ComplaintsforGold Standard Automotive Network, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased the highest level available for a vehicle at the same time I purchased a warranty. This warranty is supposed to cover nearly everything wrong with the vehicle except for wear items like brake pads and so on. This warranty costs 5k$. I purchased the warranty and had the vehicle delivered to me in New Orleans. A few weeks ago the truck broke down at a gas station. I had to have it towed to a local ford dealership to start fixing the truck. It he truck needs 10k$ worth of repairs, not related to an accident. I recieved the invoice. The dealership contacted gold standard network and started a claim. It was immediately denied and gold standard isn’t going to repair the vehicle. Initially it was because of hear were “pre existing conditions”. Nothing that suddenly happens when you at at a gas station is pre existing. Then they changed their answer and said it was because it has some “throttle device” on it. The truck has been mine for less than 90 days at the time, I have not changed or modified the truck. They offered to cover the vehicle and took my money in the condition the truck was in, then it developed problems after that time. These are not pre existing conditions. The truck broke and this is what needs to be fixed. It is not being abused, or taken off road. People buy these contract and extended warranty’s in good faith like I did. They need to fix the vehicle.

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  Hello ********* ******, we have looked into your claim and found that your claim was denied due to Modifications and pre-existing failures. If a vehicle is modified it does not qualify for coverage. That being said your dealer's sales agent requested that we allow the vehicle and that we offer a goodwill authorization of $2500 to assist with the repairs, which we did. If you would like to cancel your contract for a full refund, please submit the request in writing to ****************************************** and we will expedite that for you. If you choose to cancel your contract the goodwill authorization will be rescinded. I have attached a copy of your contract and have highlighted the section that states in 3 separate places that we do not cover modified vehicles. There were also parts of the claim denied due to no failure and as I mentioned pre-existing. I have also highlighted the pre-existing statements in the contract.

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  During our ice storm in January, the 4WD High of my vehicle was malfunctioning. I also have cracked corners on my display screen but it appears to be damaged from the inside. I took it to a repair shop & Gold Standard had authorized the replacement of the differential for a used one that cost $795 when the cheapest the shop could find was $1500, pay an hourly rate of $100/per hour while the shop’s rate is $160/hour-comparable to our area’s hourly rates, but they pay $135/hr for OEM facilities, wherein the Cadillac dealer I take my SUV to does not accept non-Cadillac extended service contracts, and completely denied coverage for the display unit because I don’t have ‘Hi-Tech’ coverage. I paid $4.259.00 for this extended service contract and it is like pulling teeth to get them to cover anything. I purchased this contract when I refinanced the vehicle and all I have to show that I have a contract is the application. When needing coverage, all these clauses in the contract are verbally being advised to me by the customer service representatives, when the company as a whole has not sent me anything to provide my coverage.

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  Hello ******, we do not show that you are the contract holder, however, we are still happy to answer your complaint. ****** ***** purchased this service contract in December of 2020, at which time he would have read through the service contract and upon signing the contract agreed to the terms and conditions of the contract. The labor rate was authorized as per the terms and conditions of the contract. As for the Differential/Transfer Case, we supplied your repair facility with the website where the adjuster located the Like, Kind, Quality Differential/Transfer Case. Please note that the authorization amount is what is deemed the value of the component, you are not required to use the vendor we sourced the part from, you can always use the authorization towards betterment and go with a new component, the difference in the cost vs the authorization is the customer’s responsibility.

  
  Regarding the 2nd part of your complaint about claims coverage. You have had 3 previous claims, and all have been approved according to the terms and conditions of the contract. The total paid for the 3 prior claims is $2,978.97. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to discuss them. Please note, we have approved all of your claims per the terms and conditions of the contract therefore no additional coverage for the most recent claim is available. Attached is a copy of the contract with the sections pertaining to your current claim (labor and the Hi-Tech option) highlighted for you.

  Customer response

  03/23/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My husband has received nothing but the first page when the contract was signed. The shop showed me that there was no place listed where the $750 differential could be obtained from. I wanted to contact the vendor to verify the condition of this $750 differential, to advise me as to whether or not it is comparable to the part my vehicle currently has. The $1500 differential has 90,000 miles on it and it is more than double the price of the invisible part the adjuster listed on the authorization to the shop. My 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4WD has 77,000 miles. 

  
  

  Regarding the previous repairs, I had simply paid the shop the excess of what Gold Standard had authorized because it is not their fault that Gold Standard doesn’t take the area flat rates for labor into account, even though Gold Standard is not accepted at the Cadillac dealer I would’ve otherwise used. The basis of my decision to tell my friends and family about how my experience has been owning a Gold Standard extended service contract ill greatly be the determined on how you can make good on my husband, ****** *****, not having had received nothing more than the first page of the agreement when the Escalade was refinanced. As a service writer at a nationwide collision company, I will ensure I tell to speak the truth. 
  

  
  

  Sincerely,
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I refinanced a car loan through a company called Vintage Re Finance, one of the loan requirements is to have warranty coverage for transmission for the term of the loan that is paid in full. I recently had an issue with my vehicle that was diagnosed at the Toyota dealership, that determined Transmission repair or replacement. The warranty was purchased with GOLD STAND AUTOMOTIVE NETWORK which send an inspector out to determined if coverage for the work was needed. GOLD STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE denied claim coverage cited air in not evenly distributed in all car tires, and tire threading are not all evenly worn on vehicle ,all tires are not even symmetrically. Flimsy excuse for not covering a claim, of course they are paid upfront all dollars amount $4,587 plus interest incur over the term of the loan. Consumers need to be aware and educated of their tactics. I hope this information can assistant consumers with their decision moving forward.

  

  Business response

  03/09/2023

  Hello ***** ******, We have reviewed your claim and found that the transmission claim was denied not because of the air in the tires not being the same but because you have 3 different tire sizes on your vehicle which does affect your transmission. The OEM tire size is 245/55/R19 and you have Front 255/50 R19, Left rear 245/55 R19, and Right rear 235/55 R19. Unfortunately, because of the failure to maintain the vehicle per the Manufacture's guidelines, we could not cover your transmission claim. If you would like to appeal that decision it would require the repair facility to teardown the transmission to determine the exact cause of failure, the contract does not cover this cost, so the decision is up to you. If you would like to proceed with this route please let us know. Attached is a copy of your contract that the vehicle must be maintained per the Manufacturer's guidelines to remain eligible for mechanical benefits.

  Customer response

  03/14/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am was not given a option of rejecting or accepting, a proposal was never offered, only a denial of claim, which is  customary for Gold Standard Automotive and other companies in the Warranty coverage business, Always accepting payments from customers who is always at their disadvantage Gold Standard Automotive had no intension of ever covering any claims for the transmission warranty I purchased in full amount dollars  upfront. This  unscrupulous practice need to be addressed and investigated by FTC without future delay. I will be also  bringing this claim to their attention along with other measures until satisfactory service is rendered. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business response

  03/15/2023

  Hello *****, After reviewing the last few phone calls you had with customer service and the claims adjuster they were not given the opportunity to let you know you can always request an appeal if you disagree with the denial. If you disagree with the denial and feel that having 3 different tire sizes on your vehicle did not contribute to the failure we are happy to re-open the claim for you. This will require your repair facility to teardown the transmission to determine exactly what failed and if that failure could not be impacted by 3 different tire sizes then your claim would be approved up to $6000 (contract limits). Please be aware that the cost of the teardown is the customers responsibility. If you would like to appeal the claim please call ###-###-#### and speak with the claims adjuster and let him know you want to appeal the denial and he will get the ball rolling for that. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to call.

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased 11/05/22 a Limited Lifetime agreement. Several attempts made to contact Gold Standard with no success. Contacting to verify what is covered and who in my area accepts this as per the paperwork only shops approved by Gold Standard are acceptable. So far none i have contacted do.

  

  Business response

  11/29/2022

  Hello ******* - We have checked all email accounts all phone records and cannot find any emails or phone calls, we would like to look into this further so please forward all of your email attempts to ****************************************************** and please include any phone number you called from so we can check those records, the phone number on file and the one listed in the complaint have no calls, it would also be helpful if you can supply the # you called us at.

  We have a list below of all of the service centers in **** that we have worked with in the past. Gold Standard will work with any service center that accepts payment via CC over the phone, email or fax. If you chose to use a vendor like ******* whose corporate policy does not allow them to accept payment via phone, email or fax, you will have to submit those receipts for reimbursement.

  If you need further assistance please call ************ and speak with a customer service associate, they are always happy to help search other 

   

   

  Service Center Name Address   City   State    Zip    Phone #
  *********** 1625 ********************** **** ** 76710 **************
  *********************** Auto 1125 **********. **** ** 76701 **************
  ********************* 1601 **********, **** ** 76712 **************
  ***************** 1701 ********** **** ** 76712 **************
  ********************************* 4600 ********* **** ** 76710 **************
  ***************** 1701 ********** **** ** 76712 **************
  Goodyear 5601 Bosque Ave **** ** ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 76710**************

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Gold standard did not want to cover any repair in warranty period water pump was a covered repair they said no it wasnt . Clearly in contract it did. Payed outta pocket .. had bumper to bumper coverage transmission went out once again they denied a claim . Only wanted to pay ***** for a ***** repair when they should of honor the contract an covered it fully this company a total scam payed ***** dollars for nothin.. i contacted my lawyer an an the very least there givin half the money back . Gold standard on leavin customers hangin with huge repair bills. But quick to take your money

  

  Business response

  11/06/2022

  I am sorry but we do not have a contract under the name of *****************************.

  Customer response

  11/07/2022

   
  Complaint: 18364850
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************** the contract covered a 2013 buick enclave contract was under ****** *************************** and ********************************* in ********* ********** 

  

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  I am sorry but we are still unable to locate a contract in either name. Please provide a copy of the first page of the contract that includes the contract number and customer information.

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid thousands for a contract and they refuse to work with the only place in town that will accept their warrant coverage. I wasted thousands of dollars.

  

  Business response

  07/28/2022

  I am sorry but we are unable to locate a contract for *****************************. If ******* can provide a copy of their contract with ***************************** listed as the contract holder we are happy to look into the situation.

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We bought a vehicle from a dealership 2.5 years ago with a life time power train warranty from Gold Standard. Our transmission went out July 25, 2021. We hauled the pickup on a trailer to a transmission shop and they contacted the warranty company. We were denied our lifetime warranty because the company said they do not approve paper maintenance receipts. We paid $3500 to have this warranty and are not able to use it because they will not cover any of the costs of our new transmission. I would just like to get ride of it and get our money back to help pay for our new transmission.

  

  Business response

  08/16/2021

  Hello *******, Gold Standard takes every complaint very seriously and have reviewed yours and found the following. You are correct your transmission claim was denied due to lack of maintenance records. Per the contract, Section 4 under Maintenance Requirements, #2 states “Handwritten documentation will not be acceptable, and receipts shall be on the commercial service facilities letterhead and include Your Vehicle information as well as the date of the service, service(s) provided and the mileage on Your vehicle at the time of service.” Your maintenance records that follow the requirements of the contract only show up to July 2020, after that none adhere to the contract terms. We understand that as a consumer you expect (as you should) that Gold Standard will follow the contract terms and conditions, however Gold Standard cannot meet a customer’s expectations until the consumer meets theirs terms and conditions that allows us to meet ours. By not following the maintenance requirements you constricted our ability to cover your failed transmission.

  
  Included is a copy of your contract with the referenced section highlighted for your convenience.
  

  Please contact the claims department for possible options.

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 07/17;2921 company did not honor my warranty to service my vehicle, of which I was having a problem with. The company pamphlet doesn't state thatit would not cover the covered problem in full. To replace a transmission in 2017 Nissan Altima is approximately 4500.00 they were offering 1600.00 towards the repair. The dealership did not offer any extensive information on the coverage. I called the company about the issue and they offered to send the fine print after the fact. The is deceitful with the fine print of their coverage. I paid 2000,00 dollars for this plan and it states that they transmission would be covered. I wanted a refund from this plan or fix my transmission covered in full. Thank you for your help with this matter.

  

  Business response

  08/10/2021

  After reviewing ****** ********’s complaint we found that the claim was approved with the contract maximum of $1600. The contract that ****** ******** purchased was our base powertrain that has a $1600.00 maximum payout for the Transmission coverage. Per your request we have rescinded the claim authorization, cancelled your service contract and issued will issue a full refund of the billed amount to your selling dealer. They will issue to final refund to you or your lender.  

• Initial Complaint

  06/04/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased an auto warranty extended contract from this company for $4,500.00 through one of their selling partners in Sacramento ca. I canceled this contract on 4/6/2021 and I was due back a refund of $3061.00 within 30 business days. in California our consumer protection laws require it to be refunded in fewer than 30 days I understand with covid the 30 days may be needed but its been 45 days and nothing when I reach out to the company I get the run around some say 60 days some now say 90 days there is a total lack of transparency with their cancellation process no one can tell me why it's taking so long and they could care less this needs to be resolved and I need my remaining balance back ASAP!!! this is unacceptable for a company to do this

  

  Business response

  06/07/2021

  Mr. *******,

  Thank you for your inquiry with the Better Business Bureau, we strive to process all cancellations as quickly as possible. Our records reflect that your refund was mailed on June 4th. Your selling dealer should have by June 8th to issue the full refund of $3,064.66 to you or your lender. If you have any questions please call customer service at ###-###-####. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a 2011 Chevy Malibu from a dealer and with the purchase, also purchased a 5 year, 100,000 mile power train warranty. I have had the car for 39 months and have driven about 35,000 miles since purchase. The car has had a couple issues and the warranty has never covered ANY repair costs at any time. 2 weeks ago, an item in the engine broke and now is not functioning at all. The mechanic reached out to Gold Standard and was told nothing will be covered. I called and asked and got told that covered items would be covered along with labor. We continue to get the run around with me being told one thing and the mechanic another. This warranty has been nothing more than a waste of time, money, and is now in my mind a scam to get money from unsuspecting customers. I would NOT suggest anyone to get any products this company offers. I would like to see the entire repair cost covered by Gold Standard at this point for the lost time, misleading conversations, and poor product and servic

  

  Business response

  05/19/2021

  Gold Standard takes every complaint very seriously and after reviewing your complaint we found that we have followed the coverage and terms. Mr. ******** has a limited-service contract, the most recent claim for the timing chain was denied because a non-covered component caused the failure. This claim is the only mechanical claim that has been submitted, the other 5 claims we have received were for maintenance services that were covered. I have included a copy of Mr. ********'s contract and have highlighted the engine coverage that outlines the Guides and Tensioners are not a covered component. Mr. ******** has since cancelled his service contract with Gold Standard.

  Customer response

  05/20/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because none of the non covered components were ever discussed at time of purchase. The non covered parts are more likely to fail and cause other problems thus would have been a poor choice at purchase.  The other problem is the mixed messages. I am being told by someone at Gold Standard that the non covered parts would be my responsibility while the covered items and labor up to $135 an hour. But someone else is denying the entire repair and I was never told why until now.  I have indeed canceled the warranty seeing as it is worthless and a scam.

  
  

  The other items were submitted by the maintenance shops. First was Don L***** for wheel hubs within 120 days of purchase of car and warranty. Next was last year for engine troubles at Pembine Automotive which lead to MAF sensor and other airflow cleaning and drying. Next was August 2020 for again, engine troubles at Edward's Auto where they disconnect all connectors, vacuum lines and throttle body for cleaning and inspecting reassemble and worked for a short time. Now back to Edward's for engine failure.  Nothing covered at any point. Receipts and statements from repair professionals can be provided.

  
  

  Only items ever covered was up to $50 for oil changes when the changes were done at a dealership.  Again, nothing was made clear at any point and I am being told one thing by an employee of Gold Standard and the mechanic another thing. This is absolutely poor and shady service. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

  

  Business response

  05/21/2021

  Mr. ********, When you read your contract at the time of sale you saw all covered components are listed, in some cases, those non-covered components are also listed. This is so there is no confusion for the customers as to what is and what is not covered. I have included a copy of your contract for your review so you can confirm your failures do not fall within the plan you had. As previously mentioned in our initial reply, the tensioners and guides only fall within coverage on our Gold plans.  
  

  As for other repairs you had completed, we do show a phone call asking about hubs coverage and the caller was told they do not fall within coverage (09/2018). There was another call asking about the exhaust cam actuator solenoid and the fuel pump module (10/2019) and were told they do not fall within coverage. Gold Standard is bound by the contract coverage you chose or were eligible for a the time of purchase. The calls about coverage in 2019 were for components that are covered on our Bronze (hub) and Gold Coverage plans. The plan you recently cancelled was our base powertrain. Benefits are only available if the customers contract provides them, otherwise we cannot cover the failure.

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