I direct this blog to all homeowners (landlords/owner occupants alike) with a HUGE warning as we will be having RECORD temps this weekend and currently 1 of our beloved clients that just closed escrow on their home is being completely screwed over right now by Choice Home Warranty and I really think it’s an important trending topic to MAKE ALL OF YOU AWARE so this doesn’t happen to you too!
Lessons learned dealing with recent AC issues for both our client and ourselves:#1 NOT ALL Home Warranty Companies are alike, #2 just like your car, your AC needs regular maintenance not just to extend the life of the unit- but to ensure you have coverage on your AC in the event it fails under these harsh AZ temps and you need to call in a claim on your home warranty. #3 You get what you pay for #4 Don’t let your dog pee on your AC unit(s).
The story of Diane and Chad in Goodyear AZ… These wonderful clients of ours bought a home from a lady who was having some personal issues and when it came to the condition/maintenance/etc… there’s definitely a lot of work my clients knew they were in for after closing. HOWEVER, because they did a Home Inspection prior to closing (with a reputable inspector) and found issues with the AC that were fixed by the Seller/warranty company during the escrow period (& the same warranty policy transferred over to them which doesn’t expire until August), they didn’t think they’d be staring at a $3k bill today and most likely will have to sue Choice Home Warranty in small claims court if they do not step up to fix their AC like they should.
About a month ago, my husband & I experienced a disappointing situation ourselves with our own AC for our 3 year old Shea home. It prompted us to purchase a Platinum Warranty with Old Republic immediately on our own home with the Star coverage that allows us to have our units serviced for a reduced price annually. Basically our ACs were covered completely first 2 years we owned our new home by the manufacturer via our Builder’s warranty dept, but after year 2, only parts. Our coil went bad on one of the units- turns out our lab was peeing on it 🙁 and it cost us $2k for labor/Freon. What we found out in dealing with this is it’s a new trend by builders, manufacturers and warranty companies to deny any coverage IF you can’t prove you serviced your AC unit during the previous 12 months?!?! Most of us don’t think about our AC unit until it’s not working properly, so yet another lesson learned- give yourself an annual reminder in early Spring to get those AC’s serviced and ready to go for the long hot upcoming Summer. AGAIN NOT just to ensure coverage, but increase efficiency and the lifetime of the unit itself.
In case you’re curious… the following is a list of what “they” consider “servicing” but notice- everyone seems to be finding a way to exclude coverage for anything expensive like coils or compressors, so take care of those expensive units!
The scoundrels currently denying coverage for our clients are Choice Home Warranty, check out these horrible reviews- click on the image—> for link!!! Don’t USE THEM!!! And if you’re a Realtor- DON’T let your clients use them either!!!!!
