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Old Republic Home Protection

Home Warranties • American Home Shield • Buyers Home Warranty • Choice Home Warranty • First American Home Warranty • Home Warranty of America • National Home Protection • Nationwide Home Warranty • Old Republic --- • Home Warranties Not Always What They Seem • Old Republic Responds • Think Twice Before Buying an Extended Warranty --- • Home Warranties Not Always What They Seem

Houses are a big pain, no doubt about it. Something is always broken, stopped up, leaking or starting to smoke. The idea of a "home warranty" sounds attractive but all too often, the reality is something else, as the complaints in this section show.

Minor appliance repairs can turn into major productions and major repairs are all too often not covered under the "pre-existing condition" clause. So the question is: would you be better off saving the money you'd spend on a warranty and putting it aside to help cover routine maintenance problems?

Henry of Pacheco CA (1/21/03) thinks so:
Their standard plan covers nothing. They won't cover things that can be cleared from your sewer line, they won't cover things that can't be cleared from your sewer line and they won't cover you sewer line at all unless it breaks right under your house.

I'm out three grand to replace the sewer line on the house I just bought, plus carpet cleaning.

Dawn of Phoenix, AZ August 2, 2006

Dawn of Phoenix AZ (08/02/06)
I purchased a home with a home warranty as I was told it was a good idea. I moved into the home on a Saturday and within 2 hours my AC unit stopped working. It took me almost 24 hours to find my policy number and the phone number and call in the service request. I informed the company I had elderly people in my home and I needed emergency service. The company they refered me to could not get to my homew for 3 days. I called them back and they sent me on an emergency basis the next day to another company.

The company they sent me to was 7.5 hours late and then told me I would have to wait another day as it was getting dark. The tech was a wise ass and rude. He left my home without doing anything and he never even told me he was leaving. The next day they came out and fixed the AC but it only worked for about 16 hours and it is out again. I have been on hold for probably 24 hours during this 5 day issue and am still waiting for the AC to be fixed. I also have been hung up on because I asked for emergency service to make sure my 80 year old oxygen dependant father does not die in a home that is over 100 degrees.

Mark of Lawrenceville, GA August 1, 2006

Mark of Lawrenceville GA (08/01/06)
I recently purchased a home and after a few days, the home was too hot and the a/c ran constantly. I called Old Republic to report the problem and paid the 75 service call. The tech said that 30% of the fan surface was bent on each unit and recomended fully replacing both units. Old Republic says they will not cover this claim. They will not even cover the costs of replacing the fans in the units. It is not normal wear and tear is all they have to say as to why not. I talked to the rep about it, trying to understand why it is not normal wear and tear. He says the supervisor of North Pole Air says it is not normal. The supevisor has not even been to the house to see the units. If an a/c unit which sits outside for sixteen years through all kinds of weather, get debris from trees and whatnot falling on it, causing the fan blades to bend is not normal wear and tear I don't know what is. A home warranty is a total waste of money. I don't know of a single person that has successfully filed a claim with a home warranty company.

As of this date I am still fighting with Old Republic over this claim. I am looking at paying at least 280 to have the fans replaced in the two units. In the meantime I am wasting energy on inefficient a/c units.

Kevin of Pineville, LA July 30, 2006

Kevin of Pineville LA (07/30/06)
This issue is regarding problems with obtaining A/C repair service through my home protection plan with Old Republic Home Protection (ORHP). During the past 30 days, I have been without A/C for a total period of 15 days due to the inability of ORHP to repair my home A/C, as required under my home protection plan. In fact, I am currently w/o A/C in my home, and have been w/o A/C since 07/23/2006, a period of seven days straight. I have called in four service requests due to the inability of the ORHP service providers (A/C repair companies) to fix my A/C unit. Each time I have contacted ORHP regarding my A/C problems, I have had to wait long periods for the A/C repair companies to respond.

Additionally, ORHP continued to use the same A/C repair company after three service calls in which the A/C was supposedly fixed, then subsequently failed.

Peggy of Phoenix, AZ July 16, 2006

Peggy of Phoenix AZ (07/16/06)
On June 6th, upon arriving home from work I noticed the Air Conditioning was not cooling the house and blowing warm air. This is Phoenix and the outside temperture was about 106 that day. First thing Friday morning I called Old Republic about the issue. The policy was so new I had not even received documentation yet. They said the earliest they could get a service man out was Monday. This meant that I would have to spend the weekend in tempertures approaching 110 with no AC or get a motel room. On Monday the tech arrived and told me the compressor was gone and that he would fax an order to Old Republic. I contacted Old Republic to find out how the claim could be expediated. I was told that they hadn't received the fax yet and could do nothing until they did.

On Tuesday I contacted the service company and the told me the order was sent at 8am that morning. I then called Old Republic who again said they had not received the fax yet. While I held on the phone the rep was able to find the fax and told me they would be shipping a compressor to the service company. I was told it would take 3 to 5 days for the service company to receive the unit. When I asked if there was any way to send it faster, I was told this is the shipping time and it couldn't be changed. Apparently Old Republic requires that the compressor comes from their warehouse and they could find or authorize the service company to find one in Phoenix.

I stated that in Phoenix we were to have extreme heat warnings that week and it was an emergency to have AC. Since I don't have a medical condition, Old Republic does not consider it an emergency. On Friday the unit was still not here and I would have another weekend without AC. The service company called to schedule installation on the following Tuesday since they were expecting the unit on Monday. This means that I have had 13 days with AC at the house in temperatures hitting 115 degress and have had to pay 720+ on motel bills, 55 for the service call and 100 to remove the old unit. If you factor in the cost of Old Republics policy at 475, I think I could have gotten the compressor replaced as an emergency on the first Friday for the same 1350.

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