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Home warranty companies top most complained about list

Posted: 3/2/2009 9:49:31 AM By Angie | 28 comments


Home warranty companies earned the worst grades in 2008 for the fourth year in a row, but what really jumped out to me this year was just how unhappy consumers are with their phone and cable service providers.

Furniture sales and bridal shops in the Top 10 serves as a good reminder that now more than ever it’s important to know who you’re buying big-ticket items from. If the store goes out of business soon after your purchase, warranties, returns and repairs become a big question mark. It’s especially true for home builders. (Check out my recent column on why extra research is critical before hiring a home builder.)

How do our top 10 lists compare with your recent service experiences?

Top 10 complained-about services:
  1. Home Warranty Companies
  2. Home Builders
  3. Landline Phone Service
  4. Cable TV Service
  5. Satellite TV Service
  6. Internet Service
  7. Cellular Phone Service
  8. Furniture Sales
  9. Computer Sales
  10. Bridal Shops
Top 10 least-complained-about services:
  1. Piano Tuning
  2. Music Instruction
  3. Lamp Repair
  4. Dryer Vent Cleaning
  5. Mailbox Repair
  6. Home & Garage Organization
  7. Party Rentals
  8. Roof Cleaning
  9. Upholstery Cleaning
  10. Animal & House Sitting



Comments
Steve
Don't get me started on Home Warranty Companies...

The first year (provided by the Realtor/Sller) they actually took care of a few things. Once the money came out of my pocket at renewal time, it took six visits (each with a $50-$60 deductable) and a call to an attorney before the defective air handling unit on my AC/Heat was finally replaced!

The home warranty company also owned a large repair company in Houston who (strangely enough) did most of their service work. When calling to check on the status of a service call, the automated menu would prompt, "If you are a customer of (warranty company), press 2". Although paying customer calls were handled 24/7, home warranty customers could only speak to a real person Weekdays from 8 'til 5.
10/20/2010 2:28:50 PM
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Debra Scott
I've had more bad experiences with hairdressers than with any other service provider. I would complain now, but in the past I was embarresed. It's easy for them to blame the customer, and have coworkers agree. I think that's the primary reason for customers to be intiminated by some hairdressers.
8/10/2010 9:35:04 PM
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melissa goss
I am a realtor- but this comment is about my personal home.
We have a home warranty- our heat and air was not working-
they sent a company out before Christmas on the 23rd of Dec.
these folks kept coming back said they repaired- (I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY REALLY DID IN MY ATTIC) BUT Honestly we were freezing in Houston of all places it froze over Christmas holiday- finally
we got the warranty people to send another company.
The owner of this company
was nice and worked on the heater- very carefully told me wh at the other guys had done- didn't talk them down
but told me they had cut some of my wires- and criss crossed some- repaired - right then Heater worked
then our AC didn't work a few days later - (when Houston thawed out)
and again they came back and had to RE - repair what the other fellows had done

They worked very hard- I felt very comfortable with Al and then Josh who later came and repaired the AC! on the 26th of January we finally got heat and air! yay
basically
King Freeze had to undo what the other guys messed up and then repair!
what a mess!

Thank you
Melissa Casey Goss
1/28/2010 5:55:52 PM
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Angie
Home warranty companies send out technicians that will take your $50 deductable and tell you you need to hire an outside company because they don't cover bath tubs.
11/21/2009 3:18:02 PM
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skip
In more detail, I had a bad painting job done last September with a guarantee. I called to complain and get poor work fixed in Spring. This was acknowledged by contractor, who came out and agreed and asked me to send him a copy of the drawn out and listed numerous defects. I emailed him the pages of drawings and descriptions and he replied "Great"..
Nothing happened until August when I contacted him again and said that I wanted it done by end of September honoring his agreement or I would send complaint to Attorney General, BBB, local advertisers, etc.
He responded with "guy will contact you next week". 2 weeks go by with no contact and then 2 men show up to do "work' (for what turns out to be 4 hours of a 3 day job).
They are absolutely incopetant and caulk bad areeas in lumpy terrible fashion, patch paint without scraping as promised in a non matching paint leaving a two tone house, etc. I called while they were here and contractor said they 60 years experienced to which I replied "this is totally unacceptable". Contractor came and seeing the horrible job calls an unemployed carpenter (who is good) to come ostensibly to fix the bad areas but only in reality to fix the caulk area. While there I show contractor a side that was not even painted last year that has rotted and he says $150 to fix and carpenter starts this. Contractor pulls good carpenter off job to put out other fire and has a so called handy man come to finish the job in bits and spurts over the next 3 days as Bondo dries. He stops coming. I struck up a relationship with the good carpenter while he was there and who kept trying to get things done right by contractor on my behalf who did not have a car after a wreck and allowed him to use my Suburban sitting in the driveway since I am under house arrest and cannot use (all with an eye to having him do some other unrelated work later which I never discussed with him).
Good carpenter keeps bugging contractor to finish and do the substandard job right over next week to which contractor agrees that "job was terrible but tells the carpenter that he is to concerned about me and to mind his own business and that I am being unreasonable, besides he didn't make enought money on the job". I text contractor to complain and give ultimatum to which he replies "see you soon" (but never will).
6 days go by and after another nudge by carpenter who tells him that I am really upset, contractor calls and whines about not having money, etc, and says that would I accept a guy coming next Tuesday after he finishes a job in Reading for an E.R. Dr and spend two days fixing things. I said that if it was a good job, "yes".

I go out that weekend and scrap in preperation figuring that this might be my only chance to get things corrected for wife before I go to prison if I do.. It is then that I discover that the wood is starting to rot around windosills in much larger areas than can be realized with flaking alligatoring paint still attached. Tuesday comes and no one despite the great weather. Nor Wednesday. Carpenter (who now calls me to see if he can get anything for me under house arrest and family away) who was hear when I contractor called says to contractor (in bar) didn't you call Russell to which contractor says "I never said I would" and carpenter says "yes you did, I was there and he told me". Contractor then admits "OK maybe I did but".

Realizing the amount of damage that will be occurring without a decent paint job and with fall approaching, I become worried when carpenter calls and says that no one is coming.
I found the other paint company who I did not go with a year ago (unfortunately) whose bid and specifications for work I showed who agreed to do the same extent and quality of work for his similar price with a 4 year guarantee (which he has admitted in correspondence saying that I wanted it). I called the other great paint company, and they came, gave estimate and did a wonderful job as promised all within 5 days. They will testify to rot and poor condition at the time that they started. Carpenter will testify about poor business tactics and quality.
I have taken pictures of the terrible job and condition and have taken pictures of the good result from Gold.
10/27/2009 2:39:41 PM
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Duane Shaw
I waited 30-40 mins on hold to make a simple change in my service with Cincinnati Bell Wireless only to find out the long wait time was due to a service associate with an accent that was not understandable half the time who spent considerable time trying to sell me various extra features (all with separate monthly charges) rather than simply addressing the billing issue I had called about. No wonder the wait seemed longer than it should have been.
4/4/2009 1:37:04 AM
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lute pringle
Hey Constance! Possible good news about Compusa,...they have been taken over by Tigerdirect and are back in business. I would call their service department to see if they support older service contracts.
3/28/2009 10:41:19 PM
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Dorothy Meinhold
Home Warranty companies are the biggest scam ever I am NOT surprised to find them at the top of the complaint list. In my experience I was NEVER provided service that went well. For the most part it was the Home Warranty Co that caused all the stress, while the service provider actually did a good job. These companies ought to be investigated!!!
3/26/2009 10:55:23 AM
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Kim Starling
I set up a business phone line with Quest several years ago. The person who took the information did not have enough education to be doing the job. He listed me as (my name) Ma Psycho Therapist. I have been receiving junk mail with that heading for years. If I am paying them for a service, what gives them the right to sell my personal information? I pay $50 a month for a basic phone and they they decided to charge me $5 a month more for the ability to have long distance capability so I said to cancel the long distance and they said that will cost $5!
3/26/2009 10:36:26 AM
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xellil
I use Angie's list all the time and a comment from someone who didn't use the services is never a factor, unless they say the company doesn't respond to phone calls and that's why they didn't hire them. Pricing is so subjective, I am sure people who use the list know that what's expensive for one is cheap for another.
3/26/2009 10:22:54 AM
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B. Hager
I agree with "a.kanze" who complains that derogatory comments can really hurt a contractor or business owner. I have an A rating with Angies List. Several years ago I was called in to make custom bedding products from KMart sheets. I gave her a very fair price for what she asked for. I did not get the job, that is fine. However, she contacted Angies list and complained that the price was in the statosphere. Comments like this can put you out of business. This consumer had no right to complain. She did not get charged for the estimate and she didn't get the work done. Angies List requires contractors to respond in a "polite and professional" manner. It is my opinion that if people do not get the work done they do not have a right to complain. This is Angies List fault and I have asked that these comments be removed from my report. I was told that this is not possible but that I had the right to respond. This complain has been on there for years and I think it is a total waste of time to make a "polite" response at this point in time. Angies' List should have called me to see what this was all about and then I am sure they would not have posted this angry consumers negetive comments.
3/25/2009 5:59:38 PM
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AH
You do all know that it's a long standing tradition in construction to build homes using a DBA which is then closed down once construction is done. Makes it much more difficult to find the culpable parent company.
3/25/2009 3:02:46 PM
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Wade
Mailbox and lamp repair? Wouldn't they be lumped in with 'Handyman'?
3/25/2009 9:39:06 AM
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Angie's List Staff
a. kanze: Thanks for writing in. We actually do reach out to service and health professionals to alert them to reports -- whether the reports are good, bad or mediocre. Here’s how: When a company receives its first report from an Angie’s List member, we notify the company and ask them to register (for free) on our Company Connect site. We ask for registration to be sure we’re talking to the right company. We encourage the company to sign up for (free) e-mail notifications so they can track any other reports that come in. We also encourage them to reply to any of their reports--good or bad--and we post those responses alongside the original report for exactly the reason you cite: we want our members to have both sides of the story.
3/25/2009 9:20:10 AM
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Angie's List Staff
a. kanze: Thanks for writing in. We actually do reach out to service and health professionals to alert them to reports -- whether the reports are good, bad or mediocre. Here’s how: When a company receives its first report from an Angie’s List member, we notify the company and ask them to register (for free) on our Company Connect site. We ask for registration to be sure we’re talking to the right company. We encourage the company to sign up for (free) e-mail notifications so they can track any other reports that come in. We also encourage them to reply to any of their reports--good or bad--and we post those responses alongside the original report for exactly the reason you cite: we want our members to have both sides of the story.
3/25/2009 9:19:34 AM
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a. kanze
when a company receives a poor rating and responds to Angie's list, why don't you respond to the offended party. There is more than 1 side to a story and the contractor has a right to be heard before being judged. You do a dis-service to the contractor when you post derogatory comments without hearing both sides of the story. The customer is not always right.
3/25/2009 8:02:29 AM
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mikeybob
Satellite TV: I called our Dish folks and got someone in India who barely understood our problem and didn't fix the situation. No surprise!
3/25/2009 12:14:31 AM
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mary ann roberts
Well, I have to agree DIRECTV is the worst when it comes to television service, customer service and pricing. It's awful all the way around! If you have a problem good luck, you need 3-4 hrs. out of your day to get anything done.
3/24/2009 7:48:28 PM
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Melody
It doesn't surprise me to see Home Warranty Companies up at #1, either. We dealt with one for the first time as a business last year and we never got paid. The homeowner found out he had gone with a fly-by-night company (Affordable Home Warranty) just a bit after we had been called-out to do the work. I suggest, Haraldi, that you investigate who you bought the contract with. There is currently no licensing for this profession so it is extremely 'buyer beware'!
3/24/2009 5:31:04 PM
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Brenda
Stay Away from National Home Protection home warranty company. The New York State Attorney General is supposed to be trying to collect money they agreed to pay for services rendered to one of their warranty holders. The work was done 12/21/06 and to date, 3/24/09, they still haven't paid the full amount they authorized in advance for the work that was completed for them.
3/24/2009 4:52:37 PM
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bob dick, phd
i'm some surprised not to see psychotherapists on top 10 least complained re--locally, we seem to be posted, so far, only when comments're positive.
3/24/2009 3:05:45 PM
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Angie's List Staff
Constance: Are you referring to the e-mails? We'll put you on a master unsubscribe list and that should fix the problem. If not, contact casandrar@angieslist.com and let her know. Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Sorry for the inconvenience.
3/23/2009 12:23:29 PM
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Haraldi
I'm not surprised about the home warranty company being number 1. I've been dealing with one since February 17. They were quick in sending out a mechanic for the A/C but nothing after that. Even the A/C company is being avoided.
3/23/2009 8:20:50 AM
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Constance Berg
I belong to A.'s List. I receive the monthly magazine, which isn't very helpful. I've requested before to be taken off your list of people to be pestered online...And you're still doing it. ....CB
3/21/2009 2:37:23 PM
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Gail Kaplan
Watch out for Direct TV, even when you send back your equipment they try to charge you with early cancellation, even though you have had the service for years and they say you own the equipment. Go with AT&T U-verse, they have no contracts and no installation fee. You don't lose service when it rains a little.
3/20/2009 6:35:21 PM
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Constance Kritzberg
Have you removed COMPUSA in Oklahoma City, OK from your list? It has been bankrupt and out of business for several years. Many people lost money because of loss of warranty services. C. Kritzberg
3/18/2009 8:03:45 PM
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Cas
I'm not surprised to see bridal shops on the list. Almost every shop I've been to has been over-the-top pushy. It makes shopping online seem like a great idea.
3/3/2009 9:57:13 AM
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Julie Beck
I think a lot fo the issue is, especially here in RI, is that we only have a couple options for cable and phone and internet providers...and the couple options we DO have are all expensive and confusing and complicated. How hard is it for people to realize that NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO BUNDLE?!?!?
3/3/2009 9:15:35 AM
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