Rowland Heights, CA asked in Insurance Bad Faith and Contracts for California

Q: West coast insurance company is refusing to pay claim. It is a covered repair . What can I do? Need car back

I took my car to pep boys because it’s belt was screaming. Had evaluation for 19.99 which I paid. Got estimates for $731. This is a covered repair and we had paid for extended warranty 3000. So call west coast, aka protective to get authorization. They told me I should take the car back to seller and wait for the repair . I have leukemia and dont have means to do that. This is our only car. The sellers say I could also take it to Glendora Cardinale, which I did and that’s where the car is. Now they won’t authorize the claim and Glendora cardinale won’t repair it.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Unfortunately, automobile warranties are not considered insurance and there is no way to sue the warranty company for bad faith. At most, you have a breach of contract claim worth $731. Give the warranty company a reasonable chance to authorize the repair. If they do not, your best bet would be to sue in small claims court for the cost of repair. I would take a close look at the warranty and make sure you complied with all of its terms before filing a small claims action.

1 user found this answer helpful

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