Iowa Residents Get 'Heads Up' on Stamford-based HomeServe USA

Stamford-based Home Serve USA may have gotten itself into a bit of hot water : According to a report in the Aledo Times Record, the company recently sent out an “official looking” bulk mailing pitching insurance for waterline protection to homeowners across Iowa, however the mailing included an Iowa PO Box in Des Moines as a return address — a move which the Better Business Bureau calls "questionable" because the company does not have any locations in Iowa.

“The BBB has confirmed with HomeServe that they do not have an Iowa location,” the report states.

The Connecticut BBB reportedly gives HomeServe USA a “C” rating due to two recent government actions, according to the report. The company reportedly has 138 closed complaints.

In November to residents that an advertisement mailed by HomeServe was “misleading" because it bore the City of Myrtle Beach, SC, logo — yet the company is not affiliated with the city, or any area utilities. Apparently, some recipients were under the impression that the insurance was being offered by the state.

According to that report, the state attorneys general of Ohio and Kentucky filed actions against Home Serve USA in 2010 for questionable advertising practices. The company reportedly settled both actions.

Home Serve USA, with offices at 750 East Main Street, offers insurance plans and emergency repair services for homeowners’ water, sewer and gas lines, electrical wiring and HVAC equipment.