Home Warranty of America

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: No one on HWA addressed this problemI called the number that was given to me and no one called me backHWA called me April to give me another number to call which was *** PlumbingThey never called eitherHow does HWA know that the parts was missing just from meI am not a plumber no more than they areThe whole system was not working and they have not even talked with the company that replaced the systemThey never once addressed the problem they just took a phone call and made their decisionTo me that is a rip off and a easy way of getting out of a claimNot good for business and I will never recommend this company to any one
Sincerely,
*** ***

August 29, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: *** *** ID-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint and have addressed the
electrical claim. Per correspondence with the customer, we are contacting the per possible additional issues Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

September 27, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** IL-*** Dear Ms***: The technician has been approved to do so. We would request that the customer close the complaint, and reopen it if the replacement is not performed by the technician Sincerely, *** *** Office of the President

August 12, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: Alvord TX-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint and have resolved
the issue with them directly on August 8, Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/05/14) */
May 14,
*** ***
*** *** ***
Revdex.com
North Wabash, Suite
Chicago, IL XXXXX
Re: 94551370: ***: TX-XXXXXXX
Dear Ms***
We received the customer's complaint
and would like to respond accordinglyThe customer started a Warranty Contract with us on February 27,
On March 10, at 8:PM CST, the customer filed the following online claim for their water softener:
"Covered Item Problem: Low Water Pressure
Has this item ever worked?: No
When did you first notice the problem?: Two days ago
Have you moved into the home?: Yes
When did you move into the home?: 03/05/
Q & A:
Q: Please tell us if the water heater is A: A unit that you own
Q: Please tell us where the water softener is located A: Garage
Problem Description: Switched on the valve to the water softener for the first time this weekend and noticed water pressure dropped to almost a tricklePut the valve back in the bypass position and water pressure returnedThis is a Culligan Water Softener *** 89."
We immediately assigned a technician, who went to the customer's home two days later and found that the unit was restricting the water due to a bad impellarAs the customer had advised our office that the softener had never worked, this would indicate that the unit was not in proper working order on the Coverage period Start DateThus, we declined to cover the softenerPer our Contract, section I.B.7:
"Covered Systems and Components" means systems and components as specifically described herein as "Included" and that are located inside the confines of the main foundation of the Covered Property and are in proper working order on the Coverage Period Start Date and become inoperative due to wear and tear, including breakdowns due to insufficient maintenance if at the time the issue or breakdown was unknownComponents shall be considered in proper working order if no defect is known or would have been detectable by a visual inspection or mechanical test on the Coverage Period Start Date."
We requested the customer's inspection, to confirm the unit could be considered in proper working order, but the softener had not been inspectedHad an inspection or mechanical test occurred on the Coverage Period Start Date, the problem would have been easily detectable, as it was three days after the customer moved in
We have contacted the customer to address their complaint, and left a messagePer their complaint request, we will not replace their water softener, that never worked properly under the ContractAs we have a Contract with the customer, we will continue to use our Contractual definition, rather than what is arbitrarily "self-explanatory"
If you should have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at extension XXXXXXXXXX
Sincerely,
*** ***
Escalated Claims Handling
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/05/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Dear Ms***
We are not satisfied with the reply from Mr*** on behalf of HWAHis response does not address one of the main points of our complaint - the misleading term "unknown pre-existing condition." Once again HWA has failed to give us a definition for this termMr*** does not even use it once in his response letterDocuments we received from HWA after we purchased our home warranty note that they cover "unknown pre-existing conditions" - we would like to know what this means since it evidently doesn't mean a condition that was unknown to the homeowner and existing prior to our modateThis term yields misleading coverage at best and advertising at worstAs we stated in the third paragraph of our initial complaint, we understand the terms of the contract Mr*** regurgitated in his responseWhat we don't understand is how an "unknown pre-existing condition" ever fits into this descriptionWe would like HWA to give us a definition for this term and a specific example of how something is covered under it
We also would like an explanation as to why a plumber was ever sent out to our house if HWA knew they wouldn't cover the water softenerThe negligence HWA displayed by this cost us a $service feeOf course we never would have let the plumber come out if we knew HWA would not cover an un-inspected water softener
Finally, we never received a missed phone call or message from anyone at HWA following our complaint being filed with the Revdex.com as Mr*** indicatedWe certainly would have been eager to have a conversation with him
Thank you
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/05/29) */
May 29,
*** ***
*** *** ***
Revdex.com
North Wabash, Suite
Chicago, IL
Re: *** ***: TX-XXXXXXX
Dear Ms***
To define the term, 'unknown pre-existing condition', one must only reference the quote from the contract in my response:
"Components shall be considered in proper working order if no defect is known or would have been detectable by a visual inspection or mechanical test on the Coverage Period Start Date."
Additionally, from Contract section I.A.2:
"Malfunctions which existed on the Coverage Period Start Date will be covered only if the malfunction was unknown and could not have been detectable by visual inspection or simple mechanical test."
The customer's definition limits exclusively to the homeowner's knowledge, which means, if the customer decides to not inspect or even view the property, prior to purchase, the customer could claim every failure found at mois an unknown pre-existing issueThis is not eligible under our Contract
The Contract just requires that the issue be unknown, and that the issue would/could not have been detectable by a visual inspection or simple mechanical test (on the Coverage Period Start Date)As far as an example of an unknown pre-existing issue, a slow leak from a worn out pipe in a wall
As to the customer's second question, the water softener is an eligible item under the contractWhen they filed a claim online, on a unit that never worked properly, it automatically sent a request to a technician to go to their home to diagnose the issueThe customer's assumption that we knew in advance that the issue was not covered, is incorrect
Sincerely,
*** ***
Escalated Claims Handling

April 21, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** NH-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint, and require a technician to provide
a diagnosis of the mechanical failure reported with a customer’s system, and a detailed breakdown of costsWe are requesting that information from the technician’s that have gone to the property, as well as the customer’s technician as of yesterday evening Sincerely, *** *** Escalated Special Handling

July 7, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: *** *** AL-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint, and the repair was completed,
on July 6, Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

January 26, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: *** : *** VA-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the invoice, and have left a message for the customer to address the issue Sincerely, *** *** Escalated Special Handling

July 21, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** NJ-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s inquiry and have confirmed that the needed coil is available and the technician has the approval needed to complete the replacement Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

August 11, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** LA-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint and provide the following
response The customer, prior to closing on their new home, purchased a home inspection. Per this home inspection, their oven was inspected and the inspector stated: ‘Readout on oven is dimRecommend evaluation by a qualified licensed contractor and repair or replace as needed.’ The customer, at closing June 6, 2016, purchased our warranty contract, which states in section I.A.2: “Malfunctions which existed on the Coverage Period Start Date will be covered only if the malfunction was unknown and could not have been detectable by visual inspection or simple mechanical test.” At which point, the customer should have been fully aware that their oven display not working, would not be covered under contract We do not understand why they chose to file a claim, and pay a trade fee, on this issue that they should have addressed before closing with the seller of the property We can only assume that the customer was unaware of the reference to the oven on their inspection, and filed a claim when they experienced the problem. When we requested the inspection to confirm the unit was in proper working order, we determined that it was not We accept the customer’s suggestion, but requiring that we collect an inspection from every customer, and reviewing every inspection before filing a claim, is not viable The customer should review both our coverage and their inspection before filing a claim Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

Re: *** *** Your Claim No*** Your Contract No*** To Whom It May Concern: Home Warranty of America is in possession of your correspondence regarding the above-mentioned claimWe are happy to advise that we have been able to provide Mr*** with two different options to
resolve his claim Our records indicate that, unfortunately, we were not able to locate a Service Provider the day Mr*** filed his claim on 1-27-Due to this situation, and in efforts to assist Mr*** accordingly; we offered Mr*** to use his own licensed Service ProviderMr*** accepted this offerOn 2-6-2018, Mr*** called to state he was not successful with locating a Service Provider and would like us to continue our search We have since then located a Service Provider on 2-13-This allowed us to construct the following options for Mr***We have provided a model number for a replacement unit and a buyout amount to Mr***We are yet to be provided a decision from Mr***As soon as we are instructed on how to continue, we will do so We thank you for bringing this matter to our attentionIf you have any further questions, feel free to reach me at 224-***-***Sincerely, Home Warranty of America *** *** Office of the President

September 2, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: File Number *** Dear Ms ***, We received the
customer’s complaint and would like to respond accordingly. The customer purchased a Contract with our company, paying one month of the contract cost, that started on August 8, As she was advised on the original phone call, and as stated per contract section IV.A “Our obligation for each “Repair” Plan is limited to the cost of authorized repairs (including trip charge, trade call fee, parts and labor) up to a limit of $per covered product or system per service call, subject to a maximum aggregate limit of $2,per Plan during each one-year term of this Contract, including all repairs and replacement credits, if applicable, under the Plan“ The customer received a maintenance service, that they requested on August 8, On August 9, 2016, they request their welcome packet, which was sent to them Now they are requesting to cancel their contract, which is in process If they wish to cancel their electrical service, we request that they contact that office Sincerely, *** *** Escalated Special Handling

July 26, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** GA-*** Dear Ms***: We received the customer’s inquiry, and they had two separate leaks in their
system that occurred roughly a month apart. The first, required a coil replacement. The second, a different leak at the king valve We are sorry these failures occurred in close proximity to each other, but they are both legitimate costs and will not be waived Sincerely, *** *** Office of the President

May 9, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** TX-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint and are providing the following responseOn March
24, 2016, at 7:AM CSTthe customer went online and added Roof leak repair coverage to their contractFive minutes later, they filed the following roof leak repair claim online: “Covered Item Problem: Water Is Leaking Inside The House Has this item ever worked?: Yes When did you first notice the problem?: Today Q & A: Q: Please Tell Us Where You Are Experiencing A Water Leak A: 1st Floor Problem Description: It rained this morning and when I went into my office I noticed water drops in my office chair and looked up and noticed a slight swelling in the ceiling and it was damp when I touched it.” Clearly, this issue was not in proper working order when the customer added the coverage minutes before they filed the claimAs to their other complaint, On September 26, 2015, the customer filed their first AC issue under the contract, after an independent technician advised them of possible problems in the future with their upstairs system. We sent a technician to diagnose, per contract, and the technician reported that their unit was cooling properly, with a degree split in temperatureThere was no mention of a leak in the system at this timeOn April 23, 2016, the customer filed a second AC claim, claiming that both AC units for the property were leaking A technician was sent to investigate, and they found a leak in the customer’s upstairs evaporator coil. There was no failure with the downstairs unit. We provided the customer the breakdown on their costs to complete the repair, as well as the cash out amount for the repair. The customer chose to accept the cash out on our cost of the repair As a courtesy, we are providing a refund for the coverage the customer purchased on the problem they noticed on the same day. As to the AC issue, we are providing the customer a check for our cost on the coil replacement, labor and covered refrigerant Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

Re: Heidi *** Your Claim No*** HWA Contract No*** To Whom It May Concern: Home Warranty of America is in receipt of your correspondence regarding the above referenced claimHome Warranty of America would like to report that we have constructed an increased buyout
amount for Ms***We have tried to contact Ms***, however, our efforts have not been successful Home Warranty of America records indicate that Ms*** was given the correct information regarding the buyout amount and the non-covered amountThe non-covered amount consists of items that the warranty does not address per the limitations in our contractWe are understanding that as a home owner, this information is frustratingWe are understanding of the situation and value Ms***’s business, therefore, we have stepped out of our contractual obligations to offer a different solutionWe have increased the buyout amount for Ms***We have tried to make contact with Ms***, but have not been successfulAs soon as we are able to get in touch with Ms***, we will advise her of increased buyout amount Thank you for bringing this matter to our attentionShould you have any further questionsPlease feel free to contact me directly at 224-***-***

March 29, Lucille *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: *** *** MO- Dear Ms***: We received the customer’s inquiry, and
approved the repair on March 22, Per the technician’s report, the repair was completed yesterday Sincerely, Carl *** Office of the President

August 3, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** GA-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s complaint and the repair has
been completed Sincerely, *** *** DE Svcs HWA Claims Handling Manager

January 10, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** GA-*** Dear Ms***: We have received the customer’s inquiry, and have
spoken to them, and their husband, about the issue To explain, the warranty is looking to replacing the customer’s heat pump Condenser, and Air Handler, to address the failures with the customer’s HVAC system. The technician needs to address certain costs that are not included in the warranty coverage, which include changes (modifications) to the customer’s existing ductwork, copper lines, electrical lines, and drain lines to accommodate the new system. With these costs, they need to add a float switch (which is not in the property) replace the functional return air box, change out their condenser pad (excluded from contractual coverage) reseal the ductwork they need to open to replace the Air Handler and dispose of the old equipment The customer does not dispute that these costs are excluded from our coverage. Per our conversation, the customer is disputing the technician’s quoted retail cost on the non-covered items ($1,938.00), stating that they are too high. We are sorry if the customer feels that this is the case We have offered the customer our cost on the eligible items under the contract, and when we last spoke, the customer’s husband was reviewing the costs The customer and her husband have my direct contact information, and I anticipate speaking to them shortly Sincerely, *** *** Office of the President

October 26, *** *** Dispute Resolution Specialist Revdex.com North Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL Re: ***: *** CA-*** Dear Ms***: We received the
customer’s complaint and have contacted them directly to review the issue Sincerely, *** *** Claims Special Handling

November 12, 2015Lucille GarciaDispute Resolution SpecialistRevdex.comNorth Wabash, Suite 2006 Chicago, IL 60611Re: ***: Raven TX-***Dear Ms***We have received the
customer’s complaint, and
provide the following responseOn September 16, 2015, the
customer called to advise that their kitchen faucet was leaking. Per our agreement, we sent a technician to
investigate the leak. Upon arrival at
the home, the technician found the faucet handle broken, with the plastic faucet
stop pushed past the built in shut off point on the faucet Per our contract, section I.B.7:““Covered Systems and
Components” means systems and components as specifically described herein as
“Included” and that are located inside the confines of the main foundation of
the Covered Property and are in proper working order on the Coverage Period
Start Date and become inoperative due to wear and tear, including
breakdowns due to insufficient maintenance if at the time the issue or
breakdown was unknown.”And VII.G:“HWA is not responsible for
consequential or secondary damageThis includes but is not limited to, repair
of conditions caused by chemical or sedimentary build up, insect infestation,
mold, mildew, or bacterial manifestations, misuse or abuse,…”The faucet handle being
broken, and pushed past the point where it would shut off is a clear indicator
that someone physically broke the faucet.
When the customer questioned the technicians diagnosis, we offered the
customer a second opinion as a courtesy, advising that there would only be an
additional trade fee due if the technician came back with the same diagnosis (i.e
the faucet had been broken due to it being forced it past the stopping point
and breaking the handle). The customer
declined, as they did not want to pay an additional fee at all As the faucet did not break
due to wear, we would not replace the faucetSincerely,Carl ***Escalated Special Handling