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First American Home Warranty / First American Home Buyers Protection review: I would not recommend first american to my worst enemy! 30

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12:00 am EDT
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My complaint is with First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation (http://homewarranty.firstam.com). I have been without A/C for over a week now. I first called to open a complaint on Sunday the 9th of July 6:30am (If you don't think it gets hot in South Texas in July, think again). They could not tell me who would come out at that time because they are on a round robin type of system and I had to call back later. I called back a few hours later and they gave me the name and number of the company who was going to come out and "FIX" the problem, DESIRED TEMPERATURE (don't ever call on this guy to work on your A/C, he doesn't know what he is doing).

I waited all day for someone to call me, no one did (I "believed" that company was so busy that they would get in touch with me as soon as possible, wrong answer. Around 8pm I called the First American (they should not be allowed to use First American because they are a bunch of commies) again. I was informed that unless the ambient temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it was not considered an emergency. I argued with the rep for about 30 minutes about how hot it is in a 2 story home. She didn't care. I didn't receive a call from Desired until Tuesday at 1pm, about 30 minutes before he was to arrive at my house. When he showed up he found that another technician (sent by first commies last year) had installed a wrong part. {Side bar--WATCH OUT, when they say that it is a $50 service fee, take out your wallet for all the extras. Last year I had to shell out another $500.00 for "ALTERATIONS". The technician ordered a new air handler that was SMALLER then the one I had, so he had to make "ALTERATIONS". "ALTERATIONS" are not covered.} He started to pack up his stuff and told me that there was nothing to do until the other company came out and replaced the incorrect part. I called First COM to let them know that that was unacceptable, low and behold they agreed with me. I thought OK I'm going to get my A/C fixed. Well, he put in a new part, made it look like he was troubleshooting the problem for about 30 minutes, then told me I needed a new condenser. I told him about the trouble I had last year when it took more than 2 weeks for them to replace my air handler (my mistake for thinking it was a fluke last year) and that I didn't want a repeat. He said that he could get it done by Friday if the part was available and that I should call first commies to keep tabs on the status. I called and confirmed that the part was available on Thursday. I called UN-Desired temperature and he said that he would be at my house on Friday at around 1pm. By 5pm Friday he still wasn't there. I tried calling him several times and he never answered and the call never went to voice mail, not until 4:45pm and then it went directly to voice mail. It is now 9pm on Monday, July 17th and I still don't have my A/C fixed.

I have spend about 4+ hours on hold with first commie over the last weekend trying, with NO LUCK, to get my A/C repaired. I have left 5 voice mails, I have talked with about 10 customer service reps and they all keep feeding me a bunch of BULL. Sunday, I told one CSR that I was going to have the repairs done on my own and that I want them to pay for it. She kept arguing with me that could not be done. I don't know how many times I asked to speak to a supervisor before she transferred me to DOLORES. Dolores in fact told me that, yes, they could cut me a check but it would be for the amount it would have cost them and UN-desired temperatures to replace the part. She told me that she would have to do some research on how much it would be and call me back. As of this writing she still hasn't called me back. I called again today and wanted to talk to a supervisor. They bounced me back and forth to the regular CSR's until it was too late to talk to a supervisor because they were all going home for the day? Great customer service, NOT. I think they are AFRAID to talk to an unhappy customer. The last girl I spoke to sent me to her supervisors voice mail and the system said that her mail box was "FULL". I wonder why? They must have a bunch of "Teed" off customers. I had to call back and let this young lady to tell her about her bosses voice mail box and she started to LAUGH at me.

Bottom line---I would NOT recommend First American (first commies) to my worst enemy. As long as they are getting your money everything is fine and dandy. But, when you have a problem----WATCH OUT.

30 comments
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Cindy
Dec 14, 2006 11:48 am EST

I have a home warranty with this SCAM organization. I have spoke to all the rude employees there in Claims resolution. Why they have this department, I don't know, why don't they call it, "It isn't Covered, Screw you!" Everytime I speak to someone there they tell something different, they lead you on. When it looks like, after more than 20 documented phone calls, you may get somewhere they tell you is isn't covered, then the isn't covered rules change again. I truly believe there isn't a claim out there that was paid by them. The only thing completed by FAHBPC is my payment for the warranty itself. I think this company is a scam and it's some dude smoking lord only knows what sitting back and laughing all the way to the bank. I hope FAHBC disinagrates and all they need is to make claims to themselves. Sorry, it isn't covered should be the on the letterhead.

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Susan Darnell
May 15, 2007 7:37 am EDT

I have to agree with Mark in San Antonio. First American Home Buyers Protection are absolutely AWFUL... I had a similar problem with my A/C. I live in Houston (the air conditioning capital of the world). I have been without A/C for 10 days and the a/c company for First American claimed for 4 days that the "part" had not come in. For God's sake, they are in the air conditioning business in Houston, Texas and don't have access to compressors! Please. It sure is ironic that I call my A/C company who called Carrier and advised that the compressor was readily available in the Houston Area. I like Mark would never, ever recommend them to anyone! They are the worst and don't give a @@@@ as long as you are paying your annual fee. I needed them this one time and they could not and would not and did not come up to the plate. I hope they go bankrupt myself!

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Jennifer
Jul 12, 2007 3:01 pm EDT

I have been without a washing machine for almost a month now. The service technician did his part. Enough said.

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Amy James
Aug 23, 2007 2:32 pm EDT

I have not had AC for a week now and have spent countless hours on the telephone only to get the run around. I found a way to get the number to the supplier where they have supposedly been trying to order the part. I found out from the supplier that they have been sending over a parts order without a model number or any information as to which part they need. The AC repair company has been out 3 times to pick up the part but the supplier does not have the order from 1st American to supply the part. So far, I have spent 3 days trying to get someone onsite, two days of trying to get the part approved and another two days going back and forth with the supplier directly and I still do not have AC and am beginning to think they have sent me and the AC repairman on a wild goose chase. Ugghhhh...

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William Nice
Sep 06, 2007 3:38 pm EDT

I to have went through misery with this co., a dish washer that leaks, a microwave that is not up to par and a refrigerator that ices up, this co. should be called on the carpet. I will keep calling them every time i have a problem and i will not use them when i sell my other home.

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Betty Chapman
Sep 12, 2007 10:57 am EDT

Amen to all the above. Called in ourselves and tried to get some things repaired. Is anything actually covered by this scamming company?

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obrien
Oct 22, 2007 12:08 pm EDT

First American Complaint (Warranty not insurance=Not Regulated by your State Insurance Division)
Sure, I have a story. A month into this claim and no oven repair. 1st Tech said, Parts no longer available, need to replace unit." They sent for a second opinion. Second tech said no parts available, but he could retrofit from other ovens. Next day, claim denied due to pre-existing problem. I sent them a copy of the home inspection that stated that the oven worked. I called first tech., he said oven could break at any time, through normal use. First tech offered to have First Am. call him to confirm. First Am. said, denied, denied, denied. I have phone calls recorded, kinda funny when you listen and hear conflicting information from the representatives. If I get emails, I will post it on the net as a podcast or YouTube for you listening pleasure.
I got an attorney and also made a complaint with BBB as described below, currently the tech is waiting for parts First American promised to send him that Hotpint/GE said, do not exist anymore.

First though and important NOTE! First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation is not an insurance company.

They are NOT REGULATED! They sell a warranty. You can sell a warranty too! No insurance license needed. This means that your state's insurance division is powerless. Call them, they will tell you.

Your State's Department of Justice has a little bite but mostly they can gnaw, but have no bite.

Better Business Bureau. This will help to some degree. If you make a proper complaint, a First American representative will contact you.

IMPORTANT: You must make a complaint with the BBB in their home town. Here is a link for Better Business Bureau that they belong to: http://www.labbb.org

First American Home Buyers Protection
P.O. Box 10180
Van Nuys, CA [protected]
Contact: Kristin Flach
Phone: [protected]

P.S. There are 1019 complaints in the last 36 months. Thats over 306 a year, Better Business Bureau complaints. How many people have time for this? Most will just replace or pay Sears to fix it out of their own pocket.

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Laurie Weigel
Dec 03, 2007 2:32 pm EST

We live in Montana. In mid October we had the local utility company come out for a pre season ck up on our heater. They condemed the unit with a cracked heat exchanger. They turn off the unit. Now comes the good part. I have to call back to see who they are going to send out to pick up my $50.oo copay to verify the problem. Very nice gentleman comes out and says he can't find a problem. He tries to contact the utility co and they are so bz that they can't (or won't ) call him back-it is now December 3rd and still nothing fixed or replaced...Last week it was -1 over night. Good thing I have a goose down comforter...Still trying to see what way this will go-AAARRRGGGHHH!

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William H. Glover Jr.
Apr 15, 2008 12:50 pm EDT

My son bought a house on May 31, 2007, located at 118 Evergreen Way, Flowood, MS 39232. His roof leaks and has been leaking since he moved in. Kenny Owen did the home inspection and reported no roof problems (Inspection Report Number 070323KO1). Southern Comfort Contractors apparently subcontracts with First American and will not make the repairs. We have been getting the run-around for almost a year now and it is time to go to court.

I have been a practicing attorney for over thirty years and will be filing suit when the Circuit Clerk’s office opens on April 21 unless this roof is fixed on or before August 18, 2008. I will be seeking punitive damages for a bad faith breach of contract.

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Fenghua Yang
Apr 16, 2008 2:09 pm EDT

I have similar bad experience with first American home warranty company. do not want say more, just saying that i won't continue the Contract with them after this one is over.

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M. Campoly
May 31, 2008 11:08 am EDT

I've been using this company for 8.5 yrs. and have had good experiences until this last claim on May, 5 2008. My 1.5 yr old dishwasher started making an awful grinding noise. I filed a claim with First Am. and they sent a tech out on May, 8 (Thursday) from a company called All Tech Appliance. The tech examined the machine and declared that it needed new bearings in a motor. He told me that he would be back the next morning (Fri.). The tech didn't show on Fri. and didn't call. I began calling All Tech Appliance at around 2:00 p.m. but could not get a live person. By 6:00 PM and 6 calls (leaving messages) later I hadn't heard from All Tech. The following Monday, I began calling All Tech early in the morning until around 2:00 p.m. and never got a call back.

I then called First American and told the csr the story as described above. She put me on hold while she supposedly called All Tech to find out what had happened. We she came back on the line, she said that the tech told her that my "machine was working perfectly and was only making a noise". She then said, "we don't pay to fix noises". I then reminded her of what the tech told me on the previous Thursday but she didn't seem to care nor was she willing to take my word for it. I argued that the machine was broken because the loud noise was caused by bad bearings according to the tech that they had sent to my home. In all honesty, the machine was still cleaning the dishes but the noise it made was unacceptable. I knew and the tech knew that it was only a matter of time before the motor went completely so I relented and let it go knowing that I could refile when the motor finally did go completely out.

In the mean time I did some research on All Tech Appliance. I could find no physical address for a company called All Tech Appliance. There isn't even one on the invoice that they left back on May 8. A search of local yellow and white pages yielded no company called All Tech Appliance. A reverse phone number search of the two phone numbers supplied by First American for All Tech Appliance showed that one of the numbers was not published and the other was traced back to a residential apartment complex. A Google search yielded nothing. It is as if this company doesn't exist. What does this say about how First American chooses contractors?

Skip to Tuesday May, 27. The motor finally went out and the machine stopped working all together. I called First American on Wednesday May, 28 to refile the claim. I told the csr the story as told above. She said that she would send All Tech back to check it out. I told her how All Tech never returned my numerous calls and what my research on All Tech yielded and that I didn't want them (who ever they are) back to my home. She said that she had no choice but to sent them back out since they were the original ones assigned to the claim. I then asked for a supervisor who I then explained all over again what has happened since early May. The supervisor said that looking at previous notes concerning this claim, the tech from All Tech never reported back. How odd I said, since at least 2 of your csr's told me that they had. The supervisor agreed to send another company back out and that I would not be charged another service call. On Thursday, I used First American's online method (e-mail of sorts) of checking on claims to try to get the status of my claim. As of today May 31, I have not received a reply from the online customer service.

Today, Saturday May, 31, as I type this complaint, I got a call from a different repair contractor to set an appointment. The appointment is set for Monday June, 2. We'll see how it goes.

I think that ultimately my machine will be fixed. But it should not be this much hassle. I've gotten nothing but conflicting information from at least 8 different First American employees including two "claim resolution specialist" and two supervisors. I've gotten indifference from them at best and even some rudeness from two of them and not even one sympathetic voice in the whole lot. It has been difficult, but I have kept my cool throughout this whole ordeal. It is as though they think of the customer as the enemy. My impression is that they are not well trained (especially in the customer service area) and they couldn't have cared less weather I was a satisfied customer or not. Whenever I've asked to speak to a higher up, they try to discourage you by telling you that it will be a long wait to speak to a "claim resolution specialist" and even longer to speak to a supervisor. I told a supervisor that I wanted to file a complaint with the First American upper management and I asked for names, addresses and phone numbers and she said that all she could give me was a P.O. Box to write a letter to - no names or phone numbers or email addresses.

This whole recent claim ordeal with First American really surprised me because I've used them for 8.5 yrs and have never had a problem. In the past, customer service was always helpful and my claims (some of them very substantial) were taken care of promptly. Their contractors, on the other hand, have been hit and miss. Some good, a few not so good. If this isn't resolved on Monday, I will contact the BBB in Van Nuys, Cal. This looks like a company on the down hill slide. The customer service is always the first thing to go.

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Rachel Swingler
Jul 13, 2008 10:44 am EDT

Sunday, June 30th, my AC stopped blowing out cold air. We called the First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation to file a claim and have the AC fixed. No one returned our call. The following day, we called and got confirmation that Glatfelter & Sons would come out and service our AC on Wednesday July 2nd. A technician came out and put in so much Freon in our unit that his bottle froze up. We had to provide a bucket of hot water. Later that day, I came home from work and the AC unit was making a god-awful noise like metal on metal. I had to shut the AC off, call the home warranty company to get someone out to figure out what happened. I called the AC technician too who did not return my calls. The warranty company assured me they would find someone immediately and they would call me back. Surprisingly enough, they did not.

Thursday, July 3rd, I called the warranty company several times as did my husband to find out the status of the claim and to find out when a technician would be dispatched to resolve the issue. I have severe allergies and take prescription medication Xyzal, Nasonex and Arbuterol. With the windows open for 5 days, the grass pollen also being high, I have to take Benadryl on top of that medication (50mg) every six hours making me zombie like an unable to function. I made this a medical claim with the warranty company who assured me that they would get emergency dispatch to find us a contractor.

Friday, July 4th, the second contractor came out and looked at our unit. He was extremely knowledgeable and competent. We told him what the first technician did and he was stumped. In all of his experience and his boss's experience (30+ years), he has NEVER heard of anyone using that much Freon on an AC unit. He told us the guy had blown the compressor and the condenser and evaporator coil would need to be replaced. He called the warranty company who was only going to pay him for 3 hours of his time even though he had been at our house with travel time 4 hours. He lives in Lebanon and we are located an hour and a half away in Hanover. So, he left.

Later that day, after much arguing, I was talking with Eileen Scardina (a supervisor with First American), who went back and said that they decided to approve the second technician after all. She had originally said that they were going to hire a third company to come out and give an estimate to fix our unit...which makes no sense when the competent technician was already there and could have got the process of repair started. The hold up with the warranty company then became the paperwork. They needed to have the quote in writing to break down the cost of the job. Every day, for five days, the contractor faxed and called in the price. The warranty company kept claiming they did not have the information.

Wednesday, July 9th - Spoke to Angela (another supervisor) assured me that she would personally call the contractor and get the information, get the job approved and have our AC fixed. She assured me that a third technician would not have to be hired that they were going with the second company.

Thursday, July 10th - Spoke to Daniel (another supervisor) at the warranty company. They rejected the second company's bid and were going with a third technician. The third company would call us by EOB Thursday. Daniel would also call us back and let us know the status. Again, no one returned our call. We called again and spoke to a claims representative on the main number. All the supervisor extensions we have went straight to voice mail. This person told us that a contractor (All Done Mechanical) was hired to be our third technician and would contact us by EOB. Angela called and left a message that she was personally taking care of this claim and would have an answer and a technician for us...even though we were told by someone else that a third contractor was already hired.

Friday, July 11th - We are currently on hold with a third supervisor on this one call (it's been 2 hours of arguing). They do not have a third company hired. They are going to go with the second company and want to call us back. We are refusing to get off the phone until we have an appointment to get the AC fixed. Now they are back on the phone saying they are trying to get a third company and are not going with the second one. FREAKING RIDICULOUS!

We had to stay at a hotel for two days because my allergies were killing me. Tonight we are back home and it's 95 degrees outside right now.

I have 4 pages of all the calls logged just by myself. They do not include all the calls my husband has made for the last 13 days.

I am frustrated and confused as to how they are allowed to operate as a business. Their first technician destroyed our AC unit. The second one could have fixed it. They didn’t like the price of the second one so they want to go with a third one but now are going back to the second one…allegedly. The bottom line is that they said we can call our own contractor and get reimbursed by the warranty company. We are not going to do that, because I am pretty confident they will refuse to pay us.

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Bill H
Aug 26, 2008 10:31 am EDT

We just bought a new house and discovered a small leak under the kitchen sink. I investigated the source of the leak and found that it was near the faucet handle. I called First American Home Buyers Protection at [protected] (http://homewarranty.firstam.com) and told them about the leak. I scheduled an appointment with their local plumber who came in after a couple of days and was 1/2 hour late. The guy spend 20 seconds looking under the kitchen sink and said the warranty does not handle fixtures and I need to call someone else. He didn't ask for the service fee of $55 as he didn't do anything and the problem was not resolved. I contacted a local plumber and he was able to fix the problem in 20 mins. After 3 months I received an invoice from First American Home Buyers Protection (http://homewarranty.firstam.com) telling me to pay $55 service fee. I contacted customer support and they are adamant that I pay them $55 as they send the plumber to my place. Of course they never did the due diligence of finding out whether they will cover the repair or not and they could have very well told me upfront that the fixture was not covered in my warranty and I need to go talk to a different plumber. Its ridiculous for the company to send a plumber just to walk in your door and say sorry we don't handle this. The whole warranty program is setup for scamming money. The link for filing consumer report with BBB was very useful. That's the best way to bring to light the pain experienced by customers, here its again...

http://www.labbb.org
First American Home Buyers Protection
P.O. Box 10180
Van Nuys, CA [protected]
Contact: Kristin Flach
Phone: [protected]

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Maria
Nov 25, 2008 12:09 pm EST

I am also undergoing unbelievable issues with 1st American. I have not had an air conditioner/heater since July of this year and it's now a week away from December! They don't like hearing from some of the a/c techs that the unit needs to be replaced, so they keep sending out new guys waiting, obviously, until they find one that gives them the answer they want to hear. Which has actually happened a couple of times, but then those techs came back to do the repairs (after many phone calls to both 1st American and the tech), and then discovered that they were wrong. They are not the first home warranty company I've ever had, but they certainly are the worst!

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DDS
Goodyear, US
Feb 26, 2009 6:19 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

THIS IS A SCAM not a real business. I have been waiting for over 4 months now for my dishwasher to be fixed. All I get is a bunch of unexperienced techs come to my house and they don't know what the problem is. At this point First American shoudl replace my dishwasher, but they don't want to. They just want to keep on sending new techs. I had about 4 come to my house for a total of about 10 trips. This means 10 days off from work to accomodate the techs. Some people at the claims resolution dept are total ###s. One guy even hung up the phone on me when I tried to complaint. This company shoudl be locked up and the CEO shoudl be held responsible for steeling our money. All they do is take your money and do not resolve any problems.

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Maellen
Dallas, US
Jul 04, 2009 2:07 pm EDT

On Monday, June 29, 2009, we placed a call to First American Home Warranty about our air conditioning. At the time, the temperature inside our home was at 98 degrees and rising. They took the call as an emergency because I have multiple sclerosis, and said that Walker AC would be calling. We called Walker AC and a tech came out on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 and said we needed a new compressor. He got the approval from First American. On Thursday AM, July 2, 2009, an installer for Walker AC had to go to three vendors before he found one with the right compressor. He was then at our home from 1 PM to 9 PM that day, but the compressor would not work. No cooling. At 9 PM, the owner of Walker AC declared that the actual problem was in the A Coil. He then spent forty minutes trying to call First American to no avail. All of us tried calling First American Friday, July 3, 2009, but we got no where. The answer was that all of their vendors were closed for the holidays. One claims resolution specialist, Nahum, told us he could authorize to $150 for rental of an air conditioner. However the only air conditioner rentals that will work even moderately in our home are construction site models at $250 each for four days. And when they were delivered, they tripped the circuit breakers on this mid-century wiring. They cool to about 90 degrees during the day and about 85 at night. Buy Hey ! before we got them, our woodwork was too hot to touch !
We are growing ill from heat and frustration. Our elderly cats are not doing well. There is food in my pantry that needs to be thrown out because of the dangerously high temperatures inside the pantry. The refrigerator is having trouble keeping cool; food there that will have to be thrown out. We are eating out because we don't want to heat up the kitchen and because we can't risk tripping the circuit breakers again. There is too much danger of an electrical fire.
Meantime, First American and Walker AC are blithely enjoying their holiday while we suffer. We are retirees on a fixed income, but I suppose we could come up with enough to have someone competent do these repairs. However, First American has the warranty papers on both our outside unit and parts and the A Coil and its parts because First American installed the new outside unit and compressor three years ago and the new ACoil two years ago and both are still under warranty. They don't allow the homeowner to have the warranty papers so the homeowner can get the free parts and hire another installer.
We, like everyone in the above messages, are being held hostage by this criminally run company in the midst of an extremely hot Texas summer. we are so completely angry that we are going to outlast them, bill them for every meal and AC rental fee and spoiled food that we have, and force them to replace the A Coil in this AC.
We have also filed a detailed complaint with Texas Real Estate Commission which is the agency through which First American has to get its licensing to do business in Texas. If all of us who live in Texas who have had or are having these problems wrote letters to TREC or downloaded and filled out the complaint form ( you can Google TREC and look for the form), we might stand a chance of getting their licenses revoked in Texas. These people should not be allowed to operate here or anywhere else. On TREC's website, there is a link to Enforcement. I had the good fortune to have a call back from an attorney at TREC who has been trying to help.
Email me if you want to join a campaign to get rid of this company before they can jeopardize more Texans' wellbeing. Email address is ejchildress@ont.com

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gonzodriver
US
Jul 30, 2009 6:51 pm EDT

Contact Frank Bottini, he is an attorney in San Diego who has a class action lawsuit against First American. His phone number is [protected]. You can also comtact him thru his website at http://www.johnsonbottini.com
First American Home Buyers Protection sent a plumber to my home who did NOT install an insta hot water dispenser correctly which resulted in an insurance claim of $159, 000.00 This faulty installation caused a massive flood in my home, destroying the entire first floor. All of this information has been provided to the attorneys. Here is a photo of one of the 60 days of hell. My claim was subrogated and I received my $5000 deductible back. I am now in the process of sueing the president of First American (he was just served by the LA Sheriffs dept last week)His name is Daniel Langston.

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sweltering
Boern, US
Aug 03, 2009 5:11 pm EDT

Run, don't walk, away from First American. Same story as most ... we live in South Texas and have been without air conditioning for 6 days now. We filed our first claim on this policy and were told ADAMS AIR CARE would be here on Saturday between 1 and 3. Four days to wait for A/C service when it's 100+ degrees outside didn't make us happy but what could we do? Saturday rolls around and ADAMS AIR CARE doesn't show up. We leave message after message on their answering service with not one returned call. We call First American and they don't really have a solution. First American tells us they'll "re-dispatch" the service call on Monday morning. It's now 4pm Monday afternoon and we still have no answers as to WHEN First American OR ADAMS AIR CARE is planning on fixing our A/C. And the ironic piece is this: we've found ANOTHER A/C repair unit that is contracted with First American and has agreed to come out tomorrow morning but FIRST AMERICAN won't move the claim over to them! Unbelievably poor service. Unbelievably poor contractor screening and selection. Don't throw your money or your time away. This outfit will cause you to absolutely pull your hair out in frustration.

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FEDUP WITH FIRST AMERICAN
Chandler, US
Aug 17, 2009 11:41 pm EDT

First American is a scam!
First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation is a scam!

When i purchased my contract from the representative she reassured me that if something needed replaced or repaired that all I had to pay was 60.00.I realized that there were exceptions which I read under their clear bulleted section for each type of service which states what is covered and not covered for each type of service, like Plumbing, water heaters, electrical etc.
However what is not clear is the limits and liability section bullcrap verbiage. This so called vague confusing verbiage is where they scam you. It allows them to deny, or not pay for certain things which means you could have a lot more than the so called 60.00 fee.
This verbiage allows the technician that comes out to charge any extra charges as they see fit. If you are lucky you might have a honest technician and just charge you the copay but mostly you will get the scumbug technician who is out to make up what FA is not paying them. They do not care that you are living on limited means or anything, morals and honestly are not in their job description. Please do not be fooled by how nice FA service technician are, most of them are CON ARTIST .
For me my electric water heater went out over the weekend water leaking on the floor. Do not expect FA to sent someone out that day, it will only be during the week they don’t give a crap about damage as they are fully aware they are not responsible for secondary damage, THEY WILL NOT SEND ANYONE OUT ON A WEEKEND!
Finally the technician comes out late and said it needs to be replaced and that it will cost me at least an additional 150.00 TO 200.00 dollars and maybe more if he has to replace another part that goes to it, THID IS on top of my 60.00 co-pay. He also has to order the water heater and will take several more days or so before he will be back. I called several other plumbers in the area and they said they do not charge this extra fee and all of them said they can get the water heater the same day, NO Lengthy waiting, and said that I am getting ripped off WITH THIS SO CALLED EXTRA FEE. Sure I can get a pay out and have someone else do it but their so called pay out option is beyond ridiculous under pay out amount.
As for trying to making a complaint with them, forget about it you will get ABSOLUTLY nowhere.

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tubilah
Chattanooga, US
Aug 26, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

I am suing them personnaly, without the cost of lawyer.

Call me and I will tell you how. Bruce, [protected]

I am trying to get their TN Business License #.

Area manager is Maryanne Page, [protected], Cell [protected].

I will serve the subpeona to appear in court personnaly, and would be glad to serve theirs as well.

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zeropatience
US
Dec 13, 2009 1:13 pm EST

Well, its December 2009 and from all the reviews, its apparent that First American is still a terrible company to do business with! The home warranty came with the house we bought. We filed a claim about a month ago because the clothes dryer stopped working. A tech comes out to look at it and tells us that its not worth fixing, that FA will send a check towards replacing it. I wait a week, hear nothing. Call FA, they tell me they ordered the parts to fix it and they will follow up with me the next day. Of course I never hear from them. Wait another week, and I call back. They tell me the parts are in and they will call the next day to schedule the repair. Never hear from them. Wait a couple more days, then they tell me the parts are backordered, so my options are to wait FOR UP TO ONE YEAR (!) for the parts to come in (!) or take $75. Clearly, all they are doing is trying to scam me. They just want me to take the $75, when an actual repair or replacement would cost me $400+. Total Ripoff. Avoid this company at all costs!

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H. J
US
Dec 18, 2009 6:00 pm EST

I have same bad experience with FAH. I am living in Pleasanton, CA. I have stayed with First American Home Buyers Protection for last 2 years. Today 12/18 is the expiration date. My AC was broken two years ago, and I had no air conditioner to cool my home during the last 2 years, finally it was replaced on this Nov. but it is already winter. Recently, my heater start to leak, I called the service, FAH send technician from SA air and heating company to my house to fix the problems. The Technician said the pipe is not correctly installed, and suggested to punch a hole in the garage wall, and I need pay $300 by myself. I asked technician to check the ductwork, since one of the bedrooms has no enough warm air flow come out, he said his company does not take care this kind of job, I need contact different company, however, later on I found out the ductwork is on the SA company's license. The technician does not want to bother to do his job. I called the FAH and asked to send different company or technician to fix the problem, but the request is denied by the FAH respective.

I am thinking to buy other home warranty, but FAH.

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I hate First American Home Warranty
US
Aug 31, 2010 2:03 pm EDT

This company is still ripping people off. We got our 'Warranty' when we purchased our home in June 2010 and we can't even get one of their recommended technicians to come to our house. We have a problem with our water heater. The first plumber company they assigned to fix our appliance didn't even have a plumber! We are still waiting and every time we call they change the name of the company that is supposed to come out and they always add another 48 hours to the time they should show up. Don't waste your money or your time with these thiefs.

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C. Fabre
Los Angeles, US
Apr 11, 2011 5:58 pm EDT

I'm one more dissatisfied customer...I would say defrauded customer!
First American apparently hires repair companies that look for reasons not to cover your claims.
My refrigerator started not cooling properly and this was due to a hinge broken on bottom of the door. Well..."Four Season's Appliance [protected] Federal Ave. Los Angeles CA 90025...came to provide service! And their report was "customer overloaded the door...therefore is their fault the hinge broke"...
This report is what First American wants...therefore...CLAIM DENIED...
This is my first claim after 2 years with this company.
PLEASE DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM !
All they do is to take your money away and denied claims...SAVE YOUR MONEY ...First American will take it and give you "NO SERVICE" instead.
They will find all sorts of excuses on why a particular item is not covered under your contract. They are in business just to still your money.

C. Fabre
Winnetka CA

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C. Fabre
Los Angeles, US
Apr 11, 2011 6:02 pm EDT

I'm one more dissatisfied customer...I would say defrauded customer!
First American apparently hires repair companies that look for reasons not to cover your claims.
My refrigerator started not cooling properly and this was due to a hinge broken on bottom of the door. Well..."Four Season's Appliance [protected] Federal Ave. Los Angeles CA 90025...came to provide service! And their report was "customer overloaded the door...therefore is their fault the hinge broke"...
This report is what First American wants...therefore...CLAIM DENIED...
This is my first claim after 2 years with this company.
PLEASE DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM !
All they do is to take your money away and denied claims...SAVE YOUR MONEY ...First American will take it and give you "NO SERVICE" instead.
They will find all sorts of excuses on why a particular item is not covered under your contract. They are in business just to still your money.

C. Fabre
Winnetka CA

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TrickyGhost
Murrieta, US
May 23, 2011 6:25 pm EDT

Same as above first american home warranty is garbage!

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lichtran
Santa Ana, US
Jun 30, 2011 3:14 pm EDT

I have a contract #[protected] with First American Home Buyers Protection (First American HBP), 2250 Apollo way, suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA [protected]. Their website: https://homewarranty.firstam.com/Default.aspx

On 4/2/2011 the First American HBP gave us two work orders: One for plumbing (DRAINEX ROOTER) due to ceiling water leaking in my bathroom, and another order (M K CONSTRUCTION) for the electric fan located under the above leaking ceiling and damaged by water leaking. They said they granted the two work orders if the ceiling leaking is the cause for the fan damaged. If they did not fix the ceiling, then the fan would damage in the future.

On 4/2/2011 an employee from DRAINEX ROOTER & PLUMBING CO.(http://www.drainexplumbing.com/ ) came to my house, promised to fix the ceiling on the next day and gave us another service agreement to sign, then asked for $55. We wrote the check (#1913) and signed the agreement. However, they broke the contract and have never come back. The ceiling still is leaking.

On the next day only M K Construction fixed the fan. We paid another $55 (#1914).

Since the water leaking is not fixed and it will continue damage the fan, we reminded the First American HBP about the leaking. They gave us another work order for plumbing by another company, the HOME WARRANTY PLUMBING AND ROOTER.

Yet, after inspection this company told us it is not covered under the home protection policy. And they sent us another bill service fee $55 for work order #[protected] and use collection agency.

Please notice it is the same ceiling that has two work orders within one week. And according to their policy, consumers have to pay a total three bills of $55 * 3 = $165: One for electric and two for water leaking; even though they denied to fix the ceiling. And the fan would continue to be damaged.

I believe it is a scam. Consumers have to pay annual fee for $432 and extra $55 for any work order. It does not matter if the work order is performed or not, good or bad, complete or incomplete. It is not like insurance company and deductible. However, the First American Company have not made clear such weird policy to their consumers.

Because the First American Company failed to make a clear statement that consumers have to pay extra fee for any work order whether it is performed or not, good or bad, complete or incomplete, and because the Drainex Company broke their promise, and took $55 for nothing to exchange. I believe they committed a scam. Their policy violates US basic fairness and justice.

I believe that basic fairness and justice for any contract requires both parties have to exchange something. Consumers should pay extra service fee $55 only if the work order is performed. No repair nor service performed, then no an extra fee. It is not fair for a service man come to a house, do nothing, and receive extra $55. It is ok to deny the service, but still taking extra fee for denial is unfair and unethical.

PS. We just receive a letter from First American HBP. They cancelled the charge for the second plumbing, but still charge $55 for the unperformed plumbing of DRAINEX ROOTER. That means they still take our $55 for the work order unperformed.

I collected pub opinion about this scam:
http://www.tranlich.com/homeprotectionscam/

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Ifren
US
Dec 09, 2011 11:07 am EST

Warring! Do not do business with this company. The service is just awful.

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tp4cornholio
Mission Viejo, US
Sep 11, 2014 6:42 pm EDT

I agree with every negative comment on here. I really don't like using the word "hate" except in extreme cases. I "HATE!" this company
and just thinking about their practices makes me throw up in my mouth. What needs to happen is all realtors/escrow companies need to stop using them. This is where they get a lot of their business. If you are buying a home, but in the agreement that you will not accept First American as your warranty company.

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Saravnan
US
Nov 11, 2018 6:10 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have a home warranty with First American. Recent replacement of water heater by these guys triggered multiple issues.1) Not getting hot water if I use two taps at a time 2) Washing machine cold water lane getting hot water surprisingly 2) opening hot water tab triggers loud noise from plumbing. First american is not responding to fixthis issue.

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