Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/30/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a vehicle warranty service contract from A and ******** in ********, ** when I purchased my vehicle on 10/23/2024. I purchased a 2015 Chevrolet SS sedan with ****** miles on the vehicle. at ****** miles, the magnetic ride front and rear shocks failed as diagnosed by my local ********* dealer, *** ***** Chevrolet in *********, ****. The dealer and myself filed a claim with Ascent Administrative Services for warranty repair work and the claim was denied. Nowhere in my vehicle contract does it state that these parts are not warrantied under the contract. They sent me an email stating that they just lumped this under normal wear and tear. Now these parts cost around $5,000 to replace. I advised them that this was not specifically excluded and also that at no point should such expensive parts fail at ****** miles. I contested the cliam denial and this was supposedly reviewed by claims management. I was then emailed and told that they decided that they were not going to cover the claim. I find it outrageous that they just decide was falls under normal wear and tear on a vehicle. This isn't brake pad or light bulbs that cost less than a couple of hundred dollars. These components cost as much as the transmission or heavy motor work. They have purposefully written a vague contract to deny claims that they just don't want to pay. Any part on a vehicle could be thrown into "wear and tear". This is terrible customer service and feels like outright theft. This contract cost $2,703 when purchased. I hear stories all the time about these service contracts denying any and all claims and now I have witnessed it first hand. I have uploaded a copy of the email denial where they are falling back on extremely vague contract language.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2025

  Dear BBB Representative,
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to this complaint.
  
  Struts and shocks, including electronically controlled or magnetic ride units, have always been classified in the industry as maintenance items. This is not unique to our contracts; it is standard across the entire industry. Suspension dampers are designed to wear gradually through use, just like brake pads or tires. They are not failures of a covered component; they are consumable parts with a predictable service life, and their replacement is an expected part of normal vehicle maintenance.
  
  The contract expressly states under Components and Expenses Not Covered:
  
  Maintenance services and parts described in Your Vehicles Owner Manual as supplied by the manufacturer and other normal maintenance service and parts which include, but are not limited to: Alignments; Wheel Balancing; Tune-Ups; Spark Plugs; Spark Plug Wires; Coil to Spark Plug Boots and Connectors; Glow Plugs; Vapor and Emission Canisters; Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve; Distributor Cap and Rotor; PCV Valve; Gas Cap; Smog Pumps; High-Voltage Vehicle Drive Batteries; Hoses (except steering and air conditioning); Brake Pads; Brake Lining/Shoes; Retainers and Wiper Blades 
  
  Industry-wide, shocks and struts fall within this same category of normal maintenance. They are excluded from coverage because, by design, they degrade with mileage, road conditions, and vehicle use rather than failing due to a manufacturing defect. Whether conventional hydraulic, gas-charged, or advanced electronic systems, all are considered maintenance items by manufacturers.
  
  While we understand that replacement of these components can be costly, their classification as maintenance is standard practice across the automotive industry and is consistent with the language and intent of the service contract purchased.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/01/2025

  It is not reasonable for all four units to fail within ****** miles.  Struts should last at least ******.  That is not general expected maintenance.  These are also electronically controlled which are not just normal part replacements.  Convenient that they are not specifically excluded in my electronic endorsement either.  You can hide behind vagueness here again.  Apparently there is a lot of assumption going on with your contracts.  If these parts cost over $5,000 you need to specifically exclude them in the contract, which again, they are not.  This is specialized equipment.  Your contract verbiage is vague and does not specifically exclude these items.  You could lump the engine and transmission into this category with your vague  contract verbiage.  What is covered by this warranty??  My guess is not much.  Most things on a vehicle could be classified as maintenance. Your response is as vague as your contract language.  This seems like a very poor business practice.  I doubt that you inform your dealers of these things when you have them sell your contracts.  I was not informed by my dealer when I spent $3,000 for this warranty.  I was actually told by my dealer that these items should be covered.  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2025

  We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this matter. Our review confirms that the customers claim involved shock absorber and strut assemblies, which are classified throughout the automotive industry as wear-and-tear maintenance items.
  As certified ASE technicians and licensed appraisers, our evaluation aligns with industry standards. Struts and shocks are designed to wear gradually through normal use, typically lasting ****** to ****** miles. Their replacement is part of normal upkeep, not a mechanical breakdown, and therefore not covered under the service contract.
  In this case, mileage was not the determining factorit was time. The vehicle is over ten years old, and with age, internal seals and gaskets lose elasticity and fail, even with low mileage. This vehicle is equipped with Magnetic Ride Control, which uses magnetorheological fluid and electronic valves to adjust ride quality. Over time, that fluids magnetic properties degrade, and internal seals and valves deteriorate, leading to diminished performance or failure.
  Such age-related deterioration is expected, not defective. For these reasons, the denial of coverage was appropriate and fully compliant with the terms of the contract and accepted automotive practices.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/15/2025

  I do not accept the response.  My issue is with your vague contract verbiage which is what my initial complaint stated.  Nowhere in my signed contract does it exclude these very expensive parts due to time or degradation.  And shocks and or struts should last more that ****** miles.  That is why the factory warranty covers these 100% until at minimum ******.  It was ******* when this car was new.  You make it a point to specifically exclude items that are far cheaper to replace and that are not electronically controlled but somehow left these out of your contract.  That is misleading and a poor business practice.  You are hiding behind vague language.  You could say that any part on that car would suffer from wear and tear as soon as it leaves the lot.  I have repeatedly asked for a specific list of what this warranty does cover and have never received it.  You are able to deny any claim because of this vague language.  I am still waiting for specifics on what this contract does cover.  This practice gives warranty companies a bad name.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/19/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/20/2023 I purchased a 2022 ****** Rav 4 from ********* and a **************** contract for $4377 from *******. On 12/2/2024 I filed a service claim with ******* which they denied as the problem was technology related. When we purchased the contract, we were told that the contract included technology, ECO and 4wd/AWD services. However, the technology box was not checked. I canceled the service contract in writing on 12/9/2024. Since 12/2/2024, I have reached out to Elevate via phone, email and **** and have not received a refund directly from them. We did receive a refund check of $1002.71 from Auto House. The initial technology ***air problem was estimated at $1851.78 on a base model vehicle that was only 2 years old when we purchased it. After a countless number of calls to ****** corporate, they offered to cover a portion of the ***air resulting in us spending an additional $360.00 on top of the $4377 to have the system failure ***aired. We are still waiting for a refund from Elevate totaling approximately $3734.29. The calculation is as follows ($4377+$360-$1002.71=$3734.29). I have left countless messages for the *** handling our claim with Elevate and she is continually unavailable now. I have also filed a claim with the ************************.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Good afternoon, 

  After reviewing our records, we reflect that this customer was fully taken care of by and accepted payment from their dealership, Autohouse, and received a refund check from us in the amount required, which was sent to this customer immediately. This fulfilled our obligation to the customer, and makes this complaint no longer valid. 

   

  Appreciate your time, 

   

  The Ascent Team

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ** ***
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/19/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The denial email was sent to me on June 17, 2024. I responded by email and phone on June 18, 2024. ******* is denying our GAP insurance claim due to a lack of a police report. However, she sent me an email highlighting the following from their policy: "LOSS DOCUMENT PROCEDURES: In the event of a Constructive Total Loss, You must notify and provide all of the following, if applicable, to Our Administrator: 1. a complete copy of the primary insurance settlement, including the valuation report; 2. a copy of the original Financing Contract and this Addendum; 3. If applicable, a copy of Your automobile insurance policy; 4. a copy of the payoff from the Financial Institution/Lender as of the Date of Loss; 5. if applicable, a copy of the insurance settlement check; 6. police report, in the case of a Constructive Total Loss when there is no ************************* coverage. If a police report is not provided, a claim may be denied; and 7. any additional reasonable documentation requested by Our Administrator or Us (where applicable, see State Disclosures). The Administrator will not obtain this information for You. A Benefit request must be submitted and all required documentation provided to the Administrator within ninety (90) days of settlement by Your Primary Carrier. " I explained that NE police officers do not come to the scene for non-injury accidents. She said they needed to have a police report to make sure we were not involved in any felony activity. Both vehicles involved were drivable. The accident was due to icy conditions, and our vehicle slid into another vehicle. I asked to speak with someone else and was told there was no one else I could talk to. I provided all of the required documents. We have insurance, and according to their policy, our claim should not be denied because we do not have a police report. ******* refused to help me and repeatedly told me her decision was final and would not approve our claim.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/20/2024

  To Whom It May *************************************** to our Loss Documentation procedures outlined in our contract under Section 1, the customer is required to provide all necessary documentation for their *** claim. Despite several opportunities, the customer has been unable to produce the requested police report.
  
   
  
  As stated in the contract: "Any additional reasonable documentation requested by Our Administrator or Us (where applicable, see State Disclosures). The Administrator will not obtain this information for You. A Benefit request must be submitted, and all required documentation provided to the Administrator within ninety (90) days of settlement by Your Primary Carrier. If You do not have primary insurance coverage in effect on the Date of Loss, the Administrator must receive this documentation within ninety (90) days from the Date of Loss. No Benefit will be waived under this Addendum if this documentation is not provided to the Administrator within this stated time period. Reasonable access must be provided to the Covered Vehicle for inspection if required."
  
   
  
  This requirement is in place due to the claim exclusions listed under Section 9, which state: "When a Constructive Total Loss may reasonably be expected to result from intentional or criminal acts of a Customer/Borrower or their permissive user while committing a felony, including but not limited to DUI/DWI, or while seeking to elude lawful apprehension or arrest by a law enforcement official. No Benefit will be waived until the charge has been dismissed or adjudicated not guilty."
  
   
  
  Without the police report, we have no means to verify the circumstances surrounding the claim. Therefore, the *** claim has been closed due to lack of documentation. Despite several attempts to explain this to the customer. We are simply asking the customer to adhere to our guidelines for this claim.
  
   
  
  Thank you for your time.
  
   
  
  Sincerely,

  The Ascent Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/20/2024

  I called the *********************** and they told me the following: It is a Nebraska law that police will not be dispatched to a non-injury collision. They will also not issue a police report. All non-injury collisions are directed to the ********** of *************** in which a police report would not be filed and no one would go to the scene. There were no criminal acts involved in this collision and it is 100% impossible for me to obtain the police report. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/20/2024

  To whom it may concern,
  
   
  
  According to the ******************* of **************** website, if a crash is not investigated by a law enforcement officer, state statute requires every driver involved in a crash resulting in injury, death, or estimated damages equal to or exceeding $1,500 to the property of any one person (including the driver's property) to complete and submit a confidential ************* Vehicle Crash Report within 10 days following the crash. Drivers involved in crashes where an Investigators Crash Report is completed by a law enforcement officer do not need to complete a crash report.
  
   
  
  Please note that the customer has not informed us of the submission of this report, nor do we have any evidence that it was completed. We will need evidence of this report before we can proceed with any re-evaluation of the claim.
  
   
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
   
  
  Sincerely,

  The Ascent Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/21/2024

  Ascent denied my claim due to lack of police report. I was told its because there is information in the report they needed to ensure there was no criminal or felony activity. A DOT report would not give them this information.
  

  There was very minimal external damage to either vehicle. 
  

  Now they are requesting something different which would not show evidence of any criminal activity.