A local mom says she bought extra protection from a company to cover her appliances in case they ever broke down. But when she called to put in a claim, she ended up with a home warranty headache. Hank Investigates.
It’s tough taking care of a newborn. And when your washing machine isn’t working right — it’s even tougher.
Heather’s washing machine was shaking the house.
And leaking soapy water onto the floor.
She says the problem started back in the spring when she was pregnant.
Her washer broke, but Heather didn’t worry. She’d purchased a warranty to fix wear and tear on all of her appliances.
The warranty company sent a technician who took her washer away and promised to fix it. But he didn’t.
“As soon as he brought it back, it was started to kind of sound like the engine was running like it was a jet engine,” Heather says. “I’ve just never heard anything so loud, and I’m like, OK, well, that’s not right.”
And that’s when the leak started.
Heather says next, she got the runaround.
“I was very frustrated, very frustrated. I really thought that we were going to have good customer service, that we were that this was a great program, and it was just so much frustration,” Heather says.
On social media, we found other frustrated customers.
The company has nearly 12,800 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau over the last three years. But the complaints really started to increase this spring.
The company tells us that’s when COVID disrupted everyone’s lives and their operations too:
“As homeowners across the country sheltered in place… the strain on their home systems and appliances led to a higher-than-normal volume of breakdowns and demand for our services – especially in the appliance trade.”
After we contacted them, they replaced Heather’s washing machine, and now she can do laundry without mopping the floor.
“Oh, I’m just so, so relieved and thankful,” Heather says.
Keep in mind if you have a home warranty and file a claim, the company first sends a technician to diagnose your appliance issue and then reports back to the warranty company. Then the company decides how to proceed and if they’ll cover the problem.
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