Experience with a home warranty claim?
January 31, 2015 8:40 AM Subscribe
What am I likely to get as a "replacement credit" for a home warranty claim on a broken washing machine? Bonus question: any recommendations on replacement models or replacing the set vs. just washer?
When we bought our house this summer the title company (Fidelity National) threw in a home warranty for a one-year period. Last week our washing machine broke (approx. nine-year-old Kenmore LG front-loader) and we filed a claim with the company. They sent a repairperson out who diagnosed that the bearing was shot - apparently it happens and ours has gone past the expected 6-7 years they usually last. He said the repair is not cheap, and we're waiting to hear back if the company will authorize the fix or else will give us a "replacement credit."
First question: What can we expect in terms of dollar amount for the credit? Is it enough to replace with a new, comparable model (probably around $700)? Or is it some kind of pro-rated amount based on a nine-year-old machine? Just trying to get a sense of what is reasonable so that I am prepared to talk to the company when we hear back. I'd love the $700 but that somehow doesn't seem like it will be the case.
Second question two parts: If it comes down to replacing, any suggestions on the best models currently out there? I would be interested in upgrading past the basic front-loaders since we will be in this house for a long time. Also, any thoughts on replacing the set (broken washer plus working dryer) with a matching set vs. just swapping in a new washer? Our current set is stacked, so I realize we might be limited in replacement options if we want to keep the dryer. It seems we can get a new washer in our current form factor, so that is one idea on the table. But with a nine-year-old dryer I wonder if it's just a matter of time before that goes, too, and then we're replacing piecemeal again.
When we bought our house this summer the title company (Fidelity National) threw in a home warranty for a one-year period. Last week our washing machine broke (approx. nine-year-old Kenmore LG front-loader) and we filed a claim with the company. They sent a repairperson out who diagnosed that the bearing was shot - apparently it happens and ours has gone past the expected 6-7 years they usually last. He said the repair is not cheap, and we're waiting to hear back if the company will authorize the fix or else will give us a "replacement credit."
First question: What can we expect in terms of dollar amount for the credit? Is it enough to replace with a new, comparable model (probably around $700)? Or is it some kind of pro-rated amount based on a nine-year-old machine? Just trying to get a sense of what is reasonable so that I am prepared to talk to the company when we hear back. I'd love the $700 but that somehow doesn't seem like it will be the case.
Second question two parts: If it comes down to replacing, any suggestions on the best models currently out there? I would be interested in upgrading past the basic front-loaders since we will be in this house for a long time. Also, any thoughts on replacing the set (broken washer plus working dryer) with a matching set vs. just swapping in a new washer? Our current set is stacked, so I realize we might be limited in replacement options if we want to keep the dryer. It seems we can get a new washer in our current form factor, so that is one idea on the table. But with a nine-year-old dryer I wonder if it's just a matter of time before that goes, too, and then we're replacing piecemeal again.
Best answer: I'm just going to link to my answer in a similar thread a couple of years ago. It's not a direct parallel, but it might give you a sense of what you're in for.
posted by jon1270 at 8:50 AM on January 31, 2015
posted by jon1270 at 8:50 AM on January 31, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks, RB, will check out the Duets!
jon1270 - your comment on the other thread sums up exactly what we believe/suspect will be the case with this warranty. As it was a zero-dollar investment for us (well, other than the atrocious closing costs...) we wanted to give it a try, figuring we're no worse off than if we didn't have it (and were not really depending on it to save the day for a big-ticket item).
I will update this thread with what happens, just for the record if anyone else is searching the archives!
posted by handful of rain at 9:51 AM on February 1, 2015
jon1270 - your comment on the other thread sums up exactly what we believe/suspect will be the case with this warranty. As it was a zero-dollar investment for us (well, other than the atrocious closing costs...) we wanted to give it a try, figuring we're no worse off than if we didn't have it (and were not really depending on it to save the day for a big-ticket item).
I will update this thread with what happens, just for the record if anyone else is searching the archives!
posted by handful of rain at 9:51 AM on February 1, 2015
Response by poster: Quick update, for anyone who reads this in the future:
Despite a lot of negative online reviews of the warranty company, we have had a surprisingly smooth experience with their in-house staff (see below for the cons, however). Folks were by and large nice and pleasant enough - service didn't blow me away but wasn't a nightmare. The repairman eventually (see below) told them the machine wasn't worth repairing, and they accepted that without any push back, loop holes, second opinions, etc. My case went to purchasing, which quickly responded with an option for a machine they would purchase and have installed, or else for a buy-out check. Although they stipulated that the check would cover purchase and install costs at wholesale, as far as I can tell it was pretty close to what the machine sells for retail (I guess I'm not factoring in tax and install fees, though). So overall I was very pleased with the amount - it was not pro-rated based on the fact my washer was like 9 years old. I opted for the check, although I'm posting this before receiving it so fingers crossed it arrives as promised. We hadn't paid for the warranty so getting anything out of it was a bonus for us.
What I didn't like about this process was the dispatch out to a local repair shop. I filed my claim on a Saturday and got a call from the local shop's scheduler on a Monday. Their first available appointment was literally the end of the week, Friday evening. So that right there was six days with no washer. The scheduler, despite confirming my address, also managed to screw up in that she got the wrong city, so Friday morning as I'm walking out the door with two kids off to school and work I get a call asking if the guy can come right now, as in 10 minutes out, because he can't possibly make the other slot. We made it work but it was not very smooth. The guy also neglected to provide his diagnostic report to the warranty company until Wednesday morning the following week, despite promising to do so on Friday. It took me calling the warranty company twice, which then called him while I was on the phone, to get him to submit it. So that added probably 4-5 extra days to the whole thing with no washer.
Basically you have no control who they use, so you can't get recommendations or read reviews. And I do think once it was clear it would be a replacement vs. a repair his interest probably went down, because there'd be no more billing for it past the first service call.
All that said, I don't think we will renew the warranty. I'm not sure how much it costs, but at probably north of $500 plus a service fee you can cover a lot of your own repair and replacement costs before it is worthwhile. A lot of commentary in the other thread jon1270 linked to, plus online reviews, show these companies will try to get out of coverage in various ways. It's not like they are making money by paying claims and replacing appliances. Also, the time delay in getting service scheduled, getting the report back, getting the case moved along has been a real drag.
posted by handful of rain at 9:11 AM on February 5, 2015
Despite a lot of negative online reviews of the warranty company, we have had a surprisingly smooth experience with their in-house staff (see below for the cons, however). Folks were by and large nice and pleasant enough - service didn't blow me away but wasn't a nightmare. The repairman eventually (see below) told them the machine wasn't worth repairing, and they accepted that without any push back, loop holes, second opinions, etc. My case went to purchasing, which quickly responded with an option for a machine they would purchase and have installed, or else for a buy-out check. Although they stipulated that the check would cover purchase and install costs at wholesale, as far as I can tell it was pretty close to what the machine sells for retail (I guess I'm not factoring in tax and install fees, though). So overall I was very pleased with the amount - it was not pro-rated based on the fact my washer was like 9 years old. I opted for the check, although I'm posting this before receiving it so fingers crossed it arrives as promised. We hadn't paid for the warranty so getting anything out of it was a bonus for us.
What I didn't like about this process was the dispatch out to a local repair shop. I filed my claim on a Saturday and got a call from the local shop's scheduler on a Monday. Their first available appointment was literally the end of the week, Friday evening. So that right there was six days with no washer. The scheduler, despite confirming my address, also managed to screw up in that she got the wrong city, so Friday morning as I'm walking out the door with two kids off to school and work I get a call asking if the guy can come right now, as in 10 minutes out, because he can't possibly make the other slot. We made it work but it was not very smooth. The guy also neglected to provide his diagnostic report to the warranty company until Wednesday morning the following week, despite promising to do so on Friday. It took me calling the warranty company twice, which then called him while I was on the phone, to get him to submit it. So that added probably 4-5 extra days to the whole thing with no washer.
Basically you have no control who they use, so you can't get recommendations or read reviews. And I do think once it was clear it would be a replacement vs. a repair his interest probably went down, because there'd be no more billing for it past the first service call.
All that said, I don't think we will renew the warranty. I'm not sure how much it costs, but at probably north of $500 plus a service fee you can cover a lot of your own repair and replacement costs before it is worthwhile. A lot of commentary in the other thread jon1270 linked to, plus online reviews, show these companies will try to get out of coverage in various ways. It's not like they are making money by paying claims and replacing appliances. Also, the time delay in getting service scheduled, getting the report back, getting the case moved along has been a real drag.
posted by handful of rain at 9:11 AM on February 5, 2015
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They make them in a variety of sizes and they can be stacked. We bought ours at Lowe's. I got them to give me a 10% discount and free delivery (this is pretty standard).
I'd buy them together and sell what you have on Craigslist to offset the additional cost. You'll get Energy Star rebates and tax credits. And you can save the time hassle and question mark of "when's the dryer going to go?"
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:49 AM on January 31, 2015