"You cannot survive in Arizona without having an air conditioner."
Those are the words of Andrea, voicing a truth all Arizonans know. But surviving in the desert without air conditioning is what Andrea and her family were forced to do. Their A/C stopped working in April of this year.
Andrea let her home warranty company, Home Warranty of America, know what was happening. She says she's been paying the same company for coverage for several years and expected a quick solution.
A technician was sent out. In fact, Andrea says several were scheduled but each told her a similar thing - they could replace the compressor but it wouldn't be a lasting fix.
"He says it's not going to last that long because of the other parts that are so old. This house is over 20 years old and that's how old the air conditioner is," explained Andrea. She questioned why Home Warranty of America would bother fixing a unit that was decades old.
"They want to put these band-aids in there to bandage it up and then keep sending tech after tech to come and to put in these new parts when it just needs to be a new air conditioner," Andrea said explaining the situation.
To stay cool she and her family are trying everything. They're keeping the curtains pulled and rooms dark, they've spent hundreds of dollars on fans and portable cooling units, and they've even left to stay at the homes of their family and friends.
But, more than a month and a half later, Andrea's air conditioning was still broken and Arizona temperatures were reaching excessive levels.
"I'm so stressed. It's so hot in my house. I can't even relax when I'm sleeping because it's too hot," Andrea said, voicing her frustration.
She Let ABC15 Know about the situation. Our team called Home Warranty of America asking about Andrea's situation in the Arizona heat. We were transferred to extensions that went unanswered or disconnected.
However, we did learn the company is now under the umbrella of Choice Home Warranty. According to Choice Home Warranty's website, it acquired Home Warranty of America in 2022. We reached out to Choice Home Warranty as well, but never received a response.
According to the Better Business Bureau, more than 4,600 consumers filed complaints against Choice Home Warranty in just the last year. The BBB also has a consumer alert for the company that involves Arizona.
In 2019, the Arizona Attorney General's Office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against Choice Home Warranty. It accuses the company of making false promises to consumers. The filing alleges the company promised "24/7 customer service" with "swift and timely" responses. Then the filing goes on to cite an instance where a consumer waited days in the Arizona summer for a technician to inspect their broken A/C and the company still refused to pay.
The Let ABC15 Know team reached out to the Arizona Attorney General's Office and learned the lawsuit and investigation are still ongoing.
While that's playing out in court, consumers like Andrea are desperate for action now.
"I purchased my home warranty to protect things such as my air conditioner," she explained.
Andrea tells us she's been forced to pay out-of-pocket for a new air conditioner because the Arizona heat is reaching dangerous levels.
Before you buy a home warranty, check out the company online and find out what they do and do not cover. Most policies only cover a portion of repairs or replacement costs and have several exclusions. Get all exclusions in writing. You can also ask for a list of contractors they work with to make sure they have a good reputation.
Remember, in Arizona, if you're not happy, you can cancel the contract and receive a prorated refund.
Consumers may also consider going without a home warranty or not renewing a current policy. Instead, put the money you pay on premiums into a savings account for future maintenance.
If you need to find heat relief at any point during this summer, ABC15 has created a list of locations you can go.
