- Report: #1148798
Complaint Review: Guardsman - Nationwide
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Guardsman
Nationwide, USA
Phone:
800-516-0195
Web:
http://www.guardsman.com/
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Guardsman Furniture Protection Plan Nationwide
After purchasing a new house I purchases a large amount of furniture from Ashley Furniture. I included the Guardsman furniture protection plan to cover stains etc. after noticing that it is a BBB accredited business. The furniture was delivered without incident and were the first items delivered to the new house.
Two weeks after the move my wife decides to fill our new china cabinet and starts to put in the shelves. After opening the door she bumped the glass and it got cracked and scratched. I went to the Guardsman website to determine how to file a claim to get the glass replaced. I decided to call to get faster service (the other option was to use the website), I explained the situation to the CSR and she sent me an e-mail. The e-mail gave me two options; to use the website (one of the first options) or to fill out a form sent to me and mail it in. the e-mail also put emphasis that faster service is through the website. I filled out the form on the website and provided pictures. I then got an e-mail saying that I had to do the process by mail and sent the same form that I had before. This process took several days as I had to wait for the e-mails, get pictures, etc.
The next week I get an e-mail declining my claim. The reason they gave was, “China Cabinet/Hutch - Scratch-Glass - A stain or damage that occurs during delivery is not covered under the terms of the protection plan.” I called the company and got through to a CSR/account manager after the usual wait time.
I explained the situation and the CSR was initially confused too about why the claim was denied as I did not mention anything about the delivery in the claim. He speculated that the damage had to be delivery related and we did not notice for two weeks. I refuted that. The CSR then went into another speculation that adjusting the shelves constitutes an “unusual use” of the furniture. I asked him how that would be unusual use if the piece was designed to have modular shelving. Then he informed me that the warranty does not cover furniture during a move, or while moving furniture – which I also was not doing – but Guardsman’s response was that their definition of a “furniture move” includes any type of adjustment like adjusting / installing shelves. My claim would continue to be denied on these grounds.
The CSR offered to file an appeal, but also told me that it would be declined on the “moving” definition grounds.
In short: They made it difficult to file a claim by having many different options to do so, but then referring me to perform another option (and eventually by mail). Then they went through several excuses on why they would not honor the claim until they found one that was so subjective that I could only refute their definition of a common word. And finally they gave me a chance to appeal, but then told me the result of that appeal before even filing it.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
mocean
Alabama,Settlement reached
#2Author of original report
Thu, May 22, 2014
Guardsman contacted me and worked out a deal to replace the furniture in question.
