The problem with the idea of a Service One home warranty is that no appliance or system that looks like it might require repair or replacement is included in the coverage As their website declares, “Any condition known to be preexisting or presents evidence of being pre-existing at time of service may not be covered under the Plan.Determination of system condition and nature of failure will be made by ServiceOne technicians.”
These words are found under the one of the two options that the company offer to individual home buyers: The Evaluated Plan and the Non- Evaluated Plan. The difference between the two is fairly obvious, but the results are the same. If a homeowner chooses the non-evaluation plan there is only a requirement that they sign an agreement that says they attest to the condition of their systems and appliances as being in good working order.
Service Providers and the Power They Wield
The problem is that any service provider who comes to do maintenance on covered items and systems can dispute the homeowner’s evaluation and it is the warrantor service provider who will be empowered to determine the accuracy of that evaluation. This is also the situation under any repair circumstances. Most companies point out that homeowners don’t know which service providers are legitimate service providers. The company offers this list because the service providers described are trusted by them to make a fair and accurate assessment of the situation they are looking at. Each service call you request comes with a service charge to the provider regardless of whether a repair or a replacement is made.
The Most Common Buyer of the Warranty are Home Sellers
Most of the company’s website is devoted to trying to attract homebuilders, property managers and real estate agents. They are probably the largest purveyors of the warranty, as it is a perk of the home purchase. When large property management systems offer a warranty as part of the purchase of a new home, it makes the investment seem safer, since all big replacement and repair bills are theoretically covered through the first year of ownership.