home warrantee
David Miller
furnished the policy. The water heater wasn't working quite right so I
check the elements, and sure enough, the lower element showed infinite
resistance. So, instead of following directions from the net on how to
replace it, I called AHS. They had a plumber out in 24 hours to fix it.
It was easy to get through to them, they were prompt, etc. Couldn't ask
for more. I paid only the $35 deductable to the plumber (I know, the element
was probably less but I didn't have to do anything this way).
I figured the AHS policy would be pretty useless when I bought the house.
I glad I was wrong.
And I'm not connected to AHS in any way.
Dave
--
David James Miller Architecture&Systems Evolution
Mead Data Central, B6F3 (513) 865-7441
PO Box 933 dav...@meaddata.com
Dayton Ohio 45401 I speak for me, not MDC
Kenneth Hall
>
>I figured the AHS policy would be pretty useless when I bought the house.
>I glad I was wrong.
>
>And I'm not connected to AHS in any way.
>
>Dave
>
>
>--
>David James Miller Architecture&Systems Evolution
One of the best recommendations that I can make to anybody who is
looking into buy a home is to ask for a home warrenty from the seller
in the contract if they are not already providing one. Follow up to
this is that if they refuse, talk to your agent about arranging to
purchase your own. Typically a H.O.W. (no relation to the company) is
around $250 in my area, but the piece of mind that it provides is
great, especially for that first year or so after the purchase when
repairing/replacing an appliance could be a burden on a newly
established budget.
This is just food for though and my own opinion. As mentioned in
prior post I am a licensed agent and when these warrenties are
arranged through my agency I recieve no perks for it, its just a
service.
Rusty
Jeff Miller
I disagree. In most cases the home warranty is not going to pay for
itself. The warranty company is not going to replace something if they
can patch it together so that it lasts until the warranty is over.
Your warranty probably cost you around $250. So far you have paid $285
to have an old water heater patched together so that it lasts for a few more
months.
This is only my opinion. In my case I did not get a home warranty and
I don't regret it. Are there any people out there who actually saved
money by getting a home warranty? I'm also curious to know if a home
warranty company ever replaced something that broke (like a furnace) or
do they just patch it back together so that it lasts for the duration
of the warranty period.
--
Jeffrey H. Miller smj...@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
Sverdrup Technology, NASA Lewis Research Center Group, Cleveland, Ohio
favorite book title: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons
Michael Joseph Edelman
>In article <1egnrv...@newmdata.meaddata.com> dav...@meaddata.com (David Miller) writes:
>>I just want to plug AHS (American Home Shield). The seller of my house
>>furnished the policy. The water heater wasn't working quite right so I
>>check the elements, and sure enough, the lower element showed infinite
>>resistance. So, instead of following directions from the net on how to
>>replace it, I called AHS. They had a plumber out in 24 hours to fix it.
>>It was easy to get through to them, they were prompt, etc. Couldn't ask
>>for more. I paid only the $35 deductable to the plumber (I know, the element
>>was probably less but I didn't have to do anything this way).
>>
>>I figured the AHS policy would be pretty useless when I bought the house.
>>I glad I was wrong.
>>
>>And I'm not connected to AHS in any way.
>>
>>Dave
>I disagree. In most cases the home warranty is not going to pay for
>itself. The warranty company is not going to replace something if they
>can patch it together so that it lasts until the warranty is over.
>
>Your warranty probably cost you around $250. So far you have paid $285
>to have an old water heater patched together so that it lasts for a few more
>months.
>
>This is only my opinion. In my case I did not get a home warranty and
>I don't regret it. Are there any people out there who actually saved
>money by getting a home warranty? I'm also curious to know if a home
>warranty company ever replaced something that broke (like a furnace) or
>do they just patch it back together so that it lasts for the duration
>of the warranty period.
>
Friends of mine had a very good experience with a home warranty. Their gas
oven crapped out and they were able to replace it with a top-of-the-line
oven and range. They're very happy. But the real reason for buying a warranty
is to protect yourself against the real high-ticket items, like a septic
field that needs replacing, a foundation that has been eroded from underneath,
restless spirits rising from building the house over a cursed graveyard, vampires,
the curse of Tutankhamen, that sort of thing.
--mike
Todd Bridges
>I just want to plug AHS (American Home Shield). The seller of my house
>furnished the policy. The water heater wasn't working quite right so I
>check the elements, and sure enough, the lower element showed infinite
>resistance. So, instead of following directions from the net on how to
>replace it, I called AHS. They had a plumber out in 24 hours to fix it.
You were without hot water for 24 hours? I wouldn't consider that
especially prompt. Don't get me started on the bozo they sent to "fix"
my air-conditioner!
>It was easy to get through to them, they were prompt, etc. Couldn't ask
>for more. I paid only the $35 deductable to the plumber (I know, the element
>was probably less but I didn't have to do anything this way).
Sure, if it costs them little enough they will fix it. That's the
point of the 'deductible'. It nearly covers the cost of this repair.
You paid the seller about $350 (in the price of the house) for the
policy, so AHS still makes a healthy profit. Knock the price of the
policy off the cost of the house and insure yourself. You'll save
money.
>I figured the AHS policy would be pretty useless when I bought the house.
>I glad I was wrong.
Mine was useless when I asked them to fix my air-conditioner
compressor. The contract says they are not liable for "manufacturing
defects or improper installation or repair." That just about covers
it, doesn't it?
>And I'm not connected to AHS in any way.
Neither am I, any more. The funny thing is that they keep sending me
reply cards asking if I want to sign up for their "service". Most of
them have a special bullet pointing out the air-conditioner coverage!
My advice is to stay away from AHS. (This discussion went around when
I had my problems with them, and four of five responses I got were
negative, for what that's worth.)
Todd Bridges, M88000 Development (512) 891-3227 Fax (512) 891-3818
uunet!oakhill.sps.mot.com!toddb (second choice: cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!toddb)
Motorola, Inc. TX30/OE215, 6501 William Cannon Dr. W, Austin, TX 78735-8598
My comments do not represent official Motorola dogma. Especially regarding
repugnant immoral un-American invasions of privacy.
--
Todd Bridges, M88000 Development (512) 891-3227 Fax (512) 891-3818
uunet!oakhill.sps.mot.com!toddb (second choice: cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!toddb)
Motorola, Inc. TX30/OE215, 6501 William Cannon Dr. W, Austin, TX 78735-8598
My comments do not represent official Motorola dogma. Especially regarding
David Miller
|> In article <1egnrv...@newmdata.meaddata.com> dav...@meaddata.com (David Miller) writes:
|> >I just want to plug AHS (American Home Shield). The seller of my house
story about water heater repair removed....
|> >And I'm not connected to AHS in any way.
|> >
|>
|> I disagree. In most cases the home warranty is not going to pay for
|> itself. The warranty company is not going to replace something if they
|> can patch it together so that it lasts until the warranty is over.
|>
|> Your warranty probably cost you around $250. So far you have paid $285
Nope. Didn't cost me a dime. The seller provided it. And we negotiated the
price in 5K increments so the 250 didn't have any effect.
|> to have an old water heater patched together so that it lasts for a few more
|> months.
Patched together. No, simply repaired. My guess it has many good years
left in it. It's only 6 years old with minimal deposits.
|>
|> This is only my opinion. In my case I did not get a home warranty and
|> I don't regret it. Are there any people out there who actually saved
|> money by getting a home warranty? I'm also curious to know if a home
I have friends who had a dishwasher replaced - NOT repaired. Not sure what
company the warrantee was with.
|> warranty company ever replaced something that broke (like a furnace) or
|> do they just patch it back together so that it lasts for the duration
|> of the warranty period.
Based on my discussion on the phone, they probably use approved repair
agencies and let them make estimates etc. My guess is that AHS then
chooses the cheapest option. It's not in the best interest of the repair
agency to do shoddy work.
|>
|> --
|> Jeffrey H. Miller smj...@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
|> Sverdrup Technology, NASA Lewis Research Center Group, Cleveland, Ohio
|>
|> favorite book title: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons
|>
--
Jennifer Mery
>
>This is only my opinion. In my case I did not get a home warranty and
>I don't regret it. Are there any people out there who actually saved
>money by getting a home warranty? I'm also curious to know if a home
>warranty company ever replaced something that broke (like a furnace) or
>do they just patch it back together so that it lasts for the duration
>of the warranty period.
I sure did. We had the seller buy the warranty for us (about $250, I
guess) as part of our price agreement, so it didn't cost us anything.
When summer came up, we couldn't get the AC to work right, called them,
and for the famous $35 we got a new compressor (I think those cost more
than $250) installed. Later we had the fan go out and had it repaired.
When our year was up, we enjoyed having the peace of mind, so we bought
another year.
I don't think we'll buy another year after this, since we've only used
it once since we renewed (freon recharge/leak repaired). It's really
nice though to know the stuff is covered when you're first starting out
being a homeowner, not knowing how the appliances in the house were
treated before you moved in and not knowing how to fix anything. I heard
Bruce Williams (AM radio dude) say that these warranties aren't for
saving money anyway, they're mainly for peace of mind, and sometimes
peace of mind is worth it.
jam
--
==============================================================================
Jennifer Mery | Please do not quote entire long articles or signatures.
Austin, Texas | gu...@wixer.cactus.org
==============================================================================
Dan Freitas
>>itself. The warranty company is not going to replace something if they
>>can patch it together so that it lasts until the warranty is over.
>>
>>Your warranty probably cost you around $250. So far you have paid $285
>>to have an old water heater patched together so that it lasts for a few more
>>months.
>>
>>This is only my opinion. In my case I did not get a home warranty and
>>I don't regret it. Are there any people out there who actually saved
>>money by getting a home warranty? I'm also curious to know if a home
>>warranty company ever replaced something that broke (like a furnace) or
>>do they just patch it back together so that it lasts for the duration
>>of the warranty period.
>>
We have had a home warranty included in the purchase of two homes. In the
first home the dishwasher went South two weeks after moving in (the house was
vacant for a while before moving in, seal dried out, motor got wet, poof...).
The repair bill was a little under $200 (the home warranty cost the seller about
$200 so it was about break even).
In the second house the water heater developed a fatal leak a few days after
moving in. The gas/electric were off long enough to allow the water heater
to go cold causing an expansion break in one of the water lines when it was
reheated. This is a 75 gallon heater that cost about $500 to replace.
Along with that we had one attic fan motor die and a wiring splice opened
in one of the outlets. At $70 just to come to the house and $60/hr labor,
it was easy to build up a many hundreds of dollars of repair bills.
In all cases we simply called the warranty place and a service guy was out in
a day or two. Given that, in the grand scheme of closing costs, a few hundred
dollars doesn't even register on the Richter scale, the peace of mind and ease
of repair is worth it.
Dan
--
UUCP : free...@mti.sgi.com
USPS : Silicon Graphics; 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mt. View, CA. 94039-7311
PHONE: 415-390-4142
Stavros Macrakis
|> Your warranty probably cost you around $250. So far you have paid $285
Nope. Didn't cost me a dime. The seller provided it. And we negotiated the
price in 5K increments so the 250 didn't have any effect.
In article <1992Nov24.0...@wixer.cactus.org>
gu...@wixer.cactus.org (Jennifer Mery) writes:
We had the seller buy the warranty for us (about $250, I guess) as
part of our price agreement, so it didn't cost us anything....
House warranties may or may not be a good idea. As with all
insurance, they're only worthwhile to reduce the variance of your
costs, not to reduce the average cost.
But I don't understand this notion that they don't cost anything if
the seller is paying for them. This is part of the price negotiation
like anything else. Sure, previous increments in the price
negotiation may have been $5k; the last increment happened to be $250.
-s
Bob Wier
>
> I sure did. We had the seller buy the warranty for us (about $250, I
> guess) as part of our price agreement, so it didn't cost us anything.
> When summer came up, we couldn't get the AC to work right, called them,
> and for the famous $35 we got a new compressor (I think those cost more
> than $250) installed. Later we had the fan go out and had it repaired.
> When our year was up, we enjoyed having the peace of mind, so we bought
> another year.
>
with a HOW (later American Shield) policy. I called 'em a couple of
times, always about the Air Conditioner.
When it came time to renew, I read what was covered very closely. It
seemed to me that if you have an AC then it was probably worth while
(especially if it's an older unit). If you just have a furnace (as I
do now, living at high altitude) then I concluded it wasn't worth it.
One of the problems was that if you had a slab foundation, they would
pay for the pipe repairs should it be needed, but would not pay for the
excavation and re pour of the slab where it had to be opened. That
seemed to me to be a loophole for the out of a major expense. I wonder
if that's still the same now (it's been a few years)...
- Bob Wier
---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
College of Engineering
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
Internet: r...@naucse.cse.nau.edu | WB5KXH | fax:602 523 2300
Edward...@transarc.com
The sellers of our house bought an AHS policy, and we made out like
bandits. Over two years (they only let me renew once, for ~$350), they
spent over $3000 on repairs to my ~70 yr. old house. They fixed the
range (regulator went out, ~$100), replumbed half a bathroom (~$350),
replaced the steam boiler float valve on my furnace (~$500), replaced 2
diverter valves (~$200 each), and partially replaced my waste stack
(~$1000 to the plumber and $850 to me to fix the walls).
I recommend getting the coverage if you have an old house. I did not
like the service one bit. They consistently demanded second opinions
and callbacks from the service people, resulting in delays of up to a
month to get some of the repairs done. Several of the service people
they sent out were completely incompetent (although, to their credit,
those people never actually did the work, just gave lousy estimates).
Ed Engler
Andy Welter
If an insurance company knows what they are doing, odds are, they will come out
ahead on a large pool of policies. The way I view insurance is that it will protect
me from things where I can't handle a worst case scenario.
I don't buy extended warrantees on stero equipment (oh no, I have to buy a new walkman!) or on cars either. But I didn't heisitate too much when getting one on
my house. When we bought it, we were stretched a little thin for the first 6 months
or so. Even though it expired without getting used, I still liked having the peace
of mind of the policy. Thats why I have medical insurance, liability insurance, etc.
I didn't bother extending it because we had our emergency savings built back up.
I also had more confidence in the quality of the house and more confidence in my
ability to do-it-myself if we had any problems.
---
|Andrew Welter | All views are mine and not | (513) 865-6822
|Mead Data Central | that of my employer | pd&o-ps-ts-dsp
|P.O. Box 933 | | an...@meaddata.com
|Dayton, Ohio 45401 | | ...!uunet!meaddata!andyw
Charles Young
smj...@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Miller) says:
>
Waranty companies do replace broken items when they cost more to repair.
I have seen it with a dishwasher and a heater.
On average, the buyer of the policy is bound to come out behind, because
these companies do make money. Look at it as an insurance policy, which
it is, and decide if you would rather pay for the policy plus deductible
or you would rather pay for individual repair bills. There is no
universal answer.