Problem Solver: Home Warranty Company Fixes Air

The record-breaking heat in the Upstate has been even more troublesome for one family who says their home warranty company wouldn't fix their air conditioner. For weeks they've been suffering inside their own home. So we turned up the heat on the warranty company to find out how we could get them the help they need. It's a 7 On Your Side Problem Solver.

Eighty-one-year-old William Thompson has felt the impact of the recent heat wave more than most of us. When his air conditioner stopped working last month he called his home warranty company, American Home Shield, for help. They sent a technician who he says added some freon to the unit and then...

"When he left about 30 minutes later we started having trouble," said Thompson.

He said when he called American Home Shield back...

"They said they weren't going to send somebody back out here they said the unit was the right unit and we done fixed it and it's not our responsibility," said Thompson.

We wanted to know just how hot it was inside the Thompson's home and around noon on Tuesday their thermostat was reading at more than 80 degrees. They say they've lived with temperatures like this for more than 2 weeks.

"We had to get hot with it and bear it because we wasn't getting any help," said Thompson.

As the temperatures continued to rise and their patience ran out they called 7 On Your Side.

"We figured we'd try to try you instead of getting a lawyer because we can't afford that," said Thompson.

The day after we contacted American Home Shield they sent a different service team to their home. AHS spokesperson Heather Wilson says the technicians found a leak in the compressor and were able to repair it...bringing some much needed relief to the Thompson family.

So why all of the problems? AHS's Wilson says she was not available for a phone interview but in an e-mail said, "The complicated details of this situation resulted in an unfortunate delay of service. We apologize for the service delays Mrs. Thompson experienced. This is not representative of the normal American Home Shield service experience. In fact, 93 percent of our service work orders are diagnosed and properly complete on the technician's first visit to the home."

The Thompson's obviously were not part of that statistic but at least their problem is solved.

This isn't the first complaint we've had about American Home Shield. In April, we shared the Schmidt's story with you. They told us AHS sent 11 repair people to their home to try to fix their washer and dryer. It wasn't until 7 On Your Side contacted the company that the Schmidt's were able to get a nearly $900 check to purchase new units.