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CarEdge vs. CARCHEX Extended Warranty

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Last updated Apr 24, 2023

Vehicle service contracts (VSCs), colloquially known as extended warranties, are commonly purchased to mitigate the risk of a financially devastating repair bill. Instead of being hit with expensive repairs, your VSC will take care of manufacturer’s defects that arise with your vehicle. This means that all you are likely to have to pay is a deductible. 

We believe that VSCs can be a great option for some people, but we strongly suggest you research them extensively and consider your risk tolerance before purchasing one.

Today, we’re going to examine two companies that offer vehicle service contracts: CarEdge vs. CARCHEX. We’ll go over who these companies are, what their VSCs cover, and examine some customer reviews.

Remember, as a CarEdge member, you can schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation call with us to discuss VSCs. We’ll be happy to walk you through your VSC options. Create a free CarEdge account to schedule your call today.

Let’s hit the gas and get moving.

CarEdge vs. CARCHEX: Who Are These Companies?

It’s always worth understanding some basic information about a company before you start doing business with them. It helps to paint the picture of who they are and understand how they might treat you as a customer.

CarEdge and AUL Corporation

CarEdge was founded in 2020. We specialize in providing a number of solutions to our members to help them secure a great deal on a new car. As a part of our comprehensive tools for car buyers, we also offer vehicle service contracts through our partner company, AUL.

We interviewed many different extended warranty administrators in advance of deciding to work with AUL Corporation. There are a lot of “fly by night” companies out there, and AUL is not one of them.

AUL Corporation has been in business for 31 years. They are fully accredited with the BBB and have an A+ rating. Their BBB rating is 4 out of 5 based on 54 customer reviews, with corporate headquarters in Napa, California.

The reason we chose to work with AUL Corporation is because of their track record in the industry, commitment to customer service, and quality vehicle service contracts.

CARCHEX

CARCHEX has been in business for 22 years. It is fully accredited with the BBB and has an A+ rating with them. It currently has a rating of 2.24 out of 5 with the BBB, based on 103 customer reviews. The company operates out of Maryland. 

CARCHEX does not directly administer VSCs. Instead, they act as a broker, which means that they have partnered with a handful of other companies to sell various kinds of VSCs.

What Do the Vehicle Service Contracts Cover?

There are two primary factors to consider when comparing vehicle service contracts: cost and coverage.

Costs

As we went over in our guide to vehicle service contracts, the cost of a VSC is based on your VIN and the mileage of your vehicle. As such, your cost and quote may be quite different from the quotes that other consumers receive for their vehicle.

You’ll need to request quotes from any prospective company to compare prices. Keep in mind that you may be able to use quotes to negotiate offers from other companies.

Here at CarEdge, we promise to always be transparent in our pricing. Currently, our pricing model charges a flat $500 markup on every VSC we sell. If we are required to change our pricing in the future, we will always provide a reason for the change. Our priority is transparency, so we encourage potential customers to reach out if they have any questions.

CarEdge vehicle service contract
In CarEdge account you can “self-quote” your VSC

CarEdge Coverage

CarEdge’s VSCs are administered by AUL Corporation and are insured by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida. We interviewed many different VSC administrators in advance of deciding to work with AUL Corporation.

AUL offers a comprehensive selection of coverage options under the umbrella of 15 different plans. These plans range from exclusionary coverage that will cover almost everything on your vehicle to stated coverages that are more hyper specific, along with some customizable levels of coverage.

Here at CarEdge we sell AUL’s Sentinel brand of products. There are four coverage options we are able to provide:

  • Supreme Plus
  • Supreme
  • Premier
  • Powertrain. 

Supreme Plus is the highest level of coverage that most closely mimics a manufacturer’s new car warranty. Supreme, Premier, and Powertrain are all stated coverages that are more limited in scope. In the spirit of transparency, you can view a sample contract as well as a breakdown of specifically what is and isn’t covered by each level of coverage by logging into your CarEdge account.

Take note that there is no coverage for issues that relate to abuse, misuse, or neglect. VSCs are intended to protect you from manufacturer defects, not other forms of breakdowns, like forgetting to change your oil or getting into a car accident.  

All of the plans from AUL come with a few notable perks, including:

  • 24/7 roadside assistance with towing
  • Trip interruption coverage of up to $100 per day for up to 3 days
  • Rental car reimbursement

Please note that our VSCs are not currently available to customers in California, Florida, or Massachusetts.

Customers will be able to choose any repair shop that has been certified by ASE or AAA. This includes any local dealerships. Covered repairs will be paid directly to the repair shop. However, repairs must have prior authorization before they begin, and because AUL has long standing relationships with dealers, a service advisor will handle this on your behalf.

A deductible may be applied, depending on the type of plan you choose. As with any VSC, you should be fully aware of the deductible before you sign the contract.

CARCHEX Coverage

The plans offered by CARCHEX are arranged into five tiers, with each tier containing 3-6 individual plans offered by their partners. This results in a wide range of VSCs to explore and choose from. Coverage ranges from exclusionary coverage that will cover almost everything on your car to simple powertrain coverage.

Instead of going over the 23 different plans offered by CARCHEX, you can view the complete selection of plans on their website. Remember to examine sample contracts for each of these VSCs to help determine whether they are the right choice for you.

Each of CARCHEX’s plans will only cover breakdowns related to the manufacturer’s defects. Any breakdowns related to misuse, abuse, or neglect will not be covered.

You may have a deductible for covered repairs, depending on the plan you select. Make sure that you are aware of your deductible before signing any contracts.

Much like the VSCs from CarEdge, CARCHEX customers will be able to choose from any ASE or AAA-certified repair shop. You’ll also need prior authorization for repairs. The final bill will be paid directly by CARCHEX to the repair shop.

CarEdge vs. CARCHEX: Customer Reviews

In the battle of CarEdge vs. CARCHEX, customer reviews can help you to understand how a company might treat you. Will they be helpful and easy to work with or hard to reach and unprofessional? The best way to find out is to take a look at reviews from past customers.

CarEdge Customer Reviews

Reviews of CarEdge often center around our member solutions and YouTube channel, rather than our VSCs. For this reason, in the review section, we will go over AUL customer reviews. Because AUL is the company that administers the VSC, we believe that showcasing their reviews is more relevant. We do however have great reviews on our Google page!

CarEdge Google Reviews

Let’s go over a few reviews that summarize what the majority of customers are saying:

Brian G., 5-star review, BBB site

“AUL Reserve has been wonderful. In 2017, my transfer case in my BMW had to be replaced (expensive). AUL covered it 100%. In 2021, the blower motor & valve cover assembly in my same BMW had to be replaced. AUL COVERED IT 100%. I am so glad that I purchased the AUL Reserve Car Warranty the day I bought my car in 2016. Yes, I was worried that it would be a waste of money, but the opposite is true. It has saved me more than double what I paid for the coverage. I will sell my car when my warranty ends. BMWs are expensive to repair and driving one without a warranty is a risk that I’m not willing to take.”

Rey P., 5-star review, BBB site

“AUL has great service support, Philip was able to help me almost right away. He made my day when he called me to confirm that they will proceed with my claim. I’d just bought my MDX less than 6 months ago, and one night, it just died on me. It turns out it needs the engine replaced — an expensive job — and with all this madness going on right now, I was really worried. But I’m so glad I bought the extra warranty with AUL and will definitely recommend it to my friends and coworkers.”

Chris L., 1-star review, BBB site

“AUL will cover minimal service with no problem. An electric window does not roll up; they’ll take care of it. A broken pipe, no problem. The moment your transmission goes out, sorry, but you are on your own. It’s only worth it if they actually cover the major problems.”

AUL’s Response to Chris L.:

“Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your concerns. We are sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with your contract and would appreciate the opportunity to review your concerns. Please give us a call so we can take a look at what happened.”

Overall, AUL has taken great care to respond to negative reviews and make sure that any issues that are brought up in reviews are addressed. This is a sign of a great company and it’s one of the reasons why we partner with them.

CARCHEX Customer Reviews

How are customers of CARCHEX feeling about their VSC? Let’s take a look.

Javonna H., 1-star review, BBB site:

“I got this contract hoping that I would not need it for my daughter; however, I was wrong because she had an engine problem. We took it to a certified shop that stated that the engine head gasket was bad, causing smoke from the engine. He recommends another engine because the cost of repairing would be higher. CARCHEX was informed, but refused to authorize another engine, stating that the gasket was not covered. Therefore, another is not authorized. Now the vehicle is not driveable; therefore, I do not know what to do. What is a warranty if it does not cover the cost?”

Jane M., 5-star review, BBB site:

“I started my account with CARCHEX after a dismal experience with [COMPANY NAME REDACTED] who charge almost twice as much for the same coverage. The difference is after I received my card and papers, I was never able to get in touch with anyone via their website or email. I sent a few emails and never received a reply. Thus far, CARCHEX has proven to be accessible and responsive to any questions I might have. I feel positive that I am covered and will keep my eyes open for anything unusual. I expect perfection from these guys, as they present themselves very well.”

deutsch-technik, Reddit comment/review

“CARCHEX is just a warranty broker. They collect the information about your car and price shop on your behalf with multiple warranty companies. The actual warranty administrator is always through another company. Depending on that company, your experience will vary. I’ve used them before and the warranty administrator I ended up going with was Assurant Solutions, who always paid out on claims (didn’t fight me or the repair shop).”

CarEdge vs. CARCHEX: Who Do We Recommend?

Now that you know what to expect as you compare CarEdge vs. CARCHEX, you may not be surprised to discover that we recommend using CarEdge. Our VSC has transparent pricing, and you can meet with one of our team members to have all your questions answered for free. Not to mention, AUL has great customer reviews. CarChex, on the other hand, has questionable reviews and a large selection of plans that may be confusing to customers.

We chose to work with AUL due to their excellent plans, affordable cost, and great customer reviews. Still not sure? Schedule a 15-minute consultation call with us. We’ll be happy to walk you through VSC options, even if you don’t choose ours. Create a free CarEdge account to schedule your call today.

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