A Maryland couple says they were tricked into purchasing a car warranty they didn't need.
Bianca Staton and her husband received a notice in the mail that their warranty was about to expire. The word “stop” in big, bold letters made her think it was time sensitive, so she immediately called the company, United Auto Defense.
“He was saying, ‘Yes, your contract is expiring,’” Staton said.
Believing him, she purchased the warranty, and for 10 months, the company withdrew $269 per month from her checking account.
Then a trip to their dealership revealed something startling.
“I asked him if we had coverage on this warranty, and he said yes we do,” she said.
Their car was still covered under the extended warranty they purchased from the manufacturer, meaning they had coverage the whole time despite United Auto Defense telling them their warranty was expiring.
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“I called and told them I wanted a refund,” Staton said.
She was entitled to that refund, but it never arrived.
She called back and was told they were working on it, but more time went by.
“Something told me you are never going to get this money back,” she said.
NBC4 Responds learned the Minnesota attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit in February against the company for using deceptive practices to sell unnecessary vehicle service contracts. The Better Business Bureau also received numerous complaints.
NBC4 Responds called and emailed United Auto Defense and asked about the lawsuit and Staton's refund.
“The very next day I received a call from a man in this company, and he said, ‘I have your check right here in my hand and I'm going to send it out to you today,’” Staton said.
She received a check for $2,157.19.
NBC4 Responds never heard from the company, but it did respond to the Better Business Bureau, saying it was undertaking significant changes to the contents of its mail advertisements and has instituted new procedures to avoid delays in future refunds.