Home warranty questions

[tmswartz]

@Texas Splash
What warranty provider do you use?

 

[Dirk]

Of the many things to check and compare, one is their obligation to replace defective components with "like kind," and what exactly "like kind" means.

If you have really expensive appliances, for example, you may or may not get the same one for a replacement. Or you might have a nice ceiling fan, or bath faucet, but get what they call "contractor grade" (or some-such similar term), which generally means the cheapest thing they can find. If you want a better replacement, you pay the difference. Just make sure you're clear on how your warranty works in this regard.

Also keep in mind that the competition is fierce, so they pay their contractors as little as possible, sometimes just the $75 per-incident fee. Since successful local contractors won't have a need to participate in home warranty servicing, you'll likely end up with a contractor that cannot keep booked on his own merit. That's putting it nicely, you can fill in the blanks. That also means that his portion of the repair cost may or may not cover what he needed to do a good job. So he might cut corners to make up the difference, and/or try to up-charge you to sell you another part or service on which he can make a reasonable profit. For example, for some reason, a water heater replacement always seems to need some sort of code-mandated upgrade (whether it does or not!). And your current heater likely does not have a proper frazzlehopper valve, so you'll need one of those, too! If you don't know what a frazzlehopper valve is, it's the same component you'll often see itemized on your shady auto-repair bill!!!

As you can surmise, I went through a few warranty companies and ended up firing them all, and now do the repairs myself, or hire a good, reputable local contractor when the work is outside my skill set. So far, I'm slightly ahead, dollar-wise, and waaaaay ahead quality-of-work-wise. YMMV.

 

[Bperry]

Of the many things to check and compare, one is their obligation to replace defective components with "like kind," and what exactly "like kind" means.

If you have really expensive appliances, for example, you may or may not get the same one for a replacement. Or you might have a nice ceiling fan, or bath faucet, but get what they call "contractor grade" (or some-such similar term), which generally means the cheapest thing they can find. If you want a better replacement, you pay the difference. Just make sure you're clear on how your warranty works in this regard.

Also keep in mind that the competition is fierce, so they pay their contractors as little as possible, sometimes just the $75 per-incident fee. Since successful local contractors won't have a need to participate in home warranty servicing, you'll likely end up with a contractor that cannot keep booked on his own merit. That's putting it nicely, you can fill in the blanks. That also means that his portion of the repair cost may or may not cover what he needed to do a good job. So he might cut corners to make up the difference, and/or try to up-charge you to sell you another part or service on which he can make a reasonable profit. For example, for some reason, a water heater replacement always seems to need some sort of code-mandated upgrade. And your current heater likely does not have a proper frazzlehopper valve, so you'll need one of those, too! If you don't know what a frazzlehopper valve is, it's the same component you'll often see itemized on your shady auto-repair bill!!!

As you can surmise, I went through a few warranty companies and ended up firing them all, and now do the repairs myself, or hire a good, reputable local contractor when the work is outside my skill set. So far, I'm slightly ahead, dollar-wise, and waaaaay ahead quality-of-work-wise. YMMV.

I’d echo the above. You’ll save money and time by not buying the warranty in the first place. The problem is that “warranty” does not mean the same thing as all other warranties you’re used to. It almost always means a “pre-approved repair contractor”. So they can choose to repair stuff or give you some money to repair it yourself and they decide when and how much that amount is.

 

[Newdude]

You’ll save money and time by not buying the warranty in the first place

+3. I stopped counting when I broke $25k in savings years ago. It's probably $45k by now and I just scoffed at $4200 for a 3 year brand new furnace warranty (disguised as $119 a month for 3 years of coverage) and about that for a new SUV.

Maybe my $15k furnace or SUV needs a massive repair in its first years, but I'm still way up.

 

[tmswartz]

Of the many things to check and compare, one is their obligation to replace defective components with "like kind," and what exactly "like kind" means.

If you have really expensive appliances, for example, you may or may not get the same one for a replacement. Or you might have a nice ceiling fan, or bath faucet, but get what they call "contractor grade" (or some-such similar term), which generally means the cheapest thing they can find. If you want a better replacement, you pay the difference. Just make sure you're clear on how your warranty works in this regard.

Also keep in mind that the competition is fierce, so they pay their contractors as little as possible, sometimes just the $75 per-incident fee. Since successful local contractors won't have a need to participate in home warranty servicing, you'll likely end up with a contractor that cannot keep booked on his own merit. That's putting it nicely, you can fill in the blanks. That also means that his portion of the repair cost may or may not cover what he needed to do a good job. So he might cut corners to make up the difference, and/or try to up-charge you to sell you another part or service on which he can make a reasonable profit. For example, for some reason, a water heater replacement always seems to need some sort of code-mandated upgrade (whether it does or not!). And your current heater likely does not have a proper frazzlehopper valve, so you'll need one of those, too! If you don't know what a frazzlehopper valve is, it's the same component you'll often see itemized on your shady auto-repair bill!!!

As you can surmise, I went through a few warranty companies and ended up firing them all, and now do the repairs myself, or hire a good, reputable local contractor when the work is outside my skill set. So far, I'm slightly ahead, dollar-wise, and waaaaay ahead quality-of-work-wise. YMT

Of the many things to check and compare, one is their obligation to replace defective components with "like kind," and what exactly "like kind" means.

If you have really expensive appliances, for example, you may or may not get the same one for a replacement. Or you might have a nice ceiling fan, or bath faucet, but get what they call "contractor grade" (or some-such similar term), which generally means the cheapest thing they can find. If you want a better replacement, you pay the difference. Just make sure you're clear on how your warranty works in this regard.

Also keep in mind that the competition is fierce, so they pay their contractors as little as possible, sometimes just the $75 per-incident fee. Since successful local contractors won't have a need to participate in home warranty servicing, you'll likely end up with a contractor that cannot keep booked on his own merit. That's putting it nicely, you can fill in the blanks. That also means that his portion of the repair cost may or may not cover what he needed to do a good job. So he might cut corners to make up the difference, and/or try to up-charge you to sell you another part or service on which he can make a reasonable profit. For example, for some reason, a water heater replacement always seems to need some sort of code-mandated upgrade (whether it does or not!). And your current heater likely does not have a proper frazzlehopper valve, so you'll need one of those, too! If you don't know what a frazzlehopper valve is, it's the same component you'll often see itemized on your shady auto-repair bill!!!

As you can surmise, I went through a few warranty companies and ended up firing them all, and now do the repairs myself, or hire a good, reputable local contractor when the work is outside my skill set. So far, I'm slightly ahead, dollar-wise, and waaaaay ahead quality-of-work-wise. YMMV.

Thanks, this is really good advice! It's kind of where I'm ending up after researching people's experiences online.

 

[tmswartz]

I’d echo the above. You’ll save money and time by not buying the warranty in the first place. The problem is that “warranty” does not mean the same thing as all other warranties you’re used to. It almost always means a “pre-approved repair contractor”. So they can choose to repair stuff or give you some money to repair it yourself and they decide when and how much that amount is.

Yeah, we wouldn't buy one left to our druthers, but the owners have offered to buy one, so trying to figure out what company to use.

 

[Texas Splash]

What warranty provider do you use?

First American Home Warranty

 

[Bperry]

Yeah, we wouldn't buy one left to our druthers, but the owners have offered to buy one, so trying to figure out what company to use.

Ask them to instead give you a check for 1/2 of the warranty fee and go have a nice dinner. You’ll be way ahead.

 

[dereksanders]

Two house ago it came with a warranty from the previous owner. My AC unit bit the dust and the company who came out to look at it under the warranty spoke the right words to have coverage refused. Of course, they offered to provide estimates for a new furnace and AC. I did get new units but not from them.

 

[Dirk]

I had a local warranty service contractor replace an HVAC unit. I had to pay some of the bill (stuff that wasn't covered), but I came out ahead on that deal. But...

I noticed a $2100 charge that I was expected to cover. It had something to do with an engineering fee related to the Title 24 "upgrades" that were going to be required. So I asked the contractor about that when he came to collect his check, and then to see the engineering spec. He sputtered something or another and then just erased the $2100 from the invoice. While I expect the engineering might have been required, he never had it done, but was attempting to defraud me. Who knows if the repair actually included any Title 24 upgrades... I'll never know, but I doubt it.

I never pursued any action, because I never paid him for that charge, so I'm not sure what I would have sued for, or what charges could have been brought against him, since the fraud didn't actually take place. But you gotta watch these guys. As I mentioned before, if they were decent, successful contractors, they probably wouldn't be involved in the warranty service industry. At the very least, I think it prudent to assume the worst about them, and then be happy to be proven wrong, rather than the other way around.

Now I gotta go calm down, because eight years later and just thinking about that incident gets my blood boiling!