Consumer FAQ

Filing a claim is simple:

1. Take your vehicle to a licensed repair facility.
2. Ask the mechanic to diagnose the issue and contact us directly.
3. We will review the claim and approve the necessary repairs if they are covered.

*Note: Consumers are not responsible or permitted to file a claim. All claims must be submitted by a repair facility. Repair facilities may file a claim through our start a claim page.

Empire State Warranty does not reimburse customers for repairs completed without prior approval. We pay the shop directly once repairs are authorized and completed. If a shop insists otherwise, please call us immediately for clarification.

You’re free to bring your vehicle to any licensed shop that accepts aftermarket warranties, but we recommend using one of our In-Network Repair Facilities for the smoothest experience. These shops are familiar with our process and may even waive your deductible if your contract includes a disappearing deductible.

We maintain a short list of repair facilities we do not work with due to past concerns. If your selected shop is on that list, we may require the vehicle be taken to another location. This helps ensure quality service and a smooth claims experience.

No, Empire State Warranty and Empire Auto Protect are two separate companies. Empire Auto Protect sells vehicle service contracts directly to consumers, while Empire State Warranty exclusively partners with licensed dealerships and typically works with dealerships directly. Our programs are tailored for professional dealership networks. We are proudly headquartered in Upstate New York and operate through trusted dealer relationships.

Typically, where you would purchase a warranty from us is directly through one of our partnered dealerships in your area that sell our product upon the purchase of your vehicle from their dealership. However if you are purchasing your car from a dealership that does not have our product you can simply reach out to our team and we can figure out a way to help you.

Yes, there is a way to do this. The first step is to contact us to acquire our inspection checklist to qualify for a warranty. The process would be to obtain this inspection checklist from us. Go to a local repair facility. Provide them with the inspection checklist and once completed they will sign it and you would submit it back to us. As soon as this is completed we can move forward with the product offerings on your vehicle. 

No, we protect the relationships we have with our dealership partners and therefore do not interfere with that relationship by selling to you direct if you purchased a vehicle from them. We would simply refer you back to the original selling dealer and they would provide option to get you warranty coverage. 

Your first step is to find a repair shop that takes after market warranties. If they answer yes to your question then we would work with that repair shop to determine if the contract you purchased covers the problems you are having. The best individuals to take it to is our in network repair facilities as these are recommended repair shops we work directly with that can not only waive your deductible ( if disappearing deductible has not been removed on your contract or you did not purchase an express plan ) but also work in according with our approval rates meaning very little if any money comes out of your pocket at the end of the process. 

Usually, you will get this response from a repair facility that doesn’t deal with after-market warranty companies. That’s why it is important to ask beforehand if your repair facility takes on these types of contracts.

No, we do not reimburse for work performed without our prior authorization and approval.  

No.  Claims must be submitted by licensed repair facilities.  

It is recommended to keep these service records yes but not required to keep your contract active. Maintaining your vehicle on a consistent basis per your manufacturers’ recommendations is paramount to avoid any problems with the claims process as denials at times can occur due to lack of maintenance from the consumer.

Simply call our main phone number and press one for emergency road side service or if its after hours a phone number will be provided to a direct agent to help you with your towing or emergency road side service needs. 

We provide towing and other roadside assistance services in most of our contracts via Nation Safe Drivers.  Simply call 1-844-735-1784 and provide the dispatch service with your information.  They will then communicate with any available local towing companies to arrange for the assistance you need.  If for some reason the dispatch cannot locate an available towing service for you, you can try to find one yourself and we can reimburse as long as the distance is within the 25 square miles allowed per our contract.  Please be aware that our Limited Powertrain Warranty and Short Term Limited Warranty products do NOT include any kind of towing coverage.  

Most of our contracts include rental reimbursement in conjunction with an approved claim.  Please be aware that if no claim has been submitted to us, or if the claim has been denied, we cannot approve any rentals.  For covered claims, we reimburse up to $50 per day, up to a maximum of five days.  You can just follow the normal rental process with whatever rental company you prefer and then submit to us the invoice that shows the pickup date, the drop-off date, and the total cost.  We also encourage you to ask the repair facility performing the work on your vehicle if they have loaners available, as that is often more convenient for our customers.