A claim that is going to be refused rarely arrives as a surprise. Most refusals begin as a series of small requests and delays. The signs are worth knowing, because each one gives you a chance to ask a question while the file is still open. Nothing here predicts how a particular claim will be decided.
Signs to watch for
- A request for records about the vehicle or home that you did not expect, especially records of its condition before the contract began.
- A claim placed on hold for review, with no stated reason and no stated end.
- A second inspection ordered by a party you have not dealt with, or by a repairer who did not diagnose the original fault.
- A reply that cites a section of the contract that you have not been shown.
- A difference between what the seller said at the sale and what the claim letter says.
- Long silence after you have asked a direct question in writing.
What to do when you see them
Ask for every reason in writing. Ask for the exact section of the contract being cited, and ask for a copy of the full contract as issued, not a summary. Keep copies of every message. Write your own record of each call, noting the date, the person you spoke to, and what was said. Ask which state statute or program governs how claims are handled, and check the state page on this site for the rules as they are written there.
If a refusal is in writing, the regulator or program named for your state is the place to ask how a refusal is reviewed. A licensed attorney can explain the options that apply to a particular claim, and this site does not handle claims.
Where this edition has not read a state's rules on claim handling, the state page says so. Do not assume a rule that the page does not state.