"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/28/2013 5:52 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On 11/27/2013 1:00 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>> On 2013-11-27 12:51 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Home warranty works like this. You pay the warranty company money. If
>>>>> something breaks, they spend as little as possible to get things
>>>>> working
>>>>> again and keep the rest of the money. Put that $500 a year into a
>>>>> saving account and you can handle just about anything needed around
>>>>> the
>>>>> house.
>>>>
>>>> In Jill's case it seems that she pays the premiums and when there is a
>>>> problem they do nothing.
>>>
>>> That's not true. When I've had plumbing problems they've been fixed
>>> immediately. Where can you get a plumber to fix a leaking toilet for
>>> a flat $75, parts included? He even had to make a separate trip to
>>> the hardware store to get a special ring seal to fit the toilet.
>>>
>>> My neighbor's house (as old as mine is) has two water heaters. They
>>> replaced both of them over the span of a year or so. Again, a flat
>>> service charge. And no, they didn't put in used water heaters.
>>>
>>> The reason I have this home warranty is because of all the antiquated
>>> things in this house. Like the 1987 oven/stove/microwave all-in-one
>>> unit. The refrigerator. The washer & dryer. The warranty will pay to
>>> replace those things when they finally break down. I asked very
>>> specific questions when I purchased the warranty.
>>>
>>>> FWIW, last year I had a problem with the 220
>>>> line to my kitchen range. I called an electrician who a friend had
>>>> recommended. He was working on a a job nearby and came by when he was
>>>> done there. He found the and fixed the problem, checked for other
>>>> issues
>>>> charged me only $60 cash. A plumber charges $95 just to show up.
>>>>
>>> Around here it's more like $150, and they charge by the hour. The
>>> price of some issues the warranty has covered could easily have cost
>>> me more than the annual premium if I didn't have it.
>>>
>>> A year or two ago the attic fan in my HVAC unit died. The temperature
>>> was very hot and it was a *holiday* weekend. The home warranty
>>> company couldn't get any of their contractors to answer the phone.
>>> (It *was* a holiday weekend, after all.) They told me if I could find
>>> some other company to fix it they'd reimburse me for the difference
>>> between their service fee and the actual charges. And they did. So I
>>> was still only out $75.
>>
>> Sounds like you have a good deal to me.
>>
> It works for me. I know a bit about how insurance works. This *isn't*
> a policy where after I pay the $75 service fee if they discover it will
> cost $1000 or whatever I have to pay an extra 20-30%. No.
>
> I don't believe they're using sub-par contractors, which has been hinted.
> Where I live there are lots of small or even family run service companies.
> Many close for holidays. They also close around 6PM most week nights.
> Like anyone else, they'd like to go home.
>
> IMHO, it's not the warranty company's fault. The contracting company is
> paid a capitated rate. (No, they don't just get $75 for doing the job.)
>
> All that to say, I completely understand why I didn't get to talk to the
> electrician until early the next morning.
>
> At least I didn't lose any food.

Yes! And that was a relief!!!

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