Action 9 helps homeowner get $3,700 from home warranty company

CHARLOTTE — A south Charlotte homeowner had issues with his air conditioning, but since he had a home warranty he wasn’t very worried until the company said it wouldn’t cover the repairs.

Ronnie Bryant says his A/C stopped working a few months back, during the height of summer.

“Very hot. Very uncomfortable,” he told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

He asked his home warranty company, Choice Home Warranty, for help.

Choice sent out a technician who determined Bryant’s system wasn’t cooling because of dirt buildup and said the unit needed routine maintenance and cleaning.

The company said it does not cover problems caused by a lack of maintenance, so Bryant hired an HVAC company on his own. He said that the technician determined the problem was not maintenance-related and it was a leak. The company that Bryant hired fixed the issue.

“My house is cool and very comfortable,” Bryant said. “(I’m) not sweating at all.”

Bryant paid more than $3,700 for the repair. He asked Choice to reimburse him.

“They kept finding different ways to say no,” he said. “I felt cheated. … I pay these guys every year for this warranty, and I really felt that they should honor their commitment.”

Bryant emailed Stoogenke, who contacted Choice. The company emailed back stating it did the right thing and denied the claim at first, back when it thought the issue was poor maintenance. But when it found out about the leak, Choice decided it would cover the repair “as a show of goodwill to a valued customer.”

Stoogenke said home warranties can be very helpful, but no matter what company you use, just make sure you:

- Read the fine print: know exactly what it covers, how much it’ll pay, and what not to do so you don’t void the policy.

- Research the contractor that the home warranty company plans to send out. Make sure it’s one you trust. It’s OK to say you want someone else.

- Keep all your paperwork, especially if you end up needing Action 9′s help.

(Watch below: Action 9 helps driver get almost $40,000 back for SUV)

Action 9 helps driver get almost $40,000 back for SUV

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