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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.
Judith of Marion, IN June 20, 2008
Judith of Marion IN (06/20/08)
Purchased a home in Charlotte, NC on June 6, 2008 which included a Buyers Warranty with Old Republic Home Protection. By 10 p.m. that evening we realized the central air conditioning was not working and called Old Republic. At that time we were told that our warranty did not cover central air-conditioning, though our paper work indicated it did.
We began calling local AC persons. Finally found somebody to come and check it out on June 7, 2008 for the cost of 300 because this was considered overtime. Svc. person checked the unit and said the compressor had failed. He did not have a replacement but could order one for delivery and install within 10 days.
In the meantime after numerous calls to Old Republic we were told yes our plan DID cover central air and they would have somebody there on June 8. Nobody came. Then told it would be June 9. Nobody came. Finally on June 10 a service tech from First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating came to the home and told our daughter, who was trying to stay in the home with a small window air conditioner we purchased, that the compressor was bad and while he had no new compressor he did have a full unit he could install that afternoon if Old Republic would give authorization.
I called Old Republic, they refused to authorize the installation of this and if we personally paid for a new one then our warranty would be null and void. They spoke to a rep from First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. and he said he did not have a compressor in stock but could order one for delivery and installation for approx. 700 on June 11. At first Old Republic said no because they could order a compressor at 1/2 the cost of what the service tech could get one or approx. 350 and have it installed within 10 days, but I stressed to them this had become a health issue as our daughter has severe asthma and could no longer remain in the house without central air conditioning. They finally approved.
BUT it turned out that First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc could NOT get a new compressor until June 16. So our daughter had to finally leave the home because of the extreme heat. Our granddaughter went to the home on the morning of June 16, taking a morning off work to be there and First Choice did not arrive. She went to work. In mid-afternoon on June 16th my daughter received a call from First Choice service tech saying he had been at the house, nobody was there, it was evident to him that nobody was living there and therefore he could not install the compressor until somebody was actually living in the home and Old Republic would not cover the install because of that! Nobody was living in the home because the oppressive heat.
My daughter called First Choice and told them somebody WOULD be there on June 17. They finally did install the compressor on the morning of June 17.
Our second problem with Old Republic arose today. There is a leak in what is called a saddle valve in the kitchen. We called Old Republic and they sent a plumber from DGH Plumbing of Charlotte, NC. The plumber looked at the valve, said yes it needed replacing but that he would not fix it because it is not covered under our warranty plan. Plumbing problems ARE covered under out plan. We also have the main water turn off valve stuck in the ON position but he would not repair this either
Charlotte Temp. Control=302.50 Window Unit =107.24 First Choice Trade Fee = 70.00 (should have been 55.00 according to our plan) 1st Choice Reclaim Fee =155.00 1st Choice Freon Dis. =100.00 DGH Plumbing =55.00 Total of both complaints= 789.74 Judith of Marion, IN June 17, 2008
Judith of Marion IN (06/17/08)
Purchased a home in Charlotte, NC on June 6, 2008 which included a Buyers Warranty with Old Republic Home Protection. By 10 p.m. that evening we realized the central air conditioning was not working and called Old Republic. At that time we were told that our warranty did not cover central air-conditioning, though our paper work indicated it did. We began calling local AC persons. Finally found somebody to come and check it out on June 7, 2008 for the cost of 300 because this was considered overtime. Svc. person checked the unit and said the compressor had failed. He did not have a replacement but could order one for delivery and install within 10 days.
In the meantime after numerous calls to Old Republic we were told yes our plan DID cover central air and they would have somebody there on June 8. Nobody came. Then told it would be June 9. Nobody came. Finally on June 10 a service tech from First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. came to the home and told our daughter, who was trying to stay in the home with a small window air conditioner we purchased, that the compressor was bad and while he had no new compressor he did have a full unit he could install that afternoon if Old Republic would give authorization.
I called Old Republic, they refused to authorize the installation of this and if we personally paid for a new one then our warranty would be null and void. They spoke to a rep from First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. and he said he did not have a compressor in stock but could order one for delivery and installation for approx. 700 on June 11. At first Old Republic said no because they could order a compressor at 1/2 the cost of what the service tech could get one or approx. 350 and have it installed within 10 days, but I stressed to them this had become a health issue as our daughter has severe asthma and could no longer remain in the house without central air conditioning. They finally approved.
BUT it turned out that First Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc could NOT get a new compressor until June 16. So our daughter had to finally leave the home because of the extreme heat. Our granddaughter went to the home on the morning of June 16, taking a morning off work to be there and First Choice did not arrive. She went to work. In mid-afternoon on June 16th my daughter received a call from First Choice service tech saying he had been at the house, nobody was there, it was evident to him that nobody was living there and therefore he could not install the compressor until somebody was actually living in the home and Old Republic would not cover the install because of that!
Nobody was living in the home because the oppressive heat. My daughter called First Choice and told them somebody WOULD be there on June 17. They finally did install the compressor on the morning of June 17. Charlotte Temp. Control=302.50 Window Unit =107.24 First Choice Trade Fee = 70.00 1st Choice Reclaim Fee =155.00 1st Choice Freon Dis. =100.00 Old Republic Svc.Fee = 55.00 Grand Total =798.74 Thomas of Hendersonville, TN June 12, 2008
Thomas of Hendersonville TN (06/12/08)
called tuesday, our oven would not turn off, it is electric, so much heat, it caused smoke dectector to go off, and our dection service, we had to call because smoke dectector was going off, very oloud. also we have comapny from florida, and can't cook of bake of anything, it is expesive to go out to eat, which we have had to do.
oven got so hot it burned home-made buns i was making for company. The door now is a mess from the heat Keith of Stafford, VA June 12, 2008
Keith of Stafford VA (06/12/08)
Bought a house and got an Old Republic home warranty to go with it. Within 2 weeks, the gas water heater failed. Called OR and dealt with their preferred plumbing contractor (Who was nice enough). Bottom line, because the old water heater was still under manufacturer warranty for parts only, OLD REPUBLIC COVERED NOTHING! The labor was not covered by manufacturer warranty. OR still would not cover that. What do you think costs more, the labor or the parts? OR home warranty is LIKE HAVING NO WARRANTY AT ALL.
Had to pay labor myself. Will use service calls, company complaints, online reviews and a complaint to the consumer affairs office of Virginia to exact that cost back out of OR. Michael of Dallas, TX May 21, 2008
Michael of Dallas TX (05/21/08)
Last summer my air conditioner when out on a Tuesday morning. I called OR and was given the name of a contractor. Calls were exchanged and 3 days later I was informed by the contractor that they were no longer handling the workorder. I contacted OR and they said that a technician would be out that afternoon.
Finally at 6pm on Friday a technician arrived and my experience was almost exactly like so many others on this site. The technician was dirty, and certainly not professional. He informed me that he couldn't fix the problem and that I would need to contact OR the following Monday. Waiting until Monday would have meant enduring the high Texas temperatures for over a week. I contacted my own AC company at 6:30 pm on a Friday and was informed they could have someone out in an hour which they did.
In the mean time I called OR to tell them the situation. They informed me they would only pay 200 for using my own contractor. The bottom line cost was ~700+ or ~550 with purchase of a service contract for 189 from them. Given terms of the service contract and unsure of the condition of the AC unit as well as knowing I would never contact OR for anything again I picked the 550 + service contract.
The bottom line is my AC was repaired in 3 hours instead of the 4 days it took OR to get an incompetent technician to my home. I paid approx 550 for repair of my AC. OR still insisted they would only reimburse me for 200. On the following Monday I called my real estate agent who assisted in the purchase of the home. When I purchased the house she recommended OR because she had a relationship with their sales rep and if I had difficulty she could leverage her relationship. I was informed through my agent that they would reimburse me for the 550 amount.
Unlike most people, I was actually able to recover the 550, obviously due to the relationship between my agent and the OR rep. It shouldn't take pressure from a real estate agent to get OR to live up to their contract. Recently OR has contacted me regarding the 60 service call fee. I don't dispute owing the 60 fee, however, I explained to them that I saved them money by purchasing the service plan from the company that was able to repair the system. It would have been 700 vs 550 but still they persist for the fee. I've decided to file a complaint with the Texas Real Estate Commission because I don't believe it's ethical that it should take a real estate agent putting pressure on OR's sales rep to perform on a contract. I was lucky in that respect. If they want to argue over 60 when they still owe me money, bring it on.
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If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.
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