Complaint Review: Homesure HMS Home Warranty Of Virginia - Arlington Virginia

January 4, 2007: i purchase my condo with a very old A/C system. Since it's January it cannot be fully inspected. At my REALTOR(R)s urging (someone whom I highly respect) I purchase a home warranty through HomeSure of Virginia - HMS Home Warranty.

Appx 6/1/07. It's starting to get HOT here in Virginia and I realize my AC is not working. It's blowing hot air or tepid air at best.

6/7/07. I call Homesure to place a claim for my AC. I receive a claim number and instructions for calling AJ mechanical to handle my problem.

6/8/07 -- the weather lets up a bit.

appx 6/9-6/12 I call AJ mechanical to place an order for service. Am told that they can get me in at the earliest in July. I sigh but schedule an appointment. (it's amazing to me that an AC company does not have a full team of staff in the summer -- but hey, I run my own company so I don't want to worry about theirs)

7/17/07 - -the service technicians arrive 25 minutes after the end of the service window I had been provided. I rush home to meet them. Apparently there had been a delay earlier in their route, but their cell phones didn't work so they couldn't alert me.

Tech tells me that my filter needs to be replaced and that that's my job (ok) and that he will add freon to the machine out back. he leaves.

7/18/07. I purchase 5 new filters so I won't have this problem again. I go home and replace this filter. Turn on the AC -- nothing!!!! (Have I mentioned yet that my A/C unit is the orginal from when my condos went condo from apartment -- back in 1971?) I pay them $100 and they leave.

7/19/07 I call AJ mechanical to ask for re-service. I receive no call back.

I'm traveling through part of the summer and praying that by some miracle my AC will work.

8/10/07 -- AC still not working, I frantically search for my files.

8/27/07 -- I call AJ Mechanical and request service. AJ mechanical calls back. I explain the problem, read the history and work statement to the fellow and he says, "I understand it's hot, but all of our guys are on vacation this week." (Yes, really - the last week of August!) He continues, "we can get you in earliest on the 5th of September." I'm looking at my thermostat at 89 degrees and flipping through my calendar. I run my own business and I see several appointments scheduled for 5 September. However, I tell him that with a week's notice I should be able to reschedule them all -- so yes, I'd love them to come by on the 5th.

9/4/07 appx 10am -- I receive a call from AJ Mechanical informing me that all their guys haven't come back from vacation (again, WHAT???? do these 'guys' still have jobs? and if yes, WHY???) so they'll come Thursday instead. I inform him that I had spent a week rescheduling Wednesdays appontments to Thursday so Thursday will not work and that I want service when scheduled. He informs me that he can't do that -- so I should call them back when I can find the time. I question how an AC company can run without staff in the summer and with people coming and going willy nilly. He says "we do fine, call us if you need us."

9/4/07 appx 11 am -- I call HMS and complain that their recommended company is jerking my chain and hasn't been responsive to my lack of a/c. I'm told that they will issue a re-call number and I'm given the name of another AC company. I ask, "will i have to pay my deductible again if I use another company?" She says, "Only if its something different than what they reported before."

9/4/07 appx 11:15am -- I call the new AC company and leave a message requesting service with my claim number.

9/4/07 1:15 -- I receive a message from new AC company stating that they can't service my claim because it was already handled by AJ mechanical -- and that they called AJ mechanical on my behalf and heard that they had a problem with Wednesday and I refused service on Thursday.

9/4/07 3:20 pm -- I email my realtor(r) to alert her to this situation and to recommend that she and her brokerage never recommend or sell another of these warranties.

9/4/07 3:48 pm -- I call HMS/Homesure and explain the story again. Christine assures me that she's heard me and puts me on hold while she calls AJ Mechanical. She gets back on the line and says, "Why won't you have someone there on Thursday?" I explain, again, that I work for myself, live alone with two dogs (who don't have opposable thumbs and take crummy notes anyway so they can't let the AJ mechanical guys in) and can't just upend my business with fewer than a weeks notice. "so you're refusing service?" I explain, "No, I'm complaining about your service, and hope that my realtor(R) will alert her company so they never recommend you, and I'm filing a complaint about AJ Mechanical. I cannot work with them as I feel that they are in cahoots with you and simply hanging on til my warranty is up in lieu of doing a real job." Her response is that I should be more accommodating to their (AJ mechanical) schedule. I'm incredulous. I ask for her supervisor and inform her that I would like some respite from this insanity -- and the heat. Christine puts me on hold approximately 15 minutes and informs me that "all the supervisors are busy -- they must have a lot of calls today." She says that she'll place a ticket and someone will call me within 2 hours.

9/4/07 - Supervisor at HMS-Homesure, Trent Williams calls about 4:48 and informs me that hes a supervisor. I regale him with my tale, tell him Im not trying to be an ogre, but I havent been sleeping most of the summer due to the fact that the temp in my home hovers between 86 and 90 most days and nights. He tells me that I have to make myself available for AJ Mechanical at their convenience. I tell him thats not a fit and that I feel that AJ mechanical has been jerking my chain since the summer began and that I believed they may even be stringing me along til the warranty ran out because they didnt want to have to do a big fix on my system for the warranty rate. Trent tells me that he doesnt deal with the vendors, theres another office that does, but that he will alert the vendor checking people to my concerns.

I ask what he can do to resolve this issue satisfactorily. He tells me I can be available for AJ mechanical or he can give me the refund for the remaining months (october - jan 4 -- remember, I moved in January!) minus the cancellation fee. I ask to speak to his supervisor. Her name is Sheila Taylor and shes the manager in the office of the President. I get her number. I ask for the Presiden'ts name and Trent tells me before we hang up, \You do understand that hes the company president and he doesnt take calls from customers. I reply, Im the president of my company and Ive always taken calls from customers, as they PAY MY SALARY. Perhaps hell accept a call from me President to President. We hung up.

9/4/07 -- about this time - -my realtor(r) writes back asking if maybe they can get the HMS people to get someone to fix my AC I'd be happy. I say at this point, I want all my money back plus the $100 deductible and I'll save my pennies to hire a reputable company to replace my system next year.

9/4/07 ~ 5:03. I called and left Sheila Taylor a message (who apparently does go home at 5) asking that she call me.

9/4/07 At 5:08 I received a call from Trent Williams saying I just called AJ Mechanical and told them to save your space from 8-12 on Thursday, as though he had done me a big favor. I thanked him and asked if I hadnt been clear that Thursday didnt work for me. He said, well, just so you know I wanted to help you. I said thank you again and informed him that I heard what he said, but he really hadnt helped unless he could get them to come tomorrow as originally scheduled, or assign another company. He said, I saved you the space on Thursday. (If this wasnt my life it would be hysterical!) Again, I just said thanks but no and hung up.

So. As a person who spends her life trying to overlook the little glitches and see the silver lining -- it's amazing to me how badly heat for prolonged periods (it's still hovering at 85 in my house -- with all windows open and two borrowed fans) can affect my outlook.

I feel certain that there are some underhanded things going on -- and I cannot believe that realtors(r) are out there staking their reputations on recommending this company. I can't help but wonder who gets what kickbacks from whom! I'm not sure what my next step should be - but I appreciate your time.

Best,

Arlingtonres

Arlington, Virginia

U.S.A.

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