Complaint Review: Assurant - Rapid City South Dakota

On July 5th 2018, I purchased an extended warranty through Assurant in the amount of $411.56. The term of the plan was a (2) year warranty from August 2018 – August of 2020, and was to cover any repairs and parts for my Samsung Refrigerator/Freezer.

On August 30th 2019 I contacted Assurant to request service for my refrigerator as my refrigerator was not cooling and it showed a temperature of 60 degrees. I was scheduled an appointment through their automated system for September 2nd between the hours of 9am -5pm; needless to say I had to wait home the entire day since the company did not provide me with a 4 hour window but instead provided me with an 8 hour.

I was told the repair facility that would be arriving at my home was “Jimmy’s Repair”.  At 5pm nobody had showed up at my home; I immediately contacted Assurant via phone and could not reach any live person to find the status of the repair technician. My second call was directly placed to “Jimmy’s Repair” to check on the status of the technician and once again to no avail no response.

On September 3rd 2019, I made a call to “Jimmy’s Repair” and spoke to a “Linda” and advised them that I had service appointment on Monday September 2nd and she stated that it was a Holiday and they were closed and they do not know why Service Protection scheduled me for this day and that later on I that day I the service repair mand will visit my home to inspect my refrigerator.  

Later on September 3rd, I received a phone call from my wife who was at my home at the time of the visit and she advised me the repairman from “Jimmy’s” was unable toservice my refrigerator. Unfortunately the repairman was elderly and did not have the physical strength to pull out my refrigerator to properly diagnose it but he stated he lives nearby my home and he would visit my home the following day and if I can assist him with pulling out my refrigerator..

On September 4th, the same repairman from “Jimmy’s Repair” visited my home in the morning and per his diagnosis he stated that I needed a “motherboard” and he would order the part and  once It arrives I would be contacted for a new appointment. The repairman has asked me for a payment of $50.00 for his diagnosis? I stated to the man why do I have to pay I had purchased a service warranty and paid over $400.00; he stated that this was part of my plan, something I was never advised about from Assurant when I purchased this plan. The repairman demanded payment and I obliged by providing him with my credit card.

On September 7th I received a phone call from the owner of “Jimmy’s Repair” asking me if they can revisit my home to make sure the first repairman made the proper diagnosis. I expressed my frustration with this entire process, and why now 3 days after the diagnosis am I being asked for a second opinion? I complied  and had the owner visit my home later that day.

The owner concurred with the first technicians visit and stated I needed a “motherboard”. Later that day; my ice unit on my freezer stopped making ice. I called “Jimmy’s” and stated to “Linda” ever since the owner came out and inspected my unit he also messed with my freezer and it was not producing anymore ice; I was told from Linda that there is a “reset” button on the freezer and to press it and allow 24 hours for it to start making ice.

24 hours later still no ice, I contacted “Jimmy’s” once again they stated once the “motherboard” comes in they will check the freezer and see why it stopped making ice. So now I go from a refrigerator that wasn’t cooling to a refrigerator that also isn’t making any ice beyond refrigerator.

On September 11th I contacted “Jimmy’s Repair” and spoke with Linda and inquired what is the status of the part? It has now been over 1 week since the diagnosis and I have not had a working refrigerator for now 2 weeks. Linda stated the part was on backorder and she had no idea when the part would be in? I immediately contacted Assurant and spoke with “Dan” and stated this was unacceptable service.

I was able to lookup the part myself via internet search from the part number received directly from “Jimmy’s Repair” and stated I can purchase the part myself and have it delivered as early as September 13 and asked “Assurant” that if I were to do this would they reimburse me for the cost of the part?  “Dan” stated he cannot guarantee this and he would look into it and let me know.

On September 16th, I receive a call from “Dan” of Service Protection” and he stated that if I ordered the part on my own and submitted a receipt they will review it but there would be no guarantee I would be refunded; at this point It has now been almost 3 weeks with no refrigerator and what choice do I have; I purchased the part myself and was told I would have it on September 18th.  

On September 18th I receive the part and coincidently I received a call from “Jimmy’s Repair” stating they as well received the part and the repair man would be to my home later that day to install it. On the evening on September 18th the owner from “Jimmy’s” installed the part and also service my freezer.

I was advised to wait “24 hours” and the temperature of the fridge should reach its normal setting of 38 degrees and that the freezer will be making ice within the next 4 hours. 24 hours  later still “NO ICE” and the temperature is still set to “60 degrees”.

On September 19th I immediately contacted Assurant and stated this was unacceptable service; my family and I have been days without a working refrigerator and ever since their visit my unit stopped producing ice! I was told that Assurant  would be contacting Jimmy’s to see what was the issue.

On September 20th, I contact Assurant again to check on the status and I was told that unfortunately “Jimmy’s Repair”  stated they do not understand why it’s not working and there is nothing more they can do. I stated this was completely unactable and I demanded to speak with a supervisor. I had spoken with a “Stacy” a Supervisor of Assurant and she stated that they will be scheduling me another appointment to have an “Authorized Samsung” appliance repair facility visit my home to inspect my refrigerator.

I was also advised from “Stacy” that if the second repair facility was unable to fix my unit that the final step would be to refund me the cost of my refrigerator which was part of my service plan.  I was told the appointment would on October 2nd; now putting me and my family over a month without a working refrigerator.

On October 2, I had a service appointment with “Dial Appliance” a so called “Authorized Samsung Repairman” came to my home to diagnose the unit. The service mans was in my home for less than 5 minutes and only visually inspected my refrigerator and stated that I needed “Freon” but unfortunately my refrigerator takes what is called a  “600 coolant” and “Dial Appliance” a so called “Authorized Samsung Repair Facility” is “NOT AUTHORIZED” to work with “600 Coolant”.

Once again I  immediacy contacted Service Protection  Advantage once and expressed my anger, my claim specialist “Daniel” of Assurant  is rude, lacks no Customer Service and has been completely un-sympathetic to my issue. “Daniel” is argumentative and has a rebuttal for anything I say to him.  

On October 4th, I contacted Service Protection and asked them what do they repair to do at this point? It has now been 36 days and my family and I have been living out of camping coolers which lay on my kitchen floor. Since my unit has broken back on August 30th my wife every night has to go to our local supermarket to purchase bags of ice to keep the essentials like “milk” and “eggs” properly stored for my three children.

The customer service rep whom I had spoken to at Assurantd stated she would get a message to “Stacy” the Supervisor who promised me that if the second company could not fix my unit I would receive a check towards the purchase of a new refrigerator.

On October 7th, I had called back into Assurant and once again spoken to “Daniel” a rude examiner and advised on the status of my claim, he said no had no response and would escalate this to the “Higher Up Department”.

On October 8th, I had called back into Assurant and once again spoken to “Daniel” a rude examiner and he advised that “Assurant” was looking for a now “THIRD” repair facility; one  that is “AUTHORIZED” to work on type “600 Coolant” I stated this was not acceptable; “Stacy” the Supervisor had specifically stated to me back on September 20th that if “Dial Appliance” could not repair my unit I would be compensated for a new refrigerator!

Since September 20Th, “Stacy” has been unresponsive to any of my calls and emails. “Daniel” my examiner stated that until they receive word from a repair facility that the unit is un-fixable they cannot compensate me and my new appointment is now with “A&E Appliance” which is scheduled for October 15th.

It is now 42 days and my family and I are still without a working refrigerator. Assurant should be ashamed of themselves and how they have handled this entire process and should stand behind what they have stated. A working refrigerator is a mandatory necessity.