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Memberships &
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1.
What is the House Smart 90 Day Guarantee?
 House
Smart is now offering a 90 Day Guarantee with every inspection performed, at no
cost to you, our client. This guarantee applies is automatic with the inspection
report. Please note that this is not to be confused with any type of home
warranty. We are guaranteeing our inspection process follows the standards set
by ASHI.
2.
What will the 90 Day Guarantee cover?
In order for an item to be
covered, the inspection report must reflect a satisfactory condition. Therefore,
the element must not appear in the Key Findings. The following lists the
categories for items covered (for additional details, please request a written
copy of our guarantee):
|
Element |
Includes |
|
Foundation Walls |
Poured concrete and cement block foundation walls to the extent
that their load bearing ability is affected and which have been reported as
satisfactory. WATER PENETRATIONS ARE NOT COVERED. |
|
Main Roofing |
Sloped roofing materials (greater than 2 in 12 slope) and roof
framing over the main house if reported by the Property Consultant to be
satisfactory and less than ten (10) years old. |
|
Central Cooling System |
Main house cooling system limited to one unit and covers the
unit if it has been test run and reported to be satisfactory and is less than
seven (7) years old. If there is more than one system, the main unit is defined
as the one that cools the living room area.
|
|
Central Heating System |
Main house heating system limited to one unit and covers the
unit if it is less than ten (10) years old and reported to be satisfactory. If
there is more than one system, the main unit is defined as the one that heats
the living room area.
|
|
Kitchen Appliances |
Built-in kitchen appliances except dishwashers less than six (6)
years old and reported to be satisfactory. Dishwashers less than two (2) years
old with no reported “Key Findings” are covered. Microwaves are not covered. |
|
Interior Plumbing |
The operation of water, drain and vent piping throughout the
house interior and water heaters which are reported to be satisfactory and less
than fifteen (15) years old. Homes vacant longer than 14 days are not covered.
Irrigation systems are not covered. Pipe hammer is not covered. TPR valves are
not covered. |
|
Interior Electric |
Main electric panel box and those electric elements throughout
the house which have been reported as satisfactory and less than fifteen (15)
years old. Exterior landscape lighting is not covered. Ceiling fans are not
covered.
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3. How
much will House Smart pay clients for a claim?
House Smart will pay up to an
aggregate amount of $2,500.00 per Guarantee for the cost of repair expense of
the covered elements and components subject to the following conditions:
-
A maximum of $1,000.00 per
covered element will be set.
-
A $50.00 service fee per
incident or element will be charged to the client.
-
If repair of a covered
component is not possible, House Smart will pay up to a maximum of $500.00
(less the service fee) for a replacement.
-
House Smart will not assume
responsibility for repair claims after the Guarantee has expired or for
repairs made prior to House Smart’s notification or approval.
-
The Guarantee is not
transferable to any other party.
4.
Will the Guarantee contain any other limitations?
Yes. The Guarantee excludes
coverage or liability for:
-
Losses recoverable under
homeowners insurance, or manufacturers, contractors, extended warranty and/or a
home warranty programs
-
Routine maintenance,
occurrences resulting from failure to perform maintenance or the negligent
misuse of the covered element
-
Re-occurrence of a settled
claim condition ? Bodily injury, property damage or other conditions resulting
from the failure of covered elements
-
Failure to comply with any
local, state or national code
-
Damages caused by loss of
power, termites or other insects, dry rot, condensation, floods, surface water,
waves or tidal waves, nuclear or air contamination, shifting or settling of
land, strikes, wars, acts of aggression and/or acts of God
5. How
will the 90 Day Guarantee impact claim rates for the company as well as
individual inspectors?
We do not think the new 90 Day
Guarantee will have a negative impact on claims. In fact, we believe that it
will help in the management of claim situations for the following reasons:
-
Demonstrates good will toward
clients
-
Displays confidence in
professional inspectors, products and services
-
Provides clear outline of
coverage, limitations and caps on amounts paid out
Because the Guarantee follows
House Smart’s existing claims process and procedure, inspectors will be held to
the rules that are in place today. In other words, this will not change how
inspector claim ratios are managed.
6. How
will clients submit complaints? How will they be managed?
Prior to any repair work the
client must notify the House Smart Claims Department in writing. The Claims
Department will follow House Smart’s current claims process and procedure to
evaluate the complaint and advise the client of next steps.
Disagreements concerning House
Smart’s liability under the Guarantee will be presented at the clients’ expense
(including House Smart’s response fee) to a local certified arbitrator for
resolution.
7. How
will this change the inspection and reporting process?
The inspection process will not
change. However, the report will now have one added element that the inspector
is responsible for explaining and delivering to clients.
The guarantee is outlined in
detail in a two-page document that will print automatically after the Key
Findings report and House Smart Partner pages. Inspectors will simply need to
hand this to clients with a brief explanation of the guarantee:
Our guarantee protects the
inspection -- if we fail to follow ASHI’s standards and you have a problem,
we'll help you fix it, for a period of up to 90 days, subject to certain
limitations.
8. Who
should I contact if I have a question?
Please contact us by e-mail
with any question you may have regarding House Smart’s 90-Day Guarantee:
info@housesmartinspect.com.
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