Homeowner calls Contact 6 following home warranty concern

MILWAUKEE -- A new homeowner's air conditioning went out, so he turned to his home warranty for some relief, but it took FOX6's Contact 6 stepping in to cool things down.

For about $570, David Betts bought a home warranty -- rolled into the price of his home. That's why he didn't really sweat it when his central air conditioning didn't work the night he moved in!

"A home warranty seemed like a smart way to go. (The air conditioning didn't) feel like it was cooling much, but I thought that by morning it'll be fine. Next morning, got up, wasn't any better," Betts said.

Betts contacted his home warranty company -- Home Security Association, or HSA -- thinking the cost would be covered. HSA determined a single coil had been replaced 10 months before he bought the home, and the coil was installed improperly.

Betts said HSA told him that alone nullifies the home warranty.

"Why do you have a home warranty if they don't cover anything when you go to use it? It's like they sit around a table and decide how they can not cover a claim!" Betts said.

Heated, Betts wrote to FOX6's Contact 6 -- who sent his complaint to HSA.

"The afternoon they got the mail, they called and said 'we're sending out a technician to repair it!' 48 hours was all it took.  I was really amazed.  A court of law couldn't do that!" Betts said.

In a statement, HSA said two different technicians initially gave conflicting diagnoses of Bett's problem, but on further review, the claim was approved. In the end, HSA helped save Betts hundreds of dollars -- the point of having a home warranty!

Contact 6 says homeowners should read their home warranty front to back and make sure they understand exclusions and limitations. Homeowners should call the warranty company before filing a claim. Homeowners should be sure to get a repair from an approved provider.

CLICK HERE to file a claim with FOX6's Contact 6