When Jack C. of Amityville, N.Y., purchased his home three years ago, he knew that there could be issues – the home, for all its charms, was 70 years old.
So, when he received information on emergency home repair plans through a partnership with PSEG WorryFree, he immediately signed up for several plans.
“It was an inexpensive warranty,” he said.
A Problem With the Sewer Line Repair
Within a short time, Jack’s forethought saved him several thousand dollars. The problem began with a sewer line repair.
“It was coming out of a vent in the house,” Jack said. “I just had a garden full of sewage. You bet it was an unpleasant shock and surprise when I walked up the front steps to the left of the house and looked down and saw the garden full of sewage.”
Jack didn’t immediately remember that he’d signed up for the emergency home repair plans, and he began the process of obtaining quotes from a plumber to address the issue.
“I called another plumber, getting rates, and I said, ’wait a minute, PSEG WorryFree sent me a circular and I signed up,’” he said. “I called, and they connected me with Allied All City [Plumbing]. Shortly, they were there, and they put a snake down the house trap that was connected to the outside line where the problem was.”
A Bigger Issue than They Realized
After an initial investigation and snaking of the line, it was determined that Jack’s problems were far more extensive than initially thought and extended into the interior drainage system – which wasn’t covered by Jack’s exterior sewer line repair policy.
“They put a camera down the line and saw that part of it had to be replaced,” Jack said.
The job would cost $5,400, and Jack, who had been injured at work and was facing two upcoming surgeries, simply didn’t have the resources to afford the sewer line repair.
“I probably would have had to borrow the money,” he said. “I had had an industrial accident at work and am on workers’ compensation. The ligaments in both knees and both wrists are torn, and this sewer problem was the last thing that I needed.”
HomeServe Comes Through
Although it was not covered by his policy, HomeServe covered the cost of the work through the company’s Customer First program, which covers the costs of repairs that are outside the scope of their policy.
Allied All City Plumbing replaced four feet of the sewer line and a house trap at Jack’s home, observing COVID-19 pandemic protocols to keep Jack and themselves safe, while keeping him informed about why and how the repair was being done, cleaning up after themselves and treating Jack’s home with respect.
“Not only did they do all of that, the trap door that went under the house, where they had to access the pipes, it was all rotted out,” Jack said. “They cut a new trap door and put it in – just went above and beyond. It was a great customer experience, very professional all the way around.
“The fact is that every homeowner should have this. It saved me $5,400 just a year later. You need to have this – it took care of everything. It is a mistake not to have it.”
Find out how you can give your residents the same peace of mind Jack has by contacting us.
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