Being familiar with WelGard for the past six years, and associated the past three years, my initial reaction to a well warranty and service plan, such as WelGard was that I don’t buy warranties. However, many are WelGard customers today, who feel exactly the same way. Why? Let’s examine why people don’t generally buy warranties.
#1 – many items (appliances, cars, etc.) come from specific manufacturers, who offer specific warranties, or whose brand name implies, quality and service such that they stand behind their product. Purchasers therefore feel that they can get some compensation from manufacturers, should a failure occur, if only to preserve the quality of their brand.
#2 – having just made a purchase, many feel they understand the risks of both availability and replacement cost should the product fail.
#3 – particularly where the product is one of several I may own (appliances, cars, etc.), many feel they can bear the risk of not having one of these multiple products for several days to up to several years.
#4 – significant purchases are generally preceded by significant research at either the retail level, or via the Internet. As a result, purchasers are frequently educated on the features, costs, and value associated with variations in the product giving them adequate opportunity to shop price and features. At least, for that moment, purchasers are experts with respect to that product.
Now let’s examine these reasons, in the context of an emergency water failure:
On the topic of manufacturers brand name and warranty, while drillers generally do not offer any warranty once a yield test indicates (both to them and the county) that an adequate water supply is present. The rule of thumb is that once the drill rig leaves the property, the warranty is over. Due to an unknown ecosystem, drillers feel they cannot be held responsible for natural changes to the hydrogeology affecting any well they have drilled. We heard one driller questioned about his warranty say “if you’re well fails, you can stay at my house.”
Regarding availability and replacement cost of your well, unlike the scenario above, even after having just installed a well on your lot or in your neighborhood, no one can tell you precisely how much a new well will cost; and the comparable cost of a recent installation is completely irrelevant. Further, it is difficult to get a driller’s return phone call. As a result, availability of a replacement well, and the predictability of its cost is significantly uncertain.
Your well is the primary, if not only, source of water supply to the vast majority of well owners. As a result, there is generally no alternative for kitchen, bath or laundry water supplies and the lack of water becomes an emergency need. Life will not be normal, until a water supply is restored.
Finally, even though this represents a significant purchase, when a water failure occurs, homeowners are unprepared to assess cost, quality, reputation, professionalism, certification, integrity, fairness and insurance protection offered by any well drilling professional. Errors in judgment can occur costing the homeowner thousands of dollars; and with the limited professionals responding, comparisons in proposals are impossible due to the significant number of variables in pricing.
So while many (myself previously included) don’t generally buy warranties for the average or significant purchases, dramatic differences exist when considering a purchase involving and maintenance of your family’s water supply.
WelGard protects everyone from these significant risks by providing fast, emergency service, routine maintenance/inspections, and water testing services; the net effect of WelGard is complete peace of mind previously unheard of in this business, elimination of concerns about “being on your own” with respect to this critical family need, and ultimately having “a friend in the business.”.