F.A.Q.s ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS - [PRINT]

Q: What limited warranty programs are available for me?

A: We have both our Home Owner Benefits Program, which is our $9.95 email warranty program (accurate customer email address required; beginning January 5, 2010), and our Traditional warranty program with pricing ranging from $14.00 to $17.00 per warranty depending on quantities of warranties purchased.

We also have a national alliance with Broadview Security (formerly Brinks Home Security) which allows you to provide AHW limited warranties to your customers free of any charge to you if you are in a Broadview service area.

Q: What is involved in the Home Owner Benefits Program?

A: By participating in the AHW Home Owner Benefits Program the homeowner will receive:

• A Free AHW Limited Home Warranty from you as a part of your package of professional services, providing specific coverage for many mechanical and structural issues that may occur after your home inspection.

• Free no-obligation offers and special discounts from nationally-known companies to help make your client’s move smooth and enjoyable –

companies such as Atlas Moving & Storage, Smart Moves, All-American Insurance, Dish TV, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and Gutter Covers International.

• Free helpful and informative messages – tips and tools – that will help them save money, time and headaches during and after the transition to their new home.

• Your customers’ participation in our new Home Owner Benefits Program is entirely optional and they can opt out at any time.

• We do not sell our data to anyone – all communications with your customers will come directly from AHW.

Q: If I decide to take advantage of the Home Owner Benefits Program how will that work?

A: Here is an outline of the program procedure.

• Inspector does home inspection as usual.

• Inspector presents Certificate of Limited Warranty Protection to client. ( Form available online)

• Inspector purchases warranty online for $9.95, providing client email address along with usual name, address, date of inspection, or purchases it by whatever method he has done so in the past, including group purchases for convenience.

• AHW emails warranty and thank you / program intro to client with information about valuable, unique and compelling discounts & offers, as well as timely tips & pointers from chosen reputable moving industry companies. Opt out provision included in email.

• Offer, discount & content Emails sent by AHW, unless client opts out.

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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 a full 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 do I join the American Home Warranty Association and begin offering warranties to my customers? 

A: If you are ready to begin, click here for a link to our automated inspector sign-up feature.

If you would like more information first, please call us at 1-800-404-5479 or send us an email to custserv@ahomewarranty.com to speak with one of our membership associates for further details about the available limited warranty products and programs.

Q: How do I pay for the limited warranties?

A: You can pay for the limited warranties as you use them through our convenient PayPal option accessed through your individual home page referenced above according to your pricing option or by drawing down your total amount available if you have pre-paid.

Q: How often should I report and pay for my warranty activity? 

A: While our preference is at least 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 customer’s claim for AHW to provide coverage.

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 at least 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

Q: What is available to help me market the limited warranty program? 

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. 
• 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 logos may be downloaded from the member's page of our website.)
• Our Inspector Locator Feature, on the home page of our website, provides a link to all of our members and is a free leads-generating source.

Q: When should the limited warranty be presented to my clients? 

A:  We feel it is best to present the limited warranty in person if possible at the time of the inspection report is delivered 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 and all of the contact information for American Home Warranty are given on 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 and maximum amounts payable.

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 for the limited warranties I provide my customers? 

A:   For each warranty issued, we need to receive only the customer’s name, address, date of the inspection, and for inspectors taking advantage of the $9.95 email warranty program, the customer’s accurate email address.

1) Submit the above information online through your individual home page at the member’s section on our website. This is the most efficient and preferred method.

2)  Some members have created their own inspection activity forms which they regularly fax or email to us. The same customer data is required.