Washington Gas perpetual pushing of gas and water line coverage

[Anonymous]

Years ago, I suspected our 1919 house's water main had a leak. Grass was greener and bills were higher so I shut the water at the main valve in the house and watched the meter. It continued to move, so I enrolled in the program.

New claims were forbidden for 60 days so on day 65 I called and said I think I have a lesk. They came out, did the dame test I did and replaced it the week after.

Total out of pocket cost ws $21.

[Anonymous]

We had that coverage and then wound up needing a repair to the water line at a point between our house and the road. I was SO GLAD we had that coverage!

[Anonymous]

Check the coverage terms. Some people are bragging about massive bills being covered that would absolutely not be covered under the policies issued today. I read the terms, did the math, and decided it was better to self-insure.

[Anonymous]

I get these offers monthly as well. Read the exclusions in the Washington Gas promoted plan. Water line coverage does not include frozen pipes, roots, human or animal damage, and other things. Basically just covers leaks due to normal wear and tear. $8k max payment. It’s probably a good idea to compare cost and type of coverage with homeowners insurance first. In general terms I have noticed that businesses are passing on additional costs to their clients more and more.

[Anonymous]

It's absolutely a scam.

Is it wash gas though? Or is it just some company pretending to be official?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you again for all the advice and cautionary tales. I guess we'll do this. Now the question is do we go with the advertised deal sent by Washington Gas or see if it's something we want to add to our homeowners insurance. Thank you everyone for convincing me that this isn't a scam.

Read the fine print and you'll see its actually a 3rd party vendor.

[Anonymous]

Did you also complain about title insurance, OP? Are you generally speaking a cheap person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you also complain about title insurance, OP? Are you generally speaking a cheap person?

DP. Has anyone every made a successful claim against title insurance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you also complain about title insurance, OP? Are you generally speaking a cheap person?

Are you are an insurance industry shill? Many of these policies are not worth the paper they’re written on with all their exclusions and conditions.

[Anonymous]

In general, insurance is a scam. How can you tell a scam? When the CEO is making millions of dollars a year off of your $40 a month.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s from Washington Gas but probably approved insurance company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For probably two years, we've received constant mailed marketing, many of them branded by Washington Gas, telling us that our water and gas lines are our responsibility and trying to get us to pay for some sort of insurance coverage. I just toss them out again and again, marveling at how much they must spend on this perpetual campaign. My house has been here 100 years. I've owned it for 25 years. Why the sudden hard sell to buy coverage we've never had? Did laws change that shifted ownership and responsibility for pipes from the utility to the owner? Is it a scam? I feel like I better read up. If you own a house in DC, do you pay for this coverage? Thanks.

Don't take it personally Op.

WG runs the stats for your neighborhood and the probability of XYZ going wrong, age of the lines, infrastructure, etc is X% and therefore the threshold triggers mass mailings.

And it's not WG who dies the service or the insurance. It's a private 3rd party via WG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you also complain about title insurance, OP? Are you generally speaking a cheap person?

Are you are an insurance industry shill? Many of these policies are not worth the paper they’re written on with all their exclusions and conditions.

And yet I had my line replaced for $21. Without the policy I was told it would have been $9500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From our neighbors who had the inexpensive insurance, they said not worth it - they delayed, denied, and kept coming up with reasons not to pay. They eventually gave up and just paid it themselves

This is how it is a scam.

And when I read the details, it says it is NOT Washington Gas offering the insurance. The insurance company apparently pays Washington Gas to use their customer list and logo.

[Anonymous]

It's such an easy money maker that Dominion Power is doing the same thing too.