Complain about a product or service

American Home Shield
Water Heaters

American Home Shield •Plumbing •Air Conditioning •Heat •Appliances •Water Heaters •Electrical Problems

Richard of Las Vegas, NV (1/17/06)
Our water heater went out because the main valve would not open. We had to pay $40 THREE times for their "wonderful" servicemen to come out and say: "sorry, not covered". I think anyone who buys a house and sees AHS on the contract should think again.

Damages: two weeks in the condo and $1500 in unexpected charges, plus $120 to AHS for service calls!

Cory of Wichita Falls TX (4/29/03):
We noticed a leak under our hot water heater on a Monday Night. I called the 24-hr. number for service from American Home Shield to get a plumbing technician out to look at my house. The appointment was supposed to be for Tuesday. I get a call from Heritage Plumbing of Wichita Falls on Wednesday Morning. He sends two so-called plumbers to my house around nine.

This one guy gets on his belly and looks at the PVC Drain Pipe and sees the crack and says, "You got a leak right there." And I'm thinking yeah, that's why I called you. He mumbled something about chipping concrete and says," I've got to turn in a material work order to AHS and when they approve it, we'll come out today and fix it." Well, no one comes back or calls. I call the next day and the owner tells me to be patient. I got water leaking in my house. I call back Friday morning and get the same answer.

Well, Saturday, I have enough and I go to Lowe's Hardware and buy a new Water Heather, PVC Connections, and all the wood to build and a new platform plus all needed materials for the job. Eight hours of labor and over $300, I fix it. Monday comes and the plumbing company still hasn't called me. Tuesday goes by and still no call. Wednesday morning comes and the owner finally has the tenacity to call me again and says, "I'd like to come out and look at your leak again." I tell him, "Don't bother, I fixed it myself." He replies, "O.K." and hangs up.

Three weeks later AHS sends me a bill for $45 saying I owe Heritage Plumbing for their service fee. I call AHS and tell them, look this guy came out and looked at it and didn't tell me anything I didn't know already, stayed less than five minute, didn't even give me quote on the work, didn't ask for any money over the phone or while he was here, didn't call me back for almost a week while water is running in my house, blamed the slow progress on you guys, and didn't even fix the damn leak. Over my dead body, he ain't getting a red cent from me. She gave great customer service and told me I had to pay it anyway. She wouldn't give the phone number to their dispute department, only the address. She told me I had to submit my complaint in writing and still refused to give me a phone number for that department and stated all complaints were handled through her department. Then she got tired of me and put me on hold for 15 minutes.

Cathy of Lakewood CA (4/25/03):
My water heater was deemed hazardous by the local gas company. It had a leak that the gas company repaired, but also has a problem with the flame burning too hot and too high. The gas company said it should be replaced. I called American Home Shield (AHS) to request the replacement of the unit. They said they would send out a technician to look at the water heater for a fee of $35.

I paid the $35, and a local contract technician was sent out. He agreed that the water heater needed to be replaced, but when he called the information into AHS, they had one question for him -- does it still work? The technician said yes, but that it was a hazard. AHS refused to replace the water heater because it was still worked. I then asked to speak to AHS. I got a supervisor who would only give her first name. She stated that when the heater failed by bursting or catching fire, AHS would replace it.

I asked for both a refund of the $35 service fee and the contract amount, but they refused.

Sandra of Bolingbrook IL (3/25/03):
3/19/03 - water heater was found to be leaking. Approx. 9:00pm call placed to AHS requesting service. Told to call back during regular business hours.

3/20/03 - call placed to AHS. Told their contractor, Midland Plumbing and Sewer Services would contact us within 4 hours. They didn't. I contacted them and they set an appointment for 3/21/03 between noon and 4pm.

3/21/03 - AHS contractor arrives at 4pm. Immediately asks for the $35.00 service fee. He then contacts AHS and states to them "hot water heater is leaking out the top it is improperly installed with no di-electric unions" which he states is State required code. Based upon his diagnosis AHS denies service to the water heater. We get stuck paying $575.00.

Angry about this we contact the village code department and are referred to a Mr. Bill Werth. He is not available but will return our call. 3/22/03 Mr. Werth returns our call and informs us that AHS's contractor is mistaken, di-electric unions are not a required by the state code. I immediately contact AHS to let them know of the error, but am informed that because their contractor had already installed the new heater (and hence the old one was no longer installed) the water heater that we had placed the call on was no longer under warranty.

I spoke with the customer service supervisor who was very unprofessional in her attitude regarding our plight. Admitted that it was possible that their contractor had made a mistake but that was really not her concern as the water heater was no longer installed and was no longer under contract. She went out of her way to argue and rarely gave me a chance to even finish a statement before she was jumping in and talking all over me.

We have had this same problem before with denial of service. Last spring we had an unfortunate dryer fire. When I contacted AHS they immediately denied my claim stating they didn't cover lint traps. I never had said it was caused by lint trap and let them know that according to the fire department report the cause was malfunction. They then stated that coverage was denied because the fire department had disconnected the dryer.

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