Warranty First
Warranty First is a UK-based, FCA-regulated administrator of used-vehicle repair plans, selling tiered extended warranty products (cars, LCVs, motorbikes, motorhomes) exclusively through a network of 1,000+ vehicle dealer partners via a proprietary dealer, policyholder, and garage portal stack.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersPeterborough, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Warranty First does
Warranty First (legal entity W F Motor Trade Limited) is a UK-based FCA-regulated administrator of used-vehicle extended warranty and repair plans, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Peterborough with nationwide coverage including Northern Ireland. The company sells its products exclusively through UK vehicle dealer partners, offering a four-tier core plan structure for cars (Ignition, Dynamic, Premier, Exclusive) priced from £30 to £45 per month, with parallel coverage for light commercial vehicles, motorbikes (Classic and Elite tiers), motorhomes and campervans (habitation cover add-on), and an optional 24/7 roadside assistance module. Premier and Exclusive plans automatically include hybrid and EV cover. Technology is built around three proprietary portals: a dealer administration portal, a policyholder portal, and a dedicated repairing garage portal at warrantyfirstrepairs.co.uk, supported by a repair request processing system with a stated 90-minute approval turnaround and 48-hour claims processing SLA.
The business model is recurring subscription revenue earned on policies placed through the dealer channel, supplemented by volume- and performance-scaled dealer commissions that turn each vehicle sale into a recurring income stream for the dealer partner. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on regional account managers, a field sales team (with named regional hires for the South of England and Wales), a telephone sales operation, and a 48-hour dealer onboarding workflow that includes hands-on sales training and integration with existing dealership software. The active dealer base exceeds 1,000 partners across cars, LCVs, motorbikes, and motorhomes, supported by a 4.5 Trustpilot customer rating and 15+ years of operating history. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and operates as a single-country (UK) business.
Warranty First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Warranty First
- Legal name
- W F Motor Trade Limited T/A Warranty First
- Website
- https://warrantyfirst.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Warranty First is a UK-based, FCA-regulated administrator of used-vehicle repair plans, selling tiered extended warranty products (cars, LCVs, motorbikes, motorhomes) exclusively through a network of 1,000+ vehicle dealer partners via a proprietary dealer, policyholder, and garage portal stack.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Warranty First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vehicle Extended Warranties
- NAICS
- Automotive Repair and Maintenance (8111)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vehicle Extended Warranty (VSC) & Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) (FSAJALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dealer-Sold & F&I Administered Service Contracts (Dealer Obligors) (FSAJALAD)
Keywords
Where Warranty First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peterborough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Warranty First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Vehicle Repair Plan Subscriptions: Monthly subscription-based repair plans sold to vehicle dealers who then offer them to end customers. Plans are tiered (Ignition, Dynamic, Premier, Exclusive) with varying coverage levels and price points from £30-45/month.
- Dealer Partnership Commissions: Commission rates that scale with dealer volume and performance. Dealers earn recurring income from every vehicle sold with a repair plan.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Ignition: Essential coverage for any age/mileage vehicle - engine internals, clutch, transmission |
| Subscription | Monthly | Dynamic: Up to 150,000 miles or 15 years - adds drive train, cooling, electrical, steering, brakes |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premier: Up to 120,000 miles, under 12 years - adds fuel system, turbo, suspension, ECUs, sensors, air con + Hybrid/EV |
| Subscription | Monthly | Exclusive: Up to 70,000 miles or 7 years - comprehensive factory-fitted component cover plus wear & tear |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Warranty First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Warranty First designs, underwrites (via FCA-regulated arrangements), and administers extended vehicle repair plans sold through a UK dealer network of 1,000+ franchised and independent retailers. The offering covers cars, light commercial vehicles, motorbikes, and motorhomes across multiple coverage tiers, with optional 24/7 roadside assistance, and is fulfilled through an approved garage network with claims processed within 48 hours.
Product overview
Warranty First is a UK-based vehicle repair plan provider offering tiered extended warranty products to car dealers. Their product portfolio consists of four core car warranty tiers (Ignition, Dynamic, Premier, Exclusive) providing escalating levels of coverage from powertrain-only to full manufacturer-equivalent protection. All plans are available across vehicle types including cars, LCVs (vans), motorbikes, and motorhomes, with motorbike plans offering Classic and Elite tiers. Premier and Exclusive plans automatically include hybrid and EV cover. The company also offers a 24/7 roadside assistance add-on for all tiers. Plans are designed for used vehicles, with eligibility based on vehicle age and mileage, and include add-on habitation cover for motorhomes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Car Repair Plan
- Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Repair Plan
- Motorbike Repair Plan
- Motorhome Repair Plan
- 24/7 Roadside Assistance
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,000+ active dealer partners across the UK within first year of partnership
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Warranty First
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Warranty First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Warranty First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Warranty First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Direct Line Group: Large UK general insurer with warranty and motor protection product lines. Provides established competitive pressure at scale but operates across broader insurance rather than specialising in dealer-sold VSCs.
- BMW/MINI Extended Warranty (OEM captive programs): OEM-backed extended warranty programs offered through franchised dealers. Represents the in-house alternative Warranty First's independent dealer partners compete against at the point of sale for newer or warranty-eligible stock.
Emerging players
- Warrantywise: UK used car warranty specialist with strong consumer brand recognition. Comparable used-car VSC product category though more consumer-direct versus Warranty First's dealer-led distribution.
- MotorEasy: UK warranty and servicing provider combining dealer and direct-to-consumer distribution with a digital-first claims experience. Comparable product category but a more digitally led GTM, positioned to overlap with Warranty First on EV/hybrid and consumer-direct warranty.
Direct peers
- Car Care Plan: UK administrator of motor warranty and asset protection products sold through dealer and manufacturer channels. Directly comparable VSC product set and dealer go-to-market approach.
- WMS Group: UK provider of warranty, GAP, and asset protection products for the motor retail industry. Same dealer channel, same FCA-regulated warranty administration profile, similar tiered product construction.
- ALA (now IGO4 / Asset Lives): Historic UK broker/administrator of GAP and extended warranty products for dealers. Operates as a scaled competitor in the same dealer-distributed protection products space Warranty First competes in.
- Warranty Solutions Group: UK and European warranty administrator providing extended car warranties to dealers and consumers. Overlapping product offering (used car VSCs), overlapping dealer-distribution model, and similar FCA-regulated operational profile.
- AutoProtect: UK-based extended warranty and asset protection provider selling through vehicle dealers. Closely comparable business model (dealer channel, tiered warranty plans, FCA regulated) and directly competes for the same UK dealer relationships Warranty First serves.
Regional players
- ARC (Automotive Risk Solutions): UK warranty administration and compliance services provider for automotive retailers. Adjacent administrator in the same dealer-protection ecosystem, complementary more than directly substitutive but competes for similar FCA-regulated service contracts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Warranty First compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Warranty First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Warranty First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Warranty First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Warranty First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Warranty First
What does Warranty First do?
Warranty First designs, underwrites (via FCA-regulated arrangements), and administers extended vehicle repair plans sold through a UK dealer network of 1,000+ franchised and independent retailers. The offering covers cars, light commercial vehicles, motorbikes, and motorhomes across multiple coverage tiers, with optional 24/7 roadside assistance, and is fulfilled through an approved garage network with claims processed within 48 hours.
Is Warranty First a public or private company?
Warranty First is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Warranty First founded?
Warranty First was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Warranty First based?
Warranty First is headquartered in Peterborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Warranty First make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Repair Plan Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are dealer Partnership Commissions.
Who are Warranty First's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Direct Line Group and BMW/MINI Extended Warranty (OEM captive programs). Emerging players are Warrantywise and MotorEasy. Direct peers are Car Care Plan, WMS Group, ALA (now IGO4 / Asset Lives), Warranty Solutions Group and AutoProtect. ARC (Automotive Risk Solutions) is listed as a regional player.
Does Warranty First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Warranty First.
What industry is Warranty First in?
Warranty First's product category is Vehicle Extended Warranties. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJALAA, Vehicle Extended Warranty (VSC) & Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI), with a secondary code of FSAJALAD, Dealer-Sold & F&I Administered Service Contracts (Dealer Obligors). Its NAICS code is 8111 and its SIC code is 7600.