An Internet provider of car warranties surrendered its license Jan. 15 to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the department said, according to an Associated Press (AP) report.

Warranty Gold of Austin, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2003, can no longer act as a service contract provider to consumers in Texas. But the company still will be able to market warranties on behalf of other licensed providers, the news release said.

The action does not relieve Warranty Gold of its responsibility to service contracts, according to AP.

Contracts sold by Warranty Gold named National Warranty Insurance Risk Retention Group as the company that would pay for contract warranty work. But National Warranty declared bankruptcy June 7. When Warranty Gold filed for bankruptcy Nov. 11, it asked to be relieved of responsibility for contracts for which National Warranty provided financial security, according to AP.

Most service contracts Warranty Gold has sold since June were issued by another licensed service contract provider, First Automotive Service Corp. of Albuquerque, N.M. First Automotive Services is required by law to honor those contracts, according to AP.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is encouraging consumers who bought a Warranty Gold policy before June 7 to file a claim against the company's assets in bankruptcy court.

For information on filing a claim, consumers are instructed to go to www.license.state.tx.us/warrantygold.htm.