Homeowner shares experience with home warranty company. Here's what you need to know

Home warranty companies promise to fix everything from your roof to your refrigerator if you need repairs. But will they be there when you need them most?

In a "7 On Your Side" investigation, we unpacked what some homeowners experienced when the repairmen showed up.

Sherry Williams says getting service from her home warranty was terrible.

"I think when they sell these policies, they're hoping that you don't file a claim and that's how they're going to make their money," she said.

Her oven was reheating and after the first visit, the repair person ordered a part and then went back for a second visit.

"He started taking the oven apart, and then he discovered... he said 'this is the wrong part'," Williams said.

She says the person came back again and it still didn't work. After the fourth visit by a different contractor, she was told there was nothing they could do.

"He told me 'well, you know, they only pay us $50 to come out here'... so this is all he could do. So he left."

Bruce Marks is from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, a non-profit that helps homeowners. He says to find the good companies, you truly have to read the fine print in any contract.

He says warranty companies will sometimes say something isn't covered because it's considered normal wear and tear. He recommends doing a home inspection before you buy the warranty.

"You have to worry about, or look for, the exclusions because one of the exclusions that you'll see is for wear and tear. But if you have the inspection, then you go back and say, this broke - not because of wear and tear - because it was good when I did the inspection," Marks said. "Clearly, you have to look for the inspections."

When you do decide on a company, they'll likely have different tiers of coverage. The more you cover, the higher the premium. He suggests the minimum coverage that would cover the items that would be the most expensive to fix.

"You want the appliances to be covered, you want your roof to be covered, you want leaks to be covered. You want the mechanicals to be covered, HVAC and plumbing. Those are the key parts," Marks added.

After several months, Williams said she ended up having to go through her own appliance company.

"We weren't reimbursed the full amount. In addition to the fee we had to pay, which you have to pay $85 every time they come out," she said.

Marks says sometimes companies say they'll repair or replace an item, but there could be a maximum amount.

"What you want to look into seeing is up to what amount will they cover, because a lot of times in the exclusions or in the agreement, they'll say, for example, we'll cover something up to a certain amount. That means you're not going to get a full replacement... they're going to do some repairs that will be a Band-Aid in many cases."

And if you feel you didn't get good service, Marks says let them know about it. Reach and out and file complaints with the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and the Attorney General's office.

"They pay attention to that, and obviously use social media as well because they pay attention to those things as well. It's a competitive business, which is good, so you can really hold them accountable but you gotta put the pressure on them."