RV Extended Warranties

Wholesale Warranties & Us

Most of our readers are aware that we have a relationship with WholesaleWarranties.com, a leading broker of RV service contracts (aka RV extended warranties).

 

  

As our original 7-year extended warranty was expiring on our 2006 Keystone Cambridge, I started researching options to continue coverage.  I got quotes from dealers, I got quotes from Good Sam, and I got a quote from Wholesale Warranties.

There was a huge difference in price with Wholesale Warranties, so I dug a little deeper to try to determine the "catch".  I got copies of sample contracts and used my legal background to review the coverages.  I discovered that the coverages were almost identical.  So, we purchased a four-year extended service contract from Wholesale Warranties at a very reasonable price, one that we felt provided the proper "value".

Because I felt it was such a good value, I contacted Wholesale Warranties about a possible relationship - one of our win, win, win deals where they get some exposure, our readers get a discount, and we get something in return.

This relationship was one that we probably struggled with more than any other because we know that there are very strong opinions about extended warranties, and we were very concerned about the possibilities of us recommending a particular company and having our readers have issues.

We spent a lot of time talking with Jeff Shelton, the young owner of Wholesale Warranties, and we came away impressed that he was as concerned about customer service and reputation as we were.  It was hard to embrace the fact, that no matter what, there would be folks that would have unpleasant experiences.  Such is the nature of the warranty business, but we at least wanted to try to educate and keep those unpleasant experiences to a minimum.

It was also scary because we had not yet had a claim of our own to know how the claims process would work out.  Also, because Wholesale Warranties is a broker that represents multiple warranty companies, our experience with a claim could be completely different than that of our readers that may have contracts with different companies.

So, with a certain amount of trepidation, we went ahead with the relationship and posted our RV Extended Warranties page to try to help our readers understand RV extended warranties, understand what to expect, understand what not to expect, and understand how to get the most out of them.  We now include a seminar in our Rallies based on what we have learned.

There were some glitches in the beginning, and though most of our readers had good experiences, there were a few that did not.  To Wholesale Warranties credit, they tried to assist where they could, and they constantly evaluate the warranty companies (administrators) that they represent.  If those administrators fall short on service, covering claims, or pricing, they are replaced.

No other RV warranty seller cares as much about customer service as Wholesale Warranties and this is reflected in their "A+" Better Business Bureau Rating and their 5-Star Customer Lobby Reviews.  Jeff Shelton personally responds to every online complaint he becomes aware of, and he has had to respond to a few that have absolutely nothing to do with his company.

Eventually, we had to make our own claims.  Our prior extended warranty had paid for itself over time.  Then, we tapped our 2012 extended warranty through Wholesale Warranties and Performance Care out of North Carolina twice in 2013.

Our 100-gallon freshwater tank was starting to droop and we discovered that the support beams under our rig had twisted and were on the verge of breaking.  We called a mobile tech in New Mexico that was experienced with warranty claims.  We really had no idea if the repair would be covered, but the mobile tech made the repair so that it was better than the way it was built by the manufacturer and the entire claim was paid.

Later, our RV refrigerator went out.  We went to National RV Refrigeration in Shipshewana, Indiana.  This Amish company gave us three options: complete replacement, replacing the cooling unit with a better Amish-built unit in stock, or building us a cooling unit in-house.  The last option was the cheapest, but we didn't have time to wait.  The warranty company sent out an inspector and they agreed to pay for the cheapest option, about $900.  We decided to have the ready-to-go Amish-built unit installed and ended up having to cover the additional $300, but we were quite pleased with work and the coverage.  Our refrigerator has never worked better.

Okay, so we finally had our own claims experiences and everything went well.  Of course, as I mentioned previously, that's just our experience with one company.  But at least we knew for sure from personal experience that Wholesale Warranties was using reputable administrators.

And we started hearing good things from our readers about their experiences with Wholesale Warranties.  Even when the warranty administrator didn't come through the way they had hoped, they still had good things to say about the staff at Wholesale Warranties.  That is one of their strengths - the fact that they have back-office personnel to go to bat for their customers when there is a dispute between warranty administrators and repair facilities.  It doesn't always turn out the way the customer expected, but at least they can get some help and a good explanation.

As time has passed, we have gotten more and more comfortable with our relationship and we have seen their continued effort to make sure they serve the customers and to make sure they are representing companies that do a good job for the customers.  They are growing rapidly and have recently moved into a new office and added staff.

We have been sending in 40 - 50 quote requests per month, and we are happy to be a part of their expansion.  In fact, they were just named the 854th fastest growing companies by Inc. magazine.  Here is a video that tells more about their company and that celebrates their growth.

 

 

Congrats to Jeff and his wonderful staff!!  We especially want to thank Stephanie, Staci, Brittany, Stephen, David, and Amy and we look forward to meeting the rest of the gang in person the next time we get out to San Diego.

 

Reminders For The Rest Of This Year

Now, as we get close to the end of 2014, we want to remind those that are looking at RV extended warranties that it is better to lock in before the first of the year.  On January 1, your RV will be another model year older and that means the cost of your extended warranty will increase.  Every year the RV ages, the more expensive coverage will be simply because history shows claims increase as the RV ages.  So, if you wait, the same contract you get a quote on today will be higher in 2015 - for some rigs, it won't be much higher, but on others can it can be significant.

Also, contracts can currently be issued on RVs with model years back to model year 2000 with the possibility of adding up to four years of coverage.  As of January 1, 2015, the model year of the oldest RVs that can be covered under a new contract will be 2001.  So, for those out there with year 2000 models, time is running out to get extended warranty coverage.

If you are purchasing a new RV, be sure to get a quote through our RV Extended Warranty Quote page, and compare it to your dealer's quote.  Make sure you are comparing apples to apples and getting quotes on "exclusionary" coverage which is a more comprehensive coverage.

Also, for new rigs, understand that extended warranty coverage will NOT be in effect as long as manufacturer warranties are in effect.  So, if you have a two-year manufacturer's warranty, the extended warranty will not "kick in" until after two years.  Is it, therefore, better to wait until the manufacturer's warranty expires to get an extended warranty?  Not necessarily.  This "delay" of coverage is considered in the pricing of extended warranties on new coaches.  It's impossible to say for sure, but buying the extended warranty when the RV is new may provide a better value or at least locks in costs and allows the premium to be spread out a little if you choose an installment plan.

 

In Conclusion

Though we began our relationship with Wholesale Warranties with some concerns about the world of warranties, our confidence in them has grown and we are proud of our affiliation.  It's a difficult business, and we can't imagine being able to recommend any other RV warranty broker.  Great job guys and thanks for maintaining your integrity in an industry where many companies have taken shortcuts and failed.  We appreciate you taking care of our RV-Dreams readers and visitors.  :)

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Comments

[Larry and Sue Brown]

We purchased an extended warranty through Wholesale Warranties when we bought our new-to-us motorhome a year and a half ago. We've had two claims and have been extremely happy with the settlement on both. Extremely fair. We had a jack that went out. We elected to replace the entire jack system. WW paid the cost of replacing the one jack, and we paid the remainder. Luckily, Tiffin and Atwood also had an agreement to replace the system at a reduced cost. Our other claim was similar to Howard's - a malfunctioning refrigerator. WW paid the amount it would have taken to replace the cooling unit. We went with a new residential refrigerator - best decision we have ever made. By the way, a four-door Norcold caught fire last week in the park where we are currently staying. Burned through the exterior wall. Luckily no one was hurt.

[Jim & Peggy Hormann]

We purchased our warranty from Wholesale Warranties the day before we pickup up our fifth wheel. We had an inspection at their expense a week later. Ten days after that we ran over some road debris and took out all three tires on the right side of the fifth wheel. They paid the claim completely withing 10 days. Thanks again to Howard and Linda for scoping out the "good guys (& buys)) for us.

[Dan and Paula Hedden]

We are in the process of renewing our Wholesale Warranty Contract. Although we were fortunate to never had an opportunity to use it the last 4 years, it's nice to know that people who did need help were pleased with them.