In blogosphere terms this is a relatively old blog and there will be no new updates unless something 'newsworthy' about this issue comes up.

The material is good historically so if you are interested in the topic it is all awaiting your review.

9/28/16

Q. What sort of reputation does this firm have?

A. A VERY POOR ONE!

When buying an 11 year old home part of the agreement was a Home Warranty to be pre-paid by the seller. It was for one year at $530.

Unfortunately it was with HWA or Home Warranty of America.

(Note: They have 41 companies, most have HWA or Home Warranty America in their titles)

This blog site is about that firm, my minor experience and a lot of other information about how bad they are. There are loads of complaints about this bottom feeding firm which operates out of various post office boxes in Lincolnshire, Illinois, but is located in an office park at: 1371 Abbott Court, Buffalo Grove, Il. 60089.

President: Manu Asthana

Secretary: Bray Dohrwardt, Esq

Company Overview

Home Warranty Of America, Inc. provides home warranty solutions that provide protection against home and appliance repair costs. It offers various plans for buyers and sellers of homes, and homeowners that offer protection against major mechanical and system breakdowns that occurs due to normal wear and tear. The company has a strategic alliance with Keller Williams Realty. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. As of March 5, 2012, Home Warranty Of America, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Direct Energy US Home Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 850

Lincolnshire, IL 60069-0850

United States

Founded in 1996

Phone:

847-325-5143

Fax:

888-492-7360

www.hwahomewarranty.com

Let’s start out with The Rip Off Report http://www.ripoffreport.com/ where the firm is found under 2 listings:

Home Waranty of America with 57 complaints and
HWA with another 34 reports.

Just some of the consumer claims include:

This company is in the claim denial business, not the home warranty business,

NIGHTMARE WARRANTY COMPANY!!!

Pathetic company with pathetic customer service,

Fraudulent Home Warranty company,

Very slow service and cheapest, poorest possible repairs,

Makes up any excuse to not cover you when you have an issue,

Stole my money,

Stay away this company is a complete FRAUD,

Loopholes to avoid claim payments,

HWA DOES NOT HONOR WARRANTIES, JUST STEALS MONEY

--------------------------------------------

FYI: A Special Thanks for looking in goes out to frequent visitors from Blue Coat Systems (Dallas and Chicago) and Federal Trade Comm(Washington at ftc.gov)

You can find some additional complaints at:

1) The Complaints Board has complaints from 2008 to 2016 and can be found at:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/home-warranty-of-america-hwa-lincolnshire-illinois-c37111.html

2) YELP, 161 complaints, rates them at 1 star out of 5
https://www.yelp.com/biz/home-warranty-of-america-lincolnshire-3

3) Glass Door, employee reviews - Even Employees Do Not like HWA
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Home-Warranty-of-America-Reviews-E779742.htm

4) Home Warranties Review Reviews 80+ warranty companies at:
http://www.homewarrantyreviews.com/reviews/home-warranty-of-america#105954

(see end of blog for some of their customer complaints)

5) Yellow Pages

http://www.yellowpages.com/buffalo-grove-il/home-warranty-of-america

6) Consumer Affairs Rating Site

Overall Satisfaction Rating: 1 Star based on 63 ratings and 294 reviews

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/home_warranty.html

7) The Complaints Board
http://tinyurl.com/jlutyv8

This info is carried on:
http://homewarrantyofamericasucks.blogspot.com/
http://homewarrantyofamericaisterrible.blogspot.com/
http://avoidhomewarrantyofamerica.blogspot.com/
http://hwasucks.blogspot.com/
http://homewarrantyamericasucks.blogspot.com/
http://manuasthana.blogspot.com/
http://braydohrwardt.blogspot.com/

--------------------------------------------

As you can see from the below, the Better Business Bureau has 865 complaints, lots of reading on the BBB site.

Also in backgrounding this firm I found that they use 41 company names. Just following up on their company AWHR led me to the BBB again where AWHR has 37 complaints in the last 3 years. http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/water-heaters-dealers/awhr-in-buffalo-grove-il-88695881 I don't have time to run the other 40 names but probably most will also have complaints with the BBB or other sites.

What does the Better Business Bureau Info Reveal?

Home Warranty of America

Phone: (888) 495-7359

Fax: (888) 492-73601371 Abbott CourtBuffalo Grove, Il 60089Note: there are 41 registered firms at this address, all variations of the main HWA, for the complete list go to the last section of this blog site. Info from: http://www.bizapedia.com/addresses/1371-ABBOTT-COURT-BUFFALO-GROVE-IL-60089.html

Also used is: P.O. Box 850, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
(drop them a line and tell them what you think of their company)
mroth@hwahomewarranty.com - President, HWAchewelt@hwahomewarranty.com,claims@hwahomewarranty.com, info@hwahomewarranty.com, christinep@hwahomewarranty.com, chasity.solomon@hwahomewarranty.com,kacor@hwahomewarranty.com

Additional Locations:

P.O. Box 850

Lincolnshire, IL 60069(224) 532-5458(888) 495-7359
PO Box 500

Lincolnshire, IL 60069

Home Warranty of America
Dept. 3344
Carol Stream, Il 60132-3344

Additional Phone Numbers:

(847) 557-7897(Phone)
(888) 492-7359(Phone)
(224) 532-5458(Phone)
(855) 334-3577(Phone)

HOME WARRANTY OF AMERICA

CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS SINCE 2/24/1999

Home Warranty of America

(888) 495-7359

Customer Complaints Summary

865 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years | 439 closed in last 12 months

Complaint Type	Total Closed Complaints
Advertising/Sales Issues	17
Billing/Collection Issues	76
Delivery Issues	79
Guarantee/Warranty Issues	112
Problems with Product/Service	581
Total Closed Complaints	865

Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint against Home Warranty of America

BBB Customer Reviews SummaryRead customer reviews

101 Customer Reviews on Home Warranty of America

Customer Experience	Total Customer Reviews
Positive Experience	2
Neutral Experience	2
Negative Experience	97
Total Customer Reviews	101

Read Customer Reviews | Submit a Customer Review | See Trends in Customer Reviews on Home Warra

===============================================

There are loads of complaints about this bottom feeding firm which operates out of various post office boxes in Lincolnshire, Illinois. You can find some additional complaints at:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/home-warranty-of-america-hwa-lincolnshire-illinois-c37111.html

My Own Minor Problem With HWA, considering what I have read about them, it was indeed a very minor problem:

I was 10 months into my own year long warranty when I had an issue with the garbage disposal and phoned HWA as it was a covered item.

They sent out a local plumber who simply replaced the Grinder1,1/3 HP motor with another of the same manufacturer.

No problem, worked fine and I paid the service call price of $75. 7 weeks pass and the new disposal is not working. It is no longer covered under the 30 day guarantee so the original service provider suggested opening a second claim, which I did.

The firm is local about .8 of a mile from where I am, operated out of a home in a subdivision. They sent out a tech who took a quick look at it and found that it had apparantly been knocked off line perhaps by an electrical outage in a rain storm. He simply flipped the reset switch in the electrical panel and it was back to working. Elapsed time, about 3 minutes.

He said there was 'no trip charge of $75'. I gave him $10 and thanked him for his assist. I also felt pretty stupid as I should have spotted this myself.

Later that day I got a sort of snotty email from HWA saying I owed them for a $75 trip charge and my contract could be suspended if I did not immediately pay. I was to pay them at Corporate, not to the service supplier.

Their contract says on almost every page that the 'trade call fee' is $75 or the actual cost of service whichever is less for the claim. The actual cost was 0. I phoned their customer non-service number 888 492 7359, option 2.

Although I clearly did not owe $75, the clerk insisted that I did and that I owed HWA. I quite reasonably asked that if I had owed the fee why was I told there was no charge and why did the tech not collect the fee at the time of the call? Got no reasonable reply, only that I owed them $75.

I pointed out that I was due to renew the warranty in about 3 weeks and since I was getting attitude from them not only was I not going to renew, they were 'fired' with immediate effect as I did not want anything further to do with their firm.

Clearly a money grubbing, bottom feeding operation. I found this out as did thousands of others who have had dealings with HWA.

As so many screwed over customers have said "AVOID THIS COMPANY", damn good advice.

ABOVE SNOTTY LETTER

Below Bill

Seems pretty clear that nothing is owed, as the cost of service was $0.

They might want to try reading their own literature.

====================================

Home Warranty of America Reviews

Updated August 25, 2016

GLASS DOOR, 3 reviews https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Home-Warranty-of-America-Reviews-E779742.htm

Filter

1.3

StarStarStarStarStar

N/A

Recommend to a friend

N/A

Approve of CEO

CEO

0 Ratings

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Sort: Popular Rating Date

Apr 24, 2014

Home Warranty of America Logo

"HORRIBLE AFTER DIRECT ENERGY ACQUIRED IT"

StarStarStarStarStar

Former Employee - Account Executive in Buffalo Grove, IL
Doesn't Recommend

Negative Outlook

I worked at Home Warranty of America full-time (More than 3 years)

Pros

Good pay and good people to work with. It was a great company before it was acquired by Direct Energy and had great upper management before this occurred.

Cons

After Direct Energy took over the pay checks were never right for over 7 months. Either we weren't paid what we were supposed to be or overpaid. When this happened they then required the gross and not the net amount back which ended up costing many employees over a thousand dollars they never received. When it was supposed to be addressed the management that took over didn't seem to care and you were constantly passe… Show More

Advice to Management

Take accountability for the illegal actions that occur within the company and look out for the best interest of your employees instead of blaming them for things that they have absolutely no control over. Learn to have a chain of command and actually help your employees when they seek advice/help instead of constantly passing them off from one person to the next when nothing gets accomplished so you don't continue to have such high turnover.Show Less

Aug 25, 2016

Home Warranty of America Logo

"RUN!!!!!"

StarStarStarStarStar

Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Buffalo Grove, IL
Doesn't Recommend

Negative Outlook

Disapproves of CEO

I have been working at Home Warranty of America full-time

Pros

You get free bagels on Fridays. It's better than having your teeth pulled.....lol

Cons

Everything! Re-organization and it's at its worst. Management doesn't care about the employees and most aren't even qualified to hold their position. HR does nothing all day long and they make fun of employees in public, "grown" women giggle all day and hand off work to the few good employees, promises and deals are never kept and the only way to advance is if you like to "party" with the unprofessional, drunk managers. If you speak up, your labeled and done! Numerous hard working, good employees were recently let go while the dim wits are kept on. RUN!!! Unemployment or flipping burgers are much better choices than working here!Show Less
Oct 6, 2015

Helpful (1)

Home Warranty of America Logo

"AWFUL"

StarStarStarStarStar

Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Buffalo Grove, IL

Doesn't Recommend

Negative Outlook

I have been working at Home Warranty of America full-time

Pros

None,this place needs to be revamped starting with Management,

Cons

All cons =, favoritism, no organization, hostile work environment, unethical ,lack of leadership....The employees are mere minons who are expected to work like robots,

Advice to Management

LEADERSHIP ,,,you are only as good as your head.

Home Warranties Review Reviews 80+ warranty companies at:
http://www.homewarrantyreviews.com/reviews/home-warranty-of-america#105954
REVIEWS & RATINGS - just a very small sample of what was on this site (all reviews below got 1 star out of possible 5 stars)

DEDRA J, HOOVER - AL 09-19-2016 1 Star

Do not waste your money with this warranty program. This policy does not help the homeowner. After a few claims with this company, I've had nothing but bad experiences. Their game is to have their exclusive contractors use language in their service reports for items that fall in the uncovered category so they don't have to pay.

Here's my best example: My A/C compressor ground out while still under manufacturer's warranty (only 2 years old). Using HWA's contractor, there were uncovered costs of $870 - items such as "modifications" and "maintenance" that were not covered by warranty but necessary to install the replacement compressor. Their response was to tell me to read the contract. However, I came out better (paid less and had less hassle) bypassing HWA completely and using my own contractor.

And HWA's contractor even called after I cancelled the claim and said he could do it cheaper without going through them. Skip HWA and just pay for your repairs on your own. Terrible experience all the way around. (Review# 105954)

ACHA SMITH, LOUISVILLE - KY 08-31-2016 1 Star

One of the worse companies to have a home policy with. When I bought my house it came with this horrible company for my home warranty. 8-28-16 I had a claim about my toilet it was not flushing. I ended up paying out of my pocket $382.99. I spoke with Salvador Maldonado he was in the claims department he told me I would be reimbursed $180 after I sent in the receipt. I have emailed Salvador the receipt the same day of service I have yet to hear back from this company about my reimbursement.

8-31-16 I called in to speak with someone about this issue and was hung up on. I most definitely will not renew a policy with this horrible company. I will also contact the BBB as well as make several reviews to warn home owners about this terrible company! Roto Rooter in Louisville KY told me that HWA don't like to pay the companies for their service to home owners. Wouldn't recommend this company to no one!!!!

E PITCHFORD, LANTANA - TX   08-24-2016 1 Star

I have been trying to get a reimbursement for fans covered by my policy. I sent an email of the receipt on June 24, 2016 as per instructions by the costumer service representative. On Aug. 15, 2016 I called to inquire about the check and they told me they received and they would process and it would be about 4 weeks until I received the check.

I left a voicemail with supervisor and hours later I received a call, which went into voicemail, telling me the check would be overnighted. That was a Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. On Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, I called back, supervisor told me she would look into it. She called me, left voicemail, on Aug. 23, 2016 at 9:10 AM saying she had talked to accounting and the check was sent overnight (of course she did not have a tracking number) and I would receive on Aug. 24. She also had given me her name and extension.

As of Aug. 24, 2016 at 9:57 PM I have still not received my check and the extension I was given, and I repeated back for clarification, is not in the company directory. DO NOT TAKE OUT CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY! THEY ARE LIERS! (105290)

ROBERT D HAMMOND, LEANDER - TX   08-23-2016 1 Star

Not worth the money! They will constantly find ways to getting out of paying for services. Customer service is very difficult to get a hold of. We had our AC go out during the middle of summer and I have a wife and one year old, to my dismay I had to wait on hold for an hour at 8 am.

Finally got a rep, she choose the AC repair place, said she had placed the order and got of the line. AC didn't call or come by for several hours. Tried calling back to Home Warranties of America and never got through after being on hold for over an hour. Finally I called the AC company and they had never received the order, and because it was on a weekend the charges me an extra $98, so I paid almost $200 for that repair after taxes.

Garage door went out, and they said they weren't responsible since it wasn't the motor. To date, I have paid them over $450, and I have only gotten a little over $180's in help, you do the math, rip off, I will be canceling. (105221)

SUE REYNOSO CONVERSE - TX 08-19-2016 1 Star

The worst experience!!! AC compressor went out on 8/3/2016. South Texas temperature 103. Claim was submit by AC repair company on 8/4/2016. Claim was "expedited" due to dad having stage 4 liver cancer and the extreme heat condition. AC was finally repaired on 8/16/2016 not because AC company was backed up but because HWA had a lot of claims (have more people processing claims during peak times) and had to order the compressor from Houston, Tx (3 hours drive from my home).

It took 4 days to have the part delivered to Amor Air. Amor Air was great at completing the repair once the part was received. 12 days... No AC....expedited service (what would regular service look like). I was told by supervisor that they would refund my $100 servicecall fee. As of 8/19/16, no refund!

This was my first experience with HWA!!! Very unsatisfied customer. (105078)

MAURICIO MORALES SUWANEE - GA 08-16-2016 1 Star

I wish i could give them 0 stars, they have the worst response time, I have being waiting for approvals over approvals and people to do their job for over a week with a pregnant lady at home with no AC. The Customer service reps are not helpful, very rude, and they WILL NOT let you talk with any supervisor.

On top of all that, they found a way to weasel they way out of paying for most of the repair of the unit. I have had the contract for over 7 years hoping not to use it one day but confident that i would be covered, but now I have being stuck with no AC for a week waiting for them, and will end up paying for most of it my self anyway. THEY ARE THE WORST!! (104950)

JAMES MCCULLARS ARLINGTON - TX    08-10-2016 1 Star

I gave them 1 star because the website wouldn't let me do 0. I've been using HWA four 4 years now. The service is been adequate at best up until now. My current situation is that I have been without air conditioning for over three weeks.

I live in North Texas and it has been over 100° for 9 days straight. Customer service has their hands tied, because the structure and the processes of this company give them very few resources. Hold times are ridiculous and messages never get returned. I absolutely do not recommend using this company view less (104739)

B PONICH GOLDTHWAITE - TX 08-10-2016 1 Star

Less than 1 star. Because HWA does not pay for after hours or weekends, I spent 3 nights and 4 days in a house 89 degrees plus. People die in Texas summer without A/C. Do not purchase from this company. (104715)

BART, NAIK - TX 08-06-2016 1 Star

Stay away from this company . I had AC froze up . It took 4 days to repair . They cover freon which coasted $60 per pound but only pay $10 per pound . So you end up with hundreds of dollars if average AC require 7 pounds of Freon plus add your deductible .

Read fine print before Buying this company warranty. They have only one authorized repair company for entire Austin Netroplex and they are busy so had to spent 3 hotel nights .

Of course not reimbursed. My cost was $ 750 with hotel and 3 pounds of freon . (104584)

TONY OSBURN LAVON - TX 07-23-2016 1 Star

A garbage disposal claim was resolved quickly and adequately, however on a claim for a more expensive system (Septic) they have been unable to find a "suitable" vendor to service me (there are more than 100 in the phone book, this was almost two weeks ago and both times I have called in to insure regarding progress they have been rude and not helpful at all, when I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told there was no one else to talk to.

I am considering canceling my contract with these folks. DO NOT USE, all they want is your premium money and then don't want to fix anything that costs more than a couple of bucks, I even paid extra to cover my Septic system. (103932)
___________________________

From the Yelp consumer review site:

161 complaints, rates them at 1 star out of 5

https://www.yelp.com/biz/home-warranty-of-america-lincolnshire-3

DEBBY S. Chicago, Il. 9/22/2016

As awful as everyone says.

Long wait times for each phone call. No person in charge. No follow through etc.... The only way I got anything done was posting my complaints on their FB page. Ah, the power of public shaming.

Long story short:
Rangehood: 1st replacement was discontinued (they never told me), so I had to wait again for another one (over an hour in various phone wait times). 2nd was wrong size motor, but I would be charged for the return. 3 different installers. I finally hired my own.

Empty promises. Incompetent referrals, a pox on the company!!!!!!

KATE S. Saint Ann, Mo. 9/15/2016

I am currently dealing with this awful company! If there was a "zero" star I would pick that one! I have had numerous problems with my Air conditioner this summer! Getting updates from home warranty of america and our vendor that they chose from us is ridiculous!

They tell you all the time that oh we will call you! I have to call them for updates and call the vendor for appointments. And they tell you not to contact the vendor. Well if they would do their job and call it wouldn't have to. It has been three weeks since we have been out of Air conditioning. I highly suggest that no one use this awful Company! They are a complete mess!

They say that they are a dedicated team. I don't observe that at all since I have to call them almost everyday for updates.

EKMAN T. San Jose, Ca. 9/9/2016

I bought a rental property in Indianapolis in Jan 2016, and bought home warranty from HWA in Feb 2016. In July 2016, the Central A/C broke down. HWA said they would not cover it because it was not maintained properly.

The Central A/C and the furnace costed me a total of $5395. It's as if I didn't buy any home warranty.

I would give them 0 star if I could.

TROY B. Willis, Tx. 8/24/2016

Filed claim on our refrigerator that stopped working 6/9/16. Trinity Appliance did not show up or call for a week so we called HWA who then scheduled Sears, 1 week later they showed up stating compressor needed replacement, the part arrived after 4 days, the repairman showed up a week after the part and installed it on Friday, by Monday refrigerator still not working so we called HWA and requested another Sears repairman to properly diagnose and repair, we get a call the next day from Trinity Appliance who showed up a week later, Trinty repairman stated the refrigerator was not economical to repair and should be replaced because the main control was damaged which caused damage to the new compressor as well, He stated he'd contact HWA immediately to report his findings,

1 week later we contacted HWA since we hadn't heard anything and they claimed no one had contacted them, we contacted Trinity Appliance who stated he in fact contacted HWA explaining a replacement was recommended but after hanging on phone for an hour waiting for them to answer he was disconnected while providing refrigerator serial number, we explained this to HWA who stated Trinity will have to call them back, we then called HWA Dept which approves repairs whereby they stated Sears will have to determine repair or replace since it was their compressor that did not function after initial repair, We asked why did we waste 2 more weeks withTrinity, HWA stated because we requested someone other than Sears which of course was not true, we simply stated if the Sears repairman that came out can't fix it then send another Sears repairman that can.

Two more weeks later another Sears repairman showed up and determined there were two parts in addition to another compressor that would need replacement, he also stated it would be cheaper to replace the refrigerator but HWA requested repair, we contacted HWA explaining two repairman deemed the refrigerator non repairable or not econimical to repair, they offered an option of buyout for $200 and we could take care of the repair ourselves which we of course did not accept, we asked at what point does HWA deem an item non repairable and is there a time limit since we've been without a refrigerator 2 months without resolve, HWA stated there is no time limit and they will Leave determination up to repairman, if it's possible to replace parts that's what they will do regardless of cost.

The new parts arrive a week later and a week after the parts the Sears repairman shows up to determine the parts he ordered will Not resolve the problem stating the refrigerator is not repairable. We again do not hear back from anyone so I again call HWA who stated there will be two options which cannot be discussed until approved, 2 more days pass without hearing back from HWA so I again call, I finally receive a return call from a person who offers a buyout for $1142, I explain that will not replace our Samsung refrigerator which cost over $2500, she then called back and offered a GE refrigerator which was not of equal value or features, she explained their criteria based on our refrigerator model was stainless steel finish, side by side style with water in door, I explained there are many other features such as glass shelves, water filter, etc..

After a lengthy argument not wanting a much cheaper GE she stated Samsung are expensive is the reason they don't offer them or LG, I requested if not Samsung then can we consider Whirlpool or Kitchenaide which are more reliable, she explained I can go to secure5.whirlpool.com and pick out another refrigerator they will review for approval but it will need to be similar value of the GE. At this point we have been without a refrigerator over 2 1/2 months as of today 8/24/16 and still not resolved.

Not once has HWA reached out to us, the call hold time seems to be 30-45 minutes.

We have requested to speak with a supervisor, not once has a supervisor returned a call as promised, two reps that answered agreed the claim should have been handled more promptly with a promise to follow up, in fact the last one stated she always follows up after being in customer service business 25 years, but guess what, not one of them have followed up as promised. we've requested to speak with the supervisors superior and again not one single call back from anyone. As a property adjuster I understand policy, but nowhere in any document they provide is there any concise detail regarding repair/replace specific requirements other than a reps personal feeling whether to repair/replace as they feel.

I don't know HWA competitors but I do know HWA lack of detail as to any real policy as well as poor customer service is absolutely unacceptable by any standard. My next step is reporting them to our Attorney General as well as state board of Realtors.

JOSH S. - Austin, Tx. 8/23/2016

STAY AWAY FROM HWA -- I just had an experience with HWA that may be worse than I have had with any other organization at any time. Incredibly dishonest business practices. I submitted a claim on a Washing machine that was not working (I have the additional coverage that covers washer/dryer). HWA sent out a local appliance repair person relatively quickly and were prepared to pay for repair of the unit. It turns out that a bearing had failed which is super expensive to replace because the entire insides of the unit need to be switched out. The appliance repair person reported back to HWA that it would be more to repair the washer than replace it. Then we didn't hear from HWA for days...

So I called them back late last week only to find out they were waiting on me to send them my home inspection report. Which really makes no sense for a washer (washers and dryers aren't inspected since they typically go with the sellers...). Clearly the agent didn't understand the logic, but I obliged and sent over my home inspection. Again, days pass and no proactive follow-up from HWA...

Both my wife and I have called them today and they are stating they are DENYING the claim because I couldn't prove the washer worked on the inspection report?!?! I assume they must NEVER replace washers since these are never on inspection reports. The contract does not stipulate that items must be on the home inspection. The language of the contract does not in any way support the denial of this claim. Also, if it wasn't covered why send someone to repair it?? Finally, I requested to speak to a supervisor.... And guess what? None available. I said I would hold until one does become available. They "were all in meetings" and the best he could do is schedule a call back for...... TWO DAYS FROM NOW.

Miserable customer service. They clearly do not care about their reputation. STAY AWAY!

LOKESH S, Santa Clara, Ca. 8/23/2016

Worst experience I'm currently having! Goodness, what did I do to deserve this? Want to converse with the most incompetent representatives and case managers in the world? Look no further! If only Yelp allowed a negative rating system I would gladly give this company a resounding -5 stars.

As a 'platinum' plan holder, I requested for my shower diverter to be fixed as they were improperly installed (loose units) when I bought my house. An unknown issue which is thwarting me from taking a shower for the past one week. TWO times they came back saying the repair wasn't covered when I insisted that I am covered under "Orangeplus" (the plan for improperly installed units). I am currently STILL fighting with them about approving my fix. How dense can you possibly be? Even a 4th grader can figure this out. It is clear as day in your contract!

Here's the contract agreement verbatim FOR YOUR OWN CLARIFICATION! Knock yourselves out!

ORANGEPLUS (Included in the Platinum plan)
"IMPROPERLY matched and/or INSTALLED SYSTEMS defined as follows: HWA will repair or
replace a covered system or appliance that fails or is identified due to an associated failure that was not properly matched in size or efficiency, and/or improperly
installed prior to or during the Coverage Period, provided that it was unknown or could not be known to the Home Seller, Home Owner, real estate or other agent by
a visual inspection or simple mechanical test prior to the Coverage Period Start Date."

I MAY decide to change my review if you approve my fix in due time so get cracking!

RACHEL W., West Hollywood, Ca. 8/15/2016

If I could give zero stars, I absolutely would. This is the absolute worst company I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Every time I call, I'm stuck on hold for over an hour and I have to explain my whole saga to 10 different people before I can ever get to speak with a manager. Except, I only ever get their voicemail, so I have to rehash everything once again and then wait for a call back!

My oven has not worked properly in over 3 months. HWA arranged for a technician to come in May....he needed to order a part to fix it and just needed HWA's approval. Well, I never heard back from the tech or HWA so I took matters into my own hands, and called both companies repeatedly over the next month. HWA apparently never approved the claim, and didn't bother to contact me about it so the part was never ordered. Finally spoke with a supervisor -- Bruce -- who said it would be taken care of (after lots of attitude and zero sympathy). That was a month ago. Still haven't heard a word, so I called the tech today. They claim HWA canceled the request 2 weeks ago. No explanation. Sat on the phone for an hour waiting to be connected to a supervisor at HWA and of course, only got their voicemail. I'm beyond frustrated and feel completely scammed.

DO NOT use this company. Horrible customer service....not to mention my oven is obviously still broken.

MATT Q. Austin, Tx. 7/23/2016

My experience with HWA. In Summary, over two weeks since it was determined my AC needed to be replaced.
It has taken 1 week just to get to the point of non-covered items approval.
It has taken OVER a week to simply to put in the order what has been approved.

Over two weeks and still no actions taken for the customer to get AC back on in the house. It is averaging over 100 degrees here in TX. Averaging 95 degrees in my house. Would an HWA employee in IL accept this? Claim #1689767

PAIGE G. Batton Rouge, La. 6/23/2016

Just save yourself the hassle and use any other home warranty company. What you can expect:

(1) 20-45 minute wait time to talk to a representative;
(2) Do not be fooled by the option to leave a message for call back. The voicemail is full, and you will lose your place in line.

(3) Cheap solutions and aggravating contractors:

(a) my dishwasher has been broken for 2 1/2 months now. It took me 1 1/2 weeks to schedule an appointment with the contractor because they only schedule 24 hours in advance, and guess what? I have a day job and cannot be home in that short of notice.

(b) when the contractor finally comes out, they will diagnose the issues and let HWA know what they think is the issue. Then they must wait several days to get approval to either order the part to repair or replace the item. HWA will always choose repair, the cheapest option. The contractor has had to come to my house 4 TIMES now to replace this or that part. They are even to the point that they think the whole thing should be replaced. According to them, they have communicated that fact. I waited a week after the last visit, and did not hear from either HWA or the contractor. I have not been calling HWA everyday. They have approved a repair, once again, but the contractor has not been told this information, so they cannot order any parts.

I am at the point that I would rather just purchase a new dishwasher, but dang it, I won't. I'd rather be a pain in the ass and call HWA EVERYDAY, even if that means working to their horrible phone line music.

Rant over, use anyone else. ANYONE ELSE. Like, anyone. else. Cheers!

HEIDI C. Huntersville, NC 6/15/2016

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IT IS A SCAM. We put in for repair of our AC and a gas leak in our stove 3 weeks ago. It is their total job to try and just beat you down and give you the run around until you give up. You will be on hold for more than 25 minutes each time before someone answers, just to put you on hold for 25 more minutes. They take at least a week to get any kind of vendor to you...then another week to get the report from that company. They even said they were sending an AC company that doesn't exist....WHAT A SCAM. The receipt at 2 non working phone numbers and google produced ZERO results for the supposed AC company. I hired my own AC company to get to the bottom of the issue. When there AC company finally showed up they claimed to not see VISUAL cracks in our AC system that were broken. They want you to just give up so they don't have to pay you. Please do not pay this company $750. It is as good as throwing the money away.

Regarding my gas leak. Piedmont Natural Gas came out to respond to the emergency gas leak and put a DANGER sign on my range and turned my gas line off. They said it could result in death if operated. This company came to my own while I was at work and turned the gas line on and tested my stove with my newborn and 2 year old in the home without explaining anything including the dangers or what they were doing. When I called HWA to complain, the representative, Michael Madison, made the assumption that I had to be a stay at home mom and that I had personally let this occur.

He then berated me on my parenting and how it was my responsibility and questioned how I could have let that occur. It was like the concept of a woman working outside of the home wasn't possible. He never even asked me a question like hmmmm does my nanny speak English? Does she know about gas lines? Would she have any clue she was in danger? He just assumed I was the one at home and then went off of on me. I never corrected him. If he wants to live in a world where women don't work then let him.

They will try and undermine you. They will insult you. They will ignore you. They will deny the claims until you just give up. Keep your $750 and put it in a bond with compounding intrest. Even if you have to spend you own money on a house break, that $750 invested will eventually be a much better deal for you.

CHRIS C. Indianapolis 2 Stars 6/14/2016

Started using HWA in August 2015 once my wife and I bought a home. I've now used them twice. One of the most annyoing parts of dealing with this company is the extremely long hold times.

I called last night to put in a claim, and waited for 30+ minutes to be connected to someone, only for them to tell me my plumbing issue wasn't covered, and I'd have to call my local water company (which I already had). It took some convincing (and another 10+ minutes on hold) and my claim was finally processed.

Called back today as the claim had not been processed. More holding - I finally get to someone, and they drop the call - of course no call back. Back on hold....

As one of your first opportunities to interact with your customers, I'd sincerely hope HWA staffs up their call center. These wait times are unacceptable for a paid service.

They do earn 2 stars as the customer service reps were actually very friendly.

R R. Chicago, Il. 3/8/2016

My real estate agent made this company seem pretty decent, so we signed up through him when we bought our condo.

Fridge stopped working almost immediately. First repair company (FixIt1st) scratched our freshly done floors when they pulled the fridge out and jury-rigged the fridge so that it broke again shortly after they "fixed it 1st". The second repair guy was super nice, but took several days to fix the fridge, which is kinda old to begin with.

Not long after, we discovered that our oven didn't work. Repair guy #2 came back and thought he could fix it; it ended up needing a part that was no longer made, since the oven was quite old. We made a claim but decided to take a risk and forego their selection of ovens you can buy and buy our own (it was on sale and we got to have the advantage of choice). A few weeks later after we had already put in our new range, they randomly sent us a part for something, which we sent back. Don't know what the mystery part was, but did they really think we wanted to live for weeks without an oven? We ended up being shorted and only got about $200 toward our new range. Plus, we didn't get the check for 4 MONTHS. I honestly think that they were hoping we'd just forget.

All in all, They WILL do whatever they can to be as cheap as possible if you actually have a problem. Make sure you check into reviews of the repair people they want to send out to you, and ask to switch if they try to send a bad one. Customer service people are pretty unprofessional and decidedly do not GAF.

_________________________

WANT TO SUE HWA? HERE IS THEIR REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Seems about time that someone sued this bunch of incompetents.

Maybe a 'class action' suit is the best way to sort out this bottom feeding bunch.

General HWA Info:

Home Warranty of America, located in Buffalo Grove, Ill., offers protection against the high costs of home and appliance repair, by offering home warranty coverage for houses, town homes and condominiums.

When a problem occurs with a covered appliance or mechanical system, such as an air conditioning unit, its service technician repairs or replaces it, using new, parts or appliances.

Its service network is available 24 hours, seven days a week. It provides its services directly to homeowners, real estate agents, title companies, mortgage brokers and insurance professionals.

Its real estate professional services centers provides real estate agents with a variety of localized special programs and incentives.

=========================

Some Corporate Bull Shit from their Facebook page:

Start Date

Founded in 1996
Short Description

At HWA, we have built our business on simplifying the lives of our customers and helping them immediately, in a time of great need and uncertainty.
Company Overview

At Home Warranty of America, Inc. we have built our business on simplifying the lives of our customers and helping them immediately, in a time of great need and uncertainty.

We strive to always offer our customers fast, easy solutions with excellent service technicians. You are looking for value for your money, and we believe we provide high value and protection against the high costs of home and appliance repair.

Whether you are planning to sell your home, buy a new one, or just stay put, we can save you money and time!

Our innovative programs start at just $24.95 per month and you have several payment options, including monthly. You can work with us to help the environment too by purchasing our GREENPLUS home warranty option for just an additional $6.25/month. When replacement of covered appliances or systems is necessary, we use ENERGY STAR qualified products. Join us in caring about the environment too! We've made it easy and affordable. Visit www.hwahomewarranty.com for details
Mission

HWA's Core Values - Our Core Values are displayed throughout our company. They serve as a reminder to HWA staff every day about how we want our culture to grow, our customers to be treated and company to continue to develop.

The vision to make a positive difference motivates all of us to work hard, be respectful, build trusting relationships, and be forever helpful.
Awards

2013 - Top Rated Home Warranty Company voted byHomeWarrantyReviews.com

2012 - Best in Service Home Warranty Company voted byHomeWarrantyReviews.com
Products

Quality Home Warranty coverage for houses, townhomes, and condominiums

Sign up for our e-news!
http://www.hwahomewarranty.com/subscriptions/
Website

http://www.hwahomewarranty.com

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Home Warranty of America

(3)

1351 Abbott Court, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

(847) 793-0225

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REVIEWS

Davey C.

09/23/2016

Overall

Expertise

Professionalism

I had a minor issue with them over $75 trip fee which I was told by plumbing firm was waived. I subsequently looked into the firm and found they were a bottom feeding bunch and set up a blog site to let others know, see: http://homewarrantyofamericasucks.blogspot.com/ Photo shows their location, they like to hide under P O Boxes and you have to dig for their 1371 Abbott Court, Buffalo Gove, Il 60089 address

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Helpful (0)Edit

Nahum A.

05/29/2014

Overall

This service is an absolute joke. They intentionally take forever at each step of the process (research delays, out of stock delays, etc.), the fees they charge barely make repair/replacement worthwhile, and they don't always return phone calls. A replacement stove took nearly two months from the initial call to our local rep who, parenthetically, was aggressively unhelpful.

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Helpful(1)Flag

apg031

11/03/2009

Overall

unhappy customer

Contract member for 3 years now. Pay full upfront. Filed a minimal claim recently and they refused based off falsified claims. Offered for them to refund my money. Offered for them to send another repairman out for a second opinion since there were obvious contradictions between them and the original repairman. they refused all. Now they have also suspended my account and refuse to cancel and refund my remaining balance. Spoke to supervisor Michelle Clexton with a witness and she again refused. Filed a complaint reently with the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Compalint Agency.

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Direct Energy Unites Business Units to Offer Customers More

November 19, 2016

HOUSTON, Nov. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct Energy®, one of North America's leading energy and energy-related services providers, has combined its residential and home services divisions to create a single division, called Direct Energy Home™. The new division will focus on serving customers' entire home, including providing energy and services, energy efficiency solutions, connected home options and maintenance and protection plans.

Direct Energy Logo."We're already the market leader, serving three million customers with residential energy. We are also one of the largest home services companies with our heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) businesses, plumbing, electrical and solar operations. I am confident that bringing together these two divisions will help enhance what we offer, so we can continue to make a difference in people's lives," said Direct Energy CEO Badar Khan.

The new division will be led by Manu Asthana, who was president of Direct Energy Residential. "Our goal is to always put our customers first. This will allow us to put together unique solutions for customers' homes, including grid-supplied and distributed energy, home services, home warranties and protection plans as well as connected home bundles," said Asthana.

Direct Energy has thousands of customers who currently take advantage of the Company's bundled residential and service offers that are in market today, such as the popular Nest and protection plan bundles. Direct Energy customers can choose a plan to protect their appliances and conveniently use one of the Company's franchised brands to service their heating, cooling, plumbing or electrical system needs.

With this new combination of business units, customers will see no immediate difference in how they interact with Direct Energy or the Direct Energy family of leading brands with which they currently do business, including One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, Mister Sparky® and Home Warranty of America.® The Direct Energy Business division will continue serving commercial and industrial customers.

About Direct EnergyDirect Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with nearly five million residential and commercial customers. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (CNA.L), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.

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  TIME TO RENEW?

No chance of that!

$690 a year with a trip service fee increased to $100. Only a good deal if:
*  You know you will be making a medium to large claim and
*  If you were dealing with a reputable firm (which HWA is NOT)