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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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15grandbabies
7/8/2022
Your company has changed from being for the customers to a company that doesn't care their customers and what your contractors do to them. You make excuses for bad contractors that try to rip off your customers and you don't care.


chapmanpatricia60
7/7/2022
American Home Shield was Great we had a problem with our water heater and they had Plumb Rite come out we were very pleased all around good experience Thank you


davsmynam3
7/6/2022
I had a dryer issue called American Home Shield right away they set my appointment with a repair technician ! Rick at Rick's appliance came over and repaired my dryer ! It is working great ! David


sheliaturnipseed3
7/6/2022
Great service. Add more companies so wait time won’t be long. Metro is a great company.


mvrpinto
7/6/2022
I have been waiting American Home Shield to deliver my A/C condensing unit replacement for 2MONTHS! It's unbelievable how disorganized this company is and how bad their costumer service is. I have called them 20+ times and spoken with a costumer service supervisor more than 3 times. I am sure all these positive reviews are fake. Don't sign up with tis SCAM! My account number #89773308 and my dispatch number is #117644378. Marcus Pinto


strwbrry57
7/1/2022
American Home Shield took my call and then called the right repair company. The appointment was made and the repair .an showed up on time. He was friendly and treated me with respect. I relayed the problem I was having with my A/C and he went to work to fix the problem. He did the repair in a timely fashion and explained what he had done so I would know. He never treated me with anything but respect. He gave me a bill with 0 balance due. I had already paid my fee with American Home Shield. It felt good knowing the repair was covered and I did not have a expensive balance at the end of the call. I recommend this company to anyone who needs peace of mind when things break in their home. A... Read More


leebixby72966
7/1/2022
I feel like I'm a victim of 'bait and switch' ... I've had AHS for about a week and ending it to go to another company, almost everything that was promised coverage by the sales team is being denied by the service team. The plumber sent was rude and unprofessional, has multiple absolutely terrible 'Yelp' reviews and I'm being giving the choice of either having the same unprofessional 'technician' do the few things actually approved or start the whole week long process over with a new plumber. Every time I call (about 6 hrs time in 2 days) I'm either told they cant help me or I'm promised service that isn't actually forthcoming and the next representative doesn't have in thier notes. Some... Read More


athomas1108
7/1/2022
American Home Shield warranty company is great. I had experiences with two other home warranty company, choice home warranty and Total Home Protection, both were 100% rip off, find all kind of excuses not to do anything, so I was very skeptical with a third Home warranty company to trust. But AHS is referred by my firend, and they are very professional, quick service and their local AC Company service company Shimanski, Flemington, NJ is awesome too. Fixed the leak issue quickly today 07/01/2022, now wait and see if the leak is truly fixed. As of today, I am extremely pleased with AHS and Shimanki AC Company 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍


T
Tommy
6/29/2022
Timely, professional, problem solved. All anyone could ask for. Plumber, called upon gave excellent service


shayeon
6/28/2022
If I could leave zero stars I would. The lack of service is an absolute disappointment and I would advise that you walk away quickly and not consider purchasing anything with American Home Shield because it’s not worth the headache, hassle or aggravation.



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