In our opinion:
A very normal, simple pipe started a small leak, so we do the prudent thing and call FAHW. They set up a plumber appointment who did not arrive. We called and were told that plumber does not service our area (an issue we raised with FAHW at the beginning when we saw the plumber's "foreign" area code but FAHW assured us the plumber would be here and that they had "a satellite office serving our area".). That was one day wasted with FAHW. (Is your time worth something to you?)
Second day, second plumber... Came, saw pipe leak, had no problem with the job and started in to work... He removed the pipe, said he would be leaving to get (small) replacement parts after he telephoned FAHW from his truck — and & then & they "denied the claim, " why? The plumber would not wait for us to reach FAHW, saying that "the insurance company acts like the Mafia: they collect your money and refuse to fix your pipe leaks..." He indicated he'd had issues with FAHW before. We call FAHW they say, after much fumbling, that the claim was denied because "pipe or nut holding it together was found by plumber to be starting to loosen." Comment: of course it was, that is why it started to leak (it does not take a rocket scientist OR a professional plumber to figure this out!)... Second day wasted with FAHW.
Another call to FAHW and they agree that the denial made no sense... They sent a third plumber (third day) with the advisory that he would be prepared to fix the pipe. He arrives, inspects, indicates no problem fixing it after he buys the small parts to fit, sets up appointment to do the job later in the day. Time for appointment arrives and passes, we get call from third plumbing company that FAHW "denied the claim" again. Third day wasted with FAHW over a very simple two hundred buck (or less) job.
Call again to FAHW... Nice lady says claim denied because "pipe was found to have been removed on arrival" by third plumber. Of course it was removed, that was where the second plumber left it after he Vamoosed (he really should have replaced it but he was upset having been sent on a non-paying call by FAHW and he left in a fast hurry). Result of three wasted days: a small leak which actually disabled nothing is now made worse: it is now a removed pipe, rendering the drain unuseable. And all we keep getting from FAHW is nice ladies on the phone attempting to make sense of garbled, illogical notes (that they even admit make no sense)... And more delays and wasted days...
So, a very ordinary and very leak repair job indeed a remarkably simple and straightforward little plumbing problem that happens all the time... And three days of the customer's time wasted by FAHW (plus the time of their contract plumbers also appears to have been wasted by FAHW, at least they surely were not happy with FAHW!) We do NOT want to try to repair even this simple thing ourselves, we have been paying FAHW for the services of professionally-trained, real plumbers all along to have the work done right each time... And now...
This, after customer paid for this insurance for nearly 10 years.
We are very, very disappointed with First American Home Warranty and will definitely NOT be using them in future on any property we may own. Sincerely yours for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (and some other, better home warranty firm)...
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