A 74-year-old was pressured into a $3,000 extended truck warranty. He canceled in time — months later, still no refund

Rinna Diamantakos

Sat, July 4, 2026 at 5:10 AM PDT 5 min read

What began as a promise of peace of mind for a Florida man has turned into a months-long battle to get his money back. The 74-year-old says he bought an extended auto warranty he didn't need in February — and is still fighting to get a refund.

Tom Saylor told WFTV Action 9 News (1) he felt pressured into spending thousands for an extended warranty on his 2017 Ram pickup truck. He signed the agreement with Exclusive National Auto Club, after the company claimed there were problems with the company he originally signed his warranty with.

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Saylor says he paid more than $3,000 upfront and that the company informed him he'd be "totally taken care of" if anything went wrong with the vehicle. The warranty was set to kick in after a 30-day waiting period, but it took just a few days for Saylor to begin regretting his decision.

He decided to cancel within the 30-day waiting period. According to Saylor, he first tried to cancel by phone but was told the request had to be submitted in writing. He says he followed the company's instructions and submitted the required paperwork, yet months later he was still waiting for his refund.

Protection under Florida law

Despite being commonly referred to as extended warranties, most aftermarket vehicle protections — like the one Saylor signed — are really service contracts. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (2), contract sellers agree to perform or pay for certain repairs or services outlined in the agreement. Oftentimes, they don't cover damage from accidents or normal wear and tear on vehicles.

While some national warranty laws exist, the laws regulating extended warranties vary from state to state and impact consumer protections. Currently, 42 states have adopted (3) some version of the Service Contract Model Act, which provides a general framework for regulating third-party warranties.

Florida, California and New York have significantly stronger consumer protections compared to other states. In Florida, extended car warranty providers must offer at least a 60-day window for customers to cancel their contracts and receive a full refund, so long as the driver hasn't made any claims.