JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Ask Anthony team has an update on a Jacksonville family who was without central air conditioning for two months.
Jana Shriner contacted Anthony Austin for help after placing numerous phone calls and not getting the matter resolved on her own with her home warranty company, American Home Shield.
"When you pay a company monthly to do a service and they don't, it's just disheartening," Jana Shriner said.
Shriner spent hundreds of dollars to buy fans and window units to keep her family cool, including her 100-year-old mother who has a heart condition. After Anthony Austin contacted American Home Shield, a technician came out and repaired Shiner's air conditioner last week. But, Thursday morning, she texted Anthony that it stopped working again.
However, there is good news. Due to our reporting on this issue, the family received a brand-new air conditioner and reimbursements from American Home Shield this past weekend.
"Thank you, Anthony, so much. It was two months ago that I had central heat and air and it was only two weeks to get a brand-new unit in after you came and put your voice in at American Home Shield," Shriner said in a video message expressing her gratitude.
American Home Shield is a national company based in Memphis, Tennessee. According to the Better Business Bureau, 21,634 complaints have been filed in the past three years. More than 6,000 in the last 12 months.
The Ask Anthony team checked with the Florida Attorney General's office; a spokesperson said 35 complaints have been filed against American Home Shield with their office since January. The complaints are referred to the department of financial services, the state agency that reviews insurance related complaints.
The Ask Anthony team received this statement from the warranty company:
We take great pride in providing quality service and valuable protection to our customers. If we fail to meet these expectations, we work to do the right thing and ensure the situation is properly resolved.
We reviewed Ms. Shriner’s situation and are disappointed in the service experience we provided. We sincerely apologize for the delays and frustration this has caused her and her family. Our customer care team is working closely with Ms. Shriner and we are committed to ensuring her unit is working properly. As a gesture of goodwill, we reimbursed her service fee and any noncovered costs associated with the repair. We have also offered to reimburse her for alternative cooling.
We deeply value our relationship with Ms. Shriner and look forward to serving her in the future.
The Federal Trade Commission has information on four things to consider before choosing a home warranty company, click here for more information.