American Home Shield ripoff scam inept service techs customer service that doesn't listen Carroll Iowa

In a nutshell: Paying monthly service fee of $41 for over a year now. Finally (in Texas heatwave) had an A/C problem and called AHS. Per their Customer Service rep it was OK to call and "outside vendor" for service (ie, not an AHS pre-registered rep) since so many people were calling for service...but outside rep had to have all appropriate licensure, etc. Got a great A/C guy on referral from my plumber. A/C guy came out next day, changed out a part and total bill, parts/labor was $110.81. When I told him he had to call AHS he looked ill and said "You know, ma'am, my experience with most of the warranty companies is that they're pretty useless and that one is the leader of the pack." We got our authorization number from AHS and I kept the paperwork together, until.....

next occurrence of using AHS. I have a water heater but not a standard water heater...rather, an on-demand model (common on West Coast but not so here in Texas). I had made sure when I signed up with AHS that this type was covered, knowing that that's the kind of "small print" stuff that ends up in no-coverage situations! About a month after the A/C visit I had my water heater not heating...so I called AHS. Now pay attention here, folks! I CALLED AHEAD OF TIME TO ALERT THEM TO THE FACT THAT THIS WAS NOT A TANK WATER HEATER BUT RATHER A TANKLESS, BOSCH AQUASTAR MODEL 125X WATER HEATER.......AND THAT MANY SERVICE TECHS WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO WORK ON THIS TYPE OF UNIT!!!!!!!!!!

I ALSO GAVE THEM THE WEB ADDRESS FOR BOSCH WHICH HAD A LIST OF AUTHORIZED DEALERS HERE IN DALLAS/FT.WORTH WHO KNEW HOW TO WORK ON THESE UNITS. ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS WERE INCLUDED (CHECK THE BOSCH WEBSITE!)....AHS CUSTOMER SERVICE CHEERFULLY TOOK THE INFO, THANKED ME AND PROMPTLY SENT ME A GUY THE NEXT DAY FROM A LOCAL SERVICE. THE TECH WALKED INTO MY HOUSE, OPENED THE DOOR INTO THE CLOSET WHERE THE BOSCH WAS INSTALLED ON THE WALL AND SAID "HECK, WHAT'S THAT? I NEVER SEEN ONE LIKE THAT BEFORE!" (SCRATCHING HEAD THROUGHOUT).

He proceeded to ponder the unit dumbly until finally my boyfriend and I suggested that he contact the Bosch Tech Hotline. He called them and they walked him through (OK, they walked my boyfriend through) the diagnostics on the speakerphone while the tech watched, though not with much interest. I doubt he left knowing any more than he arrived with. Result: diagnosis was that an ignition control part had worn out and needed to be replaced. Bozo (the affectionate pet name I've chosen for the tech) says "Well I don't know where to get that part; we don't even work on these!" THANK YOU SO MUCH AMERICAN HOME SHIELD FOR SENDING ME SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING! (sic)......even after I'd been as specific as giving them a list of names and numbers of techs who WOULD HAVE known what to do!!!

So now we have a disinterested, blissfully ignorant tech who doesn't know how to get the part. He does, however, make sure to call AHS to get an authorization for his call! (Anyone surprised here?) Gives us a copy of his bill, $55 service fee. I go online and find the part they're needing by (TA DA!) calling some of the dealers that Bosch had on their original list...you know the one! The one with the techs who knew how to work on a tankless water heater!! Lo and behold, one of them had the part we needed. I told the tech and he says (are you ready? "Well, do you want to go get it and I can try to install it? Except I don't really know how to do it." Wow. Did I feel confident. My boyfriend and I went and got the part ($86.81) and he (my boyfriend) installed it when we got back home.

Submitted the paperwork for both the AC and water heater calls at the same time. Called to follow up two weeks later (no notices or calls from AHS to say what the status was) and find that (depending upon which call you refer to...ie, which CSR after x number of times cut off or put on hold and not returned to) the AC paperwork "is in Legal" and no record of the water heater paperwork. A call back (got cut off) a few minutes later and no, the AC stuff isn't in Legal, don't know why someone said that and there's water heater paperwork but no Authorization #. Finally had to drag my copies out (that I'd sent in to them) and gave them the Authorization # that the tech had gotten from AHS for the water heater. Customer Service Rep (one of those who likes to act personally offended by an irate customer's anger and frustration....can you say fun times with the hired help?) tells me that that was an Authorization # for the labor, not for the parts and (this is the BEST part!) "since your boyfriend is not an authorized service technician you did not have the right to install that part and expect to be reimbursed for the part, ma'am."

So let's see what we've got here:

1. I call to alert you to the fact that my water heater, which is covered by your warranty, is NOT standard and will likely require a tech with familiarity with that type of technology to service it.

2. I LEAD YOU TO THE WATER HEATER'S MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE WITH NAMES, NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES OF LICENSED DEALERS FOR SERVICING THAT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY.

3. I (having already been without hot water for three days) wait another day before you send a technician out due to scheduling conflicts.

4. YOUR chosen service representative (not from the list I'd directed you to) shows up and tells me point-blank that he's never seen this type of technology before and has no idea how to service this unit.

5. With the help of the manufacturer's service line and my significant other a diagnosis is made and a part is deemed necessary to fix the problem. However, since the tech has (as he's said) "never seen this type of technology before" we're not especially surprised when he says that he has no idea where to find this type of part!!!

6. I, the customer, who have paid faithfully my $41 a month service fee to avoid all this head and legwork get on the Internet again, find the Bosch webstie (again) and call the dealers I'd directed AHS to in my first call to them. I find a dealer who has the part because (and again...TA DA!) they WORK ON THESE TYPE OF UNITS AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY!!!

HOLY CRAP, BATMAN! WHO SAW THAT COMING?!!!!!!

7. Not to be put out, the service tech does not offer to get the part (even though the dealer is still open for another hour or so) so I, the customer paying my service fees, get in my car with my boyfriend and put the gas and mileage on my tab to go get the part. Oddly enough, only we, the homeowners, seem to grasp the concept that going for several days without hot water has been a burden upon us. (The Customer Service rep actually asked me what "gave you the right" to install the part....even though their service tech didn't know how by his own admission!!! Boy oh boy, the cajones on that little gal from Iowa must be the size of Rocky Mountain oysters, eh? If only the brains would follow.....)

8. Finally, all paperwork having been supposedly "located" in their system and proper authorizations being either pending approval (AC) or not being authorized, I tell them to just cancel the damned account. And of course, the question is:

DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS IT'S OVER?!!!!!!! Au contraire, my dears!!! There's more fun and games (and let me stress that "games" part here, if I may!) to be had with American Home Shield!

The CSR informs me that if I cancel my contract, the monthly service fee for which is deducted via auto-bill pay from my bank on the 9th of each month...BIG mistake! Never do an auto-billpay with these guys!!!!!........if I cancel my contract then ALL PENDING CLAIMS ARE NULL AND VOID!!!! That's right...no reimbursement for you, kiddo! Sorry! (but Oh Well...yawn)

How long until the payments for at least the AC claim is sent out? "Takes about 20 days"..........so let's see....it's the 19th of October now, the next service fee comes out on the 9th of November (and they never miss THAT date!)....so we're talking the cutting edge of the next payment date.....

AND.......(YES!!!!!!! THERE IS MORE, VIRGINIA!!!)

there's a $35 cancellation fee, which will be deducted, along with the $55 service fee, so from the $110.81 bill for the AC I'll have $90 deducted, leaving me with a whopping $20.81!!!!

The best part of all....when you call to cancel they ask to record your call (CYA, darlings, CYA, all the way!) and inform you that your "REQUEST" (!!!) to cancel will be reviewed by their Legal department and your account "may or may not go to Collections"!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure if there's any way to feel more offended by this travesty that they're calling a business but if there is I will look to find it. The depth and breadth of sliminess that I have experienced in dealing with this company make me want to run and take a shower......with lots of hot water, available in no way due to any "help" or "service" provided by American Home Shield!!!!

Buyer beware! I'm sorry to have gone through this with these people (and all for the low, low price of a total $600+ over the lifetime of my tenure with them!) but if someone else can avoid the same runarounds, ineptitude and time and financial drain that we've endured then I'll feel like we at least went through this for something.

Take care, all, and whistle as you pass THIS GRAVEYARD for your hard-earned money!

Monica
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.

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