Home Warranties Bring New Headaches

Handling Disputes

So what do you do if you've got a dispute with your home warranty company? If it's the policy you've had since you bought the home, hit them at their source. Talk to the real estate agent who sold you the property.

"In our case, we only sell the warranties of one company and we deliver them 500 or more new clients a year," said Coile. "If a past client comes to us and says the warranty is giving them problems, I'm on the phone with the warranty company the next minute. We don't want our reputation affected by their service."

If you've bought the warranty on your own and you're not satisfied, try your state consumer affairs department and department of insurance. "A good warranty company will work with you and will have a process where you can appeal to someone higher up," said Coile. "Those that don't are probably the ones that won't be around much longer."