We received the First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation Warranty when we recently purchased our home in Dallas, Texas.
Today we've been experiencing intermittent power failures. After checking all the breakers, I called our power company to inspect. They looked at the panel and said I had a "load bearing lug burn out, " and would need to contact an electrician. This sounded like a warranty item for me so I immediately contacted First American Home Buyers Protection Company and have learned today what many of you already know - they are giving us the runaround.
First of all - it's Dallas in August - a house without power is not habitable.
Secondly - it's Dallas - there are dozens and dozens of electrical companies that provide 24/7 emergency electrical service within an hour.
So I called First American and was put on a 30 minute hold. When they did answer they said they'd consider it an emergency situation and would be getting in contact with a contractor and should expect someone soon. 4 hours later I still hadn't received a phone call. So I called back to check on the status and see when we could expect to hear from someone.
After a few minutes on the phone, I got the sense that the "customer service" rep couldn't care less and was giving me the blow off. She couldn't tell me whether anyone had been contacted or whether someone would be contacted today. Then she said that we couldn't guarantee we'd get service today. I told her there were at least a dozen pages of yellowpage ads guaranteeing emergency electrical service 24/7. She only provided me the name of one company that had attempted to be contacted - they weren't answering the phone. I asked if they could tell me the names of any other contractor that they were attempting to contact. She said they were attempting "dozens" of contractors in my area but it was very hard because it was Sunday.
Anyway, it was pretty clear that she was lying to me at this point so I asked to speak with her supervisor. I hung up after being left on hold for 30 minutes and called back. The same customer service rep answered - I was pretty frustrated at this point. She then transferred me to a supervisor who "apologized" and said they hadn't yet contacted a contract but would now list my situation as an emergency.
Apparently they lied when they told me it was considered an emergency on the first phone call 4 hours prior. Nevertheless she told me she'd put it in and that I could expect to hear from someone in 3 hours (which would be late sunday - I could have had someone within an hour).
Needless to say - 3 hours went by I never heard from anyone. So I called back and was put on another long hold. When I did speak with someone apparently no contractor had yet been contacted (now about 8 hours after power went out). Again I asked to speak with a supervisor and was transfered to someone's voice mail. I hung up and called back. The person who I spoke with was the rudest customer service rep I've ever spoken with. I asked if any contractor had be contacted at all - "oh dozens" - please tell me what there names are "I am a Christian woman" she said - as if I was questioning her belief in Jesus.
Anyway - she kept insisting that all the electrical companies were closed on the weekend, even though I was looking at dozens of pages of ads indicating 24/7 emergency service. I asked her what was being done to expedite my service request and she would attack me for being rude. Honestly I've never been treated so bad by a company in my entire life. She said I was taking away from customers with real problems like Multiple Schlerosis!
Since making a phone call or two on my behalf seemed too difficult, I offered to go ahead and call an electrician myself and submit the bill for reimbursement. They said they absolutely would not reimburse me. I asked when I could expect someone to at least return a phone call and schedule a contractor - they said they wouldn't guarantee anything. So now I'm in the position of wondering whether to live without power indefinitely or pay out of pocket and take my chances with getting reimbursed. Absolutely infuriating.
After a few hours and not hearing back I called again, this time I was transfered to another supervisor who listed the names of 4 companies that they had contacted but apparently were closed. So I picked one out of the phone call, got in touch right away with an emergency contact over there. They said they hadn't received a single phone call all weekend from First American but would be happy to come out at any time should First American schedule an appointment.
I wonder how many violations of TX Deceptive Trade Practices Act have been violated today - misleading information, unconscionability, violation of express warranties...
Matt
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
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