When Sherry Savino, her husband, and their three children moved into their Canton home last year, Sherry thought a home warrant was a good idea since she didn’t know the history of the appliances she was inheriting in the move.
When her clothes dryer stopped working in February, Savino called American Home Shield, her home warranty company.
The company sent a technician to Savino’s home, but the first repair attempt didn’t work. So the company sent another tech.
Savino said she had to keep calling American Home Shield, because the problem persisted. Each time, she said the technician repaired or replaced a different part.
In early May, an agent told Savino she had been approved for a new dryer.
Savino received an email confirming the order. The email said the delivery company would contact her to schedule an appointment. Savino said she didn’t hear anything.
"My new dryer seemed to be missing in action,” Savino said.
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Savino said she called her contact at American Home Shield every day, but said he never called back. At the same time, she was having problems with the delivery company.
"They kept changing times, cancelling my appointments," Savino said.
Savino sent an email to NBC Connecticut Responds describing the situation. Our consumer team reached out to American Home Shield on her behalf.
Soon after, Savino received a call from an executive supervisor, who apologized for the ongoing issues, and scheduled a new delivery date.
Savino said the crew did finally arrive to install the dryer, but they showed up outside the scheduled time.
In response to our inquiry, a spokesperson for American Home Shield said:
“At American Home Shield, we take great pride in providing quality service and valuable protection to our customers. If we fail to meet these expectations, we work to do the right thing and ensure the situation is properly resolved.
We truly apologize for the inconvenience and delay that Mr. and Mrs. Savino experienced. We are disappointed in the service experience we provided and have taken immediate action to address these service gaps with each party involved. We have also reimbursed her service fee.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention so we could help resolve this matter, as well as continue to identify ways to enhance our customer experience.”
Savino said she has filed smaller claims with American Home Shield in the past without problems. But she’s unlikely to extend her contract.
"I think I'd rather spend the $700 to just go out and buy a new appliance," Savino said.
If you are considering a home warranty, read the contract carefully. Make sure you understand exactly what is and isn’t covered.
If the wording is unclear, ask the company for clarification. Some warranty plans may offer repairs for covered appliances, but not replacements.
If you do get a replacement, it may not be the same quality that you would choose for yourself.
You don’t get to choose who does the work. The warranty company will send one of its contracted vendors.
