Accelerating tire & wheel warranty decisions with trusted virtual inspections

When a tire-related claim is submitted time matters, whether it’s a manufacturer warranty claim or tire and wheel protection through an extended coverage plan. Dealers want fast answers, customers want their vehicles back on the road, and manufacturers and administrators want to ensure claims are legitimate without bogging down teams in unnecessary labor or overhead. Unfortunately, today’s process isn’t built for speed or transparency.

One global manufacturer, like many tire OEMs, faces a staggering volume of inquiries: roughly 50,000 clarification or goodwill calls per year. Yet fewer than 10% of those result in actual warranty authorizations. Meanwhile, the prevailing process still relies on physical inspections, with tires shipped to regional warehouses and turnaround times stretching up to 45 days. It’s a costly, slow, and trust-dependent model.

‍

A digital alternative: Truepic Vision

Truepic Vision offers a better way for vehicle warranty. From any mobile device, a dealer or service technician can initiate an inspection right from the repair shop with no waiting, no paperwork. Using an OEM-configured checklist, they capture photos of DOT codes, VINs, tread depth, and sidewall condition.

Manufacturer warranties typically cover issues stemming from workmanship or material defects, such as sidewall bulges, bead separation, out-of-round conditions, or irregular tread wear not caused by road hazard or improper maintenance. But identifying these issues quickly and confidently requires clear, trustworthy evidence. Each photo or video from Truepic Vision is secured with our patented authenticity technology, verifying time, date, and location at the moment of capture, and ensuring the media cannot be tampered with.

Claims reviewers view submissions in a secure web dashboard and can make an approval decision in minutes. This real-time workflow replaces the need for physical returns, manual coordination, or follow-up calls. It has emerged as a standout benefit for claims teams looking to improve speed and accuracy.

Truepic Vision can integrate into both homegrown warranty systems via API and third-party platforms like PCMI, eliminating double entry and enabling a smoother experience for dealers and manufacturers alike.

Self-initiated inspections: Empowering repair shops

In many cases, time is of the essence. Truepic Vision offers self-initiated inspections, so repair shops can begin an inspection the moment a customer arrives. Technicians no longer need to wait for claims personnel to initiate a session. They simply launch the process, capture what’s needed, and submit. Warranty teams are notified instantly and can begin review immediately.

This flow reduces idle time in service bays, speeds up approvals to begin repairs, and brings resolution while the vehicle is still on-site. For high-volume or independent dealers, the ability to move quickly and confidently is a significant improvement.

‍

Virtual inspections require digital trust

Speed is meaningless without integrity. In a landscape where dealership fraud, exaggerated damage, and falsified documentation are rampant, trust must be built into the inspection itself.

That’s what sets Truepic apart. Our platform validates the exact time, date, and location of every image, creating a verifiable chain of custody. The result is visual evidence you can trust—before a claim is paid, before a tire is shipped, and before fraud gets a chance to take hold.

One claims executive put it bluntly:

“We call it anomalous behavior, but let's be real, it's fraud. A customer submits a claim for one tire, but the repair shop tells the customer to come back in 30 days and they replace the rest of their tires. So we see multiple claims per R.O., or multiple claims over a period of time from the same VIN. They just try to circumvent the system as much as possible. The Service Department is always what keeps the lights on in the dealership, so some don't care if their people are participating in fraud. It's disgusting but it's the industry we're in unfortunately.”

‍

Why Truepic Vision for tire & wheel

Truepic Vision is already delivering measurable results across the industry. Ford Protect cut down on-site inspections by 24% and Old Republic improved claim throughput and customer satisfaction.

Truepic Vision is purpose-built for high-volume, high-stakes warranty environments. Here’s what makes it work:

• Faster claim decisions. Eliminate weeks of delay by reviewing verified inspections in minutes.
  
  
• Fraud deterrence by design. Tamper-evident images prove condition, possession, and location at the moment of capture.
  
  
• Fits your existing stack. Integrates seamlessly with platforms like PCMI and adapts to your team’s workflows.
  
  
• Simplifies the dealer experience. Less back-and-forth. Fewer handoffs. More clarity at the point of service.

Gulf State Financial Services (GSFS) used Truepic Vision to combat fraudulent claims. According to Wayne Chadwick, Senior Claims Manager, 

“ We started using Truepic for a couple of reasons. One, we do a lot of tire and wheel claims and we would require a picture of the failed tire, and we had a few instances where we noticed that it looked like the same picture was coming through for multiple claims. Truepic allows us to get past that and not have that situation.”

‍

Accelerate your claims

Truepic Vision delivers the tools warranty teams need to verify reality and make smarter decisions, faster. If you're ready to see how Vision can streamline your tire and wheel vehicle service contracts, let’s talk.