Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
When you purchase an expensive item like a car or television, you may expect to purchase a manufacturer’s warranty to assure that everything works properly. Did you know that you can also get a home warranty plan for your home? Some home sellers and builders offer a home warranty such as their own or from a third party, but you can also purchase one yourself.
Don’t expect a home warranty to cover every problem for any amount of time, so be sure to read the terms before signing up. Home warranties generally offer coverage on work and materials for specific parts of the home (like windows, plumbing, electrical systems, heat, and air conditioning) for a set period of time, which can vary depending on the system, parts, or age of construction. You can also add appliances to many home warranty plans to extend your coverage, but you may be limited in the number and type of appliances that you can add. Supplemental and extended warranties can be purchased for newly built homes.
As with any contract, it’s important that you read the warranty carefully to understand what is covered and for how long, who’s responsible for finding someone to make the repairs, and how to resolve a dispute if something goes wrong. Be sure you understand what will and will not void your warranties.
When something goes wrong, file your claim as specified in the warranty, and keep copies of all correspondence with the company, as well as notes on any conversations.
Research the business doing the work. Whether you find the proper repair professional or the warranty company provides one, check them out on BBB.org before letting them work in your home. Some warranty companies automatically go with the cheapest provider, but that’s a good deal for them, not you.
Know your rights. If there is an issue over coverage or whether the work has been done improperly, many warranties provide for mediation and arbitration. Sometimes you have to pay a fee for these services; you could even end up going to court. Read your warranty carefully to understand how issues are resolved and what you may end up paying.
Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
