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F.A.Q.s ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
Q: Is there more than one type of limited warranty available?
A: Yes, we provide a 90-Day Buyer’s and a 120-Day Seller’s Limited Warranty. The coverage period for each begins on the date of the home inspection.
For the 90-Day Buyer’s limited warranty, if the home does not close within
90 days, the coverage is extended 21 days following closing. For the 120-Day Seller’s
limited warranty, coverage is provided for 120 days or until the home sells, whichever occurs first.
Q: How can the limited warranty program be effectively used as a marketing tool?
A: The use of the limited warranty provides a marketing advantage for the inspector in four primary points of contact:
- Group and individual presentations at real estate offices
- Telephone discussions with prospective clients
- The inspection itself -- when potentially the buyer, seller and both agents are present
- Print and electronic advertising
A: We currently provide the following items for our members’ use:
- “Are you protected?” inserts, which may be used with your own company name and address on it. These pieces are useful for mailings and displays at real estate offices, mortgage brokers and financial institutions. These inserts show the benefits of the limited warranty program for the buyer/seller and referring agents.
- AHW sticker/decals, which may be adhered to your marketing materials.
- The AHW logo, which may be used in a variety of ways – for your print/electronic materials, web site and even on your company vehicles. (Our logo may be downloaded from the member's page of our website.)
- Our Inspector Locator Map, on the home page of our website, provides a link to all of our members and is a free leads-generating source.
A: On the inspector’s page of this site, you can complete a pre-application form which is submitted directly to our membership staff, and a full informational package will be mailed to you.
Or you may simply call us at 1-800-404-5479 and speak with one of our membership associates concerning the limited warranty program.
Q: When should the limited warranty be presented to my clients?
A: We feel it is best to present the limited warranty in person at the time of the inspection. In so doing, you are not only informing your customers of the benefit of the limited warranty coverage, you are also setting yourself up for potential future business from the seller and any real estate agents who may be present.
If the buyer is not present, you simply can include a copy of the limited warranty with the home inspection report. This may be done physically or electronically as an attachment.
Suggested language when presenting the limited warranty: “I am providing you with a 90-Day (or 120-Day) Limited Warranty from American Home Warranty as part of my package of professional services. If an issue arises that you feel may be covered, please contact American Home Warranty directly. The required claims procedures are given on the lower back of the form, and contact information for American Home Warranty is given on the front of the form.”
Q: How detailed should I be in explaining the language of the limited warranty to clients?
A: The document itself is concise, consistent with the goal of keeping it short enough to be manageable. When presenting it to your customers, be sure to point out that the limited warranty contains both mechanical and structural components, with certain exclusions.
Our experience has taught us that it is best not to overstate the applicability of coverage in any particular claim situation. For any of your customers’ questions that you are not sure about, simply direct them to us here at AHW and one of our professional staff members will handle it from there.
Q: How do I report inspection activity and pay for the limited warranties?
A: For each warranty issued, we need only the customer’s name, address and the date of your inspection. You have several options for reporting this information to us:
1) You may use the limited warranty report form, which is included in all new membership packages. This form may be copied as needed and then faxed or emailed to us.
2) You may submit the information online through the member’s section on our website.
3) Some members have created their own inspection activity forms which they regularly fax, mail or email to us.
Q: How often should I report and pay for my warranty activity?
A: While our preference is weekly reporting/payment, we will accept limited warranty submissions on a bi-weekly basis. It is important to remember that we must receive inspection/warranty data and payment before we receive notice of a claim.
When using the report form, there is a place on the form to indicate if a credit card is being used or a check is being sent. When submissions are made through our website, our site is secured for the use of a credit card.
Many members prefer to leave a credit card number on file with us for use whenever submissions are made either through our website or when using the reporting form.