Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Local consumers have alerted Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) that they have received alarming notices in the mail regarding expiring home warranties. These notices are from a company named Home Warranty Solutions and are sent under the name “County Deed Records.” They contain language imploring the receiver to “call IMMEDIATELY” and that the letter is a “FINAL ATTEMPT TO NOTIFY.” The letter states that “without a home warranty in place, you are at risk of being financially liable for any and all repairs.” Consumers may confuse these official-looking mailings, which are actually direct mail advertising pieces, with correspondence from government agencies.
A local consumer from Strongsville contacted BBB after she received one of these pieces. She thought it pertained to her county deed but realized it was an advertisement after calling the number on the letter. The woman then contacted BBB because she felt the ad was “misleading” and told BBB that she felt it was “false advertising” because the mailing uses the name “County Deed Records” and by “putting a picture of my house on the outside of the mail (it) seems as though it is coming from my local county deed office.”
Home warranties themselves typically cover repairs to major appliances or home systems like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Each plan varies on what it will cover, but consumers may encounter them during a home purchase. Consumers can opt to buy a plan for new construction or an aging home. Home warranties are run by third-party companies and never by local governments. Consumers will never receive mailings from county or state officials regarding expiring home warranties. Consequently, consumers should contact their current home warranty provider with questions or disregard such notices.
Questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. At BBB.org, consumers can read more about job scams, including online interview swindles at BBB.org.
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