Warranty Service Process
Here's exactly what to expect after you file a warranty claim — from dispatch to confirmed appointment to completed repair.
How It Works
Whether your repair is covered under a manufacturer warranty or an extended warranty, the process starts the same way: you file a claim with your warranty company, and they dispatch us.
- You file a claim with your warranty company Contact your manufacturer or extended warranty provider to open a service request for your appliance.
- We receive dispatch Your warranty company sends us the service request. This typically happens within one business day of your claim.
- We text you to start your ticket You'll receive a text message from us asking for four items. This information is essential for our tech review — we explain why below.
- Our technicians review your ticket We use the information you provide to run your issue through our triage system and pre-order parts through your warranty company before we arrive.
- We schedule your confirmed appointment Once the review is complete, we contact you directly to schedule a confirmed appointment date. If we can't reach you by text, we'll call.
- We repair your appliance Our technician arrives with the parts already in hand, ready to complete the repair in a single visit whenever possible.
Important: Your warranty company provides an initial request date, but this is not a confirmed appointment. Your warranty company requires that your ticket first go through our tech review. We use this review to pre-order parts and attempt a one-visit repair. We will contact you directly to schedule your confirmed date.
The Text Message You'll Receive
Shortly after dispatch, you'll receive a text from us that looks like this:
This is Metro TV and Appliance. To schedule your service, we need 4 items to start your ticket.
Please reply to this text with:
1. PHOTO of the Model/Serial Tag (Must be a clear picture directly on the appliance, not from paperwork)
2. PHOTO of the Problem (If the problem isn't visible, please send a photo of the appliance's location/environment)
3. Problem Description (Please be as descriptive as possible)
4. Your Address (Full street address and zip code)
Why We Ask for Each Item
The model and serial number tell us the exact specifications of your appliance — the year it was manufactured, the specific components inside, and which replacement parts are compatible. A photo taken directly from the tag on the appliance ensures accuracy. Paperwork can contain errors, and even a single digit off means the wrong part gets ordered, which delays your repair.
A visual of the issue helps our technicians prepare before they arrive. Error codes on a display, a leak location, frost buildup patterns, visible damage — these details narrow down the diagnosis. If the problem isn't visible (like a noise or a performance issue), a photo of the appliance and its surroundings helps us understand the installation environment, which can be a factor in the repair.
Your warranty company provides us with a problem description, but it isn't always accurate. It may be a generalized category rather than what's actually happening. We want to hear directly from you because the small details matter. Something you might think is no big deal — a sound it makes, when it started, what you were doing when it happened — can vastly change how we approach the repair. Listening to the customer is how we do our best work.
We need your full street address and zip code to confirm you're within our service area and to schedule routing efficiently. The address on file from the warranty company may be outdated or incomplete, so we verify it directly with you.
Why We Triage Before We Visit
Most repair services send a technician out to diagnose the problem, then order parts, then schedule a second trip to install them. That's two visits before your appliance is fixed.
We do things differently. Using the information you provide, our technicians run your issue through our triage system — the manufacturer's own engineering database and troubleshooting procedures. This isn't something available on the internet. It's built from the manufacturer's investment in diagnostic engineering, and it's only accessible to authorized service partners like us.
Triage allows us to pre-order parts through your warranty company before our first visit. When our technician arrives, they have the parts in hand and are prepared to complete the repair in a single trip.
The result: Fewer visits, less time without your appliance, and a repair completed right the first time. In cases where your warranty company prefers an in-home diagnostic first, we'll schedule accordingly — but whenever possible, we attempt a one-visit repair.
Manufacturer vs. Extended Warranties
The intake process is the same for both types, but there's a key difference in repair scope:
Manufacturers want to protect the long-term reliability of their product. When we repair under a manufacturer warranty, we address the reported issue and any related problems that are likely to arise as a result. This proactive approach means a more thorough repair and fewer future issues.
Extended warranty providers generally authorize repair for the specific reported issue only. This focused scope means the process can sometimes take longer, as each additional concern requires separate authorization. The repair quality is the same — genuine OEM parts, factory-authorized service — but the scope of what's covered per visit may be narrower.
Regardless of warranty type, you pay nothing out of pocket for covered repairs. Our $42.90 diagnostic deductible applies only to non-warranty service calls and is subtracted from your total repair estimate — it's not a separate fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally yes, but it's not always correct — especially the problem description. Warranty companies often use generalized categories that don't capture the specifics of your situation. We ask you directly because the details you provide allow us to triage accurately and bring the right parts on the first visit.
Your warranty company provides an initial request date, but they require that your ticket go through our tech review first. This review is how we pre-order parts and attempt a one-visit repair. Once the review is complete, we contact you to schedule your actual confirmed appointment.
Triage is our remote diagnostic process. Using the photos and description you provide, we cross-reference your issue against the manufacturer's engineering database to identify the most likely cause and pre-order the correct parts. This system is only available to authorized service partners and is designed to reduce turnaround time by eliminating a separate diagnostic visit.
A photo directly from the appliance ensures accuracy. Serial numbers copied from paperwork or recalled from memory frequently contain errors, and even one wrong digit can result in incorrect parts being ordered. A clear photo eliminates that risk.
We'll follow up with multiple attempts, including phone calls. However, the sooner you respond, the sooner we can complete our tech review and schedule your confirmed appointment. Delays in response delay parts ordering and ultimately your repair.
For covered warranty repairs, there is no cost to you. If your repair is not covered under warranty, our diagnostic deductible is $42.90 — and that amount is subtracted from your total repair estimate. It is not a separate fee.
We typically receive dispatch within one business day of your claim. After you respond to our text, the tech review and parts pre-ordering begin immediately. Total turnaround depends on parts availability from your warranty company, but our triage process is specifically designed to reduce wait times.
SquareTrade handles their process differently. Please see our SquareTrade Warranty Service page for details specific to your plan.