CarShield vs Fidelity Warranty Services

Fidelity vs. Carshield

Fidelity Warranty Services and CarShield are both Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) providers, offering extended auto warranty coverage for your vehicle. While Fidelity is older, having been founded in 1978, CarShield has a higher profile and has become one of the top VSC providers since its inception in 2005. While they both offer national service coverage in the US and Canada, neither of them offers coverage in California. Which company is right for you? Read on and decide!

Fidelity Warranty Services provides and administers their own service contracts, but they only sell them through dealerships. Meanwhile, CarShield acts as a broker for VSC administrators like American Auto Shield, who ultimately handle claims. However, CarShield sells those contracts directly online or over the phone. 

Fidelity Warranty Services offers separate plans to cover associated vehicle needs other than the typical warranty parts coverage, including road hazard tire and wear & tear for leased cars protection. They offer three plans specifically billed as VSCs that range from powertrain part coverage all the way to exclusionary protection, which provide up to 150,000 miles of coverage. They also offer two high-mileage coverage plans that can protect you for up to 48,000 miles, although they cover fewer parts and it is not clear what their top accepted mileage is. Fidelity may cover electric parts under general VSC plans, where they also cover hybrid parts, unlike CarShield.

CarShield, on the other hand, provides eight different warranty coverage plans. They have three typical inclusionary plans of various levels, one with exclusionary coverage and another that gives comprehensive coverage by supplementing an existing powertrain warranty. They have two plans designed for special vehicle types: electric cars as well as motorcycles and ATVs. They also have a plan that only provides roadside services and other benefits, similar to some of Fidelity's non-VSC plans. They accept vehicles with up to 300,000 miles on them and could cover them for unlimited miles. You can repair your car at any licensed shop with both providers. 

Neither company provides pricing online. You can typically pay between $99.99 and $129.99 a month for a CarShield plan, depending on vehicle specifications and whether you opt for a monthly plan or a term period contract. With Fidelity, prices vary depending on the dealer.

There are very few online reviews for Fidelity. They are BBB-accredited with an A- rating there, while CarShield is not accredited due to a dispute. However, Fidelity hardly has any positive reviews in the past two years, while CarShield has many that extoll its customer service speed and helpfulness, as well as claims savings. There are negative reviews for both, often surrounding denied claims and frustrating support and cancellation processes.

CarShield and Fidelity Warranty Services offer their services very differently. The former will directly cover a wider range of vehicles, whether newly purchased or used, with clearly laid out plans, while the latter requires you to go to a dealer. If you are purchasing a car, Fidelity might seem convenient for you, otherwise you have to look at what both offer in terms of services, support, and reputation and make the best decision for yourself.

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