shouldn't run clients through the mill. If someone wants to spend money, they have to do everything they can to make it easy and make it a pleasant experience. I’m in customer service and that’s what I preach to my staff. I also wish the coverage was greater but 50% on a 13-year old car is pretty good. The cost is also fair and the quality of the services they've provided, to date, has been very good. So the coverage was a good investment on my part.

A couple of months ago, I took my car in to have it serviced and they denied the service. The auto store quoted them a price, so we paid half of that quoted price. Protect My Car negotiated with the auto parts store and got them to make the price lower. When they did that, we still had to pay the first negotiated price. So, they ended up paying lower, and we ended up paying more. They didn't even pay for the headlight, and I was livid. I had to pay for the headlight. Another time, we asked for a rental car and they got real busy, and then they didn’t wanna give us the car. I’ve had this service almost three years, and my wife has had it almost two because I recommended her to obtain the service. I kick myself in the butt for recommending, and that’s because of the way that they treat her and myself.