u/statsmccoy

TL;DR below...

We have been Landmark Home Warranty customers for nine years. We paid every premium and never thought much about it. That's how home warranties are supposed to work. You pay, you trust, and when something breaks you call.

Our furnace started making noise. Landmark sent a contractor. The technician came to our house, took some pictures, and left. A few days later we got a voicemail from Dan Bernardo in Landmark's authorization department. Claim denied. Dirty filters and undersized return ductwork. Not covered.

I started asking questions.

I then tracked down the contractor's actual written document. Here is everything it says: "During our visit, we identified that the blower wheel had failed because its fins were detaching from the hub. This issue is uncommon. Unfortunately, the home warranty claim was denied."

No dirty filters. No static pressure. No manufacturer standards. The report Landmark called a contractor submitted diagnosis was written by Landmark themselves.

One of the contractor's photos was captioned: "Here is a picture of the return that is half the size of what it should be. Which is a big reason for this failure." Undersized ductwork. A structural condition that came with the house we bought 10 years ago. Something we didn't cause and couldn't have detected without professional measurement.

I pulled up our contract and found Section A Item 3, the pre-existing conditions clause. It covers improper conditions that precede the contract and wouldn't be detectable through a visual inspection or simple mechanical test. Undersized ductwork fits exactly. I brought this to Xerexel Evangelista -- a supervisor at Landmark. He told me the clause didn't exist. I found it myself and read it to him directly. He acknowledged it existed but couldn't explain why it didn't apply. When I asked him to cite the contract language supporting his position, he said he couldn't. He then told me he could not answer any more questions and I must talk to Dan.

However, Dan Bernardo will not respond to my emails.

Landmark confirmed there is no formal appeals process beyond reaching out to him. Dan Bernardo is the only person who can overturn this decision, and he operates from dan.bernardo@oneguardhw.com, not a Landmark address.

The furnace is a 16 year old builder grade unit original to the home. The industry standard lifespan for a blower wheel is 15 to 20 years. This is not a preventable condition. It is a furnace that reached the end of its expected life.

Nine years of premiums. This is what it came to.

Formal appeal filed. Utah Insurance Department complaint next. Then the BBB.

TL;DR: 9 years as a customer. Furnace claim denied. Their own manager didn't know our contract had a pre-existing conditions clause until I pointed it out, then couldn't explain why it didn't apply. The person who denied our claim operates from a non-Landmark email, won't respond, and there is no formal appeals process beyond emailing this 3rd party. The contractor's written report contains none of the language used to deny our claim.

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