What is not clear to me (OK, I’m a bit tired), is-
If there is no pre-existing alarm system, does Brinks still offer a free 90-day buyers warranty on the inspection?
Russell -
Your choice. Either the warranty OR $15. Which do you want - to give your client a warranty or to receive $15. If theres an alarm there they’ll check it - if not you give the client their brochure.
Sounds like a referral fee to me by way of cash or a service.
This warranty is a lot like another program that Nick promotes. It sounds good on paper but when you read the details you realize there isn’t much there.
So now we have become salespeople for Brinks? Nice. 
Nice way to save on a sales team. Let home inspectors become salesmen for Brinks. Nice.
When I read through the description, I didn’t understand what the warranty covers. Just the alarm system? My whole inspection? How can my inspection be warrantied, anyway? Are they saying they will take the place of my E&O insurance? It’s just not clear to me.
After making the post right above, I just found another related thread where this offer is called a 90-day home warranty. So perhaps the warranty is on the home itself, not on my inspection? Are they providing a warranty that they will pay if anything in the house breaks down within 90 days? It’s still not clear to me.
In its original incarnation (a year or 2 ago), this was an agreement between Brinks and www.ahomewarranty.com that was extended to NACHI members from American Home Warranty. There was a fair amount of “salesman” discussion at that time, too.
Now, it appears that the same A.H.W. offer is being extended by Brinks.
Again, it saves the HI from spending the $14 of the warranty with AHW.
While I have never participated in the Brinks aspect of this, I have occasionally gone the $14 rout with AHW. In one case at least (in an instance where the RE agent was far more of a PITA than the client), it may have saved me some grief; The property was rented out after closing, and the “water does not get hot enough. Did you verify how hot the water got in the water heater?” asked the agent.
Knowing that quoting the SOPs would be fruitless, I simply referred the arrogant MF to the fact that I’d provided an AHW at no extra charge, and if the buyer / new owner (who never complained) had an issue, call AHW.
This was from the same RE agent who said to the client in front of me, “Russ can cut you a great deal on the inspections, since you’re buying 3 properties!”
Then he gave me grief because I refused to cut open a caulked & painted attic access hatch (invasive) - I told him, get the owner / builder to open it, I’ll inspect it . . .
That was the first, last & only time I used that agent. He was at an MLS meeting a couple weeks ago, asking around for an inspector to inspect a comm’l property he was buying. No takers here.
Response from my email to Bill Gustafson:
Russ,
We offer the warranty to a home buyer if he has an alarm system or not. In
areas outside of our company owned branches, such as Spokane and Idaho, we
have modified our program. We can not offer the alarm system inspection
however we still offer the free warranty program. Attached is our brochure
and a one page service agreement, if you would like to join the program
just complete the agreement and fax it back to me (800-294-8220) and one of
our coordinators will contact you asap.
Thanks for your interest,
(See attached file: BH-1096-INSPECT.pdf)(See attached file:
BH-1782A-INS.pdf)
Bill Gustafson
Senior Manager
Brinks Home Security
8880 Esters Blvd.
Irving, Texas 75063
800-874-8882 x13750
cell 954-520-1146
Now we are relying on inspectors to offer third party warranties via cash or warranty?
Or
Brinks gets their foot in the door via inspections?
Can’t say it isn’t clever marketing but I would not offer it to my clients.
IMHO The warranty will set unrealistic expectations for the buyer. Read the fine print of the warranty. I have considered using this several times and always come to the same conclusion. I would be setting unrealistic expectations for my client. I feel much better stating that there is no warranty. As for the program with Brinks that is an entirely different subject.
I agree with Greg about the warranty, but I would do the program for my client anyway.
I think procuring a 90 day warranty for your client is icing on the cake, but not the best reason to do this. It is nice, but not anything your client really needs.
What is nice is having Brink’s do a security inspection, inspect the alarm system, and generate a report for your client… all for free. I know that most NACHI members don’t inspect alarm systems and I know that most of our clients would like to know if the alarm system functions properly. This is a valuable service to our clients that costs our clients nothing. The warranty (which covers our home inspections to some extent) is just icing on the cake.
It is the security/alarm system inspection that our clients would benefit from and this program allows us to offer this service to our clients at no extra charge. A no-brainer if you ask me. I think every NACHI member should sign up for it.
Congrats, Nick, for (re) hitting the 2000th post!
Nick
I did some checking around and at least two other Alarm Co’s in my area will do the same. The one Co. that I talked to was willing to put $75.00 on the table if the home owner took their quote. He said that they were able to sell about 1/2 of the referrals that they get from existing clients and people that do repairs after break ins.
I am thinking about seeing if it takes much to do alarm inspection in Fl and what if any would be needed with insurance. If the existing alarm system is already monitored and working it stands to reason that they would want to keep the home and its new owner as a client.
If the home has no alarm system before I would recommend a Co. I would like to see the quality of their work and how much they charge.
Perhaps Brinks would be willing to give us a little sales pitch of what our clients will be getting for their $$. After all it is easier to give out a referral if we know our client will be handled in a professional manner.
rlb
Most of you are trying to make something hard thats real simple. We’ve used the AHWA program for 6 years. Good marketing tool.
James get the 90 day limited document and read it - there is nothing confusing about it.
Dan, you are one of many NACHI members who have been doing the Brink’s program for years without any complaints. If Brink’s technicians were causing problems on inspections, how long do you think our members would continue?
The program works.
Thats strange the Canadian Associations consider this to be unethical. Even Claude agrees, and its not very often Claude and I agree on something.
I think under NACHI’s COE the NACHI member could either:
- disclose the $15 to his/her client.
- give the $15 to his/her client.
- opt for the 90 day warranty for his/her client.
- refuse all of the above and simply have Brink’s perform the security inspection for his/her client anyway.
or donate the money to some Foundation where it will do some good. And tell the client that is where the money will go. Do some good and get a great tax write off.