HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Ed Bokovitz of Highland Heights thought he was covered by his home warranty service contract for much the cost for a new hot water tank, but the U.S. Army Veteran said he got an unexpected surprise after he filed a claim.
Bokovitz told News 5 he filed the hot water tank claim under his HomeServe warranty in Nov. 2021, while he was recovering from having his left leg amputated due to a chronic infection.
He said HomeServe told him he would be reimbursed for $1,000 of the cost, all he needed to do was send in two documents. However, Bokovitz said six weeks later he was given some bad news.
"They said it had to be a licensed plumber and I needed a permit from the city," Bokovitz said. "I did that, and they said in six weeks I would get a check."
“But then weeks later she said no we can’t pay that, ain’t going to pay it. I said could you transfer me to somebody else, she said no can’t do that. They changed their mind, and then after a while, the lady said it’s been over three months.”
Bokovich said he and his son tried to get a further explanation for the denial from the company but couldn't get anywhere by phone.
“My son started calling, I started calling, they wouldn’t even transfer him to somebody else," Bokovich said.
Cleveland Better Business Bureau President Sue McConnell told News 5 consumers must understand all home warranty service contract terms and conditions before signing up and paying any money.
“Sometimes these warranties can sound like the be all end all," McConnell said. “You need to get the answers to important questions, how do you file a claim, what items are covered, what is your deductible. Keep detailed records, what happened when, who you spoke to, the dates, any receipts, any kind of documents.”
News 5 contacted HomeServe corporate headquarters about this case and the company responded immediately issuing the following statement:
Sorry to hear about Mr. Bokovitz's health situation and challenges. I am concerned to hear of his experience with HomeServe - this doesn't sound like the type of positive customer experience we're known for.
I don't have the ability to access customer records this evening to understand what transpired, and my investigation team won't be available until the morning. However, we do offer reimbursements in situations that Mr. Bokovitz describes and if a member of our team told him that he would receive reimbursement - we'll honor that. I'll have our team contact Mr. Bokovitz tomorrow to sort it out.
For background, HomeServe serves 435,000 homeowners in Ohio, 185,000 are in the greater Cleveland area. In the last 2 years, we’ve done 72,000 jobs for Ohio residents, including 38,500 around Cleveland. These customers receiving service have given us 4.8 out of 5 star reviews
Update: On Feb. 22 Mr. Bokovitz reported, because of our story, HomeServe contacted him and agreed to issue the $1,000 check as originally promised to help him pay for the new hot water tank he replaced in Nov. of 2021.
News 5 will continue to follow up on this developing story and post updates when they become available.
