Once upon a time there was a realtor who bought an upgraded warranty from a national warranty company. At first, things went well. Her warranty went into effect on December 1 of that year, and on the 15th her heater started sounding like the motors exploding on the Titanic. She called the company, and within hours a repairman was out. He said the part that was needed would come from a town 2 hours away and as it was Tuesday, he'd get it and install it when it came in. Luckily this realtor had a second heater due to this being a two story home, so with space heaters and every light on in the house for warmth they thought it would be NO PROBLEMO. However, no one expected a part from 2 hours away to take 7 days. After a call to the salesman who sold her the warranty, the part appeared hours later, was installed and all was well....for a few months.
Then in the summer a number of things had piled up and the salesman had said since they were small items to save them for one trip for one $60 fee. Realtor called warranty company about her microwave that sparked from a broken shelf holder each time she tried to use the microwave; about a plug in the bathtub, where you flip a handle to make it stop up the water, and down to drain (it had broken) and about a cold water faucet in the kitchen that was hard to turn. They said fine, they'd send an A-1 plumber out and a First Rate electrical appliance person out, and it would be $60 each. So much for what the salesman said.
The microwave repairman came in, opened the door to the microwave and said, "It's the broken shelf hardware that's sparking. I'll order the part," and he left, never to be heard from again.
The two (2) plumbers showed up to fix the faucet and drain. They were there in and out for the whole stinking day. They were working tandem on the faucet, and instead of fixing the cold water handle, they broke snap in two the hot water handle (why were they turning it?) They spent many hours under the sink. (It was the faucet that was hard to turn - would a shot of WD40 have helped? - wish the realtor had thought of that before calling). The two men left 3 times to buy parts. It takes two men to pick up those great big old handles, and plugs for the bathtub. After they worked all day they informed the homeowners that they couldn't find the faucet handle, so would have to order it. They left the bathtub all screwed together looking good.
Next morning the realtor pulled the plug handle to run water, and low and behold nothing happened. It drained out. It was not fixed. She stuffed a rag down the drain so she could hold water long enough to take a bath, went to the Dollar Tree and bought some little plastic hole plugs and continued taking baths.
A week went by with no repairmen coming with ordered parts. But low and behold in the mail one Saturday morning came a bill. A bill--what for. It appeared the microwave repairman forgot to ask for his $60 for opening the door to the microwave, making a pronouncement and leaving. The two plumbers who worked all day destroying the plumbing sure didn't forget theirs. Well, the realtor has a little bit of a temper - she got it from her father. She called the national phone number for the warranty company and was told by an uppity young fella that "She should read her policy. Hardware on the microwave was not covered." He then explained that she owed the $60 for the man walking in her door. Let's say the temper-ridden realtor let off a little lava as her volcano exploded!! She informed the young man about everything that had happened, that she sold these warranties to new home buyers based on her opinion of what companies were good, and she would never, ever sell another one of theirs. He asked to be excused and disappeared for about 10 minutes. He came back to the phone not so uppity, and apologized profusely for what had happened, and he assured her that he personally would make sure the plumber would be out on Monday to fix the faucet and bathtub, and that he'd get a microwave repairman out, but she'd still have to pay the $60. All appeared to end well that started disasterously (is that a word?).
So Monday came and went, and came and went and came and went and came and went, and after a month of no repairmen, using a plastic plug and cutting her hand on the broken handle on the hot water, the realtor called the lovely, always helpful, salesman and told her that she'd never use their company for buyers ever again (or sellers, as she usually bought a policy while it was listed for the sellers to protect them against inspectors --that's another funny story). The sweet and always helpful salesman (did I mention that this sweet salesman is one gorgeous blonde with long legs and easily a Miss America?) called back and said repairmen would be there in the morning. Of course, once she got involved that is exactly what happened. Oh, yes, realtor made her promise it would not be the A-1 great plumbers from before.
So the next morning the new plumber arrived, put down a rug outside her front door, put baggies on his shoes, and commenced to assess the situation. He determined there was NO faucet handle that would fit the 7 year old faucet and a new system would have to be bought. The realtor met him at the local Home Depot and picked out a faucet that looked remarkably like the old one, except without pearl white handles. After she left him, the warranty company said that was an upgraded faucet and would not be covered. Only a plain jane faucet is covered. Realtor called the gorgeous salesman who is always helpful and explained that their A-1 plumbers broke the faucet which was an upgraded faucet as it was put in by realtor and new husband 7 years earlier when they remodelled their kitchen. As usual the salesman got on the phone and got the purchase approved. (they should just let the salesman run the company - she's the only person there that has people skills). The plumber then came back and installed the new faucet perfectly and fixed the plug handle in the bathtub and even fixed a problem with the toilet that wasn't mentioned earlier. He left the house cleaner than he found it (obviously he should be considered a great substitute for a housecleaner), and ARE YOU READY FOR THIS - he said the company had waived the $60 fee. He advised this was the first time ever he had heard of that happening, and he was wondering how she pulled that off.
The microwave repairman, also a different one, came, saw, got part, and fixed the microwave in one morning, and left without wanting $60 - again it had been waived. Again, she was asked how she'd pulled that one off. Obviously it was the leggy blonde salesman that had made it happen. She should run for President!!
All is well that ends well, right? NOT. The warranty ran out, the realtor decided not to renew and to not deal with this company again. NOT END OF STORY.
Realtor has a house listed that the owner had their own warranty. Owner moved 9 hours away and Realtor took on the task of house babysitter. Not a hard thing, as this is a great house and Realtor enjoys babysitting great houses. She let the floor man in everyday for a week while all the floors were refinished, in an amazingly gorgeous manner. She helped the owner paint a room in a nice neutral color. She arranged for the hubby to be available to let sprinkler man in to repair the sprinklers, and she even got hubby to be the yardman for this super nice home. And after the holidays, the home sold, and an inspection was performed. (Remember some day we will cover those too.).
The morning after the inspection the voicemail arrives that the inspector left the day before. (another blog about phone companies that never send voicemails the day they are left is a subject for later).
The voicemail said he was at the house and that he had finished his plumbing inspection but now there was a leak from the washing machine hot water hook-up that he could not get stopped (Funny but there hadn't been a leak there before the inspection. Hmm, me thinks the inspector did something to the spout!! He further states he turned the water off. Realtor calls the seller, who says, "I'll just call my warranty company." Woe is me, but realtor at that time didn't know that the warranty company was the same one she had used before. Ouch, deja vu is about to happen.
The seller, who is as nice as the salesman and just as leggy and beautiful, asked the realtor to let the repairman in that the warranty company was sending. But realtor had to work that day so she asked her hubby to let them in. He stayed home all day and never got a call. Seller said they tried and he wasn't answering. Realtor called him and he picked up immediately. Seller checked and the plumber probably wrote the number down wrong, although nice seller tried to say she must have given it to him wrong. You will see in a minute why realtor believes the plumber wrote it down wrong.
About 7:30 p.m. the A-1 plumber calls, did you catch that!! Same plumber as had been at her house and broke her faucet handle, was the seller's plumber too. He could not come that day, but would next day. Oh, sure. Been there, done that. So next day hubby stayed by phone again all day, and around three-thirty seller called to see if they'd come yet. Realtor called hubby and he said no. Realtor explained to seller 9 hours away that they had plans to go out of town to see son coach, so seller gets on horn and gets plumber to call hubby. Realtor gets home from work, hubby takes shower and plumber calls. So Realtor goes to house to let plumber in and read a great book loaned to her by another seller.
Realtor waits at the house for about 30 minutes. The plumber had said he was going by his shop to pick up hose bib (or something like that). When he finally gets there he says, "I'm here but now I have to wait until warranty company calls that this is covered under the warranty." Did they call him to fix it; wouldn't they check that before calling. Obviously not. Time is running out to leave town to go to bball game. Realtor is anxious and says, "What if it isn't covered?" He says it would be $85 to fix. That's just $15 more, surely seller will want it fixed for that. Realtor calls seller, and she agrees that it's worth $85 to fix so get him started now and then he can get the ok from warranty company. He goes to mudroom to fix and phone rings, and low and behold (don't you like that phrase) the warranty company calls and the drip is not covered by the drippy warranty.
Realtor says well, the seller was willing to spend the extra $15. Hold the hatches, the A-1 plumber explains that now it's $85 to fix but he still gets the $60 for coming out when it wasn't covered by the warranty, because he gets that no matter what (remember the microwave guy who came, opened door and got $60.) So Realtor isn't so sure gorgeous, patient, seller is willing to pay $145 for a .50 hose bib. She calls seller and lets plumber explain it. Seller although patient isn't stupid or a person one will run over. She tells him to fix it, and she'll give him a credit card. No way. They don't take them. (Where is this company operating that they take no credit cards!!) So he says he'll run over to her house and pick up a check. Ha, Ha, he'd forgotten she lives 9 hours away. So he agrees to take her address and bill her $85 and Realtor will pay the $60 since seller has reimbursed her in advance for that. Seller in the meantime can call warranty company and yell at them. No, way. Not her. She has more class than Realtor, she reads the policy and sees it wasn't covered. But she is still angry they didn't determine that before sending a $60 man to the house. They tell her that is because she didn't talk to a person but an automated phone system (Remember the Realtor only dealt with real people and she still got the same treatment.)
So plumber is to fix the problem. Then he annouces he brought a 3/4 inch hose bib, and he needs a 1/2 inch one and is going to Home Depot. Wait, No, Please. Remember the 3 trips he made to Home Depot at Realtor's house. Will she ever see him again. Will he be back today or a month from now. Realtor calls hubby and tells him she is stuck in deja vu land. He laughs. Plumber returns, and fixes the problem. Yipidee Doo Dah. Yipidee Day. My oh my what a wonderful day. NOT SO FAST BUB.
Plumber nonchlantly announces he's going outside to turn on water. Realtor continues reading her book and then...gurgle, gurgle, rooarrrrrr.....spew. Water explodes out of the wall hitting the wall 10 feet away and flooding the mudroom - yes on the newly refinished floors. Realtor runs screaming out the door yelling, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop at the top of her voice. Plumber looks up as she rounds the fence to the alley screaming stop!! He runs toward her to only find that the mudroom is now a fountain of water as if we were at the Wishing Fountain in Rome. He screams, the handle must have been in open position. What. He didn't know which direction was on and which was off. Oh, yes, he's an A-1 plumber. Realtor is freaking out!! Newly refinished floor, newly painted wall, all being soaked. When he turns the water off, it's not leaking and plumber says, "Well, at least it's fixed." Realtor is standing in water not knowing what to do. Plumber says, "I have a towel in my truck." Let me say here that the water has run from the mudroom to the kitchen and up around the eating bar on more refinished floors. In the mudroom its at least 1/2 inch deep, and he's gone for a towel. Realtor knows that will not do.
Realtor calls hubby, and asks him to asap grab as many towels as he can, a mop and get his buns over there. Then she notices that the plumber is cleaning the water with his jacket. He forgot he had the boss's truck and he didn't have a towel. Realtor goes to garage and finds a roll of paper towels and a flat mop and she uses it to push water toward back yard and the plumber wrings out his jacket, sops up water, wrings out his jacket, sops up water, and Realtor uses the whole roll of paper towels and there is still water everywhere. What is she going to do. She is so afraid the water will get under the linoleum (newly refinished) and buckel the floor, so she goes to her car which is a disaster filled with many items, and finds a red table cloth used for staging, and between the two of them gets all the water absorbed and dried. Hubby is called not to come, he was just leaving the house.
Plumber gets his $60, gives Realtor a receipt, takes gorgeous seller's email address and leaves. Realtor calls seller as she drives home and sends her into fits of laughter as she relates the story of Deja Vu, and when Realtor gets home, hubby and realtor decide no way to get to bball game, but they deserve a treat. So off to On the Border they go and enjoyed a very quiet, dry dinner.
So the moral of this story. Even if the salesman is a gorgeous, awesome, can-do person, who looks like Miss America, if she has an A-1 plumber, go for a B-2 plumber, and do NOT renew your warranty with this company.
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