Auto Protection Club offers four levels of coverage to protect your vehicle from mechanical breakdowns once your factory warranty has expired. In this article, we’ll take a look at Auto Protection Club’s plans, pricing, customer reviews and more to help you determine whether it’s worthwhile to get extended coverage from this provider.
We’ve also reviewed the best extended warranty providers in the industry. You can see how our top three choices compare to Auto Protection Club above and start getting quotes.
Auto Protection Club Overview
Auto Protection Club has been offering vehicle service contracts since 2014. The company is based in Saint Charles, Missouri, but plans are available across the U.S. Policies are backed by Fortegra, an AM Best A-rated company, and plans are administered through Integrity Admin Group, Omega Autocare and Royal Administration Services.
After giving the company a through review, here’s how we scored it:
| Overall Rating | 4.0 / 10.0 |
|---|---|
| Industry Reputation | 4.0 |
| Coverage | 6.0 |
| Warranty Cost | 5.0 |
| Transparency | 3.0 |
| Customer Experience | 4.0 |
Auto Protection Club also does business by the name Greenlight Auto Protection. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) currently has an alert posted to Greenlight Auto Protection’s BBB page that advises customers to use caution when considering doing business with the company – citing a pattern of complaints about misleading advertising, failure to remove people’s information from its database, difficulty cancelling contracts, failure to issue refunds and overall poor customer service.
Auto Protection Club Extended Car Warranty Coverage
Auto Protection Club offers four levels of coverage called Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. These are the parts and systems of your vehicle that are covered under each plan:
| Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Mileage | 200,000 miles | 150,000 miles | 125,000 miles | 70,000 miles |
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer Case | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drive Axle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Turbo/Supercharger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power Windows | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Air Conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Electrical Systems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fuel System | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Cooling System | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Computer | ✓ | |||
| Select Brake Components | ✓ | |||
| Suspension | ✓ | |||
| Navigation | ✓ | |||
| Steering | ✓ |
On its website, Auto Protection Club does not list specific covered parts, nor does it provide sample contracts, so you’ll have to reach out directly to get more information about what exactly is covered by each plan. Vehicle service contracts have deductibles ranging from $0 to $100.
Added Benefits of Auto Protection Club Plans
Auto Protection Club offers perks that come standard with all plans. These include:
- Emergency roadside assistance: This provides up to $50 per event for services such as a lockout, battery jump-start or fuel delivery. You can use this benefit up to 10 times over the term of your contract, but prior approval will be needed for coverage.
- Towing: Auto Protection Club will cover towing charges up to $100 per event.
- Rental benefits: Rental car reimbursements cap out at $35 per day for up to five days when a covered repair is being made.
Cost of Auto Protection Club
The cost of an extended warranty is based on factors such as car make, model, mileage and age, in addition to the type of plan you choose and your deductible. Because of this, pricing differs greatly from vehicle to vehicle.
Auto Protection Club does not offer any online sample pricing, but we were able to find a customer review in which the owner of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala paid $2,995 for a five-year contract in 2017.
If it turns out that you’re unhappy with your purchase, Auto Protection Club offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. After those 30 days, you can cancel at any time for a $25 or $50 fee and receive a prorated refund on the remainder of your contract.
How to Get a Quote and File a Claim
You can get a quote from Auto Protection Club either online or by calling 800-264-2712. Either way, you’ll need to provide details such as your vehicle’s make, model, age, mileage and vehicle identification number (VIN). Over the phone, you’ll get a quote immediately. If you submit the online form, a sales representative will reach out to you with your personalized quote.
When it comes to cashing in on your coverage, you can take your vehicle to any repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®). Simply give your mechanic a copy of your service contract and the contract number, and he or she will reach out to a claims administrator to get pre-authorization for any repairs.
It’s important to check whether this authorization has been granted before your vehicle is worked on. If repairs have not been authorized, they will not be eligible for coverage or reimbursement.
Once authorization has been given, you’ll need to contact the claims department to verify what’s covered under your contract and get a claim authorization number. When you pick up your vehicle after the repairs have been made, Auto Protection Club may pay the repair shop directly or have you pay up front and reimburse you, depending on the situation. Either way, you’ll be responsible for covering your deductible and the cost of any repairs not covered in your contract.
Auto Protection Club Extended Warranty Reviews
Auto Protection Club has a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. It has just over 2.0 stars based on a few BBB customer reviews, and it has a 3.0-star rating on Google with about 30 reviews – a few of which are employees discussing a positive experience working at the company.
Here is what a few customers had to say about Auto Protection Club:
“I have placed myself on several different do not call lists and have received around 30 calls from this ‘business’ in one day.”
– Anonymous, BBB
“I chose [Greenlight] Auto Protection as a result of a sales call. I was led to believe that the policy I purchased covered the majority of issues. Three claims have been submitted to Greenlight by my Volvo Servicing Department. All three claims have been refused.”
– B.M., BBB
“I truly love these guys. They really went to bat for me to get my transmission fixed.”
– Velma, BBB
As mentioned earlier, Auto Protection Club also goes by the name Greenlight Auto Protection, and the BBB currently has an alert to use caution when doing business with this company. That’s definitely something to keep in mind when deciding whether to purchase a plan.
Conclusion: Is Auto Protection Club Worth It?
Given the lack of coverage information on its website, negative customer reviews and the BBB warning consumers to take caution when dealing with this company, we do not recommend choosing Auto Protection Club as your extended auto warranty provider.
Fortunately, you have other options. There are plenty of reputable extended car warranty companies out there that you can feel confident about getting coverage with. Read on to find out more about our top recommended providers.
Our Picks for Best Extended Car Warranties
We reviewed every major extended warranty company and narrowed down the best providers based on coverage, cost, customer experience and more. Find out more about our top three providers and start getting quotes from each company below. Keep in mind, it’s always smart to get quotes from more than one provider to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Endurance: 9.6 out of 10.0 Stars, Best Provider
We named Endurance the overall Best Provider for a few reasons, including the quality of its coverage. We were also impressed by these three key Endurance features:
- Direct service model: As a direct service provider, Endurance handles all claims and payments directly – no middleman required.
- Plans with perks: All Endurance contracts include a free year of Endurance Elite Benefits, which has benefits like roadside assistance, identity theft coverage, total loss protection, repair financing options, key fob replacement and tire repair or replacement.
- Free online quotes and sample contracts: With sample contracts available on Endurance’s website, you can see the exact coverage details of each plan. Then, you can easily get a free quote.
CARCHEX: 9.4 out of 10.0 Stars, Best for High-Mileage Cars
CARCHEX is our pick for high-mileage vehicles. Three of the top reasons to get a quote from CARCHEX include:
- Lengthy coverage terms: If you’re driving a high-mileage vehicle, CARCHEX has you covered. The company offers term limits up to 10 years/250,000 miles.
- Industry partnerships: The provider partners with major industry players including Kelley Blue Book, CARFAX and Edmunds.com.
- Great reviews: CARCHEX has received thousands of positive reviews online, many of which focus on the company’s customer care, plan options, and easy quotes and claims processes. Plus, it holds an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB.
CarShield: 9.0 out of 10.0 Stars, Most Affordable
CarShield was the Most Affordable provider we researched. This company stood out from the competition for reasons including:
- Flexible payment options: CarShield offers month-to-month contracts that can be canceled at any time, so you don’t need to worry about being locked into a long-term plan if your financial situation or coverage needs change.
- Coverage variety: You can choose from six CarShield vehicle service contracts and even cover your motorcycle or ATV.
- Company reputation: In its 14 years of business, CarShield has covered over one million vehicles. It’s received thousands of positive reviews on Google and Trustpilot, and it has a number of celebrity endorsements to boot.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car warranty provider to formulate rankings of the best warranty companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account coverage, pricing, transparency, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in five categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto warranty companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
