Family Spends Days Going Back and Forth With Warranty Company After HVAC System Fails

It’s so hot inside Ron McGuffey’s home, he would go outside just to catch a breeze.

"It was horrible I’ve got a heart condition," said McGuffey.

After his air conditioning unit broke his service provider sent a repairman.

"It wasn’t working because it wasn’t getting enough juice to kick it over," said McGuffey.

McGuffey says they replaced a starter and the unit came to life but a day later was just blowing warm air.

So, they called the company back and this time the tech reported that the compressor was broken and it would have to be rebuilt which is a long and costly process and something that needed approval from the warranty company.

"My son has spent about 20 hours on the phone begging and imploring just doing anything to try to get us out of this mess," he said.

They called NBC 5 Responds. We contacted the warranty company and a check for $1,700 was issued in a matter of hours.

The warranty company apologized and said due to the high temperature, and health concerns they would make the payment but said it was important to note the technician they sent out had been in business for nearly 10 years and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

They still cut the check letting McGuffey hire his own service company who did the job is less than an hour.

"All somebody has to do is go to a supply house and buy a compressor and put it in. It’s two copper pipes and four bolts. This is not that hard," said Dave Hendrickson.

The new company replaced the compressor with a certified used one. The old system hauled away and another one doing the work… and a more efficient unit at that.

Service contracts, and home warranties often have complex details about what’s covered and what’s not. The tech and the company usually have to go back and forth and figure out a way to fix things under your contract. Sometimes that takes time and doesn’t always allow for using used parts.

If you want the most control, consider a savings account so you can make choices on your own and if you’re in the middle of a service contract and things aren’t moving quickly.

Call and explain the current weather situation any health issues and ask how to resolve the matter immediately.

Many contracts will issue a cash payout to help you move things along more quickly.