Car warranty company leaves Raleigh driver stranded until ABC11 Troubleshooter steps in

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Car warranties help cover costly repairs when you have a problem with your vehicle, but they don't always work like you expect.

Raleigh driver Wanda Bridgers invested in a car warranty through Protect My Car. For a while, everything was working well. Her repairs were being covered under the warranty and she was a satisfied customer--until recently.

"I'm like, wait a minute, you're supposed to be taking care of me. You're not taking care of me!"

Bridgers learned she needed repairs to her car after taking it to the dealership.

"My dealership was like, look, you got to get this done. This is a safety issue," she explained.

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An ABC11 viewer contacted Troubleshooter Diane Wilson after getting a letter that looked official as it claims to be from the Vehicle Services Division.

Bridgers and the dealership made several efforts to get in touch with Protect My Car, but neither of them had any luck.

"The dealership called, but they couldn't get through. I called, couldn't get through," Bridgers told Troubleshooter Diane Wilson. Bridgers said she was about to give up, "It's been two weeks now. Enough! So I contacted you."

Wilson got in touch with Protect My Car, and the Director of Compliance got right back to Wilson saying the company had been experiencing extremely high call volume for the last several weeks. Protect My Car said it had made several adjustments to try to reduce call volume and streamline the claims process.

The car warranty company said it had been asking customers' repair facilities to start customers' mechanical breakdown claims via Protect My Car's online portal to start the process. Regarding Bridgers' claim, the Director of Compliance added they appreciate the opportunity to resolve this matter on their customer's behalf.

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Bridgers tells Wilson she is happy with the resolution, "I don't know what magic you work, but you worked it. I got a call from the car warranty company saying that it had been approved. I got a call from my dealership telling me to bring it in. I bought it in, my car is fixed, and I owe it all to you."

Bridgers is now back on the road with her safety concerns fixed.

When it comes to car warranties, especially ones offered by a third party, before you pay for one, read the fine print and see what it takes to get a claim covered. Some warranties make you pay out of pocket and don't cover certain repairs. Also, research what other drivers are saying when it comes to their experiences with the warranty.