Expert Review

CARCHEX impressed in some key ways. As a provider, we’ve ranked it second overall, based on ease of use, competent service, and high quality of coverage. They’re a reseller, meaning they don’t administer their own claims, but rather sell coverage from other companies who then handle claims if and when you have an issue with your vehicle. That said, as resellers go, they were our favorite. They’re a large company, they’ve been around longer than most of their competitors, and it shows. In fact, despite an overall preference for administrators, we decided to rank them second overall, because CARCHEX simply gave us the feeling that we were in good, competent hands from beginning to end. 

They have, by far, the most plan selection of any of the companies we tested. This is because they’re a reseller that works with several extended auto warranty administrators, rather than just one, so they have multiple options at every level. They were also more transparent than many of their competitors: They have a variety of sample contracts and car model-specific data sheets posted publicly on their website, and when you get a quote over the phone, they send you a link to it so you can return to and access the quote if you want to review it before making a purchase. That was something we really liked – it felt like, as much as anyone in the greater insurance industry could, they worked to live up to their ‘no haggle,’ customer-first promises. 

The downside of their no haggle promise is that you, well, can’t haggle with them. In the end, the quote we received from them was about $1,000 more than the quote we received for the same car (a 2013 four-door BMW 328xi with 45,000 miles) and same top tier of coverage at Endurance. Nonetheless, we found everyone we dealt with at CARCHEX to be helpful, friendly, and forthcoming. There were no high pressure tactics, and anything we did need was quickly and easily handled by phone. 

Like many of their competitors, CARCHEX offers roadside assistance and towing – in this particular case, towing up to 100 miles. They have payment plans stretched out up to 18 months, which is a little less than some of their competitors, but relatively reasonable. And their plans are transferable or eligible for pro-rated refunds, which we found to be a big plus. Transferable plans can be passed on if you sell your car and can add resale value, and a pro-rated refund option means you don’t pay for more of the service than you actually were able to make use of.

The claims process seemed fairly simple – you can file online or by phone, and they pay the mechanic directly. That said, experiences will vary depending on which administrator you use since, again, CARCHEX basically functions as a middle man, selling you coverage but not dealing with claims directly. The plan we went with was provided by American Auto Shield, which happens to be the same administrator used by CarShield, for better or worse. Cancellation was a bit of a challenge – like Endurance, you have to send in a letter stating your intention to cancel. But, once we did that, it all went fairly smoothly. And we were able (thankfully) to make use of their 30-day money back guarantee.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Top to bottom, we had a pretty smooth, positive experience with CARCHEX. It’s not the plan we decided to stick with long term, but it was our second choice out of all the plans we tried. We liked their friendliness and professionalism, their transparency, and their wide array of options to cover just about any vehicle. We didn’t like their price tag, and have found that we generally prefer administrators, where you work with the same company for claims and benefits as you do when dealing with coverage. CARCHEX doesn’t have an app or social media presence, but their website and member platform (though slightly confusing at times) both have a ton of information.