NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - State officials say a central New Jersey company that sells home warranties used deceptive tactics to refuse consumers' claims for product repairs or replacement.

Consumer affairs officials announced Monday that they have filed a complaint against the CHW Group, an Edison-based firm that does business as Choice Home Warranty. It seeks restitution, civil penalties and other damages.

Officials say the firm induced consumers to buy "comprehensive" coverage for various appliances and home systems, then used numerous tactics to deny claims. This forced customers to pay out-of-pocket for air conditioning, refrigerator or other repairs that allegedly should have been covered under their warranties.

Company officials said they "unequivocally dispute" the state's allegations and said the firm was working with its lawyers to resolve the issues.

"We are disappointed that the State has chosen to file this lawsuit (and) intend to vigorously defend against them, and are confident that we will ultimately prevail," the company said in a statement issued late Monday afternoon.

"Choice Home Warranty has fielded thousands of warranty claims from our customers, resulting in claims payments of tens of millions of dollars. In fact, many of the complaints referred to by the Attorney General's office, were resolved long ago, to the satisfaction of the consumer," the statement said.

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State: Home warranty firm used deceptive practices

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Josh Miller/CNET

One of Android's best features is that you can design your phone's interface. Unlike the iPhone, where Apple dictates how iOS looks and feels, you can personalize your Android home screen or app drawer with almost no effort. All you need is a launcher, also called a home-screen replacement, which is an app that modifies the software design and features of your phone's operating system without making any permanent changes.

That lack of permanency makes launchers much different than aftermarket firmware replacements, commonly referred to as ROMs, that have guided Android's customization spirit since the operating system's early days. More than just an app, a ROM is essentially a different version of the Android operating system that's meant to replace the operating service that came with your phone.

While they offer a robust way to make sweeping changes to the way your phone looks and works, there are also disadvantages to using a ROM. The installation process can be daunting and long, and you will very likely void your phone's warranty along the way. Also, there's a small chance you could brick your phone, which renders it unusable.

As a result, ROMs have dropped in popularity in recent years, and launchers have taken their place. That shift has a lot to do with how easy launchers are to install -- you just download them from Google Play like you would any other app. It also helps that the effects of a launcher can easily be undone.

Almost every launcher falls into one of two categories: design or "smart." Design launchers focus on letting you change the entire layout of your Android phone's home screen, creating simple designs or more elaborate ones that look like carved wood or a collage of photos. You also can add custom gestures to your phone, such as double-tapping the screen to open a specific app.

"Smart" or adaptive launchers seek to put the most relevant information front and center throughout your day, as you wake up, head out on your commute, work at the office, and spend a night on the town or at home watching TV. I prefer to call "smart" launchers home-screen replacements because they replace your normal home screen setup with a new experience. Just remember that you often cannot modify your phone's design using a home screen replacement. Below, I'll discuss both categories in more detail.

Themer, a design launcher. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Let's first take a look at design launchers, which were the first type of launchers to really take off in the Android community. These apps are used to modify or completely overhaul your Android home screen, which you reach by tapping your phone's home button or hotkey. This is where your wallpaper and widgets live, and where you can store shortcuts to apps.

Design launchers act as a foundation that you can build upon with icon packs, widgets, and wallpapers. These apps serve to "unlock" existing design limitations, such as how many apps you can fit on individual home screens, to allow for deeper modifications. You can make some changes to the look and feel of your phone with these apps alone, but the fun really starts when you download icon packs, play around with widgets, and hunt for unique wallpapers. Icon packs change how the icons for some or all of the apps look on your phone. Most packs are free or cost a few bucks, and you need a launcher on your phone to use them.

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Everything you need to know about Android launchers

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Stonewood Homes Media statement 18 July 2014

Stonewood Homes Extends All Warranties in New Homes

One of New Zealands leading home builders is doubling its warranty on new builds so customers can have full faith and confidence in its people and products.

Stonewood Homes has been in operation for more than 25 years and Managing Director Brent Metrrick says customers need to know that if the company hasnt got it right, it will put it right.

As part of that, we are extending all warranties on all our homes retrospectively to two years. The law requires a 90-day warranty and Stonewood Homes had already extended that to 12-months and now were going a step further.

This warranty will give all our customers additional assurance of our faith and confidence in our company, people and products and our commitment to get it right.

Brent Mettrick established the company in 1987 and remains the owner and Managing Director and has taken personal responsibility to manage the current issues being raised. The warranty claims are a small percentage of the overall number of new builds but each and every one is being taken seriously.

Like many companies, weve experienced significant and rapid growth particularly in the Christchurch market since the earthquakes. Some issues have been identified with the performance of some subcontractors and with some products. We are responsible for the procurement of subcontractors and materials so it is up to us to identify what needs to be done to get it sorted.

The main focus for the moment is on getting it right for all, particularly those that are already stressed with the impacts of the earthquakes on their lives and homes.

At this stage the issues appear to be mainly within the greater Christchurch area but there are some isolated cases in other areas that have been raised with us. We know from our years in the business that there will from time to time be challenges and issues with new builds. A home is often someones largest asset and is a major project for anyone to undertake and will come with some stress and challenges as you would expect. However, we want to make it as easy as possible for our customers and in some cases we have fallen short.

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Stonewood Homes Extends All Warranties in New Homes

Why a Home Warranty is Not a Good Idea in Atlanta
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