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Houses are a big pain, no doubt about it. Something is always broken, stopped up, leaking or starting to smoke. The idea of a "home warranty" sounds attractive but all too often, the reality is something else, as the complaints in this section show.
Minor appliance repairs can turn into major productions and major repairs are all too often not covered under the "pre-existing condition" clause. So the question is: would you be better off saving the money you'd spend on a warranty and putting it aside to help cover routine maintenance problems?
Henry of Pacheco CA (1/21/03) thinks so:
Their standard plan covers nothing. They won't cover things that can be cleared from your sewer line, they won't cover things that can't be cleared from your sewer line and they won't cover you sewer line at all unless it breaks right under your house.
I'm out three grand to replace the sewer line on the house I just bought, plus carpet cleaning.
Tim of Jacksonville NC (04/23/08)
Refrigerator quit working 3 weeks ago. Called Old Republic and they scheduled a repairman. Repairman shows up a week later and determines a start relay and capacitor are bad. Four days later, I call the repairman and was told the part had to be manufactured. Keep in my the refrigerator is only 3 years old.
Repairman states that it could take a month of better to get the part. I called Old Republic, stating the lead time is excessive and that I should not have to do without a fridge for better than a month. Old Republic's response, Make do until the part arrives. I will update this post when I get more information.
Andrea of Mountain House CA (03/26/08)
We purchased a practically new home and within a few months, the A/C stopped dispensing cool air. Old Republic sent out an incompetent technician within a few days who could not figure out the problem. He came back, but still didn't know. A few months pass. I called Old Republic to have someone come out again. The same incompetent comes out a few more times and eventually reports to O.R. that we need a new A/C unit (the unit we had was a year old). In the meantime, O.R. claims that it has not heard from the incompetent while the incompetent claims that it sent in results from its tests. After a few more months of this, O.R. says that they do not cover upgrades. We are not asking for an upgrade to the A/C unit that we have, just one that is the same. They said that we would need to pay $500 for this upgrade. Please, if anyone would like to file in a class action suit, please let me know. I am not an attorney, but it seems clear to me that causes of action such as breach of contract and fraud or at least negligent misrepresentation could stick.
Now, it looks like we will be paying a total of $600 to replace an A/C unit that should be covered by our plan.
Charles of Hemet CA (03/14/08)
March 1, 2008 6:00 am we called our home warranty company Old Republic becasue our furnace and air conditioner would not come on. By 8:00 am we had a call from the assigned service man from AllTemp to schedule and appointment that day. Old Republic's service company arrived timely at 2:00 PM and found our furnace had severe electrical damage from a flame roll out and could not be safely repaired. By 5:00 PM we had received a call from Leslie at Old Republic to tell us, AllTemp would be replacing the furnace. The only charges we would incurr would be a $50.00 disposal fee in addition to the already paid Trade Fee of $50.00. We agreed to the non coverd cost happily, considering a new furnace would have cost us plenty. The service company arrived as scheduled March 3, 2008 and worked msot of the day replacing our furnace.
We are so please to have purchased Old Republics Warranty. It's disheartening to read some of these complaints . Some of the letters I have read here are misinformed people who do not fully understand or want to the Home Warranty Policy.
We would highly recommend Old Republic to anyone seeking HOme Warranty.
Jeff of Colleyville TX (02/28/08)
Initial complaint was approx. 09/07. Company refused to replace 2 defective water heaters they claimed to be leaking due to manufacturers defect. I had 2 independent plumbers inspect the water heaters. Both reached the same conclusion that a defective thermostat prevented the gas from shutting off. The 2 heaters are connected and continuos steam build-up expanded both tanks to the verge of explosion. Neither plumber had ever seen a tank reach this point without exploding.
Both tanks were Reem and installed August 2001. Old Republic took responsibility for the defective thermostat (approx. $60), however, refused to pay for replacements. I paid $1200 to replace both.
Case 2: 02/08 - Kitchen disposal stopped working. The motion of the blades was tested with an allen wrench. No obstructions or scrapes were detected. The plate freely turns by hand. The technician's first diagnosis was associated to clogged rose stems and q-tips. After removing the debris, the disposal worked long enough for him to get out of the door. Within minutes it returned to a nonworking state. It appears as if no power is getting to the appliance. A second visit was made. 2nd diagnosis, a bent plate was making it inoperable. Again, the motion of the plate has been tested with no detection of resistance or scraping. Old Republic informs me I am permitted to get a 2nd opinion at my own expense and they will review that diagnosis. I can not allow myself to pay for another opinion knowing Old Republic's response will be refusal to pay.
Terry of Collierville TN (02/13/08)
We purchased a new house and got a ORHP warranty. We were pleased on our first claim. But finally, Old Republic proved to be exactly who they are. Our refrigerator went out. Six weeks later it still isn't repaired. Now they say it is non-repairable and want to give me a white low-grade fridge to replace my stainless steel one. After hours of complaining, I was basically told to get over it. I can accept a $824.50 buy-out. But of course, where can I get a new stainless fridge for that. Also, a week earlier I was told by a Customer Service Rep. that my fridge was valued at $2000.00. Now it's only worth $800!
The company says that was the agreement of the warranty. The agreement was also a limit of $1000.00 of repairs. They admit they crossed that limit four weeks ago. But I still have to live by the agreement even though they don't.
I'm taking the buyout. But I'm telling everyone I can to avoid this scam. It's a joke. And the people in purchasing and customer service have lied so many times I lost count. But again...I have to get over it!
Francoise of Montgomery TX (02/12/08)
1/28/08 Called Old Republic and told them that the downstairs furnace (2 zone/dual electric systems) was not heating. Blowing cold air but no heat. I'd checked the breakers, cycled them off/on. 1/29/08 OR HVAC technician arrived, looked at furnace, said it was the breaker and I needed an electrician. Called OR and they issued a work order for an electrician. 1/30/08 OR electrician arrived. Said that he didn't think it was the breaker but he's replaced it anyway. He called OR and said that he had replaced the breaker but there were a bunch of control wires in the furnace that were burned and he thought there was a problem inside the furnace.
1/31/08 OR HVAC tech returns. Replaces burned wires and resets breaker. Breaker pops 20 minutes later, lots of burning wire smell. I call HVAC company & they said they would send someone out Monday 2/4/08. 2/4/08 HVAC tech arrives finds that the wires his partner had replaced had burned. Replaces wires and says that he'll come back and replace the 'sequencer'. Breaker pops a few minutes later. HVAC tech contends that 41.2 amps is too much for that 60 amp breaker. Says he'll come back tomorrow and stage the heat strips. 2/6/08 HVAC tech returns and stages the heat strips. Breaker pops in about 15 minutes. I speak to OR and say that the unit still isn't working and maybe they should get a second opinion.
2/8/08 New HVAC tech arrives and says that unit is miswired. Rewires controls. Breaker trips. He pulls heat strips and says that they need to be replaced. Says he need to get an accurate schematic of the unit because the wiring diagram on the cover of the unit didn't seem to be correct. Calls his office to ask for parts and is told that no parts are available for unit (too old). 2/11/08 HVAC tech returns to get dimensions of the air handler. Says that the unit is too old and no parts are available, so the unit will need to be replaced. 2/11/08 OR call and says that the claim is denied because the unit failed due to lack of maintenance. I said the unit was serviced last July (07) and none of their guys has mentioned that the unit wasn't properly maintained but now that they find out that you have to replace the unit, suddenly it has not been properly maintained, that's silly.
2/12/08 I called OR to complain. OR called twice saying they would talk to, the last was Kareem who said that the claim was denied. I said the unit was serviced in July and he said that If I'd send him the service order maybe they would reconsider. I reminded him that they had been out 5 times over two weeks (during which I had no heat) and none of the tech reports had mentioned that the unit wasn't properly maintained until it became obvious that they had to replace the unit. He said Oh, we wouldn't do that. But they did.
Robert of Denver NC (02/12/08)
My newly purchased home in Denver, North Carolina had the whole heating and A/C system fail shortly after we moved into the home. We had a home warranty with Old Republic Home Protection Company Inc. Old Republic replaced the complete system except the old thermostat. (stupid move) Generally a good company would change that with the new system. They elected not to do so. The non-covered item costs were substantial and if one added the cost of the insurance policy one could easily get the job done for less than those two items combined. (a bit disappointing about that) Shortly after the change out, the thermostat failed and the old thermostat was repaired (not replaced). Not long after the thermostat had a complete failure and the tech replaced it with a new one. Keep in mind each visit is $70.00 (not covered). A good company would have replaced the thermostat with the new change out of the entire system. Old Republic elected not to do so. There may be some good companies for home warranties out there but it is my experience Old Republic is not one of them.
Salt to the financial wound of the huge non covered costs now $70.00 more.
Frank of Winchester CA (02/12/08)
My issue was a roof leak reported on 11/30/07. I was told to find a contractor on my own and I had a roof contractor come to my home on Saturday, 12/1/07. We had over 5inches of rain that weekend with high winds, and we had a dry period on Saturday afternoon, allowing the contractor to show up and give me a report on the nature of the leak. He reported that we had severe wind damage and that some of the roof tiles were blown off the landing onto the field tiles, breaking the field tiles and leaving the felt under the tiles exposed and damaged, resulting in the roof leak. The leak caused water to enter our attic and into our closet in our master bedroom. I called Old Republic twice while the contractor was on the way that Saturday; my purpose was to gain an understanding of how to expedite the claim once the contractor showed up.
I was given the name of Larry at Old Republic, and he gave me the work order #. When I call Larry back with the contractor's verbal report of the severe wind damage issue, Larry put me on hold for 5-10 minutes so he could internally consult with Old Republic personnel. (This was mainly due to the fact that Jason was not working that weekend, and we couldn't wait till Monday. After all, the weather report was for continued rain through out the weekend.) Larry came back on the line and told me that Old Republic would honor the work order, but would only allow $1000 coverage - my contractor's estimate was quoted at $1,100. He told me to make sure I faxed the contractor's invoice to Jason after the job was complete. Based on Larry's approval, I had the contractor complete an emergency repair. I faxed the contractor's invoice to Jason as instructed and he called me back that following Wednesday to tell me that Old Republic was not honoring my claim.
And here's Jason's reason: Covered under the plan: The repair of specific leaks that occur in the roof located over the occupied living area (excluding garage), provided that the leaks are the result of rain and/or normal wear and deterioration and the roof was watertight and in good condition on the effective date of the plan. (It was.) Exclusions: ...missing or broken roof shingles or tiles, damage caused by persons walking or standing on the roof... Ironically, since the severe winds blew some tiles away, causing them to partially break, Old Republic denied the claim. When I stated that the broken tiles were the result of normal rain/wind, Jason did not care. In Old Republic's opinion, the resulting broken tiles due to natural causes voided the warranty.
Well, as you can imagine, I argued that the broken tiles were a consequence of a covered rain/wind situation. They did not break due to misuse. I further challenged Jason to explain to me how anyone can be covered under these circumstances. That didn't seem to matter - so long as tiles were broke, the claim was denied. I then spoke with Jordon Reynolds, the purchasing supervisor, stating that I did my part to work with Old Republic, and didn't think they were being fair. And Jordon took the same position as Jason. The bottom line - they were looking for an excuse to walk away from honoring Larry's verbal commitment that Saturday the contractor was at my home. I also explained that we had an emergency situation with water damage to our closet, and had to get the contractor on our own. With all we were going through, I had hoped that Old Republic would have been more sympathetic to our cause. Rather, they made me feel like we were not worth their time. I left other messages for Jordon, to further plea for help, but he never responded back.
My wife and I had to do our best to place buckets in the attic to prevent more water from entering our closet. We also had to call numerous contractors to find one who could respond on an emergency situation. We incurred expenses in the amount of $1,100 and had to throw away clothes which were covered with fiber glass from working in the attic to stop the water leak. We were also very stressed out from the leak incident, and then Old Republic's attitude.
Jordan of Lancaster CA (12/29/07)
Finally my family and I were able to purchase a piece of the state of California with our first home. Our selling agent was great and she went above and beyond in all expectations, but her image is tarnished by the recommendation of Old Republic Home Protection. We thought that we were well taken care of with any problems that could arise in our home until just after moving in: the Jennair stove's digital display that controls what the oven temperature went blank. I called Old Republic, and my claim was instantly denied. I was told it was a pre-existing condition. The stove was built in 1995, and has a new value of $2300.00. I believe that Old Republic knew of this with their money saving computer and denied the claim. Then I was rather irate and called my real estate agent, and she in turn called the rep who sells the policies in my area. I then got a boot lick call from Old Republic and they scheduled a service call. This was on the 29th of November of 2007.
I am writing this on December 29th, one month later, and I still have no parts that were supposedly ordered by Old Republic. All I am getting is lip service from the Old Republic money watch dogs, and to this day the sub contractor did not even know they ordered the parts. I have no oven and the holidays were a little tough this year not cooking the normal food, and I also had a plumbing problem they denied, and a heating problem they denied, and I feel that every claim I submit will be denied from here on. All I receive now is lip service from Old Republic, and I do not believe what is being told to me at any time. I would highly recommend that anyone research home protections before purchasing.
They only wanted to give me $200.00 for the stove and kick in an extra 100.00 for the hardship. I could not buy a comparable unit in a junk yard for that price. I know that they will not get the specified part, because my own research found that it is not made. If they do not pony up and accept the loss, then I must buy a new stove.
Charles of Lv NV (12/18/07)
We were a contractor for a couple warranty companies. You must understand how they award work to their contractors. almost all of them go by an average rate meaning that if my average rate is 50 dollars a call verses some ones 100 dollars a call I would be the one awarded most of their work. To keep steady work going for them you can see how a contractor would usually use their most inexpierienced hands and cheapest.. now because of the cost of a properly insured company with workmans comp....almost 10 percent, general liability, vehicle insurance, gas etc... that does not leave much for profit after an employees average rate --it usually takes on average 1.5 hours per call---now if you get a 10 to 15 dollar journeyman electrician at your home who is only making that I would question his abilities and the integrity of the company.
I have noticed that a lot of contractors go into a home to find reasons to deny a claim and then give the customer a retail bid. We would go into a home find switches miswired but we would rewire them and not charge extra charges others would put them back and ask the customer for more money. What we found a lot of is older homes with dangerous illegal installations where-as a realtor who sells a lot of these polocies sells a home with say 10 open splices in a residential attic (seriously illegal), we would deny the claim but since we report to the new owners naturally they get upset and raise hell with the realtor and the last home owner, threaten lawsuits etc... and all of a sudden we would get in trouble for not going in the attic and tightening illegal splices and telling the new home owners.
my favorite home warranty story was a emergency call --all three ceiling fans and a few plugs not working, must get out today. We go out there and meet a realtor who tells us that the house was going into title the next day---we look in the attic and her handy man put in at least 6 illegal electrical splices--some of the wires were just twisted with no wire nuts and had electrical tape around it.. we told her that this was an illegal installation, she started yelling at us telling us dont you know who I am you need to get this working and that her home inspector said these splices were legal.
She calls the home inspector that had a building department electrical inspector attitude and tried to tell me what my codes were, I told him that he was helping selling houses that had serious and expensive code violations and that he was helping to deceive the new owners--the realtor than called the warranties main sales support person who then told me that I needed to watch myself and that she hoped nothing bad would happen to my company in regards to the work allocated by the company she worked with--she didnt want to hear about the fire hazards.
I then called the city building department and asked for the head electrical inspector (Randy). I put my cell phone on speaker phone (I feel bad because he didnt know)and said Randy I have 6 splices in a residential attic , a home going into title tommorow and a realtor and home inspector trying to tell me this was legal---can you please inform them of the electrical codes---(because of serious complaints and lawsuits with-in our community) he yells out, get that blank blank on the phone I will read her the riot act---I swear I have never seen any one take off in my life --she grabbed her purse and things she had on the counter, ran out the door and streaked off in her car leaving us standing there in this home in amazement.
The fact is she didnt want to sign anything admitting serious code violations and having to disclose this to the new owners the next morning jeopardizing the sale of the home. The next day we were threatened with our contract from the warranty company. Two weeks later we got a work order to go to a home and that the new home owners specifically requested me which my office found weird and was wondering how they new of me which we thought maybe of reputation. Now I am only 5' 6 1/2 inches tall and the request was to check failures to several outlets and report our findings immediately--we had to access the back yard to get to the panel on the side of the house and found three breakers not tripped but turned off--we turned them on and made sure all wiring was tightened in the panel.
I told my helper to close the panel and I was going to check power in the home--as I went to enter the home a man that was at least 6' 3 and a good 260 was standing by the fence giving me this mean I am going to kick your butt look and bumped me into the edge of the fence where I got about a 8 inch serious scratch--not knowing who he was I went in to check power and tell the woman who let us in, next thing I know he comes in yelling dont you know who I am over and over again---and I told him I was leaving and went to walk around him---he then stepped in my way put his face in my face and started yelling get out of my house, get out of my house.
I said im leaving and to stay away from me you freak--then went to step around him again and he again steps in front of me again yelling I told you to leave why arnt you leaving --I try to go to the other way around him and he steps in front of me--this goes on for I swear 5 minnutes, he definitely was picking a fight but making it sound that I was refusing to leave his home, I finnaly looked at him and said look that outlet is on fire, he turned to look and I ran out the door, he actually chased me and as I got to the front door he tried to grab my shirt and bang the door at the back of my head. As I was running at the door I realized the woman was his wife and that she had a cell phone on and was talking to some one with a big snicker on her face---as I was leaving I realized my helper was still stuck in the back yard and trying to jump the fence.
I called there autho...department immediately to tell them what happened and found out that the mans wife was on the phone all that time and that we were getting terminated for refusing to leave a home when asked. Now this guy could of killed me with his bare hands--trust me I am not going inside his home to just hang out and refuse to leave---we later were terminated of our contract which we believe for being to honest with their new home owner contracts.
A month later we got a call from a realtor telling us that their contractor has been working on a 400 amp panel and still having problems with it--we found their contractor put new breakers on pitted and burned busswork and told them the panel had to be changed--he then called the warranty about the illegal repairs made by the contractor--the warranty company then told him to proceed with the proper repairs and that they would reimburse him--as soon as they found out it was my company doing the work after the work had started they called us and tried to get a discount where-as we told them we no longer and will never work for them again---then they were hopeing we didnt take pictures and tried to deny the claim for no proof of illegal repairs and damages---- yes they ended up paying.
Remember you have rights by law for second opinions dont let them tell you you dont, demand them----on denials get a lic... contractors out there--take pictures etc.. and affidavits---on disputes on shoddy work dont hesitate to call your State Contractors Board and Building Departments and demand action---and dont be afraid to report your complaints to the insurance commision---that is the people that govern your warranty companies.
Tony of Clearwater FL (10/01/07)
We bough an Insurance from them and they were paid $360.00 out of the closing costs on the 5th Sept 2007.The garbage disposal stopped working and we called them on the 28th Sept.They denied the claim even though we had the property inspected prior to closing and we have proof everything was working and the previous owner had teh same insurane.
Joel of Humble TX (09/04/07)
After buying a home, and after the inspection, our air conditioning was going out, so we called Old Republic for help. They sent out a technician and after a visual inspection, with no chemicals or without touching the compressors, the technician claimed that the compressors were damaged due to the previous owner's dogs (urine). When I asked him how he can conclude this he said that it was from experience. This resulted in Old Republic not helping us replace the units or fixing the units because of what the technician found.
It is very hard for me to understand how a technician can eye a compressor and come to this conclusion without a chemical test or a lab test. When I explained this to Old Republic they were not helpful nor would they listen to me. In Houston, the temperatures can climb to over 100 degrees, and we had no time to discuss this issue,especially with four small boys in the house. Since they wouldn't help, we were forced to replace the units. We are very upset at Old Republic and what they represent.
Nancy of Phoenix AZ (08/28/07)
The second day we were in the house we had water backing up into the shower and tub in both bathrooms. We called Old Republic to request service and they told me they couldn't get anyone out until Tuesday. I told them that was unacceptable and I would call someone else. They told me if I called someone else, my home warranty plan would be voided. In the meantime, we were not able to flush toilets, take showers or otherwise run water at all. When the technician showed up he said oh, your cleanout is on the roof - I don't go on the roof and then told me I had to pay him $55.00 for coming out.
I called Old Republic and told them and all they said was that I owed him the money because he came out to the house! Never mind that he did nothing. The technician and the Old Republic service was unprofessional. It turns out that the sewer line was completely collapsed and Old Republic doesn't cover anything to do with that.
Robert of Lawrenceville GA (08/11/07)
In late July 2006, we purchased a resell home with an Old Republic Home Warranty. The air conditioning system has failed during summer 2007 before expiration of the warranty. Four times, Old Republic sent incompetent techicians who did cheap temporary fixes. The system failed again and we have suffered through 4 days of 100 degree temperature in Atlanta.
At first, Old Republic's techician could not come out for a week. Old Republic's customer service specifically told us that they do not guarantee timely service and that they do not require work to be done to code. A company we used before came out the day after the failure and told us the unit needed to be replaced and should have been replaced before. We called Old Republic back. They demanded their techician evaluate the system. We agreed and waited at home in 100 degree temperatures an entire Saturday only to have their techician not show.
We called Old Republic again. Old Republic refused to accept responsibility for their obligations, their techicians, or even offer any sort of apology.
Jenell of Las Vegas NV (07/25/07)
On Tuesday, July 17, our air conditioning unit went out. We called Old Republic Home Warranty and were told that it would be a couple of days before anyone would be sent out. My husband explained that I am handicapped with special requirements (I am on oxygen at night and have an oxygen concentrator in my home, a cpap machine due to sleep apnia, and mild emphysema) The contractor came out and replaced the capicitor that had burned out and the air conditioning worked almost normal until Saturday, July 21, when the unit went out again.
We called again and were again told that they could not get any of their contractors out to even look at the unit for 2 or 3 days. We were told to contact a contractor in the phone book who would be able to come right away, which we then did. The contractor came and looked at the unit and told us that the compressor was bad and needed to be replaced. He recommended replacing the whole unit due to the age of the unit. On monday, July 23, when our contractor contacted Old Republic and gave them his recommendations, old republic called us and told us that they would only cover $700.00 of the cost of replacing the unit, or they could call one of their contractors to do a second opinion.
We allowed them to call another contractor who came out on tuesday and recommended that we replace the compressor only with a 10 seer unit (13 seer is the minimum required by federal law) We spoke to the contractor this morning 7/25 and he told us that it would be approximately sometime next week before we could have the unit replaced. We have spoken to Nevada Power Company and the Nevada State Contractors board and they both told us that the law requires that the unit be replaced with a 13 seer unit, but Old Republic wants to wait until they can find a 10 seer unit (which aren't being made anymore) before they will fix the unit.
Teresa of Phoenix AZ (07/19/07)
On May 21st, 2007 we reported that our air conditioner was having the same problem as we had reported in April 2007 and in the summer of 2006. Old Republic sent out a technician who told us the coils had frozen over and to leave it off for a while and then turn it back on and it would work. Of course the problem happened again and again - so I called Old Republic again. Seven technician calls from one company and they still couldn't figure it out.
They replaced a fan, told us to put new filters in, leave the filters out, and finally replaced a compressor - that promptly over heated and completely stopped working all before my house even cooled a degree! Old Republic switched us to a new company that came out and said we needed a new condensor - which we got yesterday. House still won't cool below 83 degrees - and I live in Phoenix!
Richard of Peoria AZ (07/10/07)
Will not cover bad air conditioning compressor due to false reporting from ac company Fire and Ice Refrigeration, claiming slight traces of r134 auto freon found in system, after some evacuated from my system to try to quiet the extremely loud unit. Old Republic did not request a printed document to verify findings. The automotive R134 gauge set will not even connect to a home ac unit to beable to perform the fill process.
The loss of purchase funds of the warranty 450.00, 55.00 service charge 3 times and potental bill of 1500.00 out of pocket to replace compressor.
Julie of Stillman Valley IL (06/28/07)
We just moved into our new house, which we bought, 6 days ago. The A/C worked great for the first three days and then the outside unit started making this horrible noise and then no central air. We called our home warranty, Old Republic, and they provided a number to call for service. The serviceman came out the next morning and said that the whole A/C unit needed to be replaced and that the furnace heat exchange was leaking carbon monixide. However, Old Republic called later that day and said that since it is unsafe they will not pay.
However, the carbon monoxide comes from the furnace not the C/A. They also said that the Heating and Air-Conditioning Co. said that there was freon leaking and that this was unsafe and a pre-existing condition. I called the service technician and the H & A Co. and asked them what they had told Old Republic, they did not in any way say that freon was leaking and they did not say that this was a pre-existing condition.
Phyllis of Fontana CA (06/14/07)
I placed a service call to Old Republic to have the ceiling fan in the bathroom serviced. Of course the day the technician came out, the fan decided it would work. The technician flipped the switch up and down several times trying to get the fan to short out and not work. Since the fan continued to work properly the technician said, I cannot diagnose the problem unless the unit is not working. I will not charge you the $50 service call fee because there was nothing to fix. If the problem occurs within the next 5 days, you can call Old Republic under the same work order number and we will come back out.
The technician wrote me an invoice with a (-0-) Zero balance due and went on his way. The fan continued to work when I would flip the switch. A month later, Old Republic sent me a bill for the $50 service call with an enclosure stating that I must have over looked the payment to the technician and instructed me to remit payment upon receipt of this notice or an explanation as to why I had not made the payment. I then faxed the invoice the technician left with the (-0-) Zero balance due and an explanation of no service was preformed because the technician could not get the unit to not work.
A couple more months went by and I get a collection notice from Old Republic stating the $50 service fee was now past due. I now had to call Old Republic to see why I was being sent to collections when I had sent the invoice showing the (-0-) Zero balance due. Old Republic told me, A service tech was sent to your home. Even if he did not perform a service, I was still responsible to pay the $50 service fee just for him coming to the house.
Rusty of Modesto CA (05/30/07)
When summer started last year we noticed that our air conditioning was not working properly. July 6th of 2006 we had a tech from Air One Mechanical tell us that our 85-95 degree heat in our house was, just the way it is. It was a hot summer and the AC unit was just fine. Being a trustworthy person, I agreed. After a week of extreme heat in our house I called Old Republic again for a service request. No one showed up the rest of the summer.
So this summer we decided to call Old Republic in May and get a jump on our AC problem. A tech came out and said we had too much freon (too much Freon put in from the previous tech that said everything was fine) and said our house would be just fine now. The next day, it was 94 degrees outside and our house was increasing up through the day to 86 degrees. We asked again for service (needless to say my wife is 9 months pregnant) and a tech came out and said we had an open duct. This whole time we have had attic air pumping into our house and that is why our house has been extremely hot.
None of the previous techs could figure this out and we paid them. The horrible news is that Old Republic does not cover ductwork. On the application page of the warranty it says it is covered. It says in the policy that they do, but in the heating system area, it says they do not cover collapsed or crushed ductwork. It does not say this on the policy in the air conditioning systems area. Since our unit is packaged, we were supposed to know that every exclusion from the heating systems are excluded for air conditioning? Why did we pay extra money for AC service? Now we have to pay 950.00 for the company to come out and pull the AC unit off of the top of our house so they can go in and fix these open ducts.
Karen of Marrero LA (04/25/07)
About 4 weeks ago we noticed water leaking from the ceiling in our master bathroom. We call a plumber immediately who gave us a free estimate and told us that the leak was coming from the upstairs bathroom and that the line inside the wall would need to be repaired. When I called Old Republic and a plumber verified what we were already told, they did not hire him, but called another plumbing company to do the work. This second plumbing company replaced a seal on the upstairs toilet.
Three days ago water started leaking from upstairs again. Again I called Old Republic. They sent the plumber out again who replaced seals in the upstairs tub. Water began to literally pour out of the walls in the bathroom 30 minutes after they left. That was two days ago. I am still waiting for the plumber to come back, and Old Republic does not have a working phone. In the meantime there are so many water spots and water damage to the ceiling it looks like it was tie-dyed.
Ronald of Chandler AZ (04/23/07)
$400.00 kitchen fridge (included in purchase price of this house) ceased cooling. discarded all thawed and spoiled foods & moved to garage and replaced with the black fridge from previous home. called old republic, obtained repair svc number and scheduled repair. paid $55 for svc call to ron whom left for parts. received call from ron stating that old republic refused to honor repair bill as the FRIDGE WAS NOT IN THE KITCHEN, even though the work order stated fridge was in the garage.
Wandra of Olathe KS (04/08/07)
We purchased our house in April 2006. Two weeks prior to signing the papers for the house we had an inspection done; my husband and the real estate agent were both present. Everything was fine with our heater. In October of 2006 we called a Heating and Cooling company to come out to service the furnace and turn on. He checked it and lit the pilot light. Heat was coming out of the vents, then he placed a carbon monoxide detector on the vent and it started going up well into the dangerous zone.
He turned off the furnace immediately and told us to call our warrenty company. I called them the next day and they asked if we had used the unit since we bought the house, I said no, but we did have an inspection two weeks before. They said that they would NOT cover this because it was a pre-existing condion. I told them that it was inspected and working fine two weeks before we bought the house. They still said NO. I called again to speak to a manager, his name was Anthony. He was no help at all, didn't even want to discuss the problem.
Cristina of Ashburn VA (04/03/07)
I purchased a home on 1/2/07 that came with a home warranty. I discovered an electrical problem in my kitchen with the microwave tripping the circuit breaker, so I called Old Republic Home Protection Company on 2/16/07 to see if they covered this specific problem. They stated that warranty does cover electrical problems and they placed a service call to one of their electrical contractors, and they added two broken phone jacks to the work order as well. One week later the contractor stated they did not accept warranty work from Old Republic, so Old Republic called a second contractor, MAC General.
Since the work order stated that my microwave was tripping the circuit breaker, MAC General believed the problem was considered a circuit overload and not covered by the warranty. When the technician arrived at my home, he said my warranty did not cover circuit overloads, therefore if I wanted service from MAC General I would have to pay the bill in full upon performing any work. When I refused this offer, the technician left without diagnosing the problem. I contacted Old Republic and told them what happened. Old Republic transferred the call from MAC General to a third electrical contractor who never responded to me or to Old Republic.
Two weeks passed by and Old Republic took no further action and offered no resolution. More than 25 days had passed since I first called Old Republic about my electrical problem. Frustrated and fed up, I looked in the phone book and called a reputable electrical contractor for service. On 3/12/07, a technician arrived at my home, diagnosed the problem as outlet wired wrong and repaired the receptacle. I paid $140 for this service and repair. On 3/28/07, Old Republic sent me an invoice for a $50 trade call fee they say I owe them for placing the service call to MAC General.
Helen of Camarillo CA (03/30/07)
I purchased a house with old republic home warranty plan. I need to replace a gate valve. On 3/27/2007,I called the customer services line, and fist guy said the valve is covered by the plan. I called 3/28 next day, a girl Denis said it is not covered. I called 3/29/07 the third day, and asked again, a so-called Authorized Department person Mary answered my phone, she does not even those terminology of the coverage.
I told her i placed a service call, if it is not covered, please call me. she did not call me at all. i end up paid $ 50 for non service at all because the plumber said the valve is not covered by the plan.
Cynthia of Santa Clarita CA (02/27/07)
I called Old Republic Home Protection to request service for a dishwasher not working properly. BM Service technicians came and said they completed the service and everything was in working condition. My tenant used the dishwasher that evening and called me saying that there was water leaking from the sides and under the dishwasher. I called ORPH to report this and said they sent the work order to BM service. I called again ORHP on Sunday letting them know that the dripping is getting stronger and if they can send an emergency plumber as the carpet is getting wet. ORHP said that the water will stop once the tank under the dishwasher is finished and said that is normal. They asked us to wait for BM to call for an appointment. BM Service called Monday 8:30 a.m. and said they can not come earlier and made an appointment for tomorrow Feb 27, 2007 between 1-5 p.m. I told Michael of BM that the water is gushing and not stopping. I called ORHP 7:00 p.m. today requesting for emergency plumber as the water is not stopping even though we closed the main water line told them that the carpet is getting wet. ORHP said they will not cover the damage to the carpet and told us also that they do not have any record of an emergency call. ORHP said to wait until tomorrow as they can not do anything and can not send anybody. We asked if they have anyone for emergencies; they said no, that we would have to look in the yellow pages ourselves and we have to pay first and then send them the receipt to be reimbursed. There is no help from them when we needed it. ORHP does not have any back-up phone numbers in case of emergency. The BM service is not friendly at all.
Sandra of Phoenix AZ (11/29/06)
I recently purchased a townhouse, and my realtor suggested that I get a home warranty plan and he said that Old Republic was a very good company, me not knowing any better agreed. On Thanksgiving morning the drain in my sink clogged up. I called Old Republic that morning and explained the situation to them what happen. They immediately gave me the name and phone number to this small plumbing company. The weekend passed and I finally had to call the company on Monday. The appt was set-up for Tuesday. The plumber came out ran his snake several times under the sink and decided that he couldn't unclog my drain, and charged me $55.00. The technician called Old Republic and told them that he couldn't unclog my drain. The technician recommended that I need a plumber that has a hydrojet machine. Customer Service at Old Republic told me that hydrojet is not covered under my plan. So now I'm out more money. Another plumber will come out tomorrow, and try to unclog my drain. I still can't use my kitchen or cook going on 7 days now. My question is why is the company still in business.
Carol of Franklin TN (08/25/06)
I have a one year Home warranty plan thru Nov. 2006. The upstairs air conditioner stopped pumping cold air. Service tech replaced a value in the condenser unit. Three days later no cool air. Service tech found leak in coils that are attached to the furnace in the attic. The unit is old. The replacement part (coils) are larger than the original size and will not fit due to attic height and furnace size. The company (Old Republic) will only cover the part+labor at their rate ($475.00) which will not fit unless I replace everything else. The amount of $475.00 is not even the amount the tech would charge me without the plan.
No air conditioning until I purchase new equipment that is also under warranty.($1900 to $3200)
Jon of North Richland Hills TX (08/14/06)
Unbelievable!! It is currently 100+ degrees in the Texas area where we live and our Air conditioner is out. We have spent over 220 minutes on the phone working with Old Republic just trying to get the A/C issue repaired. Every stall tactic was used to force us in paying someone local to repair this issue. It has been 4 days and our house is 97 degrees inside and no resolve with this horribly incompetent company. We called and reported the issue and the representative advised they had no techs available until Monday which was 4 days away. They then provided us a list we could call ourselves to locate service. We immediately found a repair service company and then after another hour on the phone was able to get the tech scheduled. The tech onsite found that the outside condesor unit was shot and recommended a replacement which would have been immediate, however Old Republic searched the gamit to find a part and have it shipped across the county to get the repair completed.
So a 1 day resolution is now 7 days with 97 degree house temperatures. Did I mention we have small children too? If you are wanting a company with no compassion and very little caring for their customers. I just got off the phone call with them now and the part will be here in 24 - 72 hours.
Dawn of Phoenix AZ (08/02/06)
I purchased a home with a home warranty as I was told it was a good idea. I moved into the home on a Saturday and within 2 hours my AC unit stopped working. It took me almost 24 hours to find my policy number and the phone number and call in the service request. I informed the company I had elderly people in my home and I needed emergency service. The company they refered me to could not get to my homew for 3 days. I called them back and they sent me on an emergency basis the next day to another company.
The company they sent me to was 7.5 hours late and then told me I would have to wait another day as it was getting dark. The tech was a wise ass and rude. He left my home without doing anything and he never even told me he was leaving. The next day they came out and fixed the AC but it only worked for about 16 hours and it is out again. I have been on hold for probably 24 hours during this 5 day issue and am still waiting for the AC to be fixed. I also have been hung up on because I asked for emergency service to make sure my 80 year old oxygen dependant father does not die in a home that is over 100 degrees.
Mark of Lawrenceville GA (08/01/06)
I recently purchased a home and after a few days, the home was too hot and the a/c ran constantly. I called Old Republic to report the problem and paid the $75 service call. The tech said that 30% of the fan surface was bent on each unit and recomended fully replacing both units. Old Republic says they will not cover this claim. They will not even cover the costs of replacing the fans in the units. It is not normal wear and tear is all they have to say as to why not. I talked to the rep about it, trying to understand why it is not normal wear and tear. He says the supervisor of North Pole Air says it is not normal. The supevisor has not even been to the house to see the units. If an a/c unit which sits outside for sixteen years through all kinds of weather, get debris from trees and whatnot falling on it, causing the fan blades to bend is not normal wear and tear I don't know what is. A home warranty is a total waste of money. I don't know of a single person that has successfully filed a claim with a home warranty company.
As of this date I am still fighting with Old Republic over this claim. I am looking at paying at least $280 to have the fans replaced in the two units. In the meantime I am wasting energy on inefficient a/c units.
Kevin of Pineville LA (07/30/06)
This issue is regarding problems with obtaining A/C repair service through my home protection plan with Old Republic Home Protection (ORHP). During the past 30 days, I have been without A/C for a total period of 15 days due to the inability of ORHP to repair my home A/C, as required under my home protection plan. In fact, I am currently w/o A/C in my home, and have been w/o A/C since 07/23/2006, a period of seven days straight. I have called in four service requests due to the inability of the ORHP service providers (A/C repair companies) to fix my A/C unit. Each time I have contacted ORHP regarding my A/C problems, I have had to wait long periods for the A/C repair companies to respond.
Additionally, ORHP continued to use the same A/C repair company after three service calls in which the A/C was supposedly fixed, then subsequently failed.
Peggy of Phoenix AZ (07/16/06)
On June 6th, upon arriving home from work I noticed the Air Conditioning was not cooling the house and blowing warm air. This is Phoenix and the outside temperture was about 106 that day. First thing Friday morning I called Old Republic about the issue. The policy was so new I had not even received documentation yet. They said the earliest they could get a service man out was Monday. This meant that I would have to spend the weekend in tempertures approaching 110 with no AC or get a motel room. On Monday the tech arrived and told me the compressor was gone and that he would fax an order to Old Republic. I contacted Old Republic to find out how the claim could be expediated. I was told that they hadn't received the fax yet and could do nothing until they did.
On Tuesday I contacted the service company and the told me the order was sent at 8am that morning. I then called Old Republic who again said they had not received the fax yet. While I held on the phone the rep was able to find the fax and told me they would be shipping a compressor to the service company. I was told it would take 3 to 5 days for the service company to receive the unit. When I asked if there was any way to send it faster, I was told this is the shipping time and it couldn't be changed. Apparently Old Republic requires that the compressor comes from their warehouse and they could find or authorize the service company to find one in Phoenix.
I stated that in Phoenix we were to have extreme heat warnings that week and it was an emergency to have AC. Since I don't have a medical condition, Old Republic does not consider it an emergency. On Friday the unit was still not here and I would have another weekend without AC. The service company called to schedule installation on the following Tuesday since they were expecting the unit on Monday. This means that I have had 13 days with AC at the house in temperatures hitting 115 degress and have had to pay $720+ on motel bills, $55 for the service call and $100 to remove the old unit. If you factor in the cost of Old Republics policy at $475, I think I could have gotten the compressor replaced as an emergency on the first Friday for the same $1350.
Charles of Dripping Springs TX (07/07/06)
Air conditioner started leaking in the attic and came through the ceiling. Warranty company rep claims the unit was installed improperly thus they won't cover the new pan needed or the secondary damage. We had another inspector come out and they verified the unit wasn't installed wrong and the damange is normal wear and tear. Old Republic denied and said their diagnosis was correct. Their technician didn't seem to know anything about what he was doing.
Alayne of Lawrenceville GA (04/27/06)
An Old Republic Home Warranty was issued to me upon closing on the property I recently purchased. Within a few weeks I realized that the oven was not working on the range and heat was escaping. Old Republic sent a contractor out and in three successive visits they diganosed the gasket leak, replaced it and had to come back because the oven would then not close properly and heat was still escaping. Old Republic then set up another contractor to give a second opinion. That contrator reported that the door hinges were bent. Old Republic claimed that that only happens by force which would be abuse and was therefore, not covered.
I disputed this finding with them as the first contractor actually had two different people out and both claimed there was nothing wrong with the hinges. I also added my own observation that the oven door closed properly before their contractor replaced the gasket. Of course they offered to look at the issue again if I wanted to pay for my own third opinion and it differed from their last determination.
Unfortunately, I have a slide-in model configuration and it will cost me between $900-$1,500 to replace.
Jared of Jacksonville FL (10/14/05)
Around 3 weeks ago my wife and I noticed that our air conditioning began to leak. We contacted Old Republic and they sent an air conditioning company out to look at it. The gentleman who came fixed what he could and said he was going to tell Old Republic that it would have to be condemned. About a week passed and we did not hear anything from Old Republic or the air conditioning company. My wife decided to call Old Republic and find out what was going on. We were then told that the part had been shipped but after speaking with the local air conditioning company they had yet to receive anything. Two more weeks go by and still nothing and every time we call they tell us that the part was ordered but for some reason the local company has never received it. At this point I am very frustrated with the whole ordeal and I have been told on several occasions that Old Republic would contact us about the problem but have yet to hear from them.
For the last 3 to 4 weeks my wife and I, not to mention our 5 month old daughter, are living in a home that has an air conditioning that should be condemned.
Drew of Nashville TN (07/09/05)
My fiance purchased a home warranty from this supposed company. The air condtioner is 18 years old and has finally broken at the beginning of June. We called for service and they sent a technician from Stewart Enterprises who talked on his cell phone, was there for 5 minutes, and told us that the unit was low on freon. He recharged the unit and left after taking our $45 deductible. Again within 1 day the system iced up and stopped working. Another technician came and said that the air handler (inside unit) needed to be replaced. 7 days later we heard from Old Republic that they were replacing the unit. 10 days later Stewart Enterprises called for installation.
On July 8, a technician arrived with the wrong size air handler to install. He did not know it was the wrong size until after he had disconnected the existing system. Upon his discovery he asked me what I wanted him to do. I told him to reconnect the old one, charge the unit with freon, and to call the office and find the right one. He then reconnected the old unit without properly connecting the condensation line so water has leaked all over our new hardwood floors and caused substantial damage to the sub-floor and the hardwood itself.
After wasting a day of work and 5 hours on the phone with Old Republic and no return phone calls from Stewart Enterprises, we are still without air. We did get their approval to use our own independent contractor but the hoops they want you to jump through seem endless and merely only ways for them to stall. I have been on the phone with Old Republic for 6 hours total today, 7/9 and no firm resolution.
Steve of Land O Lakes FL (07/06/05)
I like many others, had purchased a home warranty from Old Republic Home warranty Company. I have worked with Old Republic several times in the past as a Real-Estate agent and have sold numerous polices, so it only made since to have my personal home covered as well. We purchased our home August 16 and by October of the same year our A/C was having major issues. We called Old Republic and they sent out a tech and he said the unit was pretty rough but added Freon, within a day we were back in 90* heat. We called Old Republic back, they sent out someone else (after several days) and we were told the unit must be replaced, (definitely the outside and probably the inside also).
I contacted Old Republic (with their techs information) and they said that they would pay $500.00 for the problem. (I was quoted between $4,500 and $6,200) from their people. I called several times and spoke to managers and such but always received the same text book response. I even discussed my Real-Estate affiliation with their company and the amount of people I have encouraged to purchase warranties, the sales person stated that , “that was to bad” and I should have “known what I was selling”. (I sure do now).
Herbert of Conyers GA (07/01/05)
My heat pump went out so we called Old Republic. The first technician that came out said we needed a new unit inside and outside. Then we had another technician come out because the first one did not have the man power to do the job. The second technician said the same thing and then started to tell me the extra costs that I was responsible for. Like $80.00 for a new pad for the unit to sit on, there is a pad there that the old unit was on. Then $75.00 access fee, there is nothing in the way but grass-no bushes no trees no flowers. Then there would be a $100.00 fee to haul the old unit away, wait a minute, he makes more than that just to recycle the unit. Then he said there would be a charge of $225.00 to recover the old freon. I contacted two other heat and ac companies and they would do that for a service call charge, $80.00.
So if this is a home warranty, Why am I having to come out of pocket with almost $500.00? Let me tell you why. Because Old Republic hires these fly by night technicians to do the work and does not pay them enough to pay thier help, so they gouge the consumer to make up the difference. How can the BBB let companies keep operating this way? I talked to four different people at Old Republic, got four different stories and never got a call back. I was so disgusted I told them to buy me out and hired a contractor of my choice to do the job after a month of disappointment. Someone needs to look at Old Republic's way of doing business.
Alan of Scottsdale AZ (06/22/05)
I recently purchased and moved into a house that is 22 years old. When the purchase was made, my real estate agent recommended that I purchase a home warranty through Old Republic Home Protection, so I did for $305.00. I moved in on June 10th, 2005 and five days later on June 15th, the Air Conditioner failed. I immediately called Old Republic and told them that my AC failed and I needed it to be fixed immediately as I have a wife and a 3-month old infant at home, and the temperatures are 100+ degrees.
Old Republic then told me to contact one of their approved contractors (Tatem Air). I talked to their recording and was told that a Tatem Air contractor would contact me within 24 hours - a long time with an infant in 100+ degree heat. They contacted me the next day and arranged for an appointment at 2:00pm on Friday the 17th of June. When the contractor showed up, he told me that several things were wrong with the AC unit including a compressor (shorted out), blown fuses, contacts welded shut, run caps are bad, and that the start cap was recently replaced, and that when this was done, the run caps should have been replaced also. Essentially, the AC unit had a complete meltdown. When I moved in, it was working fine for five days. On Monday 06/20 - (after 5 days in the heat), I contacted Old Republic again (they did not call me) to see what they were going to do.
They promptly told me that the problem was a pre-existing condition caused by a faulty previous installation. I asked them how it could be a pre-existing condition since the air conditioning worked fine when I moved in. I had a different contractor look at it, and he said that based on what he saw, even if there was some sort of previous problem, there was no way that anyone could tell if it caused the failure. I paid 305.00 for the plan and expected it to cover any issues that occured after I moved in. In this case, the AC did fail 5 days after I moved in and I feel Old Republic is guessing at the cause of the problem to avoid having to purchase another unit. The unit was old and simply failed and they don't want to pay for it. I had a wife and infant home in the 100 plus heat, and Old Republic did not live up to their promises of helping people. I can't believe they were not sensitive enough to understand that an infant cannot tolerate high heat. They left us completely screwed. I have since spent over $3,500 to get a new AC system from a REPUTABLE company. I feel that Old Republic should pay for this system as I was led to believe in their hype.
Mysty of Las Vegas NV (05/17/05)
The seller of my home purchased this warranty. Since moving in the a/c has broken, range has broken and 2 refrigerators. In trying to make a claim I was told the refrigerators were not covered. Okay, so I would like to file a claim for the a/c and range. In order to make a claim I must pay $45 for 2 service contractors to come out to diagnose the problem. I stated that I have already had a NV licensed contractor out and have his written report on the problem. I have paid over 1000 to try to repair the items to know be told that they are irreparable.
I am told too bad, no claim will be opened unless I pay their contractors $45 for each item. It is like a racketeering scam. I asked to please receive a claim form as I would like a written record of my claim. Ofelia advised me that there are no written forms, it is all conducted verbally and I would not get past her until I agreed to pay more fees.
The consequence is that I am going to be forced to pay for these items out-of-pocket. The uncovered refrigerators are one thing, approx. 4500 to replace the exact ones I have, but I have no idea how much the a/c will cost. Range is approx. 2200.
Maureen Bailey of Mooresville NC (04/13/05)
I purchased additional coverage to my home warranty plan to cover my roof, and when I had a leak in my master bedroom, they denied the estimate from the roofing contractor, because it was due to cracked shingles. They told me that the roof warranty only covered holes in the roof under the shingles, but not the repair of shingles themselves.
I will have to pay out of pocket to have the shingles repaired, about $150.00, plus the cost to repaint the master bedroom and ceiling where the leak occurred.
Judie of Ojai CA (01/22/05)
On Dec. 26, 2004, the carbon monoxide detectors went off in my home, due to a problem with the furnace(installed through Old Republic in Dec. 2000. I immediately called Old Republic(I have had a policy for approximately five years). They sent a contractor out who proceede to tell me that a)I really didn't have a leak. b) It wasn't the furnace or c) It was caused by the fact that we were opening our front door too often. All of this without ever looking at the furnace. I then informed him that after calling OR I had called the gas company out to investigate.
The gas company had investigated, found that the furnace was the problem and had red tagged the furnace. The technician finally looked at the furnace, charged me extra to clean the flue and declared it to be working properly. Forty-five minutes after he left, the carbon monoxide alarms went off again. That was almost a month ago and after numerous telephone calls and unanswered messages to supervisors, we are still waiting for a second opinion. The customer service people argue with me, try to make it seem as if I am at fault and tell me that I have to find someone to fix the problem The final straw came yesterday, when a rep. gave me a complaint line number to call and no one answers the phone.
We have been without heat for almost a month. When it is cold we are forced to use a space heater, increasing our electric bill. OR suggested that I use the fireplace. We don't have a fireplace!
Teresa of Santee CA (12/15/04)
I purchased my condo in August of 2003 and the seller had bought Old Republic Home Warranty. My air-conditioning / heating unit was not working properly. After moving in, and during one of the hottest August's I can remember, I turned my air conditioning unit on so we could get the remodeling started. The actual hours it worked was 36. Then nothing. The fan still blew air around, but not cold or even cool air came out of the unit.
Since we were remodeling the interior and were using multiple fans and left the windows open for about 5 weeks, I didn't call the company right away. Then In November it started getting cold and I turned the heater on. The heater just blew hot air constantly and was not regulated by a thermostat. By mid December I received my heating bill which was unbelievable. Then the tempurature dropped quite a bit so I called them. They sent out a technician who said the unit was basically fried. Literally fried. Wires were burnt inside the unit and he could not fix it. He did try to get a temporary fix in place so we could run the heater a bit. He was going to tell Old Republic that I needed a new unit because this one was not repairable.
In the meantime I bought portable heaters for the sleeping areas. Again in the summer of August 2004 I called and spoke to them about the air conditioning. They sent someone out and that person said the unit was shot. I need a new unit and they do not want to get me one. In the meantime - I was quite sick from end of December 2003 to about mid July 2004. After using all my sick time and vacation pay, I was forced to go out for days at a time with out pay. Unfortunatly, I could not go on full disability and take time to get better, so I am out lots of money and cannot, by any means, pay for a new air/heating unit!
Elena of Long Beach CA (12/09/04)
Company does not properly monitor their contractors. They send out unqualified contractors to respond to the customer's request. It took me three contractors to get the job properly done on top of having to hold on the phone for an hour at a time after each contractor's visit.
They have increased their deductible to $45 per visit. Their premiums have also increased without any increased customer service.
Cindy of Galt CA (4/8/02):
What do we buy warranties/insurance for, if not the "unforeseen" problems we encounter in life? I bought a home and as part of buying it got an extended home warranty. Sold to me under the premise of all your problems will be taken care of if anything breaks. First small problem was taken care of OK then everything went downhill from there.
Had a defective A/C unit that I paid extra for, but they won't cover the unit. They claim it was damaged by pet urine. I don't have or never did have a pet, next is to claim they don't cover "pre-existing" conditions? Gesh, isn't this why I bought the policy in the first place? If they won't cover pre-existing conditions then they shouldn't be allowed to sell policies under the pretext of covering defective homes.
Even if the "pre-existing" condition of my A/C unit was caused by a prior owners pet it wasn't evident when I bought the house i.e. why I bought the extended home warranty. If they won't cover something like this then they should be made to inspect homes and specifically exclude items that they deem not coverable do to pre-existing conditions. They also claimed the unit had an overwhelming smell of pet urine, but 10 months after I bought the house, I don't think so. I smelled it myself, nothing that I could smell, just another ploy to justify getting out of replacing the A/C unit.
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