Warranty scam (I think anyway!)
Warranty scam (I think anyway!)
Author
Discussion

V8ish

Original Poster:

370 posts

229 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Any thoughts guys...

Had a warranty from Olympic Warranties on my M3. Took it for an MOT and was informed the rear coil was cracked in half! I was advised the car was unsafe to drive but can be fixed within an hour, so I went ahead.

When I went to claim and they told me the item WAS covered but they will not pay a penny as I did not inform them first. I explained the repair work was unplanned and only discovered by the MOT tester, if my intention to visit the garage was soley to repair a fault I would have informed them first. in actual fact I had no documents with me and being honest couldn't even remember the name of the company.

I am awaiting a response but hold little hope.

Can anyone help in terms of taking this further as this is well out of order.

Many Thanks

Flintstone

8,644 posts

277 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
What do the terms and conditions say? Not entirely unreasonable for them to want the opportunity to approve any repairs beforehand or have the failed component(s) retained for their inspection.

V8ish

Original Poster:

370 posts

229 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
I have yet to check to terms fully, no doubt they will say all repairs must be approved first, but i would have thought this case would be an exception?

I could not drive the car as they was a risk of the spring collapsing, surely they could not have expected me to travel home on a bus, check the documents, ring them, tell the MOT tester to get on with repairs then bus it back to garage when it could have been done within an hour?

I'm not sure who to contact to take this further, perhaps small claims>?

rallycross

13,752 posts

267 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Springs cracking on 3 series is very common problem, due to age, wear and tear etc, certainly not going to be covered by an after market warranty.

All after market warranties state you have to contact them before having repairs done, which is perfectly reasonable.


It wont cost that much to get fixed just pay for it yourself. £120 maybe?


And as for not being safe to drive, how long do you think you might have been driving around like that? Months possibly (unless the spring failed when it got driven in to the mot station which is very very unlikely).


Mattt

16,664 posts

248 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Read your documents properly, they have a clear procedure. Sorry, but I don't think you'll have much luck.


TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Look at it from their point of view - the part could have been absolutely fine, and your mate at the garage "fixed it for you". You can't just approve parts yourself. No scam, just common practice.

V8ish

Original Poster:

370 posts

229 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Thank for response,

They have already stated this would have been an otherwise legitimate claim, i appreciate this may have happened some time ago, but after the tester shows me how precariously the snapped spring is balanced there was no way I was driving it!

I did pay for it myself there an then and it cost £180, £115 (from BMW) for the spring and rest labour.

Soovy

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
V8ish said:
Any thoughts guys...

Had a warranty from Olympic Warranties on my M3. Took it for an MOT and was informed the rear coil was cracked in half! I was advised the car was unsafe to drive but can be fixed within an hour, so I went ahead.

When I went to claim and they told me the item WAS covered but they will not pay a penny as I did not inform them first. I explained the repair work was unplanned and only discovered by the MOT tester, if my intention to visit the garage was soley to repair a fault I would have informed them first. in actual fact I had no documents with me and being honest couldn't even remember the name of the company.

I am awaiting a response but hold little hope.

Can anyone help in terms of taking this further as this is well out of order.

Many Thanks
The terms and conditions will state that you have to inform them before getting the work done, and they have to approve it. This is because you are spending their money.

Perfectly legal, and reasonable.


Sorry.

V8ish

Original Poster:

370 posts

229 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
Soovy said:
V8ish said:
Any thoughts guys...

Had a warranty from Olympic Warranties on my M3. Took it for an MOT and was informed the rear coil was cracked in half! I was advised the car was unsafe to drive but can be fixed within an hour, so I went ahead.

When I went to claim and they told me the item WAS covered but they will not pay a penny as I did not inform them first. I explained the repair work was unplanned and only discovered by the MOT tester, if my intention to visit the garage was soley to repair a fault I would have informed them first. in actual fact I had no documents with me and being honest couldn't even remember the name of the company.

I am awaiting a response but hold little hope.

Can anyone help in terms of taking this further as this is well out of order.

Many Thanks
The terms and conditions will state that you have to inform them before getting the work done, and they have to approve it. This is because you are spending their money.

Perfectly legal, and reasonable.


Sorry.
yes, I know what your saying but considering the claim is completey legit regardless (they have already told me they would normally cover this no problem) it makes it a bitter pill to swallow?

Soovy

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2010
quotequote all
V8ish said:
Soovy said:
V8ish said:
Any thoughts guys...

Had a warranty from Olympic Warranties on my M3. Took it for an MOT and was informed the rear coil was cracked in half! I was advised the car was unsafe to drive but can be fixed within an hour, so I went ahead.

When I went to claim and they told me the item WAS covered but they will not pay a penny as I did not inform them first. I explained the repair work was unplanned and only discovered by the MOT tester, if my intention to visit the garage was soley to repair a fault I would have informed them first. in actual fact I had no documents with me and being honest couldn't even remember the name of the company.

I am awaiting a response but hold little hope.

Can anyone help in terms of taking this further as this is well out of order.

Many Thanks
The terms and conditions will state that you have to inform them before getting the work done, and they have to approve it. This is because you are spending their money.

Perfectly legal, and reasonable.


Sorry.
yes, I know what your saying but considering the claim is completey legit regardless (they have already told me they would normally cover this no problem) it makes it a bitter pill to swallow?
Perhaps, but you didn't comply with your obligation to ask them, so why should they comply with their obligation to pay?