HomeSmart from Xcel Energy

Thank you for allowing us to address Ms***'s concerns. Per HomeSmart's Appliance Repair Plan and Replacement Helper Plan Term's and Conditions, customers are signing up for a yearly plan, broken up into monthly installments if they are Xcel Energy customers. (see Terms and
Conditions attached.) Management has listened to the call in question where Ms*** called into our service center and requested information about and to sign up for the HomeSmart Replacement Helper Plan where the representative informed her of the month commitment from that date. We have researched into Ms***'s request and have cancelled her account effective 8/16/being as though the Replacement Helper Plan services have not been used. If there are any further questions or concerns, please contact HomeSmart from Xcel Energy at ###-###-####

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2016/01/15) */
We have reviewed this complaint for ***
It is common industry practice to shut off a leaking water heater so that water damage is not caused
We understand that Ms*** was not satisfied with the decision to turn
off the water and we have made an exception to our policy and have allowed cancellation of her planThe HomeSmart plan was cancelled on December 16, and nothing further has been billed to Ms***
Please let me know there are further questions regarding this matter
Thank you
Tami ***
HomeSmart Supervisor
***

I am very sorry to hear about Ms***'s experience. I work at the HomeSmart Minnesota office. Ms*** needs to be directed to HomeSmart Colorado. Their website is www.homesmartcolorado.com and their phone number is ###-###-####

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Miss ***'s complaint. HomeSmart has researched Miss ***'s contention, and Miss *** signed up for HomeSmart online where our terms and conditions are required to be read prior to signing up. I have attached our terms and conditions.
Miss *** chose our Basic Repair Plan for $per month. Our Replacement Helper plan is an additional $per month and was not signed up for, nor has she been charged for the Replacement Helper Plan. I have included our terms and conditions of HomeSmart's Replacement Helper Plan as well to outline those terms and the payout per appliance is a fixed fee. Miss ***, and all of HomeSmart's customers, can view our terms and conditions on the same website where she applied for her Appliance Repair Plan, www.homesmartminnesota.com . I have also included a copy of Ms***'s coverage letter, she would have received one very similar not too long after she signed up for her planThis coverage letter clearly states Replacement Coverage ($11.95/ month), Coverage not chosen. As to Miss ***'s request to terminate her agreement with HomeSmart, we have set her up to automatically cancel on her month renewal date of 12/12/2017. Per HomeSmart's Terms and Conditions, all customers that sign up agree to a month commitment. We apologize for any confusion and if Miss *** has any further questions or concerns, please call ###-###-####. Thank you

Hi ***,First, I listened to both of your recent calls to HomeSmart regarding the furnace matter, including your call to request cancellation in which you spoke with our agent, ***. I want to apologize on behalf of HomeSmart for how he handled that call with you. His 'laugh' was
inappropriate and unprofessional, along with a few other instances during the call that I also thought could have been addressed more professionally by him. I am sorry to see you leave HomeSmart after years as our customer, but I understand your reason for doing so. It can be challenging for us to get a variety of service partners to serve outlying areas such as *** ***, and it's not clear to me why the other vendor we use there no longer services your zip codeI have brought that issue to the attention of our service partner supervisor, and he will look into this.I left you a voicemail on your phone this morning to discuss further with you, as I would like to resolve the matter regarding the fees that were discussed. Normally we do require either payment for the remaining balance of the contract, or payment for any work that was performed during the current year on your plan, and in this case, the work performed came to $and is the cheaper of the two options. However, I would like to go ahead and do a one-time waiver of this fee, due to the poor handling of that call with our agent--it was very poor customer service in my opinion. So we will not require you to pay the $fee, or the remaining fees on your cancelled contract, as a gesture of goodwill and a thank you to you for the six years you were a HomeSmart customer. I do ask that you pay the final monthly bill you will receive, as we bill for the service a month behind.Please let me know if this is acceptable for you, with my deepest apologies. I would also love to hear from you if you have time to call me back (I'm a manager at HomeSmaname is ***)

Mr*** ***:
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Our findings:
4/25/called to add Clothes Washer to HomeSmart
Plan. I listened to the phone call where
the representative explained in detail the day pre-exist period. This is also outlined in our terms and
conditions that are given upon sign up and every year approximately one month
prior to renewal. The HomeSmart Repair
Plan Terms and Conditions is also available on our website at www.homesmartminnesota.com
5/25/called in a repair request for Clothes Washer
stating it is making noises and not draining.
The representative that was on the phone went over the day pre exist
and explained that the customer’s charges will be split up into three equal
instalments over the next days of billing
5/Bilder Appliance came out to diagnose the Clothes
Washer which is an $charge. After
leaving, Bilder ordered control board to fix the Clothes Washer. On June 1st, Customer called
HomeSmart to check on part/ repair status.
On June 2nd, Bilder returned to replace control board,
however customer did not want to pay for chargesBilder did not complete
repair
7/*** requested to remove everything from HomeSmart
plan except Furnace, Air Conditioning, Range and Clothes Washer, and to cancel
HomeSmart completely at renewal which is 1/11/
Resolution:
Fred’s HomeSmart account has been credited $57, which is
two installments of the diagnostic charge added. He will not be billed for the third
installment. His HomeSmart account is
set to be cancelled as of 1/11/which is renewal date. Disclosure of day rule before scheduling
did happen at time of adding new appliance to the plan, at the time that the
repair request was phoned in, and when the service provider came out to the
home to install control board.
Disclosure of the contract is mailed out to all customers within a month
prior to renewal periodHomeSmart Repair Plan Terms and Conditions are
attached as well as the current coverage that Mr*** has. Please let us know if HomeSmart can be of
more assistance

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by
the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
HOMESMART refunded the full amount and followed up with an apology phone call. I will continue to use their Home Warranty service
Sincerely,
*** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/07/14) */
Thank you for bringing Mr*** concerns to our attentionThe terms and conditions clearly states that the plan is purchased for one full year and payable in twelve monthly installments or pre-paid in advanceIt is also stated,
unless canceled the plan automatically renews for the next twelve monthsThe terms and conditions are available on line on our website and are also mailed at sign and annually thereafter
To resolve this matter the account was canceled on July 11th

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/02) */
Another service provider was assigned to resolve this situation and to provide future serviceThe new thermostat has been installed and the system was tested and is now operationalWe apologize for the delay and inconvenience
Initial
Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/07/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 14, 2015/04/03) */
HomeSmart has reviewed this matterThe inducer motor has been replaced
HomeSmart agrees that it would have been prudent to replace the noisy inducer motor under the circumstances described and apologize for the inconvenience caused by
this decision
HomeSmart is no longer working with the service provider Midland and has reassigned this area to another service provider
As a goodwill gesture and resolve this matter HomeSmart has issued a month credit for the HomeSmart service plan charges

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/16) */
HomeSmart has reviewed this matterAs requested by Ms*** the preventative maintenance portion of the service plan has been canceled and the months of preventative charges have been credited to Ms*** accountThe customer is
satisfied with this resolution

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2015/04/03) */
As stated in the terms and conditions and also to keep the affordable HomeSmart routine service call scheduling is provided Monday through Friday during normal business hours. This information was also outlined in a letter sent you in February...

25th 2015 and also communicated in January of 2004.
HomeSmart is a non-regulated offering of Xcel Energy. While there may be limited options for gas and electric utility service there are several competitors who offer service plans in our marketplace.
HomeSmart apologizes for the inconvenience but is unable to honor your scheduling request. If the service plans scheduling terms and conditions do not meet your expectations I recommend you consider canceling your plan.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 13, 2014/03/06) */
Mr. [redacted],
[redacted]
Hugo, MN 55038
February 28, 2014
Dear Mr. [redacted]:
We received your complaint filed with the Revdex.com and have reviewed your complaint in full. We have prepared the following response:
Our...

records indicate the following transpired on the following dates:
December 3, 2013 - Ms. [redacted] called in to place a service order for the clothes dryer as it was taking multiple cycles to dry.
December 5, 2013 - [redacted] Appliance came out to service the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer was tested and everything tested o.k. The technician determined that the roof vent needed to be cleaned. Mr. [redacted] called in upset and stated that the technician was only in the home for short period of time and did not leave an invoice. [redacted] appliance did call and speak with Ms. [redacted] and explained what was done during the service call.
December 12, 2013 - You indicated you had your vent cleaned. A second technician from [redacted] Appliance came back out to the home to recheck the clothes dryer. He tested the clothes dryer temperatures and everything tested out good. The technician noticed the clothes washer and asked the customer if his clothes were coming out of the washer damp as the clutches normally fail on that type of clothes washer. You agreed to give the technician permission to look at the clothes washer. The technician diagnosed that oil had leaked out of the transmission onto the clutch which would cause the clothes in the washer not to spin out completely. This would cause the dryer to act as if it is not drying for the first cycle because the clothes are still too damp. The technician did replace the clutch for the you, cleaned oil off the shaft and everything tested ok.
December 13, 2013 -Ms. [redacted] called back to indicate that the clothes washer was not working and was making a clicking noise.
December 16, 2013 - [redacted] Appliance called and spoke with Mr. [redacted]. Initially Mr. [redacted] wanted to be removed from the plan or to have the unit replaced. [redacted] Appliance explained to the customer that if he has the unit replaced and has a replacement claim with his replacement coverage that he will not be able to cancel his HomeSmart service. According to our Terms and Conditions the customer would need to remain on the plan until his renewal date which would have been September 30, 2014. After understanding that, both [redacted] Appliance, and Mr. [redacted] came to the conclusion to replace the transmission for the clothes washer. [redacted] Appliance agreed to do this at no charge to the customer as a good will gesture. The transmission is not a covered component under the HomeSmart plan. [redacted] Appliance did replace the transmission and the clutch tested o.k. While at the home, he also cycled the dryer again, and temperatures tested very well.
February 24, 2014 - [redacted] Appliance contacted the customer once again after hearing of this complaint and spoke with Ms. [redacted]. She stated the washer and dryer were working fine and she had no issues.
February 28, 2014 - I called and spoke with Mr. [redacted]. You initially wanted the problem to be fixed or to be replaced and then wanted your service with HomeSmart cancelled. I advised we would be willing to send out a second provider to get another opinion for the clothes washer and clothes dryer and if they are not able to be repaired that at that point you would be eligible for a replacement claim with his replacement helper coverage. I did explain that in this case, he would not be able to cancel his service plan until his renewal date. You were not interested in HomeSmart sending out another provider to get a second opinion. I then offered to make an exception to our Terms & Conditions and as a good will gesture allow you to cancel your plan early and to also reimburse you for the time that you were on the plan. You agreed that you would like to cancel the plan and to be reimbursed. We will be crediting your account in the amount of $203.75 for the entire time you had service with HomeSmart since September 30, 2013.
I have sent a copy of Terms and Conditions to your home outlying that the transmission is not a covered part on a clothes washer as well as that coverage is a one year contract with HomeSmart. You can also access a .pdf version of our Terms & Conditions via the URL listed below.
http://homesmartminnesota.com/content/appliance-repair-plan
In order to access the .pdf version of this document, you will need to click on the Terms & Conditions" link under Resources.
Thank you,
[redacted]
HomeSmart Supervisor

Response was more than 2000 characters.  Please see attached letter.

Hi Mr. [redacted], As I mentioned in my previous replay, we should be able to accommodate your request in the event no HomeSmart services were utilized on or after Jan. 28th, as it appears that was the case (no services were requested after 1/28).  We will go ahead and issue a credit of $18.99 for the second billing period. Kind regards,Jeff H[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/05) */
Thank you alerting us to the opportunity to resolve the concerns of Ms. [redacted] I have reviewed this matter and have prepared the following response:
HomeSmart from Xcel Energy is a repair and replacement service plan for...

major home appliances. To keep the price of HomeSmart plans affordable, there are specific terms and conditions. The Replacement Helper Plan is an optional reimbursement plan that helps to offset the cost to replace an appliance if a HomeSmart technician during the course of making a repair determines that the appliance is not repairable.
Typically this occurs when parts are no longer available or in situations with the failure a life cycle ending major component occurs such as a furnace heat exchanger.
A third party service provider hired by the customer (Mpls/St Paul Plumbing and Heating) diagnosed that the furnace that the heat exchanger had developed cracks. Our service provider checked the furnace but was unable to find any evidence of cracks thus no repair was necessary nor was there a failure of a life cycle ending component. Our service provider did issue a yellow natural gas hazard tag due to the age of the furnace. After reviewing this situation we believe this hazard tag was issued in error and added to the customer's confusion regarding Replacement Coverage reimbursement eligibility. To prevent future occurrences we plan to review this situation with our service provider.
As goodwill gesture and to resolve this matter HomeSmart will make an exception to our terms and conditions and reimburse Ms.[redacted] $1000 upon the detailed proof of purchase receipt of the new furnace.
Please send a copy of the furnace receipt to HomeSmart at, [redacted], St. St Paul MN 55117. Attention Replacement Administrator.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/11/08) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Thank you for the opportunity to address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns.  Attached you will find HomeSmart's Appliance Repair Plan's Terms and Conditions.  Number 3 outlines our 12 month commitment agreement which each customer agrees to yearly by renewing and not calling to cancel their service on...

renewal.  I have looked into Mr. [redacted]'s account and we are willing to make the exception and cancel his account immediately being as though Mr. [redacted] has not used the HomeSmart service since his renewal date in October.  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.  Thank you and for any further concerns or questions, please call HomeSmart at ###-###-####.

A credit was issued today to this customer’s account for a total of $97.88. We apologize for the delay in getting this processed. Additionally, we have listened to the calls and the interactions you had with the agents referenced, do not meet the level of customer service that we expect from our...

team members. We have coached them accordingly. Again, we apologize for your less than adequate experience with HomeSmart.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I have faxed over a copy of the invoice as requested by HomeSmart manager [redacted] and have yet to be reimbursed. I will consider this matter unresolved until the funds of $160.00 have been refunded back to me. I have attached a copy of the invoice in this complaint as well.Additionally, after our Revdex.com conplaint was submitted, Homesmart has chosen to drop the coverage on our A/C unit altogether, claiming that the repairs on this item outweigh the cost of the unit itself. The repairs made by the private contractor (outside of HomeSmart's contractors) we hired have been sufficient and our A/C unit is working better than it was before. No offer has been made to add an additional appliance or to compensate us for our monthly service charges as stated in the original complaint. This portion of the complaint was never addressed by manager [redacted] or any representative from HomeSmart.
Sincerely, [redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/27) */
This complaint was sent HomeSmart Minnesota in error.This complaint has been forwarded to HomeSmart Colorado. The HomeSmart Colorado phone number is XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 24, 2015/11/24) */
(The consumer...

indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
You will note on the service order that I signed the work completed box. I DID NOT sign the "estimate OK" box because I was never given an estimate. I asked for the price on the parts and was told he did not have the invoice. I would never have accepted the $1,375.00 price since I had already researched the price and knew approximately what it should have been. The adjustments on price were made at a later date than the original service order. The changes were written over and added to the original work order. Original WO #XXXXXXXX was changed to WO # [redacted] might be a y). The $1,375.00 price was still in affect on 9/14/2015 as per the building permit dated that date. All changes made after the installation on 9/05/2015. I feel Homesmart responsible as BMR is their appointed installer (employee in my opinion). I also note that Homesmart failed to address the $50.00 rebate that their original renewal confirmation letter says they will pay if I buy a new heater from them and have it installed by them. At the very least I am entitled to this. Thanks,
[redacted] XXX-XXX-XXXX
Complaint Response Date bumped because: Holiday
Final Business Response /* (4000, 30, 2015/12/18) */
Homesmart's Technical and Field supervisor will visit the [redacted] residence to assess the installation and the equipment that was installed Monday 12/21.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 32, 2015/12/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
As a result of the meeting with the field supervisor, we came to a satisfactory resolution to the problem and all the conditions were met in a very timely and professional manner. I consider this matter to be closed. Thanks to all who were involved.