News Anyone have a HomeServe service plan.

[ralphc1]

Does anyone have coverage from this company?

I received an offer that appeared to be from my electricity supplier, Xcel Energy, for a service plan for my electrical system and exterior water line at my house. This plan would cover the mast where the overhead electrical service connects to a house and the mast wiring and electric meter socket. The water coverage covers the water supply connection from the property boundary to my house. Both for $10.78 per month or $129.38 per year. I thought it was strange that they would charge .02 more to pay it by the year instead of by the month.

The only reason I opened the letter was because it had Xcel Energy in the return address area. It includes a notice saying that Xcel Energy has partnered with HomeServe but there is no way to contact Xcel included. There is only a phone number to call HomeServe.

This seems like a scam to me. My house has an underground service so Xcel owns all of the wire into the meter. I own the meter socket and the pipe from the ground into the meter socket. Even if I had an above ground service, the only way it would likely be damaged would be by wind blowing a tree down on it and that would be covered by homeowners insurance.

If I was on a municipal water system, it might make sense to have coverage for the water service line because those lines are buried over 8 feet deep in my area and would cost a lot to dig up but they seldom fail. I have a well that is 8 feet from my house. The plan would cover the pipe from the well to my house. 2 months of coverage would pay for the pipe.

I would have just tossed this but I started to get calls from people that I know asking if I thought they should sign up. Many thought that Xcel was endorsing this. I explained to them what it covered. I checked out HomeServe and found that they have had many Better Business Bureau complaints filed against them, mainly because people didn't know what was actually covered. I see they are a worldwide company that started in the UK. They picked a few things that very seldom have any problems to collect money for.

HomeServe doesn't have people who do the work. You call them and they call a local contractor to do the work. I advised people to just put some money aside each month which every homeowner should do.

Cliffs
I received an offer that appeared to be from my power company for some coverage that they seemed to be endorsing. The letter was very careful not to use the word insurance as I assume that would subject them to some regulation.

 

[jeff7b9]

Read the fine print.

Reputation for those type of things is that they find ways to weasel out of coughing up the money when the time comes, find loopholes to not cover things or blame the homeowner.

I'm in real estate and we get pressured to recommend those type things. I think KW has an affiliation with American home somethingorother

I guess it also depends on the circumstances.

How old are the systems that could go and need replacement?

 

[Bobby00]

Crazy idea call the electric company and ask them about it? They would know more than me about this partnership.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Sounds Legit

 

[ralphc1]

Crazy idea call the electric company and ask them about it? They would know more than me about this partnership.

My first thought was to call the electric company. Xcel doesn't really have a number to call or even an E-mail address that I could find. The phone numbers and web access they have are to report outages or check on outages. They are automated systems that use the phone number you call from to determine the service address.

I'm not certain if Xcel is even involved with this. For all I know HomeServe may be using their name without permission. On the other hand Xcel might be selling mailing lists or getting a cut from HomeServe.

 

[Joshuaace]

I get service plan offers from the municipal water supplier even though I'm on a private well outside of city limits. Pisses me off, my elderly neighbors paid one of these plans and got the run around when they had some issues with there line from the well to the house.

 

[ralphc1]

I get service plan offers from the municipal water supplier even though I'm on a private well outside of city limits. Pisses me off, my elderly neighbors paid one of these plans and got the run around when they had some issues with there line from the well to the house.

I think that's what they count on is people who don't know better and trust it because of the origin. They don't understand what is actually covered or even what they have.

 

[Bobby00]

My first thought was to call the electric company. Xcel doesn't really have a number to call or even an E-mail address that I could find. The phone numbers and web access they have are to report outages or check on outages. They are automated systems that use the phone number you call from to determine the service address.

I'm not certain if Xcel is even involved with this. For all I know HomeServe may be using their name without permission. On the other hand Xcel might be selling mailing lists or getting a cut from HomeServe.

Wow im kinda surprised cant imagine not being able to call power company it makes you question an no place to get answers? Are you sure they dont have a email or something?

 

[lsa]

Wow im kinda surprised cant imagine not being able to call power company it makes you question an no place to get answers? Are you sure they dont have a email or something?

If its this company they do have contact information

Xcel Energy

It was a 30second search.

 

[Bobby00]

If its this company they do have contact information

Xcel Energy

It was a 30second search.

Makes sense no way you cant contact your energy conpany even in 3rd world places you can call up or visit a office. Maybe its different in the US but usually on my power bill there will be a number to call and a email to contact.

 

[lsa]

Makes sense no way you cant contact your energy conpany even in 3rd world places you can call up or visit a office. Maybe its different in the US but usually on my power bill there will be a number to call and a email to contact.

Here I send them a fax or use a handradio or whats it called.

 

[PG29 red0 Jr]

Had to deal with this at my Snowmobile house in Ironwood MI (UP).

In the winter of 22' a snow slide coming off my metal roof tore the mast off my house. I had to run the house on generator the 2-3 times I went snowmobiling that winter.

I fixed it, and had it ready for the power company to hook up. Then the BS started. They said it had to be inspected by the city. I call the city, and they tell me it needs to be completed by a union contractor or some BS. I call the contractor, they come out, give me some BS about the meter being to old and needing to be changed to pass inspection.

By the time I greased the mob, the city, etc. I was like $1500 out of pocket just to pass an inspection.

 

[ralphc1]

If its this company they do have contact information

Xcel Energy

It was a 30second search.

Did you try calling the 800 number? I have been trying since Tuesday and finally got through today. The number takes me through an automated sequence of choosing to report a gas leak or electrical outage then directs me to their online services for everything else. If I stay on the line, eventually the system gives a list of options like adding or cancelling service etc. The last option is to speak to a Customer Service Representative. When I select that I got another round of how to use their website for faster service saying there is an estimated 10 minute wait. They ask me if I want to hold for a representative to press 2. Then they have a recording to tell me how important my call is to them and to wait for the next available representative repeated at about 30 second intervals. At some point they play some music. After about 15 minutes, the music stops and I think someone is about to answer. There is a click on the line and after about a minute of silence I get a dial tone. I wait but the call has been cut off. I tried twice on Tuesday, again on Wednesday and once again today. I called the number at 3:45 today and at 4:10 I finally got to speak to a representative.

I was told that Xcel had a home warranty business that they sold to HomeServe so HomeServe got that client list. I told her that I wasn't a client of the service that they sold and said that Xcel must have given out their customer list too. She was adamant that they didn't and said that Homeserve must have sent it to everyone in the area. I know that they got the address on the mailer from Xcel because I add a letter and a number to my address for various businesses so I can tell who provided the address.

 

[ralphc1]

Had to deal with this at my Snowmobile house in Ironwood MI (UP).

In the winter of 22' a snow slide coming off my metal roof tore the mast off my house. I had to run the house on generator the 2-3 times I went snowmobiling that winter.

I fixed it, and had it ready for the power company to hook up. Then the BS started. They said it had to be inspected by the city. I call the city, and they tell me it needs to be completed by a union contractor or some BS. I call the contractor, they come out, give me some BS about the meter being to old and needing to be changed to pass inspection.

By the time I greased the mob, the city, etc. I was like $1500 out of pocket just to pass an inspection.

View attachment 1041257

Did you have to have a Union contractor or a licensed contractor? In some areas, it can become almost the same thing. If the electrical inspector was an IBEW member he might want to drum up business for his Union brothers. In some areas, only licensed electricians can do electrical work. I guess I can understand the power company not wanting to turn the power back on in case something isn't connected properly. They don't know how much you know. The codes can change over the years and the damage might require an update.

Your repair is an example of what would and wouldn't be covered under the HomeServe program. HomeServe would cover the Weatherhead at the top of the mast, the riser which is the pipe going to the meter base, the meter base and the service entrance conductor which is the wire from the Weatherhead to the meter connection. It wouldn't cover repairs to the roof or walls that the mast is mounted to.

 

[Oblivian]

All of these service plans, warranties, insurance, etc. are a losing bet. Unless it will be a catastrophic event (ex. homeowners insurance, car insurance, etc), I'd never buy these. You are just pissing away money.

 

[Renard]

This is like insurance, they only offer it to you because there's money to be made over a large sample size. It's not impossible that you could be the one house of a thousand that gets unlucky and can get a benefit out of it, but for 99% of households it's just money wasted. If something did happen they'll argue that it isn't covered by their service plan due to line 261 section B somewhere in the contract and it'll be like pulling teeth to get them to pay up. These companies are basically engaged in legal scamming. Take that money and start an emergency fund instead.

 

[Fedorgasm]

You're spot on about them not using the word insurance because they want to avoid regulation.

They'll call it a protection plan or something like that, but it's basically insurance with no regulation. Stay far away.

Insurance companies are hard enough to collect from when the law is on your side.

These unregulated companies? Pfft, good luck.

 

[RoastBeast]

Had to deal with this at my Snowmobile house in Ironwood MI (UP).

In the winter of 22' a snow slide coming off my metal roof tore the mast off my house. I had to run the house on generator the 2-3 times I went snowmobiling that winter.

I fixed it, and had it ready for the power company to hook up. Then the BS started. They said it had to be inspected by the city. I call the city, and they tell me it needs to be completed by a union contractor or some BS. I call the contractor, they come out, give me some BS about the meter being to old and needing to be changed to pass inspection.

By the time I greased the mob, the city, etc. I was like $1500 out of pocket just to pass an inspection.

View attachment 1041257

Some serious legal scam bullshit right here.

 

[ThaiSexPills]

Take the money you’d pay on the plan and save it. If they weren’t making money, they wouldn’t offer these things. They’ll find every excuse to screw you out of fixing it.