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American Home Shield Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)
4,138 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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American Home Shield is a Tennessee-based company founded in 1971 to provide coverage on home appliances and systems in the United States through its network of home service professionals.

The company offers service contracts that cover the repair or replacement of major components of home systems and appliances. Customers can also purchase optional coverage for pools and spas, guest houses, home electronic systems, roof leaks, maintenance services, and more.

How Do We Rate American Home Shield?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Transparency
4.8/5
Claims Processing
4.7/5
Coverage Options
4.7/5
Additional Benefits
4.7/5
Customer Experience

Our Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)

American Home Shield's coverage is among the most comprehensive we've seen in the industry. The company covers considerably more appliances and systems than its competitors and has fewer coverage limitations.

The company recently updated its plans—they now have three to simplify choosing the right one for your home. American Home Shield focuses on the repairs that offer the most value to consumers, removing items that are inexpensive to replace, increasing its coverage limits on appliances in its most expensive plan to reflect today's higher-priced, "gourmet" appliances, and adding roof leak coverage.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Systems
Appliances
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$3,000
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$0

Coverage Options - 4.7 / 5

American Home Shield offers consumers a choice of three plans, following a good-better-best model. Its ShieldSilver plan warrants systems only, but can be amended with certain add-ons, including pools, electronics, and guest houses. Its ShieldGold plan covers a range of systems and appliances, again with add-on options. Its ShieldPlatinum plan covers everything in the ShieldGold plan, plus roof leaks up to $1500 and some routine maintenance services. These include free HVAC tune-ups, unlimited top ups on your AC refrigerant, coverage for code violations including permits.

All told, American Home Shield covers 23 systems and appliances, considerably more than most of their competitors, and fully covers 11 of those items. There is no limit on the number of claims a customer can file over the year’s contract, either.

What does American Home Shield cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Built-in Food Centers

Exclusions

For a full list of American Home Shield exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

  • Guest Unit
  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump
  • Septic
  • Roof Leaks

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $0
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
No
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has a flexible pricing policy and offers three different coverage plans and two trade service call fee levels: $100 and $125.

This allows consumers to have input into the annual price based on their budgetary needs.

We requested a quote for a single family home under 5,000 square feet located in a medium-sized midwestern city. The minimum annual premium (Shield Silver Plan) was $59.99 per month. The maximum premium (Shield Platinum Plan) was $109.99. So AHS prices are somewhat higher than many competitive plans. Consumers should note that their final price will vary by plan, service call charge selected, and location.

Sample Contract

American Home Shield provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: American Home Shield Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

Customers can cancel anytime within their 30 day wait period and receive a full refund, and can cancel anytime during the contract term, as this is a non-binding contract.

Claims & Service

Claims

Service Fee
$100 and $125
Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Contractor Network Size
14,000+ contractors
Number of Technicians
45,000 technicians
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 4.8 / 5

Consumers can submit a service request online 24/7/365. American Home Security does not require an inspection prior to purchase.

The company has a large network of service professionals and offers a 30-day workmanship guarantee on their services.

American Home Shield Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1971
NHSCA Membership
Number of Customers
1.7 million
Number of Employees
1,700
TrustPilot Rating
2.1 out of 5
BBB Rating
B
BBB Positive Reviews
392
BBB Neutral Reviews
50
BBB Negative Reviews
1,874
Date Collected
2023-07-24

Reputation - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has been in business since 1971, making it the oldest player in the industry. It has over 1.7 million customers.

In 1989, the company was acquired by ServiceMaster, an established firm that also owns Terminix and Merry Maids.

American Home Shield is accredited by the BBB and has a B rating. In this industry, negative customer reviews far outnumber positive ones.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(888) 429-8247
Headquarters Address
150 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN, 38103
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 849, Carroll, IA, 51401
Year Founded
1971

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4138 Customer Comments & Reviews

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P. J
2/28/2019
Purchased a multi million dollar home with a home warranty. Moved in and determined that the cooktop burners dont work. Called them out to repair it and they denied our claim because they said we caused damage to the burners! It would take a sledge hammer to damage the burners on an all steel cooktop. not to mention that the burners have metal grates around them which the cookware sits on top of. Later found out the parts for this cooktop are no longer manufactured and the entire cooktop needs to be replaced. About a $1500 expense. Lousy service, lousy claims department. Policy not worth the paper its written on. Dont waste your time.


Angela S
2/28/2019
I've been with American home shield for 11 years Payment every Max on time Once you have a problem with them they Hardy's bag nasty rude ignorant a** contract That don't know what they doing I've been waiting for parts to my wash machine for 3 months and I'm Still waiting American home and shiels Is not worth your time day of day stay away from them


M
Michelle G
2/28/2019
This is THE WORST COMPANY EVER! They have sent out a Plumbing Company that does not know what they are doing the guy came out twice and for what he came out the first time for And came back and didn't do anything. He said he would Bring the parts to fix the problem and didn't bring any parts, there is BLACK MOLD under my sink and a big hole and THESE PEOPLE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION. IHAVE JUST GONE THROUGH BREAST CANCER And I BELIEVE THIS MOLD HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT


J
Josephine K
2/28/2019
Customer service is outstanding! You can call with any questions and they take their time with you. I got disconnected once. Mad and thinking I had to start over, I hit redial immediately! A few seconds later another call comes in and it was the service rep I was speaking to! I have made 2 different service call requests. You pay your deductible over the phone when you place the repair order. My repairs were for my boiler and one for my refrigerator. Both were repaired fully by excellent standing local businesses. Repair services were also outstanding! Being in a fixed income, I have a peace of mind that I don’t need to worry where the money is going to come from to repair or replace my... Read More


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Juan N
2/28/2019
I am the owner of a triplex in Florida. Had Majestik Appliances fix the dryer in my tenant's dwelling. The tenant informed that the tech was very accommodating to all of her concerns. He made sure that the dryer was operating properly. On the other had I call AHS billing dept to receive a hard copy of the repair for next years taxes. The customer service rep was very apologetic about time it took to provide hard copy of the repair. AHS should provide a pdf of the repairs so the customer can just download them with out having to call.


Tim O
2/25/2019
Had issues with this company and ended up leaving them for a better Home Warranty company. They were ok for a couple calls then got bad. Had issues with a ceiling fan that was starting to go out. The bearings in the fan were going and they were grinding and the fan was smelling like it was going to catch fire. They sent a tech out that would not service the fan because there was no remote for it. The fan was wired to the wall outlet that turned it on and off, adjusted the speed and turned the light on and off. Because there was no remote for the fan they refused to service it. I called them explained the situation, told them there was no remote and they agreed to send a different... Read More


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M. T
2/25/2019
Customer Service is the worst I have ever dealt with. The representatives don’t understand what’s going on and keep apologizing. I don’t need apologies, I expect good service. The reps tell you that they’re placing a priority on the call and will return your call. I have called for 7 days straight due to AHS never following up. It’s been 12 days since I placed the initial call and no resolution. The initial contractor that came to my home never turned my washer on and never looked at it. He reported to AHS that it was due to me overloading the washer. AHS said due to that reason, it was not covered. A second contractor came out and found that the bearing wore out and it was not due... Read More


T
Ter
2/25/2019
Awful!!!!!!!! Our Daughter and Husband and 3 children under the age of 5yrs old have now been waiting 2 weekends in a row with NO HEAT!!!!!!!!


Jerry Z
2/23/2019
I am extremely upset and disappointed by the level of service provided and lack of responsibility American Home Shield has taken. Here is my story: *On Feb 8th, I called in a request to fix a small leak in our clothes washer. *Feb 12th, Dan Gleason Appliance repair in AZ came to my home to inspect. Said "easy fix" and ordered a part. *Feb 20th, came back to my home to install *Feb 22nd - came home from work to a FLOOD in my house coming from the washer! Damage done: There is water in the laundry room, linen closet, under the stairwell, in the garage, and in the half bath, which mean the water went through the walls and into the other rooms. *Feb 22nd -I called into customer... Read More


K
kruppsd
2/22/2019
I have filed a complaint with the BBB regarding AHS. There is still no resolution. I have been without an oven for almost 6 months because of them. Between my husband and I, we called regarding our broken oven over 20 TIMES over the course of 3 months. We were on hold for 50 minutes to over 2 hours every time. When we finally got through, there was always a language barrier and no one could help us. I actually had to take a day off work here and there just to spend time trying to deal with this company. I wish we never signed up with them and had gone ahead and contacted someone just to fix our oven, but of course I paid for the full year extended coverage, so I don't want it to be a... Read More



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