Troubleshooter steps in over home warranty woes

Diane Wilson Image
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Troubleshooter helps with washing machine woes
Troubleshooter helps with washing machine woes

Home warranty woes left Gina Clark fed up.

Clark paid monthly to American Home Shield to make sure the major appliances inside her home were protected.

She said when she needed service after her washing machine broke, it took too long for her to get satisfaction.

"It's just the runaround and it's aggravating," said Clark.

The washing machine stopped working in February. Clark said she called AHS right away and they did send a technician.

"They came and put the rods in but they never put the bearings in," Clark said.

She said she tried to be patient while waiting for the repair, but it was taking weeks.

"I have to go to the wash, drag my husband with me as the clothes are heavy. Plus we've got a puppy. I've got to wash his clothes too," Clark said.

Clark made countless calls to American Home Shield but still no fix - so she reached out to me.

"When I'm spending my money, they need to stand up to their part," Gina said.

I reached out to the home warranty company and a spokesperson from American Home Shield provided this statement:

We take great pride in providing quality service and valuable protection to our customers. If we fail to meet these expectations, we work to do the right thing and ensure the situation is properly resolved.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience Mrs. Clark experienced. We have reimbursed her service fee and have taken steps to complete the replacement as quickly as possible. Our team is staying in contact with Mrs. Clark regarding the scheduled installation and to ensure her satisfaction.

While the initial repair was completed in a timely manner, it did not resolve the malfunction as anticipated. When the contractor returned to the home, he identified additional parts to be replaced. After finding the parts were no longer available, we offered Mrs. Clark two options: we could authorize funds for her to purchase a unit on her own or she could allow us to replace the washing machine from one of our suppliers. She agreed to the latter.

We value our relationship with Mrs. Clark and appreciate the opportunity to properly resolve this situation. We look forward to continuing to serve her in the future.

A new washing machine was delivered to Gina's home and she says she is happy and relieved she doesn't have to make any more trips to the laundromat.

The Troubleshooter takeaway is when it comes to home warranty coverage, take a look at exactly what is covered and not.

Also, see if there is any recourse if the repair or replacement does not happen in a timely fashion.