In August 2009, I called First American Home Warranty regarding my air conditioner, which had gone out. That is when this nightmare began.

Every time you call First American Home Warranty, you are on hold for awhile and you listen to how First American "screens their vendors", selects only the vendors that meet their "Strict" requirements, how the "vendors are put on probation", and how First Am "calls the homeowner to ensure that the homeowner is satisfied with the vendor they send". Unfortunately for me, I actually believed all this. But nothing could be further from the truth.

First American sent a company named "Authorized Service Center" to my home. "Authorized Service Center" said the air conditioner needed replacing and told me that First American would authorize around $800 toward the cost. I needed a new Central heat/air, so since I knew FirstAm only did business with vendors who were "screened, on probation and approved by homeowners", I paid "Authorized Service Center" over $5, 000 to replace my central air/heat. The new a/c stopped working after a week or so. We called “Authorized Service Center”, they came out to fix it, it would work for an hour or two, go out again, we'd call again, etc., for a total of 6 times they came out to my home. "Authorized Service Center" let us swelter for an entire weekend and several days and evenings and were not at all concerned that I had paid them $5200 and had no a/c. I simply had to wait my turn. During all this, I also placed several calls to First American appealing to them for their help with this but each time, I was told there was nothing they would do. They did not care that their "approved" vendor was giving me a royal rip off. It was finally fixed in the 3rd week of September.

Unfortunately, the nightmare has reoccurred. Now that it's getting cold in Texas, I turn on my supposedly brand new heater, and we have no heat. I call FirstAm and they want to send this "Authorized Service Center" out AGAIN! And they want me to pay another $60 to the company that could care less that I had no a/c after they received $5000+ of my hard-earned money and had to come out 6 times to finally get the a/c working. To the company that should have installed it correctly back in August/September.

It goes without saying...I do not want to do business with "Authorized Service Center". I am not now nor have I ever been satisfied with anything they have done. In August, when I asked to speak to the owner, I was told he was not there on more than one occasion. I cannot understand why First American is doing business with a company like this. I am filing separate complaints on "Authorized Service Center". Is it that hard to get vendors for home warranty?

I told First American Home Warranty that I do not want "Authorized Service Center" to come back out to my home. First Am Home Warranty tells me that since I have not "filed a formal complaint" against that company, that is who they are sending. I guess many many phone calls to them informing them of the fact that I have paid $5200 for no air conditioning and asking for their help with their vendor does not count as a formal complaint? (Each time I called I had to suffer through that recording that says how much they CARE about their customers.) So I asked to speak to a supervisor and I spoke to Kathy Cotton in Van Nuys, California. I explained the situation and told her I have complained about this "company" numerous times back in August and September and asked her "What does it take to "file a formal complaint" against a company you have already complained about numerous times? I was not informed by anyone at FirstAm to do that or that I even could do that. She said that she would send another company and that I would need to pay $60 for the service call. This is what I object to. I do not feel I should have to pay for something that should have been done correctly back in August by a vendor sent to my home by First American.

So now I take it to the corporate level. I just finished speaking with someone named Nahun in Dan Langston's office. A more cold and unfeeling and unbudging person I have never spoken with. He was even worse than the others. Does it surprise anyone that Dan Langston does not call? Even if he did, he's probably just as unsympathetic. I have explained this situation yet again, and still I am being told how wrong I am, and that I must pay the $60.

FirstAm, their "vendor screening/probation program" is bunk and at least one of their vendors is unscrupulous. Is American Home Shield any better? I see now that First American has loads of consumer complaints about this company. I will be contacting the local news stations about this as well.

As far as this awful company "Authorized Service Center", a street address for them cannot be located, but I believe they are in Garland. I live in Fort Worth. It would seem that if FirstAm had this huge network of vendors, a company a little closer could be found!

I am sooooo done with FirstAm. Everyone in the org is cold and unfeeling -- not one ounce of human compassion anywhere in the company. I would hate to work at a company whose corporate culture is to be cold and unfeeling towards their customers and tells their customers if you don't like it, cancel your contract. Which is what I have done. Pitiful. Just pitiful.

First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation is the worst company I have ever dealt with. I spent $75.00 for them to send someone to fix my dishwasher and it was not fixed after 2 attempts. They said they simply could not fix the problem or do anything about it. They are terrible. They will go out of business soon so I wouldn't buy a warrranty from them.

L.Stewart, Mississippi

On 7/10/09, 11 days after my home warranty contract began our downstairs central a/c was not cooling. I called First American at 7am. I got a call from the company that was coming out to fix the unit. They couldn't be there for 3 days. I called First Am. back and complained about the time wait. I was told that they would look for another company that could come out sooner. I never heard back from them on that subject. On 7/13/09 Elite A/C came out. He moved the board that we had had blocking dog entrance to our unit for the past 12 years. The bottom condenser coils were corroded and he blamed that on our dogs urinating on the coils. He said the unit would have to be replaced and he left. I call First Am. later that same day and explained that we didn't have a male dog and even if we did the board denied the dogs access to the unit itself and the corroded coils were directly behind the board and that it had to be weather, leaves, acid, ant and/or critter activity. I was told that I had to get my own second opinion that would void what Elite A/C had concluded about why the unit was not cooling. I called another a/c company and they sent out a technician on 7/14/09. He told me that the corroded coils would not effect the unit's cooling capacity. He took the unit apart and replaced the compressor run capacitor. He started right up and was cooling the home. He also concluded that the unit's fan motor needed to be replaced because it was pulling high amps. I paid him $188. for his services. He told me to shut the unit down until my warranty company replaced the fan motor because if the fan motor failed while the unit was running it would freeze up the unit compressor. I did as I was told and faxed his bill and his explanation to First American after calling them and telling them that the corroded coils had nothing to do with why the unit was not cooling. I called them on 7/16/09 after hearing nothing more from them. They agreed to send out a second technician to fix the fan motor. He arrived that afternoon and agreed that the unit needed a fan motor in order to operate and cool the home. He told First American that the unit would last another 1-2 years with a new fan motor and that the coils had nothing to do with the unit's cooling capacity. First American denied the claim based on the corroded coils, which they said was a pre-existing condition. I argued with them that the coils had nothing to do with the unit's cooling capacity. They didn't care. The corroded coils were there when the contract was purchased and they refused to replace the fan motor based on the corroded coils condition. I canceled my contract with them IMMEDIATELY the following morning and am also requesting my original $49.95 returned due to them not honoring our warranty contract by replacing my a/c fan motor.

When I called for routine plumbing, First American said that they would send out a tech. Well, it turns out that the contractor no longer contracts with First American since they were not getting paid. So, when I asked for another contractor, First American said that there was no one and that I would have to get an outside plumber and then get reimbursed.

Well, that's where the fun starts. When I called for authorization and the plumber was there, the company said that they would not authorize the work. When I called around for other price quotes and found the cheapest, First American said that they would not deal with that company.

After giving me a ton of run-around, I am still waiting (and having to take days out of work) to get an authorized plumber to come out to my house or to have First American say they will reimburse me. What is the worst part of it, though, is that the people on the phone are clearly not knowledgeable or helpful in any way. They merely read a script to you over and over on the phone, without listening to your issue.

If you live in Rhode Island and need a home buyers' warranty, absolutely do not go with First American!

I have been without A/C for two weeks. Temperatures have been upper 80's, this week 90's and will be 100's by tomorrow. Apparently, the part needed is not available and First American says they are trying to find the part. 2 weeks is unacceptable. Additionally, I am a renter my family's health is in jeopardy as the three of us have separate illnesses that require indoor climate control. We are all becoming sick because of the heat and dust entering our home and it is totally unbearable. My fish are even dying and I have to ice them down at least 2 times an evening.

I need help now. What can I do about all this inconvenience and the cost of medical treatment because of lack of concern?