US Fidelis
President Darain Atkinson
Chief Executive Chris Riley
Also has done business as: National Auto Warranty Services, NAWS, Dealer Services
Principals: Darain Atkinson, owner and president; Cory Atkinson, owner and vice president; Chris Riley, chief executive
Web sites: US Fidelis; US Fidelis Truth; AutoLifeXtend; My Internet Garage
See Savvy Consumer blog posts about US Fidelis
Recent Post-Dispatch stories about US Fidelis
- Would you pay $2,000 for this additive?
- BMW sues US Fidelis for using automaker’s name
- Warranty sales skim top profit
- US Fidelis ignored letter on calls
- FTC sues firms over ‘robo-dialing’
- US Fidelis hires Hanaway for audit
- US Fidelis settles Verizon Wireless suit
- Pressure tactics used at US Fidelis
- State sues auto warranty company
- US Fidelis founder goes from prison to the pinnacle
- Warranty firm here under fire
- A different vibe: New nightspot to be a haven for families
Marketing
Consumer advocates have accused US Fidelis of sending misleading mailers to consumers that suggest the company is affiliated with automakers and dealers, or “final notice” letters that suggest a consumer has a limited time to qualify for a service contract. Here are a few examples of the company’s direct-mail solicitations:
Lawsuits
As the biggest brokers of extended auto-service contracts, US Fidelis has been targeted in several lawsuits. Several class-action suits allege that the company has wronged consumers, automakers have sued the firm over trademark infringement. The company is being investigated by 43 attorneys general, as well as other state and federal agencies. Here are some links to some of the more interesting lawsuits:
- In its July 22 federal suit, BMW North America accused US Fidelis of using the BMW name and trademark to confuse consumers into believing that the Wentzville company is affiliated with the German automaker. The suit is similar to one filed by Subaru on Jan. 7. When that suit was settled, US Fidelis agreed to pay the automaker $30,000, stop issuing “Subaru Notification” letters and not to use any Subaru trademarks or product names.
- The New York State Catholic Health Plan Inc., a non-profit corporation run by eight Catholic bishops from the Empire State, filed a trademark infringement suit against US Fidelis on May 4 claiming that the Wentzville firm’s business practices hurts the reputation of the health care provider, which does business as Fidelis Care New York.
- On April 22, Missouri’s Department of Insurance sued US Fidelis and its owners for ignoring a subpoena demanding that they answer questions and provide documents. The suit said complaints to the insurance department and other information convinced officials that US Fidelis was “engaged in acts and practices that were likely to be unlawful.”
- US Fidelis also has been targeted in several class-action suits. One federal suit filed in St. Louis accuses the company of lying consumers about coverage, pressuring them to sign up for plans under “a false sense of urgency,” and failing to provide the full terms of service plans, even when customers requested the fine-print details.
What’s your experience?
Have you ever been a customer of US Fidelis? Has the company tried to sell you an extended service contract? Share your thoughts about US Fidelis in the comments section below.
