I really don’t like typing these, but it’s partial therapy and after repeated and prolonged insults, I occasionally give something back to companies with crap service. Trust me, I don’t enjoy it. I’m not one of these muck dwelling Yelp reviewers that tries to ruin a business because they had butter instead of “I can’t believe it’s not butter!” I, in my own world of employment, had a customer go online and trash my company…because we had sales. Disclaimer aside, here goes.
We moved into a new house just over a year ago and got a home warranty for a year. The day we were moving in the former owner told us the fridge quit working right – no ice. We called our providers, HSA Home Warranty. They said it was covered and sent a tech out. After providing the rep with our make, model and serial number, which wasn’t easy to get, they sent a repairman – who didn’t work on our fridge. It was this crazy foreign knock off brand called “GE.” He did find that not only was the ice maker not working, the temps were not holding in the fridge and we would start losing food. Another week, same exact scenario. They sent another guy, didn’t work on GE. Third week, they sent someone who could LOOK UP THE ERROR CODES BUT NOT FIX IT. Well, now we are flying! I finally had enough and swapped it with our old fridge, which we had at the old house. I called again about my fourth appointment, all of which, mind you, required my wife or myself to call off work or change our schedule.
Call went like this. “Just letting you know the fridge got moved five miles away, so he can fix it there.” “Sir, we can’t fix it at another address.” “It’s the same fridge, you didn’t fix with three other guys and it’s been broken at this point for over four weeks. I’m not moving a faulty fridge back yet again with me and my dad and breaking my back. You can have it fixed there and I’ll move it when it works.” Rep: “Sir, by contract, we only work on the site of the home.” Me: “Well, you haven’t worked at all. You can’t even find someone to fix a GE in the 15th largest city in the US and I’m losing food. I think as a courtesy, you can make it happen, since this has dragged out.” Rep: “Only if you move it back.”
So I paid out of pocket to repair it because that was better than moving a fridge in December with only me and my senior citizen father. I then had another issue where they would not pay up on a warranty claim because I had another contractor look at something before they were notified. They refused to take my call and made me email a robo-email address that wouldn’t take replies. My hate went from simmering to fully cooked. The coverage finally expired, but not without them emailing me bimonthly, mailing me a flyer every three weeks, and recently, calling my cell while at work to get me to renew this fine warranty that covers, pays for and fixes nothing.
I finally called back after work and selected the correct department. I told the lady I wanted the renewal department. “They don’t take calls.” Me: “I was given this number.” “Well, they don’t have a number.” Me: “I was given this number to call back.” “I’m in sales, I handle that.” Me: “Well, can you or anyone there take me off the call list?” “No, there’s no way to do that.” Me: “So you guys just call me for a year, decade, rest of my life?” “I guess I can take some notes.” Me: “While, you are at it, let me tell you why I’m not renewing.” I dictated to her the multitudinous complaints and realized she didn’t even have my account pulled up, so it was all for naught. As I explained what happened, she interrupted me several times and told me how I violated the policy by moving the fridge. Me: “Well, when my food started spoiling, I really didn’t care about your policy.” “Well, that’s the rules, so it’s on you.” She then did the same thing explaining how I was wrong on the second claim for a technicality. Me: “Well, I called someone else first because you sent these dummies that couldn’t even fix the problem – which means you don’t know how to hire contractors, which is your whole job.” She then told me she would see if anyone could take me off the call list, but probably not.
So, after all that, I have another way to maybe get off your call list. Go burn in hell, HSA Home Warranty. You didn’t fix the easiest of issues, made me move a fridge in the winter and pay for the repairs myself because I had the audacity to want a working appliance that was fully covered under your policy, and you hit me on a technicality because I didn’t have faith you would fix anything with your stellar track record of whipping darts in a pitch black room, hoping you would hit the board. I was going to let it all go, but you then chastised me when I called to say, “Stop calling me.” So go ahead and waste your stamps, time and money, I’ll never use you, recommend you, hire you and will, like in this blog, make sure my circle knows the same. Want to take me off your damn call list now?