Martin Gauna was hoping to get his AC fixed. Now he’s warning others about warranty companies.
SAN ANTONIO — It was the middle of summer but Martin Gauna’s AC’s couldn’t get his home any cooler than 84 degrees.
Gauna had been a customer with Select Home Warranty for two years, and he says the company did help fix a toilet before, so he gave them a call.
Select Home Warranty sent out a local company to assess his air conditioner and a technician said his compressor was bad. Since AC compressors are specifically covered under his warranty agreement, Guana thought it would be a quick fix.
“He (the technician”) said I’m going to call the company and fill the paperwork out with them and they will call you within a day or so.”
Guana said that phone call never happened.
Instead, he received an email which said Select Home Warranty would not be covering the claim.
That email stated, “After a Review of the diagnosis concerning the specific issue with your HVAC system, your unit shorted to ground. It has been determined that your policy does not cover this issue, the HVAC system has an electrical failure and unfortunately electrical failures are not covered by your policy.”
Guana didn’t understand this conclusion
“I gave you my money. I expect you to replace it or repair it,” Guana said.
The homeowner then called Select Home Warranty to get a better explanation. He said a representative told him the “compressor windings,” which are inside the compressor, created the issue.
Guana said the compressor was covered and that didn’t make any sense.
“It’s all one complete item! You buy the compressor and the windings are in the compressor. All you do it hook it up,” Guana said.
After going back and forth with the company he called KENS 5.
KENS 5 contacted Select Home Warranty multiple times over two weeks and gave them two different deadlines to respond. The company never got back to us.
KENS 5 also found out customers have made 5,711 complaints against Select Home Warranty on the Better Business Bureau website in just the last three years.
Those complaints included similar, recent stories where the customer said they were denied AC compressor repairs because of an “electrical problem” or “electrical failure.”
Other customers recently said Select Home Warranty denied their AC repair claim because they didn’t have “maintenance records.”
Meanwhile, Guana was tired of fighting with Select Home Warranty and called his own AC technician. Guana said the new technician was able to get his AC working again by simply adding freon, and it has continued to work since.
Guana said he was now canceling coverage with Select Home Warranty and wants other people to know what happened before they go through the same thing.
“I want the people who have this company to realize what they are doing,” Guana said.