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Active since Feb 2024
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2 reviews27 months ago
Lengthy delay and bad communications
McCarthy Renault Pietermaritzburg On 18 Dec 2023 when we experienced problems with changing gears and grinding and went immediately to McCarthy Renault in Pietermaritzburg. We were told the clutch and maybe Intercooler were problems and that parts might not be available until the new year, and so the car was booked in for repair on 8 Jan 2024. We hoped to claim on an extended warranty and McCarthy Renault said they would handle this. On 12 Jan, I asked about progress and found that the clutch still had not been dismantled. The claim was submitted on 12 Jan. On 16 Jan, when I had received no notification of any progress, I asked if it would help if I phoned AA warranties, was told yes, and so I phoned AA Warranties. They claimed they were still awaiting a photo from McCarthy Renault, who said the fault lay with AA warranties. We received a negative response answer from AA warranties on 16 Jan, now 8 working days after the vehicle went in. It took and additional 8 working days, for the vehicle to be ready for collection on 25 Jan, a total of 16 working days after first delivery to McCarthy Renault. Collection was not trivial, we live Underberg 130km away. McCarthy Renault should explain why it took 38 calendar days to repair this vehicle., with part availability being a huge problem. Whilst there may be factory shutdown at this time of year, parts should be stockpiled because vehicles break down regardless of time of year. Communications with McCarthy Renault Pietermaritzburg were very frustrating. During my frequent phone calls to McCarthy Renault, my calls were dropped an estimated 15-20 times. One occasion the call was dropped 4 times, and two other occasions the call was dropped 3 times. Given the delays in the repair process described above, these dropped calls sent a message that customers do not really count. The service consultant promised to return calls on numerous occasions, and only did so occasionally. He used an excuse on 2 or 3 occasions that he could not get through; not a problem I experience usually, but he never left a message either. We did not have use of our vehicle and were compromised for 38 days, and were left with a very strong feeling that there was no urgency to sort out the repair.
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27 months ago
Dont buy this extended warranty
Read why I will never take an extended warranty from Advantage Motor Protector (AA Warranties) again. We bought a 2nd-hand 2017 Renault Duster 4x4 in March 2023 with 150 136km on the clock. Because it was an old vehicle, we limited the risk (we thought) by buying an extended warranty (AA Evolve Warranty 2022A Evolve Plus 8). In late December 2023 and 14 ****m later, we experienced difficulty with gear-changing and grinding. As required by the warranty, we immediately went to a garage on detection of the problem. This was a Renault dealership (they did not sell us the car). Repairs were delayed because of the time of year, and began on 8 Jan. We did not use the car over this period. AA warranties declined the claim on 16 January because it was regarded as normal wear and tear. ISSUE 1. The biggest issue. The claim was repudiated because the clutch did not actually break, and was classed as Normal Wear and Tear. I have driven an estimated 1.2 million kms over 52 years in 8 cars of 5 different make and have never replaced a clutch. My wife and two close friends of similar age have also never replaced a clutch. If there are no clutch replacements over more 4 million kms driven, is clutch replacement Normal Wear and Tear? Yes, the contract fine print states the part must actually break. Bottom line, we now understand (and not explained at purchase) that defective parts is not the same as breakage – a sudden catastrophic break is required. It is important to understand if you do not take the car to a service centre on detection of a problem, then the warranty is voided anyway. So, you cannot drive until it breaks because your claim will be repudiated anyway. This was not explained on purchase of the warranty, and yes, we should have read 17 pages of fine print and asked questions. We now clearly understand the scope of coverage is far less than our expectations. ISSUE NO. 2. The extended warranty cost R15 995, and the repair cost R42 000. Even if AA warranties did pay out, they would have paid a maximum of R9000, leaving a shortfall of R29 460. Is it reasonable to expect average purchasers of an extended warranty to know the cost of the 45 classes of repairs listed, to assess whether listed payouts are adequate? Issue No. 3. It took AA Warranties a week to resolve the issue. The claim was submitted to AA warranties who confirmed receipt on 12 January. On 16 Jan, when McCarthy Renault said there was no response from AA warranties, I phoned to query progress. AA warranties blamed the dealership for not submitting all photos required, and we received a decision late on 16 January. We submitted a longer version of this letter to AA warranties as an appeal. Their reply stated that the criterion of breakage was not meant and did not comment on Issues 2 and 3. Our advice to anyone buying a 2nd-hand vehicle is get your vehicle inspected by third parties before purchase as a superior route to peace of mind.
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