Before I retired, I used to service Montage claims as part of their independent technician network. I can't tell you much about the front end of the claim process, but I did a lot of services for them and never had a problem. Once you purchase the plan, the retailer is sort of out of the process, it's between you, Montage, and the local technician.

My experience with BBB accreditation is somewhat suspect, too. As a business, you could send them money and get on their "good list."

As far as reviews, I did work for a number of similar organizations. Most complaints that I've read are because the consumer did not fully understand what they bought. All the plans have exclusions such as wear and tear, misuse damage, pet damage from "teeth, claws, and beaks," accumulated damage, and people that think they bought a five year cleaning service. The exclusions are there to prevent damage from getting so bad that it can't be fixed, to avoid damage that is not "sudden, accidental, unexpected, and single-occurrence" and thus make the "shared risk" affordable as a product for all and not abused by a few. You buy collision insurance on your car, but you should not expect to take your car in with scratches all up and down both sides, chipped finish from road debris, and dents in the doors from your kids running into it with their bikes in the driveway.

My opinions.

Bobsmyuncle - Thanks for the info. I called Montage and they said that my policy started the day I ordered the couch - last December. I just received it two days ago, so I need a discount to cover the lost time - almost a full year. I never got a list of exclusions, a contract or a cleaning kit.

Personally I think of all the companies out there with these type of plans Montage provides the best service. As Bob said the key to these plans is read your policy. Your coverage includes what is covered and what's not covered is not covered. They are not cleaning services and they do not cover pet damage except bodily fluids from pets. Since Montage has your records your plan was submitted. The plan starts the day the plan was registered not the day you ordered your furniture. This plan I believe is also insured so it doesn't even matter if Montage goes out of business. Bob is right your plan is with Montage not the retailer although typically retailers facilitate claims. Montage does not provide a cleaning kit some companies do.

Keep in mind that will all these plans the damage has to have occurred within the designated time period of the plan and you must report your claim within this period. What I mean by this if your plan has a 5 day reporting period you have to report your claim within 5 days of the incident. If you call and said it happened 45 days or 6 days ago they will not honor the claim. Of course they go by what you tell them so keep this in mind. Most consumers are unsuspecting in this regard so they usually tell them the truth. People like to disparage plans like this but if you have a legitimate claim and they fix your furniture or replace it and it cost you nothing you will be very happy to have one of these plans. Also if your furniture needs to be replaced you only get once replacement, but you can have multiple service claims.

As far as your copy of your plan. Your retailer should have given you a copy but if the retailer didn't call Montage and they can send you a copy which will also outline the exclusions.

The furniture store has nothing to do with your warranty so it does not matter that the store is going out of business. Read the warranty contract and it will tell you how to make a claim.

In my state, warranty contracts are approved by the state Insurance Department. They must be backed by a contractual liability policy that is issued by an insurance company that is licensed by the state. That is for the protection of the consumer. If the consumer is not satisfied with the way that the warranty company handles a claim, he can make a complaint to the Insurance Department.

My advice to you is to find out who in your state regulates warranty companies. Call your state Insurance Department and find out if they regulate them. They should also be able to tell you if they have had any complaints against Montage Furniture Services. If they don't regulate them, ask them who does. I believe in some states warranty companies are regulated by a Consumer Protection Agency. Does your state have a Consumer Protection Agency? You could try calling them also.

Update -

I was able to get a full refund for the policy. I will try to buy from another retailer. I never got a copy of the contract with exclusions or any contact info. I've never spent this much on a couch before and I'm new to leather furniture, so I still want some type of insurance.

Freethinker - Great information. I appreciate your explanation. LucyStar1 - Good advice. I will definitely contact the state insurance dept.

Thanks for your help!

Patrice you cannot buy a new policy from another retailer on the sofa you purchased. The warranty has to be purchased at the time you place your order. In my opinion you should call Montage back and say you did not understand this and they didn't explain this to you and ask them to reinstate your warranty, otherwise you will not have a warranty. You will still have the manufacturers warranty. I think with the dealer going out of business you would want to have this warranty.

Montage was happy to accommodate you as this way they could get out of the contract knowing that the dealer is going out of business and your contract would become a potential headache if they had to service your claim like order parts. They couldn't order parts from the out of business retailer and would have to order them direct from the manufacturer or find another retailer to help.

Patrice, I sell furniture and the guys are on with their advice. MFS is the most decent of the extended warranty companies we have found. We have ordered parts and replacements for them. We get taken care of on the back end also.

Far as the customer goes, there seem to be a few complaints. Mostly the same stuff you here from folks who have car insurance claims. Hide the pets and carb cleaner your kids doused the kitchin table with when the inspection techs come over lol. Keep your paperwork handy. They are ok.

FWIW, if we sell an extended warranty we submit the paperwork to MFS the day of delivery. Guess the company you dealt with just wanted to do it before they forgot. Man that is a long time you had to wait though. The mass market Ashley type stuff we sell is usually just a week to a month for delivery so it isn't that big of a deal.

Yes they do require that paperwork. And I have driven to a house and traded end tables because of nicks on the legs and pub chairs because of stain rubbed off the stretchers thanks to Montage. But yes, they do make you do paperwork and it is possible to mess up and get excluded.

Gtzmwt, if you have a lead on an easier to deal with 3rd party warranty company I am all ears.

Bob is right your plan is with Montage not the retailer although
typically retailers facilitate claims.

I don't claim to have knowledge of an efficient company, I just know that its maybe not worth the hassle, save your bucks not purchasing the plan, & have the repairs done at your discretion with a reputable repair shop.

Gtzmut in my opinion Montage is a very good company and provides a good service. As far as the paper work with Montage it is really pretty simple. The form might be 5 pages long but you only need to fill in a few sentences. In many cases your retailer will also help you with the form. I also don't think 5 days getting back to you is unreasonable. You may think this is a hassle but keep in mind if you get in an accident with your car or file a claim with your home owners insurance don't you need to follow an even more lengthy procedure. Montage is essentially an insurance company and they are not going to pay any claim without the proper documentation. If you had an expensive sofa or table and it was damaged and Montage replaced it you would be very happy that you had the foresight to purchase this policy. I know some retailers say these are a waste of money but in my opinion they are wrong. Another issue most consumers do not even know who to call if they have damaged their furniture and even if they found someone how would they know if they are reputable. And what if it turns out badly. Montage has investigated their repair companies and they have companies in each area of the country. Best of all if the repair is no good they will replace the item.

I'm really glad it's easy for you, with my precious time, In my opinion is the opposite. With Angies List, it is actually not that difficult to find a reputable repair shop. And for the money, you might as well save it for the repair bill. Again this is my opinion and it may be different circumstances that many other people may think the same, this blog is just for sharing.

Understood thanks for sharing.

MFS is a ripoff period. Sorry but I dont agree with some of your statements. If you get s spill from you kid on your chair and your told not to clean it. The tech has to srr it first. Then throw normal wear snd tear. That is a joke.

Total scam. They take your money and find a reason to not back your warranty

SCAM, don't even bother to buy the warranty from this company, we filled a claim and it got rejected because they said it is past the 30days period time on the contract! And because it is wear and tear!

This company is a rip off. They will not repair or replace my broken chair. They sent a repair guy out weeks after I filed a claim. He stated he needed to order parts. I didn't hear back until I called them weeks later. They then stated that the chair had been discontinued last month and someone from that department would contact me in a couple of days. They did not so I called back. They now 2.5 months later say they can't fix or replace my chair because now the store I purchased it from has closed. They state all they can do is give me back the 169 that I spent on the warranty. They will not refund the money spend on the chair so I can get a new one. They are a rip off, do not purchase!

Stay away frome this company. Montage refuses to honor its commitments. i had legitamte claims for multiple chairs denied multiple times I understand that insurance companies do not like to pay when claims are made. However, Montage is the best I’ve experienced at scamming people. There will be legal consequences for their diahonest and unethical behavior. There are hundreds of negative 1 star reviews all over the web.