BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Fri 18 Jul 2014 16:00
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - policedogs
I have just had a claim refused by warranty direct, what are my chances.


I bought a BMW 320i 2007 with full service history from the main dealer and what a lovely car it is. I had it serviced at my local BMW dealership in accordance with the service requirements. I am very happy with the car and bought a "Warranty Direct Car policy" to cover me for the big ticket items in case it needed them at some stage. I figured with a car with regular main dealer servicing should be ok but just in case took out the warranty. On the last service they pointed out a small oil leak which I needed to have investigated by BMW. That happened yesterday and they told me it was a sump gasket and vanos gasket and that the cost would be £1061. No worries I thought as I had taken out additional insurance above the £380 policy to be able to let BMW work on my car. I called Warranty claim department who had me give the BMW dealership a direct number. BMW called Warranty Direct explained the work and I got a call from Warranty Direct saying that I was not covered under their policy. The policy says that oil leaks are not covered unless the engine has to be removed to fix it, as this job takes 7 hours to do. The entire suspension undercarriage has to be removed along with the axles, steering components and some AC pipes, the engine has to be supported during this process. So as you can see a big job. Reading the website blurb for Warranty Direct who are an insurance seller the state on the front page they state "Complete protection" well that statement is misleading, the policy states they do not do oil leaks unless engine out as I said which would avoid small jobs on other cars but this policy is tailored to my car and a £1061 repair is not covered I have wasted my money on a bad policy. As usual read all policy details and the small print and do not assume anything. As for me I am proceeding with a complaint to Warranty Direct which will go nowhere until I take it to the ombudsman which I will do as they are mis selling on their website. I have the time the patience and the experience. If anyone else has had a problem with Warranty Direct I would like to hear from them.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 18 Jul 2014 16:29
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - quizman

I looked at Warranty Direct for my 520D. I noticed that you only get so much an hour, not enough for a main dealer to do any work.

Whatever Quentin Willson says, I think it is a waste of money. There are too many reasons for them to reject your claims.

Good luck with your complaints to them, please let us know how you get on.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 18 Jul 2014 16:55
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - Galaxy

I can't believe people are still buying these after-market warranties.

They aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 18 Jul 2014 21:23
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - deere3350

I completely disagree. I had a warranty with Warranty Direct and they replaced the torque converter in my 320d without quibble - a total bill of almost £1400. I had to pay a reasonable contribution of course, but the warranty picked up the bulk of the claim. They even dealt directly with the BMW dealer through their system. The key is to read the policy document and if you're covered, then claim. If not, don't waste your time claiming as you'll be disappointed. The problem is that most people expect to be covered for worn windscreen wipers and worn brakepads. These are the dimwits who will be disappointed.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 19 Jul 2014 00:42
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - oldtoffee

I think if you persist with polite patience and keep referring to how they describe it as "misrepresentation" (a word they don't like pointed at them) you stand a chance of some kind of result. Realistically speaking the best result would be for you to get your money back and if they offer it I'd take it. Your experience as related here is helpful to others who may be considering a 3rd party warranty and really shouldn't so thanks for doing it. Manufacturer warranties are much more expensive but if you buy the car from a main dealer, it has full main dealer service history and you buy a manufacturer warranty from the main dealer you stand a chance of being treated fairly.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 19 Jul 2014 10:20
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - Andrew-T

I can't believe people are still buying these after-market warranties.

It stands to reason that these warranty companies have to make a profit - in other words they take in more than they pay out. If you scale that down, an individual policyholder usually pays out more than he gets back, unless he suffers a genuinely expensive repair which the policy covers - which, as has been said, it often doesn't.

Rather than buying an after-sales warranty, it therefore makes better (statistical) sense to keep those payments in an interest-earning account, and either use it to pay for repairs, or have a holiday. If you are very unlucky (needing a repair) and then lucky (finding the policy covers it), OK. Otherwise you spend quite a lot on 'peace of mind', possibly misplaced.

Applies to washing machines, cameras, as well as cars.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 19 Jul 2014 12:30
BMW 320i 2007 - Warranty Direct - Complete Protection No - Cyd

I can't believe people are still buying these after-market warranties.

They aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Me neither. These companies are only interested in profit. And the policies have more holes than Swiss cheese.

As for QW - he's just another money grubbing "celebrity" making a fat living at your expense. He doesn't care two hoots about you. He's getting his fat fee for saying those things and that's all he's interested in.

I've never bought one of these "extended warranties" in my life. Unlike my SiL, who has policies "covering everything" (to be fair she is properly OCD). Sure, I've suffered the odd breakdown and repair bill, but over the last 15 years or so my SiL has shelled out about 12 grand more than me for nothing (even taking into account a couple of repairs insurance has paid for). She won't have it though - peace of mind!!

Rant over! That's better!

Edited by Avant on 19/07/2014 at 13:22

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide