About Protect My Car
Protect My Car, also known as PMC, was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Fla. The company offers three comprehensive vehicle service contracts in addition to maintenance plans. Car owners can purchase the warranty provider’s services in most states with the exception of California and Washington.
You’ll find plans ranging from powertrain warranty protection to bumper-to-bumper coverage for vehicles up to 125,000 miles. Whichever plan you choose, you’ll receive added perks such as 24/7 roadside assistance, free oil changes, and access to the PMC Rewards Plan.
Pros and Cons
Is a Protect My Car Warranty Worth It?
Based on our research in the extended warranty space, we feel that Protect My Car is a solid extended warranty provider worth getting a quote from. Our team was impressed with the warranty provider’s PMC Rewards program and its number of positive customer service reviews we found online. For all these reasons, we named it the provider with an Easy Quote Process in our comprehensive review. Jesse Bellamio, a Warranty Sales Consultant with Sonic Automotive, says that he feels extended warranties in general are worth it. “I personally view extended warranties like insurance,” he says. “I really hope I never have to use it, but the day that I need it, I want it there.”
Protect My Car Cost
We’ve extensively researched extended car warranty costs by mystery shopping with some of the top providers in the business and found that the average extended car warranty costs around $3,026 in total. This average was calculated based on the quotes we received during our mystery shopping endeavors. To help you get an idea of what an extended warranty from Protect My Car may cost, our team reached out to the company and received the following quotes for its Supreme, Select, and Driveline vehicle service contracts:
(The specific quotes for each plan can be added here.)
The Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Equinox that were used to obtain quotes had 30,000 and 90,000 miles on them, respectively, and plan terms are for four years and various mileage limits. We’d like to note that since we’ve obtained the quotes above, Protect My Car has renamed its extended warranty offerings. What was known as the Supreme, Select, and Driveline plans are now the Ultimate, Deluxe, and Essential plans, respectively. Protect My Car plans come with flexible payment terms of up to 60 months and can cover new and used cars. Keep in mind that the cost of a vehicle service contract with Protect My Car will depend on factors such as your vehicle’s age, mileage, make and model, as well as the level of coverage you choose.
Protect My Car Extended Car Warranty Coverage
Protect My Car offers three extended warranty coverage options for drivers: Ultimate, Deluxe, and Essential, which we’ll detail below.
(You can add a table here to provide a detailed breakdown of each coverage plan.)
Keep in mind that there’s a waiting period before you can use your warranty coverage. You’ll need to wait 30 days, have driven 1,000 miles, and you’ve paid your first monthly payment. See below for a more detailed breakdown of the components covered by Protect My Car’s vehicle service contracts:
(You can add a detailed breakdown of the coverage here.)
Protect My Car Perks and Exclusions
All plans come with roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, and rental car reimbursement. Protect My Car also provides maintenance benefits with each vehicle service contract, offering free oil changes and tire rotations until your contract expires. You can view sample contracts for each plan online.
In addition, Protect My Car offers a company rewards program, which provides savings and discounts on things such as dining, travel, shopping, and more. If you have a vehicle protection plan with PMC, you’re automatically eligible to benefit from these rewards.
Protect My Car warranties cover a wide range of components, but there are exclusions such as:
– Pre-existing problems
– Maintenance items not covered by the contract
– Unauthorized repairs
– Damage due to negligence, misuse, or lack of maintenance
– Modified components
– Parts including brake shoes, catalytic converters, glass, exhaust pipes, trim, and more
A Protect My Car extended warranty is meant to cover mechanical breakdowns, not collision damage, which is what a car insurance company is for. On the other hand, auto insurance doesn’t cover mechanical breakdowns. See the infographic below for exclusions that are typically found with most reputable extended warranty providers:
(You can add an infographic or list of exclusions here.)
Protect My Car Quotes and Claims
The quote process with Protect My Car is very straightforward. You can get a free quote online at ProtectMyCar.com or by calling Protect My Car customer service representatives at (800) 253-2850. Our team found that this provider’s instant quote tool is very easy to use, and our hold time for calling the company’s customer service line was less than a minute. Both processes will ask you for general information about your vehicle, such as its year, make, model, and mileage. Using this information, the company will provide you with a quote of what you can expect to pay for coverage.
Claims Process
If your vehicle suffers an unexpected mechanical breakdown, Protect My Car recommends calling its claims department to begin the claims process. You can take your car to any licensed repair facility for covered repairs, including the repair shop at your dealership. At the facility, your mechanic will need to send Protect My Car your vehicle’s information and an estimate for car repairs before they begin. Protect My Car will pay for all covered auto repair costs in addition to towing, roadside assistance, and rental car reimbursement. Protect My Car offers a 30-day money-back guarantee through its 30-Day Free Look program. You can request a full refund of your initial down payment if you are unsatisfied with your coverage. If you choose to cancel your plan after the 30-day window, you will receive a prorated refund.
Protect My Car Reviews
Our research shows agents at Protect My Car are helpful and professional. Protect My Car has some of the strongest customer reviews in the industry. The extended warranty provider has an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot with a rating of 4.2 out of 5.0 stars from more than 3,500 customer reviews. Reviews through the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website are average, with a rating of 3.3 out of 5.0 stars and a C rating from the BBB itself. Positive Protect My Car reviews praise the company’s helpful customer service representatives and easy claims process, which offers peace of mind for drivers. Negative reviews mention issues with reimbursement and getting benefits like oil changes and tire rotations covered. Our team reached out to Protect My Car for comment about its negative reviews and did not receive a response.
Protect My Car Reviews: The Bottom Line
We rate Protect My Car 8.8 out of 10.0 and award it the designation of Easy Quote Process. The company offers three comprehensive extended warranty plans. Protect My Car also has some of the highest customer ratings in the industry. We recommend reaching out to the company for a quote to see if it’s the right fit for your needs.
Recommendations for Extended Warranties
While Protect My Car is a reputable extended warranty provider, it’s always best to shop around and get multiple car warranty quotes to ensure you’re getting the best deal and coverage for your vehicle. Endurance and CarShield both offer a variety of car warranty plan options for newer and high-mileage vehicles and have many positive customer reviews, so we suggest starting with them first.
Endurance: Most Comprehensive Coverage
Drivers who are looking for affordable, comprehensive warranty coverage might want to consider Endurance. It’s a unique provider as it both sells and administers its extended warranty plans instead of using a third-party company to administer them. This provider offers six warranty plan options, including one that provides maintenance coverage. Endurance also offers month-to-month payment plans, so you don’t have to worry about paying for your coverage up front.
CarShield: Affordable Monthly Payments
CarShield is a popular extended warranty provider known for its good value and flexible plans. The company provides drivers with six warranty options, ranging from a comprehensive bumper-to-bumper warranty to a protection plan specifically for motorcycles and ATVs. We also like that CarShield offers month-to-month plans, so if you need to, you can cancel your extended warranty at any time.
Protect My Car Reviews: FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about Protect My Car:
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Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
– Reputation: Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts, and years in business when conferring this score.
– Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms, and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
– Cost: Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
– Transparency: This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
– Customer experience: Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness, and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.
Our credentials:
– 500+ hours researched
– 50 companies reviewed
– 2,000+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at the time of publication.