TIFU by forgetting about my home warranty for a whole month

Submitted by Embarrassed_Band_512 t3_125kcjj in tifu

End of February, washing machine stops working, paid a repair guy 350 dollars to come over and tell me to buy a new one. Paid 600 dollars for a new one.

A few weeks ago a small leak at the base of my basement toilet revealed itself to be a symptom of a mainline blockage.

March 15th, paid a plumber $400 to come out and snake the drains in my basement, at one point the snake came up the base of the toilet and out the side, toilet replaced for free.

Doesn't quite solve problem, this Sunday basement drain overflows, call another plumber, he puts a camera in my line tells me i should do the hydro jet since the first guy didn't cut it with the snake. Pay this guy 1500 to come out with the hydro jet, doesn't solve the issue either.

Now he says I should dig up the driveway concrete to replace the house trap, says another 9,500. This is when I hit the brakes.

I have another guy coming out to try snaking the lines the right way tomorrow 89 dollars. At 6am I remember I have a home warranty only after spending $2850 on plumbing and appliance repair

TL;DR: TIFU for a whole month by forgetting I had a home warranty that would have helped save me from the financial ruination.

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Comments

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Economics_Troll t1_je4qjjj wrote

You can always submit receipts after the fact bud. Usually home warranties suck, but just because you paid out of your own pocket does not mean you aren't covered. You can still submit claims.

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clef75 t1_je5cn8q wrote

This. I used mine on a water heater. After the "free" water heater I was in for like $2k in "code upgrades" such as 50$ for a grounding wire which was not covered.

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complete_hick t1_je72rya wrote

That one's kinda on you. Before I bought my house I had a home inspector come out, he pointed out a few minor code violations which needed to be fixed which was conditional of the sale/purchase. A few months later the washing machine gave up the ghost and I got a new one free of charge

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Ratatattat44 t1_je7evvd wrote

I firmly believe that home inspectors are a scam and that anyone who has anything good to say about one is a home inspector trying to shill for the industry.

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dqb t1_je7iru5 wrote

That is insane

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Ratatattat44 t1_je7kj4m wrote

No, that’s me getting screwed by 4 different home inspectors across 4 home purchases spanning 15 years in 3 States.

In many States, the only requirement to become a home inspector is to pay a fee and pass a standardized test. No construction or home building experience required! Home inspectors have zero liability, even if they report that they checked something that they actually didn’t. The last one I dealt with was a psychopath who threatened to kill me and my family when I asked for a refund because he (surprise, surprise) missed something major because he didn’t actually check it. IANAL, but did consult with one who confirmed I had no recourse other than the $800 inspection fee in small claims in spite of the inspector’s negligence that cost me $30k+ in unplanned repairs when I bought the home.

I say again, home inspectors are a scam.

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dqb t1_je7mfd6 wrote

That is wild, sorry that those were your circumstances. Ive done thorough research and had reputable inspectors in all my experiences so ive seen the opposite side of this coin and had nothing but good fortune.

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Ratatattat44 t1_je7ogl7 wrote

Success stories perpetuate scam industries: home inspectors, reverse mortgage companies, chiropractors, homeopathic “wellness” practitioners, timeshares, etc.

Eff them all.

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ArtilleryIncoming t1_je87bxu wrote

Lol keep projecting because you didn’t do your due diligence. Home inspection does not belong in that list Lmao you’re a ducking idiot. I’m glad it’s required for home sales in many places so other people can’t be had by your truly terrible advice.

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Ratatattat44 t1_je8wx40 wrote

It is amusing that you accuse me of not doing due diligence. I did my due diligence, checked online reviews and was assured by our realtor that they've worked with the (psychopath) home inspector before and recommended them. They were 2x the price of the cheapest inspectors.

None of that changes the fact that inspectors have zero liability, have zero responsibility over the content in their reports, and need zero relevant industry experience. For something so important, why is there not proper insurance and laws to hold accountability? CPAs can be held financially responsible if they mess up your taxes. Why is this different?

I can tell you why. It is because the industry is a scam. Otherwise the proper regulations would be in place to keep everything "above board".

I'll say this again, because obviously some don't seem to understand... Just because YOU had a good experience and YOUR inspector doesn't change the fact that this INDUSTRY doesn't have the proper LAWS and REGULATIONS to do what they do. If they did, they could be held LIABLE for being incompetent, which is standard for legitimate industries.

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ArtilleryIncoming t1_je93ngq wrote

Let me guess, you live in a red state?

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Ratatattat44 t1_je9a30s wrote

3 States: one red, one blue and one purple. The death threat came from the inspector in the purple state. but I was screwed to a much smaller degree in the red and blue States as well.

It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you are on, this issue is a non-issue for politicians. Nobody cares about this so nothing is going to change. Legitimate industries have laws and regulations to hold professionals in those industries accountable, home inspectors is simply not one of those industries. Read the fine print in the agreement when you hire a home inspector and you'll see that whatever they tell you is a matter of opinion and should not be used as a basis or recommendation for anything and that you should consult with a professional.

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Mindlen546 t1_je7seuy wrote

Thank goodness the seller bought us the warranty and we didn’t spent money on it.

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FrozenReaper t1_je7zl50 wrote

If they have no liability that seems more a problem with your laws than the industry. If scamming is not illegal, scammers gona scam

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Ratatattat44 t1_je8ydhb wrote

This is America

Who do you think lobbies for lack of regulation? The benefiting industry. Do you really think prospective homebuyers are going to band together and lobby government officials to change the laws and introduce more regulation? That will literally never happen.

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Leangof638 t1_je7p7qb wrote

I'm almost hoping our downstairs HVAC goes out so we can get that replaced with our warranty too. I wasn't aware that home warranties have a bad reputation.

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Ratatattat44 t1_je8yj8z wrote

My comment was specifically about home inspectors, but home warranties are just insurance policies. YMMV.

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Sideways-Pumpkin t1_je8fdbh wrote

Hey there, just had a home inspection done. It was great. Now we know what kind of repairs to ask for in the contract before closing. He pointed out everything that may or may not be a concern in order from most hazardous to least. I don’t know jack shit about home repairs, what a lender requires, and what kind of stuff needs to be addressed sooner rather then later. Hell, before this inspection I didn’t even know that “crickets “ were a thing for chimneys.

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Ratatattat44 t1_je8yo9u wrote

All reports from an inspector will have some flavor of this. My advice is just don’t treat it like gospel.

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Sideways-Pumpkin t1_je9qx3y wrote

There’s a big difference between “don’t treat it like a gospel “ and “inspections are a scam”.

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Ratatattat44 t1_jea73h3 wrote

> I don’t know jack shit about home repairs

Which also means you have no idea if they missed anything... and yes, inspections are a scam. Just because there are individuals who operate in the industry who are not necessarily scammers does not mean that the industry itself is not a scam.

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Ratatattat44 t1_jeabfdn wrote

I'll give you another opportunity to downvote me. IDGAF about free internet points.

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TheLurkingMenace t1_je7iwkn wrote

Don't you have to shell put the money first anyway then get reimbursed?

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Economics_Troll t1_je7kjga wrote

Generally no. Warranty companies contract with local companies and will pay directly.

Same thing if your car gets hit and you take it to an authorized repair shop, they’ll pay the check directly to the repair shop and it never crosses your hands.

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StaffinFraktion t1_je7kmku wrote

Depends on the warranty. I just pay a deductible and the warranty company I use pays the rest.

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JimmiRustle t1_je4i7i6 wrote

While we’re at it - I’d like to talk to you about your cars extended warranty.

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KevlarConrad t1_je559oi wrote

Hold on, have to get my engine and transmission replaced first.

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oxdxmx t1_je78uz8 wrote

Don't forget to replace the catalytic converter too! Can't play around with those things!

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_TheNecromancer13 t1_je8y12a wrote

Jokes on them, I replaced my cat with a piece of pipe after some asshole cut it off despite the razor blades I spot welded all over it after the original one was also stolen.

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sesameball t1_je5fina wrote

And we understand you have a hard stop at $9,000. I've just checked with my manager and I was able to negotiate a low price of 8,499 on your behalf.

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themundays t1_je5p75e wrote

I've got a great deal on a gym membership I can offer OP as well.

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Devolutionator t1_je4i6no wrote

I wouldn't feel so bad. If it's a typical home warranty, it probably wouldn't have covered anything anyway. Those things are notorious for being ripoffs.

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whiskeyjane45 t1_je5jbb3 wrote

I got a new refrigerator, washing machine, and hot water heater with mine. Though I did not own the home so it was a separate policy. They also came out and repaired the oven and trash compactor

We definitely got our money's worth

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geminiburner t1_je5qkpt wrote

We got a new HVAC system and our fridge was fixed. It hasn't even been a year so I'm almost hoping our downstairs HVAC goes out so we can get that replaced with our warranty too. I wasn't aware that home warranties have a bad reputation.

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whiskeyjane45 t1_je5slk7 wrote

Me either.

But apparently bad enough to get a snarky reply and a nonsensical reply after that lol

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richardelmore t1_je6ovxd wrote

Like all insurance/warrantees the company selling them pays out (on average) less in coverage than it collects in fees/premiums otherwise they would go out of business. So, they are good in situations where the most expensive thing they would ever cover would be more than you could pay yourself, otherwise you are better off being self-insured.

For healthcare or vehicle liability the chance of an extremely expensive event that could bankrupt you is a lot higher than for a car repair. For things like home or car warrantee you will generally be better off just putting the money you would have paid for the warrantee into a savings account and pay for repairs yourself as they arise.

Yes, there is the occasional situation where every appliance in your house dies in a short period of time and the warrantee works out but there are a lot more people who get little or no benefit from the warrantee. If there weren't then the companies could not make a profit selling them.

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Devolutionator t1_je5jje4 wrote

Congratulations on being the one guy in history who is come out ahead on a home warranty policy!

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ElCaptainNasty t1_je5yh52 wrote

Seller paid for my home warranty for the first year. Just got a free furnace out of it. We'll worth having especially in older homes.

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whiskeyjane45 t1_je5jx9r wrote

I told my family about and my friends. They've all used them too for new appliances. It's like $50 a month. Nowadays things aren't built to last so your stuff is going to break

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imakenosensetopeople t1_je4lc2o wrote

Yeah, that was my first thought. Wait until OP tries to use that warranty!

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Smokedeggs t1_je5acn4 wrote

I tried to use mine after we moved into a new place. Useless. Thank goodness the seller bought us the warranty and we didn’t spent money on it.

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darkfred t1_je61eru wrote

The seller bought you that so you wouldn't ask for them to do actual necessary repairs in the contract, or accuse them of hiding necessary repairs and ask for later fixes.

They exist to create a legal loophole that intentionally screws the buyer.

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Smokedeggs t1_je64wxp wrote

Didn’t know that. There were a lot of issues that needed to be fixed before we moved in, but I can understand now why she offered the warranty.

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Gojogab t1_je5o7wl wrote

Not true with mine. They bought me a brand new washer when mine couldn't be repaired.

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Devolutionator t1_je5ok7l wrote

60% of the time, it works every time.

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Gojogab t1_je5ot86 wrote

I had American Home Shield. But they sucked during the pandemic, had no one.

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Jingoisticbell t1_je5rt8g wrote

We had AHS, used it once, and low and behold it cost more for the following year by EXACTLY what they covered that one time. Lol nope.

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Gojogab t1_je5s4j7 wrote

Wow!! Yeah I don't carry home warranties anymore.

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looncraz t1_je4rvll wrote

I love how everyone rips on the home warranty... Got one free on an older home, had to use it several times to address issues with the heat pump, $50 out of pocket each time was really nice.

Of course, if you have savings discipline then most insurance is a bad idea, you're gambling that you will have more covered expenses than the premiums... that's what insurance is.

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YellowSteel t1_je5ffkt wrote

If it's any consolation our house had a toilet back up. The home warranty was crap. They sent the plumber out to "fix the issue" and the next day we still had an overflow.

I called them on their emergency line and was told that this was not part of the first incident and I would have to pay an additional service fee which was around $95 each time.

Their "approved plumbers" were slow to respond and didn't even show up.

I just gave up and paid a local plumber who did the whole snake and camera.

Everyone has different experiences though so ymmv.

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OkayOkay777 t1_je5vhjk wrote

Loop us all in at the end when you close a successful home warranty claim. I don’t think it’s ever been done before.

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Lowflyin t1_je66v47 wrote

Honestly just sounds like you're extremely easy to take advantage of

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Phighters t1_je4ztof wrote

Submit receipts after the fact if they'll let you. Most insurance works that way, but wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't.

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darkfred t1_je61wli wrote

Don't worry, the home warranty would have refused to cover every one of those items, or charged you a higher call out fee than most of the actual repair people in your area would for the entire repair.

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cardcomm t1_je6hr11 wrote

When I had a one year home warranty, I spent pretty much the entire year trying to get them to fix my A/C unit.

Multiple calls out, and all the service ppl did was blame my home, or my equipment, and otherwise looks for excuses to do nothing.

Once my "warranty" was over, I spent less than $300 on an out of pocket every call with a decent company, and the fixed the issue in less than 1/2 an hour

TLDR; The home "warranty" companies are just a huge scam.

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mostlygray t1_je4xhnd wrote

The only luck I've ever had with home warranty kind of things is Minnegasco Service Plus (or whatver Minnegasco calls itself now.)

For a nominal monthly fee on my gas bill, it covers all my appliances with no out of pocket for repairs and a good price on replacements if the item is unrepairable. If my furnace stops working at 2AM, I'll have a tech at my house by 3AM and they will keep working the problem until it's fixed. They just repaired my 80's dryer without question and without any trouble. I'm thinking about calling them just to look at my furnace just for fun. They're great.

I had a home warranty on my first house from the builder. They had an easy solution to honoring the warranty. They declared bankruptcy and skipped the state. Apparently they'd done that before. I'm glad I sold that place before real problems started showing up. Other houses in my development had significant problems with drainage and grading.

They also "forgot" to put gutters on all the houses. I never got that one recouped.

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Bentonite_Magma t1_je6cpgj wrote

Is home warranty different from regular home insurance that every mortgageholder is required to have?

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Alohagrown t1_je7wrh8 wrote

Yes, home warranty usually applies to things like appliances, plumbing, and other systems in the home. Home insurance covers structural damage from fires or other events. It usually also includes liability insurance that protects the owner if someone gets hurt on their property.

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Aureayte t1_je67pg6 wrote

snaking it the right way? After u used a cam and hydrojetted ur lines?

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HonestCup20 t1_je8qpx7 wrote

owned 4 homes, and now i'm a happy fucking renter in a nice area.. thanks for reminding me why i hated owning. :)

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