[BUGBULLY]

Originally Posted by gvc8

Bugbully,

our current policy is with Old Republic and was purchased for us by our Realtor when we bought our current house. The standard contract rate was $329 (realtor rate??) but now they want $425 for renewal for same coverage (service call rate $60 ) plus additional $$ for addon coverage..pool, fridge, w/d, etc..

We had no problems last year needing warranty service, so didnt have the opportunity to test their service. How fast were they in responding to a problem? did a contractor call you in a reasonable amount of time after first calling Old Rep with the claim? and satisfied with the quality of service company they used?

Yes, we had 3 different calls with them. I actually set up the service request online, and they fax it over to the contractor. In all three cases the contractor called to set up with in 24 hours. I was actually very satisfied with them and the contractors. One of the issues was not covered because it had to do with the pop ups which was not covered. We actually had AA702 take care of it since he does our pool service.

I have also dealt with them on the contractor side. They are very quick in that area also. I had taken a little break from Pest Control and worked at an AC company. They are one of the few that take care of the AC depending on which coverage you have. They would actually provide the contractor the unit and then the homeowner would have to pay for the non-covered items, which would be anywhere from $500.00 to $1500.00, depending on the system and home.

[Swigchow]

Originally Posted by gvc8

Bugbully,

our current policy is with Old Republic and was purchased for us by our Realtor when we bought our current house. The standard contract rate was $329 (realtor rate??) but now they want $425 for renewal for same coverage (service call rate $60 ) plus additional $$ for addon coverage..pool, fridge, w/d, etc..

We had no problems last year needing warranty service, so didnt have the opportunity to test their service. How fast were they in responding to a problem? did a contractor call you in a reasonable amount of time after first calling Old Rep with the claim? and satisfied with the quality of service company they used?

My experience with Old Republic is "ok." The AC broke down. They were responsive, but arranging the service to inspect, then ordering the parts, then fixing it took ten days. Our tenant wasnt happy since this occurred at the peak temps. Still cost over $350 to repair due to service charge and parts that were not covered (there's always fine print exclusions). Without the warranty, the repair would have been close to $600.

My experience with AHS was adding on new service at the time of renewal. We had a base plan with purchase however when I tried to add on refrigerator coverage it was not easy. They refused to bill me, but only accepted debit or cc over the phone which I do not do. So I have to reorder the base service and then afterwards order the upgrade, which means I have to pay by two different checks. Weird. Havent actually had to use their service yet.

[vamping]

My experience with Old Republic has been a nightmare. My air has been down 6 times since June, and even though I tell them I have a medical condition in the home that requires priority work orders, they either forget to tell the contractor or don't file my request at all. At our week of highest temperatures, they wanted me to wait 4-5 days without air as they didn't want to switch the work order to another contractor. It takes a minimum of 4 calls for me to get anything done.

As far as the contractors they've sent - no problem. They've all been pretty decent.

[olecapt]

They are all basically terrible. All are good at taking money and all fail at providing service.

One end is striving for good customer serivce and the other low costs...and it comes out as you would expect.

I had run in after run in with AHS over 7 or 8 years. I even took them to small claims court on one ocassion. Took months getting a dishwasher replaced. A faulty element in an oven turned into a weeks long affair until we went across town and bought our own. So finally we said screw AHS they can't all be this bad.

So we went to HSA. Did OK for a couple of years. Had one screw up on a swimming pool repair where we were covered and did not realize it. They refused to cover after we replaced a filter ourselves...but that was it and we had not followed the system.

Recently we got a string going. First a fancy fan in the master bedroom. Well they could not fix so they would replace...and they offer a plain brown fan to go where a deluxe stainless and acrylic blade fan was. So we settled for money.

Then the water softener gives up. So we have the call and they tell us it needs to be replaced. Well it is a regular Flech 5600 and it is 20 years old so OK. But they won't replace the Flech...we have to take a Sears single unit. They say that is fair because it is actually bigger than the one we have in rating. Than we get the side news. It is a different unit so the plumbing has to be redone...$225 plus the $55 for the service call. No thanks...install the Fleck and we will pay the difference. Well ok we will do that but it is still $225 to install the unit. Get it...to roll in the unit and hook up a quick coupling cost $225. This is pretty clearly a contract violation so I may well try and take them to small claims court again. But anyway we agreed on a price and I am DIYing it.

Next we had a leak from the clothes washer. Nice five year old unit. Three days to get the guy there replaced the main pump which was going but not gone and found the leak...an abraded hose. Fixed all and left.
Next day the bleach dispenser does not work. Which is of course where the leak was. So a call back still pending.

The next one is still coming. The water heater is leaking slowly and will have to be replaced. We have decided to go with the new AO Smith hybrid. Now that is going to cost us some money. But we will likely get most of it back as a tax credit. But I can just hear the discussion as we try and get them to do the install. I bet is another standoff. Though on the water heater we do need a professional as we should get the permit pulled and the earthquake strap installed.

And finally we have the check valve to the house which has silted up as it does every five years. It is covered and we will have to deal with it soon. It results in a general drop of water pressure to the house when you draw down on the supply. I am kind of avoiding this one as I can do it myself if I get a little more mobile...and it was a hassle as we got into the coverage last time.


Note that monetarily we probably will do OK on all this. Out a couple of hundred total if that. But the hassle potential is all the way to full do it yourself level. And as I am still somewhat incapacitated I have to hire some help.

In our case it turns into a strictly dollar deal. We do much of it ourselves.

So be prepared to scrap with whoever you chose. And scrap hard...they are nasty. And end game take them to small claim court. They will all settle when it gets close.

[Heyygirl]

Taking AHS to court as this is being written. Fortunately I have sons who are attorneys, and have documented ALL interactions. Time will tell.

[Spraynard Kruger]

I have found it cheaper to self insure. I pay to have my HVAC serviced twice a year for a little over $100 bucks (total). Unless you have top of the line everything, it's usually not worth insuring a bottom basement water heater, dishwasher and washer/dryer. If something catastrophic happened with those devices, your insurance would kick in.

I've had three repairs to my AC in a decade. Some were pretty large. All told, I've spent about half of what the warranty service would hav cost. Home warranties can be just as dubious as most other extended warranties.

On the other hand, I have seen these policies work pretty well for pool owners.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by olecapt

... The water heater is leaking slowly and will have to be replaced...

Olecapt, take a look at www.waterheaterrescue.com when you get a chance. When you have the new unit installed, a few simple things may help that be the last unit you ever install. Periodic maintenance that doesn't cost much can help that unit last a lifetime.

[gvc8]

anyone have any experience using HomeLife home warranty service? just got mailed a notice to renew with them instead of Old Republic and they are much less expensive for same basic service. but , as they say, sometimes you get what you pay for.