We were selling our home and our real estate agent with Keller Williams suggested we buy a home warranty for $400 for the house we were selling in Kansas. Against my husbands better judgment we purchased one.
45 days into the sell of our home (August) our air conditioner quit working. If you know anything about Kansas, August is grueling heat with temps over 100 and high humidity and I have a son with asthma problems. Asthma and the humidity don't mix. We called to take advantage of our warranty that we purchased on August 2nd and this is really bad timing because home sales boost in August due to a military school that starts in September in our area. The evening of the 3rd we all 4 of us (2 children and my husband) checked into hotels room. My son was having too much of a problem breathing with the extreme heat of up to and over 100 degrees.
The warranty company contacted Lester's Heating in cooling in Kansas City (Lester is a real jerk and is the owner and the only employee of the company) who can not make it out for three business days which with the week end was scheduled for August 7th. On the day he was scheduled to come out we call this company at 3 pm to confirm his arrival at 4 pm. Understanding the peoples time are valuable my husband arrives at the house from work at 3:45. At 5 pm we call Lester again to find out why he is still not there, he told us he was running late and was on the way and would be there in minutes. At 6 pm we Lester again and he advises he is at home and he decided not to show up to fix it.
We once again call the warranty company to schedule with another company Heat Pump Technologies who can not show up for two more days, we scheduled an appointment for August 9th. Heat Pump Technologies was suppose to come out in the morning but we could not reach them until early in the after noon. He said he would be there at 3 pm. We called to see where he was at 3:30 and he was on his way and arrived at 3:45. He told me on the phone my co-pay was $150. My husband told me the paperwork said it was $55 and to call First American Home Warranty. I called them and they said the deductible was $75. So when the guy shows up we pay him the $75, he is there for 5 minutes and said it wasn't looking good he needed to run and get a part. He leaves at 4 pm and shows up at 9 pm. At 9:30 pm he tells us we need a new compressor and we need to cut him a check to the tune of $500 before he will do anymore work on it. I call First American Home Warranty and they tell me I only need to pay the $75 deductible and another couple hundred to dispose of the old parts, Freon, etc. And they would order the compressor right away.
On August 12th Keller Williams Real-estate called and said they have made several attempts to contact First American Home over the last week because not getting the air conditioner fixed in a timely manner is adversely effecting our showing. The agents are reporting people are walking and walking right back out because the house is 95 degrees. They can get anywhere with First American Home and are experiencing long hold time and the customer service reps hanging up on them after waiting an hour to be helped (just as they do every time I call). They are appalled by the lack of concern and the rudeness of the people that work for First American Home. Although there is nothing further that Keller Williams can do to assist us, they have yanked all the First American Home brochures from their offices and will not sell their warranty any longer.
On the 14th of August our air-condition still is not fixed. I called Heat Pump Technologies and he tells me he can not schedule the appointment because First American Home doesn't allow him to use his in stock items, they order it discounted it will take up to two weeks to get the part. I then have to call First American Home and find out what is taking so long on the part. First American advised that they just ordered the part on August 13th and allow 5-9 business days for delivery and the earliest it will in would be on August 17th.
Has anyone actually gotten their a/c fixed after playing the waiting game? Has anyone had success in small claims court after giving up and paying for your own repair? Does the insurance commissioner govern home warranties?
Jayne
Lansing, Kansas
U.S.A.
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