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1. CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK SOFTWARE
2. CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK CODE
3. CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK PLUS
4. CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK WINDOWS

His advice: Check with your local real estate agents and ask them whether a warranty is a good buy. In fact, these contractors “overwhelmingly disdained” these types of warranties, the publication said.Ĭhartrand said that the only way companies can control the quality of the service offered is through their networks of local providers. It found that of the 20 top-rated HVAC contractors it selected at random, not one participated in warranty programs. But although warranty companies say their contractors are pre-screened and do good work, Checkbook isn’t convinced. Rather, you call the warranty company, which dispatches the next-in-line repair service with which it contracts. You don’t choose the plumber, electrician or other contractor who comes to your home.

CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK PLUS

Because of the “thin coverage,” plus the $75 to $100 service charge per claim, the costs don’t add up in your favor unless you have a particularly bad repair year. Most policies don’t cover plumbing backups caused by tree roots or “foreign objects.” And if your floors or walls have to be ripped out to get to the problem, the nonprofit says, “don’t expect the warranty company to pay to make everything look nice again.” Ice makers, which break down often, usually are not covered. And some charged extra to cover plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.Ĭhartrand said warranty companies are expressly forbidden by most state laws to cover structural components.

CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK WINDOWS

Of the half-dozen policies from the major warranty firms examined by Checkbook, none covered roofs, leaky windows or skylights, basement moisture problems or chimney repairs. Warranties do not cover the most expensive repairs you might face. “But most consumers are not.”Ĭonsumers’ Checkbook found a number of other issues with these policies: Ratings and reviews by surveyed Consumers Checkbook and Consumer Reports local subscribers Undercover price comparisons Complaint counts from local consumer agencies and attorney general offices.

“If you are competent at handling repairs, you may not need a warranty,” he said. But Art Chartrand, counsel for the National Home Service Contract Assn., which represents the largest warranty companies, called the Consumers’ Checkbook report “silly” and said it was “full of extreme factual errors.”Ĭhartrand said the policies his members write are for the repair and replacement of systems because of normal wear and tear. Two major warranty companies were contacted for this story, but declined to comment. Not only do they appeal to would-be buyers, who believe they’re covered should the air conditioner break down or the refrigerator kick out during their first year of ownership, they also appeal to sellers, because they, too, are covered during the listing period.īuyers and sellers tend to put their faith in the warranties, but only until they are actually needed, according to the magazine, which notes that the files of consumer affairs agencies are “stuffed” with complaints about warranty companies.

CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK CODE

And the many nonprofit Better Business Bureaus-whose ratings are based on a firm’s adherence to the BBB code and their record of resolving customer complaints well-are beginning to edge into reviews, too.Nevertheless, warranties have become almost universal in today’s market. Paul, Philadelphia/Wilmington, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington. However, the nonprofit Consumers’ Checkbook magazines and Web site do this for local services (but not restaurants) in seven metro areas: Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Consumers’ Checkbook is an independent nonprofit consumer organization founded in 1974. North Suburbs West Suburbs South Suburbs NW Indiana Categories Weather Traffic Local News U.S. Checkbook is nonprofit, independent, and provides unbiased information. There is no nationwide, nonprofit ratings site for local services, supported entirely by subscribers and carrying no advertising-that is, nothing analogous to what Consumer Reports magazine does for national products. Easily find ratings, reviews, and advice on local service providers. They also deny that their employees use promises or threats to persuade local businesses to advertise with them.īut these service-review sites are all young, for-profit businesses whose success is primarily based on selling advertising to the same local companies that their users review-a potential conflict of interest.

CHICAGO CONSUMERS CHECKBOOK SOFTWARE

The online ratings firms say that their sophisticated software can reliably filter out bogus user reviews (an unverifiable claim). Small businesses have been strong-armed by Web sites’ ad-sales staff, who hint that paying for ads will induce the site to hide negative reviews and/or give advertisers favored positioning in search results.