Can a car warranty be cancelled?
If you choose to cancel after 30 days (the standard cooling off period in law), the amount of your refund is likely to be determined by how long the coverage has been in operation and the mileage on the car. It will not be the full initial amount paid.
Your written warranty service contract should set out all the steps you need to take to cancel the warranty agreement. While cancellation details might, understandably, be in the small print rather than in a prominent position, the information you need in order to cancel is going to be in your official documentation; you just need to read carefully to find it.
For what reasons can a car warranty be cancelled?
The first and most obvious reason for cancelling might be concern about the extra cost. You may feel that you are struggling to justify spending more than you absolutely have to. Do give this some thought – while any product that effectively protects you from unplanned-for expenditure may never be needed, should you cancel and then suddenly find yourself facing repair bills, you may wish you'd stuck with your warranty cover.
The second reason may be that you're worried about the warranty not covering certain problems. The best way to deal with this is to make sure that you research the warranty cover before signing up, and read the warranty documents carefully. If, at any point, you are unsure or unclear about any cover details, contact your warranty provider directly for clarification. Terms like 'betterment' and 'consequential failure' can be pretty confusing for consumers and this is why, at Car.co.uk, we ensure our warranty providers avoid jargon wherever possible.
What if I bought the car on finance and the warranty is part of my monthly payment?
The same rules apply, but in this instance, cancelling your warranty will result in a reduction in your monthly payments rather than in a direct one-off refund. There will be a processing delay, so it might take a month or so for the reduction to kick in. Check on the likely time lapse between request and full cancellation with your provider when you make your initial request for a cancellation.
What if I bought the car privately?
In this case, you'll have purchased your warranty through a third-party provider, so you'll need to contact your warranty provider directly to request a cancellation. Again, you'll need to ask a specific question about how long the cancellation is likely to take.
How to cancel an extended warranty on your car
If you're really sure you want to cancel, the first thing to do is to contact the dealer through which you purchased the car. They will usually be able to provide you with a cancellation form, which you need to complete and then return to them. Alternatively, you can contact your warranty provider directly and the same process will follow. Obviously, both the dealer and the warranty provider may initially want to reassure you that the warranty is still a good idea, so be prepared for that discussion.
If in doubt, contact your provider
The simplest way to get good, clear answers to any questions you have about the cancellation process is to phone your warranty provider and speak to them directly.
