Best bet for home warranty companies?

A Broward retiree says shewonders whether ratings exist for home warranty companies. She is thinking of ditching her current company due to poor customer service and is considering a switch to a company called Choice HomeWarranty. Yet, she fears, “I think that they are all bad.”

Answer: Well, one place to check for ratings is the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org), which says it has received more than 2,000 complaints in the last three years about ChoiceHomeWarranty, based in Edison, N.J. The BBB gives the company a rating of C+ and posts the results of a lawsuit: Choice last year agreed to pay $780,000 and revise its business practices after NewJersey’s consumer affairs division sued the company in thewake of more than1,000 consumer complaints. The company “allegedly deceived consumers by refusing to provide the services it promised – specifically, the ability to have major appliances or systems repaired or replaced,” despite “ads promising theywould ‘Never Pay for CoveredHome Repairs Again,’” Consumer Affairs acting cirector Steve Lee said in a press release.

As to your underlying fear, your hunch is right -it’s best to forget buying any homewarranty, advises a ConsumerReports.org article headlined “Why You Should Avoid HomeWarranty Choices.” It reasons thatwarranties can cost hundreds of dollars and “it makes much more sense to buy reliable products and maintain them as the manufacturer recommends. Do that, and there’s a good chance you won’t need to make any significant repairs before the product becomes obsolete.”

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