need advice...getting jerked around by home warranty co.

[scotchnrocks]

I mortgaged a new condo in October 2006. Since then, I've placed a call for the 4th time now to have my A/C looked at. Each time they come out they charge the freon and say it is fixed. The A/C and heat then work for a few days and then stop (fan keeps blowing but the air is the same temperature as the room temperature, no matter if it's on heat or cold). Obviously there is a leak somewhere in the system that they do not want to find/repair, probably until my new home warranty is up. How do I need to handle this so that I don't get the shaft when my warranty is up a few months from now?

[Buckyinsc]

Did the broker you used have the seller provide the warranty as part of the contract?
and if yes did your broker choose the warranty company?
If yes, contact your real estate broker and have him/her see if he/she can get them to honor the contract. Real estate agents have the power to steer customers to the warranty company they like and the warranty companies know this.

I would also document every call and conversation with names, numbers and times/dates. You could contact the state department that oversees insurance and banking to file a complaint.

These companies can be a pain in the a$$. They also have poor venders as well. Many times the vendors have signed up to be on the insurance list do so because they need to generate business and they then try to get you to think that the repair is not covered to charge you more than the insurance company will pay under the contract to the vendor.

I have never renewed a waranty on any of my properties and only have had them the first year as it is generally expected that the seller pay for it.

[J.A.Sucker]

The home warranty is the biggest ripoff ever invented. I learned the hard way, but I eventually had a dispute settled by talking to my realtor and telling her what happened. She has stopped offering them to her customers. In the mean-time, make sure your realtor will threaten the home warranty company with the fact that she will no longer offer the services to anyone she or her company sells to if they don't make your situation right. This should take care of it in a jiffy. If your realtor won't do this, you should get a new realtor in the future.

[Spota]

Not trying to state the obvious, but are you sure you dont have a heat pump?

[Ra_]

just keep calling them out repeatedly, and sound pissed. if it goes out in about 3 days and it takes 3 days for them to get out there, then just call the day after and say its not cold anymore. they will have to fix it.

is the warranty company the same one who fixes the A/C? i'm not sure how that works but it sounds like a conflict of interest.