Another Question For Nick, Ben or Marc Cohen

OK, I really hope this does not turn into another heated debate with other vendors. My only intension is to get some clarifications and guidance from the above names on short term type insurance and on Mountain Warranty Services only at this time.

Nick you and the others have all said in the past that all these short term type warranties were basically useless for the client, but did have some use for the Inspector. OK so I and many others believed you Nick and stayed away from using them. To add some Brokers and Agents also said it was not good to mix that in with a Home Inspection. Well I tend to go with your advice Nick over that of others, and put my trust more in you for these things.

OK well that being said, recently this topic has been getting some mention again and I do believe you (Nick) had recently said these warranties are good for the Inspector to be giving to their clients.

This has now got me a little confused. Did you change your mind from what you told me before? if so that leads me to my next questions.

If you now are saying that Home Inspectors should be giving their clients one of these short term warranties then I myself and others who do not believe is selling/releasing any of our clients private information without their Explicit Written permission may be interested in your Mountain Warranty Service.

Questions:

  1. Do you believe Mountain Warranty is a good choice for home Inspectors to use?

  2. If the answer to #1 was Yes, will you confirm that No Client Information will ever be released sold or used in anyway by Mountain other than in house for the sole purpose of the the agreed upon Mountain Warranty itself?

Nick, Ben, Marc I (we) would truly appreciate your truthful assistance here as this topic seems to be gaining interest again, and some here would like to keep their valuable business decisions within the NACHI organization.

Thanks In Advance,

Jim

Hang on Nate, Jim is asking about Mountain and has nothing to do with your service.

You guys are cut throat because you all jump into each others threads.
My impression of Mountain was that of a paper Tiger from past discussions that were here long before you joined.

Seems it is a totally different service.

Nathan I have no comprehension issues whatsoever as you do. Nick has said in the past that all of these warranties are useless for the client and only offer the inspector some marketing tools. If his opinion has changed I would like to know why as I value his opinion much more than any sales person.

You have said many times you will never do business with me that’s okay as the feeling is mutual. So could you please stay out of my thread as this is directed towards the owners and operators of mountain warranty only and has nothing to do with you and I do not need nor want your input.

Jim

Jim … Nick is no exception to the latest trend among people who sell gimmicks to try to impress newbies and other similarly gullible people that creating the illusion of value in the mind of a prospective client … particularly by using a gimmick that they happen to sell … is the “future of the industry”.

Providing an unbiased, complete and accurate description of a home that your client intends to buy is not enough, according to them.

These so called “warranties” — that are so loaded down with exclusions and caveats that your client would have a better chance of encountering Bigfoot during a total eclipse than qualifying for coverage — are intended to merely create an illusion of benefit.

They are there to help inspectors dupe prospective clients into thinking they are getting more by hiring them than by hiring a competitor who will simply provide them with a report that provides an accurate, unbiased and complete description of their home.

In private, Nick has admitted this. In public, what do you really expect him (or any other hawker of gimmicks) to say? Really?

Dishonest and unethical lead brokers who use such gimmicks as these to harvest personal information about home buyers that they can use to sell to others will insist otherwise … and will attempt to create their own illusion that inspectors who do not participate in these types of things are “losers” or somehow less than those who do. Expect it … and ignore it.

I promise you that you will not convince anyone who either sell these gimmicks or has branded their company with them to publicly disavow them. It is best to simply let it go.

First of all Nathan why did you say for me to Shove it ? would you do that in person because if you did I may just ram it down your throat punk!!

By the way it was Nick himself that said if anyone ever wants to have a topic without vendors just say so in the thread. I did and you don’t listen figures

Also I did not misinterpret anything those were nicks exact words in emails to me directly.

Yup you sure are right you can post any thread you want whether you are wanted or not that’s your right. Just as it is our right to laugh at you for sticking your nose in every thread you think is about you.

Some of us here may or may not be interested warranties but certainly would never want to work someone like you. That’s the reason for this thread some of us would like to know Nicks, bens or Marc cohens opinions as they may differ greatly from salesperson who offers a similar type product.

Most of us certainly do not need you telling us what is good and what is not good for our businesses. I am questioning more if some gimmick like a warranty should even be any part of a home inspection, it certainly is not in anyone’s standards of practice including any license states that says volumes right there.

But I keep an open mind and always willing to learn and see and improve my business.

Jim

Here is your insurance/warranty 101 course:

There is a strong correlation between what you pay for insurance or warranties and the coverage they provide. This almost goes without saying. It’s just one of those fundamental laws of the universe. The company can’t pay out more than it takes in. So you might not be able to figure out exactly what a policy or warranty is worth on average, but you know for dang sure it isn’t worth more than it costs on average. I don’t know what MW charges, but its coverage is worth something less than that. What tips the scale for inspectors is the marketing benefit it provides to the inspector. That is what might make it worth more (to the inspector) than what it costs. If you think the value of the actual coverage PLUS the value of the marketing benefit combined is greater than the cost of the warranty… buy it. If not… don’t.

Thank you very much Nick for your honesty

Jim

? Not a question of honesty. It’s a basic math question.

Thanks for you candor.

Yes I agree with you it is a math question when dealing with coverage it’s a marketing issue when dealing with the marketing your company I do thank you for your honesty Nick

Jim

Most of the warranties sold to home inspectors are well worth their cost in marketing benefit to the inspection company IMHO. And if they actually end up providing some coverage from time to time… that’s just an added bonus.

Sorry Nathan there are no large multi firms to compete with me in my area for my backyard my business is doing just great without you. there is absolutely nothing that you know that I don’t know. But thanks for the offer buddy

Jim

Every sold inspection has a certain marketing cost associated with it just like it has a certain fuel cost (to get to and from the inspection). Think of a warranty as a marketing additive that multiplies your marketing efficiency many times over thus reducing your overall marketing costs per inspection job sold. If there was such an additive for fuel… you’d buy it. No? And if the warranty allows you to command a slightly higher fee to cover the cost of the warranty… you’d dang sure buy it. No?

Ok so Nick are you sayiing Mountain would be a good choice ?

Also can you confirm our clients data will not be released or sold or used for any other purpose other than Mountain Waranty ?

Jim

Nick… please stop while you are ahead! You had a brief respite, but are now slipping back down that slippery slope that has many members questioning your loyalty to the membership over vendors!