Warranty Direct


Warranty Direct is a provider of direct consumer warranties based in the United Kingdom. They specialise in used car warranty, new car warranty and extended warranty. They also provide GAP Insurance and products for breakdown recovery.

History

Extended warranties were the norm in North America and were growing in popularity at the time of Warranty Direct’s launch in 1997, due in part to changes in the Sale of Goods Act in 1979. With the typical manufacturer's warranty lasting only three years, a large number of cars did not hold any form of extended mechanical and electrical repair insurance.
Warranty Direct was founded by father and son David McClure Fisher and Duncan McClure Fisher in June 1997, its sole service was vehicle warranties, primarily for second hand cars and private sales, until 1999, when Household Appliance warranties were launched.
In April 2008, David and Duncan McClure Fisher sold a majority stake was sold to BNP Paribas' Assurance arm in the United Kingdom; Cardif Pinnacle, who purchased the remaining shares in July 2013.

Underwriters

Since the launch of Warranty Direct, underwriters have varied. Originally with Lloyd's of London, the majority of current policies are now underwritten by Cardif Pinnacle and administered by Warranty Direct.
Warranty Direct is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and as such, customers can seek help from the Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Services Compensation Scheme where necessary.

Affiliated websites

The Reliability Index has been running since 2000. Data from Warranty Direct's paid claims is used to establish the reliability of cars. This information is used to rank the car manufacturers and models by reliability, and allocate a "Warranty Direct Rating". The results are released in association with What Car?.
Potholes.co.uk allows the public to report potholes and highlights problem areas to local authorities.