Call Kurtis: My Microwave Repairman Won't Put My Microwave Back In
LINCOLN (CBS13) -- Liz Perry used her home warranty to fix her microwave, but when repairman left a giant hole in her kitchen, it was time to Call Kurtis.
She said the repairman pulled the microwave and vent out but that he couldn't put it back in.
"I'm left with this big bare spot on the wall," she told Call Kurtis.
Perry said the repairman her home warranty company sent out left the microwave and vent sitting in her garage.
She said Fidelity National Home Warranty considered the repair fixed.
"That does not look fixed to me," she said.
Perry said the repairman with Best Appliance Repair in Orangevale claimed he fixed the microwave, but couldn't put it back in because he didn't know how to reinstall the vent.
Liz said Fidelity won't send anyone else to finish the job, forcing her to buy a cheap microwave.
"I'm not one to try and get even or anything like that, but I think there has been an injustice and a wrong done here," she said.
So who's responsible: the home warranty company, or the repairman?
Consumer attorney John Demas of Demas Law Group said if the repair company doesn't fix something it damaged or can't replace, the home warranty company needs to step up to take care of the customer.
"This is a slam dunk case," he said.
"The consumer has the expectation that the home warranty company," he said, "is bringing out contractors that will will do the job right.
We reached out to the owner of Best Appliance Repair who said "if we damaged something, we would take care of it."
He said the vent "wasn't installed properly in the first place" and clarified "we did not say it was finished."
After we got involved, Fidelity National agreed to replace Perry's vent and give her a new microwave.
Frustrated from the experience, Perry doesn't plan to renew her home warranty.
"It's hurtful," she said.
Home warranty companies hire contractors to do repairs, which is what happened here.
You may not realize the Department of Insurance regulates home warranty companies. If you have an issue with a repair you can file a complaint directly with them.
