Warranties are about security.
You want to know that if your expensive new appliance breaks down, it will be fixed.
But warranties generally don't guarantee that the fix will happen quickly.
Diane in Buckeye let me know her refrigerator stopped cooling and she had been waiting on the repair tech for more than a week.
She says she bought a warranty through a local appliance store and set up two different appointments. She says no one showed either time.
The last time she called Diane says she was told "they didn't have anybody who could come fix it" until the next week.
It would be two weeks or longer before her refrigerator is usable again. She is frustrated.
The truth is unless the contract states a timeframe in which your call will be handled, you really are at the mercy of a company you've already paid to do the job.
But that doesn't mean you don't have options.
First, keep the pressure on. Make phone calls but also get good emails for customer service--so you can send them pictures and video of the problem. Keep good records of who you have spoken to and when.
Take to social media. Go on the company's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and post your story of what's happened as concisely as possible. Post those videos and pictures there too.
If your appliance is still under a manufacturer's warranty, see if they can come more quickly to do the repairs.
Check if the company will reimburse you if you use a qualified contractor to do the work.
Finally, you can always cancel the warranty and use the refund of the prorated amount toward the repair.
