2-10 Home Warranty – Consumer Advice
Selected consumer review filed under: 2 10 Homebuyers Warranty
Author: Karen, Potomac Falls, VA
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They have chosen not to RENEW my policy!!
No reason was given as to their decision. I have been with them since I bought my home in March 2001, so now we are in 2009…I have used them for 8 years. I have also received more benefit from 2-10 homebuyers warranty then they have from me. Just in 2008 I placed 10 claims. My deductible was $85 each occurrence, could be bc I am in the higher cost of living area.
So as I ponder whether to go find a NEW home warranty company, I am not reading any reviews that say this is worth the efforts. Here is my advice…based on 8 years of using 2-10 homebuyers warranty.
1) if you use a warranty company…be willing to let them define the time-line to get your repair done. To speed this up…they tell you give the contractor 24 hours to call YOU. Well…I get the work order # from the 2-10 rep. and I tell her what contractor I want to come service the unit as well and I make sure I have the tele #. Then I wait 2 hours and then call the contractor, by then they should have received the FAX from 2-10 with the work order details. This way you get a reaction from the start….same day..get that appt booked.
2) with 2-10 if I have one contractor to come fix several issues, I paid ONE $85 deductible. So if you have small minor issues, hold them till you get a big issue, call them(detail all issues) into 2-10, get is sent to a proper contractor that can fix all your appliance issues and they take 1 fee.
3) Several times, ok a unit was too much to “repair”, so 2-10 wanted to “replace” it with a “comparable” unit….so there be careful…be an educated consumer…ask them the model #, and then go online look at the features of that unit they want to install…compared to what you have. You can ask for a “buyout” if you want…if they agree..they send you a check..and you go buy what you want…even throw some extra money in to get an even nicer unit than your older one. I did this several times. Catch is though that once you do a buy-out….the new unit is not covered under 2-10 till it passes 1 year of installation..but that is OK..bc it comes normally with a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty anyway. BUT also beware that you now have to a) remove old unit and dispose and b) pay for delivery of the new unit.. So you may find going with an appliance store that offers free delivery/free installation/free removal.
3) When you elect to use your warranty to repair an appliance in your home, realize that you are giving THEM the authority to define how THEY want it to be fixed. Fixing to normal operation…..so many a times a contractor has advised that my unit needed to be replaced, that new repairs are going to be needed over time….2-10 homebuyers warranty did not want to replace. So in this case, I had call-backs for the same issue…and if they are within a relative close time-period, the deductible was waived for me.
I am not renewed by 2-10, been with them since 2001….and well I had the basic plan plus the extra coverage package which I recommend if one is going to do 2-10. It saved me in 2006 when my heat pump went out….got an entire new unit….my old unit was a TRANE..was only 5 years old…the new unit is a PAYNE….so 2-10 homebuyers warranty said they are similar in quality..and therefore a reasonable replacement. I thought otherwise, but again, I have not choice, unless I agree to do a buy-out…and then my cost after their merger buyout would be thousands of dollars to upgrade and the cost involved in the heat pump removal/and installation. Realize that also there are costs that 2-10 will not cover with some repairs…any modifications needed to accommodate new equipment..are not covered..and also freon recovery in the home was not covered. So in heat pump repairs…realize you are going to pay more than the deductible bc there are always costs not covered.
So 8 years, must have called in around 20 calls to 2-10…all of them taken care of, many times I use the same contractor.. they know me by now. As you make calls, guide them to use the same contractor, try to “group” your similar claims so you pay one deductible; Call them when you have not heard anything for 24 hours; call them again and again..and call contractor to CALL them as well….the contractor wants to make the repair..so enlist them to pursue 2-10 for authorizations. AND lastly, do not do anything till you get a work order/authorization number, that is essential for coverage.
Our home is 10 years old…why do I have so many A/C and appliance issues? Whether your home is new or old…..things happen…so ask yourself..can you handle a $250 repair job? Can you handle a $600 washer replacement? Can you handle a $8,000 heat pump replacement cost? The heat pump is what costs the most…so maybe going with a “service” contract with a local A/C firm that is referred by a friend or neighbor is better. They come service it twice a year….and you may get more value for your money there. Heat pumps are most likely one of the most expensive things to repair..so maybe just focus on the big item and let the smaller appliance issues and hot water issues..things that are $600 or less…fall on you.
I have been through this many many times…frustrated with 2-10 and then happy I sure had them! So for me to advise one way or the other is tough. All I know is that I needed to limit my “exposure” to high cost repairs..and I did that with 2-10 warranty. I used them at least 20 times, if not more really…it is incredible. I can guess that they thought after 8 years enough is enough for me! When my heat pump went and it was 100 degrees and I was 8 mos pregnant..boy that was a tough time…I was so unhappy and frustrated at the claims process, approvals waiting for a “good” technician to come..that is key….I did go out and buy a window a/c unit and 2-10 agreed to reimburse me for that unit. So here they redeemed themselves bc they understood my issue and were trying to help. The contractors have to be good….I estimate that many unhappy replies are because the contractors were so bad. 2-10 at some point has to do a better job in expanding their contractor network and also fine-tune the ones that are approved.
Good luck and if you are with 2-10 figure out the keywords you need to use to get a repair covered. When my garage door fell…and the opener jammed….that was going to be covered, till they asked how it happened and I told them that I nicked it with the car before it fully lifted up….so they called that “abusive use”, so it was not covered. I had to pay for that. Guess they were right on that one. So be versed on how you are going to describe a faulty unit….so that is is covered and not owner abuse…if your washer breaks….tell them it has been a progressive thing…and normal use…not that you put a 6 x 8 rug in there to wash!!! ok???
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