Lotus Extended warranty? Who is it through
Lotus Extended warranty? Who is it through
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Discussion

Fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

260 months

Friday 4th July 2008
quotequote all
Okay, I extended my Elise Warranty with Liscomb Lotus last week, and have just got the paperwork through but its for TWG services LTD not lotus?

Is this right? Is this still the manufacturer extended warranty? Or have they sold me something different?

21TonyK

13,374 posts

240 months

Friday 4th July 2008
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Thats who mine was through as well. That's the proper Lotus extended warranty.

Gooby

9,269 posts

265 months

Friday 4th July 2008
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Mine was underwritten by AON - same people who do the lotus club insurance. Managed by some other 3rd party.

R-Racer

119 posts

226 months

Friday 4th July 2008
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If you dont mind me asking,how much did you fork out for a warranty? I was quoted £600 a year from Westover in Poole for my R which I find bloody unbelievable.

Gooby

9,269 posts

265 months

Friday 4th July 2008
quotequote all
R-Racer said:
If you dont mind me asking,how much did you fork out for a warranty? I was quoted £600 a year from Westover in Poole for my R which I find bloody unbelievable.
Same dealer, I talked a deal without the AA cover to just over £500. Ben and Ameyc will kill me for telling you. This was also 2006 (end of).

Fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

260 months

Saturday 5th July 2008
quotequote all
R-Racer said:
If you dont mind me asking,how much did you fork out for a warranty? I was quoted £600 a year from Westover in Poole for my R which I find bloody unbelievable.
£720 for 3 years for the R...

I think 1 year was £505, 2 at £650... I figured if i was going to get it I may as well do the 3 year thing, its transferable, and probably will help sell the car... (and give me a bit of peace of mind).

squirejo

802 posts

274 months

Monday 7th July 2008
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TWG was the company did mine thru B&C and I have not had a problem - paid out for 2 new Ohlins dampers 2 weeks ago.

Zebede29

322 posts

254 months

Monday 14th July 2008
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GRRRRRR god damn TWG warranty furious ..... just sent them this letter:

"I write with reference to the above vehicle and the 1yr warranty supplied with my vehicle as an Approved package when I bought the car from Christopher Neil Sports Cars, an approved Lotus main dealership.

When I bought the car I was under the impression that the warranty was designed to protect me for the first year, and that being endorsed/approved by Lotus UK would give me no trouble in the event of a claim.

However, I now find myself writing to you to express my disgust at the way a recent claim has been rejected when my vehicle failed to pass it’s MOT and was worked on by an approved Lotus Service dealer, Kelvedon Motors in Spalding, Lincs.

Kelvedon’s Pat Thomas is an ex Lotus Works driver and factory mechanic, and is known as an absolute expert in Lotus cars. However, it seems your administrator team believe they know more about Lotus cars than he does - despite his 25+ years of dedicated experience at fixing and maintaining Lotus cars!

Pat has talked me through every single stage of his investigations into why the car would not pass the MOT on the basis of high emissions. Unfortunately the problem was very deep-rooted and Pat therefore had to take specialist advice (and arrange a visit) from a Lotus factory technician for advice, guidance and ideas. Eventually the Lotus technician recommended a course of action that Pat followed and documented, which cured the high emissions problem and allowed a new MOT to be given for the car.

I now find that you have rejected the claim for a new catalytic converter and two lambda sensors, despite a mountain of evidence and documentation from Pat/Kelvedon Motors and a written report from them with full details of the Lotus technician’s recommendations.

What else is a customer meant to do to prove to you that every step taken was reasonable, required and diligently done? How much more proof do you need? Pat showed every bit of paperwork to your warranty manager when he visited the service centre and looked at my car, the damaged components and the diagnostic readings/print-outs. What do you want - blood?!

It blatantly seems to me that your company has tried to find every possible excuse to avoid paying out for the claim, when in fact we have full documentation to confirm that the root cause was down to a set of components that are covered under the warranty - is this really how Lotus would like their ever-loyal customers to be treated? I doubt it very much but it is how I am being treated.

I will be interested to hear how Lotus Customer Services respond to this letter (a copy is being sent to them at Hethel) and how this experience is driving me away from Lotus ownership. Both Pat and I feel let down, given the run-around and that Kelvedons have been simply “strung along” until an excuse was found NOT to pay the claim. Is this REALLY how a Lotus owner should be treated? A Lotus is an extravagant luxury which in this current financial climate will be a diminishing market - surely you and Lotus should be working together to keep existing owners happy, deliver on your promises and ensure they stay loyal to Lotus and TWG as repeat customers? This is exactly what I feel I don’t want to do at present due to the awful way you have handled my claim.

I would ask that you review the situation and ask yourself how you would feel if you were me - a genuine, honest and trustworthy customer - and a factory approved service centre that have both been rebutted and treated as liars, cheats and as though we were the “bad guys“. All we want is to take advantage of a policy that I was sold as part of my car purchase - in other words, can you PLEASE deliver what you have promised in your policy please?

I look forward to your reply with interest"

ragefurious

Sent a copy to Lotus, now awaiting a reply. Currently the bill has escalated to £1800 inc VAT.....all just to get it thru the MOT! banghead

The way i'm feeling at the moment, i'll be selling as soon as I get the car back - obviously with a brand new cat fitted.

Fair to say i'm not "feeling it" as far as being a loyal Lotus owner is concerned.....frown

Fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

260 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
ouch, sorry to hear about that mate...

perhaps if i'd heard beforehand I would've re-thought the warranty.. but oh well.

Zebede29

322 posts

254 months

Monday 14th July 2008
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Thanks, just hope I get somewhere with it - i've just about had it with them!

Fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

260 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
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just out of interest, being an independant warranty - this means I could have work done at indys yes?

Redlake27

2,255 posts

275 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
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You don't need to go to a Lotus dealer to keep your warranty valid.

As long as Lotus parts and the service schedule are followed, the service can be done at home, Kwik Fit, an independent - wherever.....

This is one of the laws that we really can thank the EC for - 'Block Exemption' or removing anti-competitive behaviour in the car servicing market.

Gooby

9,269 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
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I know your frustrations (plus about £6k) and I took great pleasure in the same sort of letter. Got me noware. (felt better though!)

Denying claims is thier job.

trunnie

317 posts

288 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
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If it's an insurance company complaint - try the free Financial Ombudsman Service. You might want to look at their attitude to how insurance co's deal with claims in their "Ombudsman News" publication www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/
The answer to an insurers attempt to get out of an extended warranty in issue 69 of Ombudsman News is interesting.

bordseye

2,238 posts

223 months

Friday 8th August 2008
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Its isnt a guarantee - its an insurance policy. Just like you would buy on a washing machine and no doubt with the same commissions involved.