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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.
 
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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
https://www.ahs.com/
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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G
Grady S
9/21/2017
No customer service by phone, none, never spoke to a person, and 1/3 of calls disconnect. A.C. service call took 10 days just to get a part. The website does not allow details of the issue to be included in order to expedite resolution.

C
Catherine M
9/21/2017
AHS has ALWAYS been a savior for us! The company is caring, personally involved, They and ALWAYS there for you! They do everything possible to make a miseable situation for YOU as quickly solved as possible. All the folks they send to your house are always very professional, very caring and very kind. The company is by far the finest I've every had the pleasure to deal with! They solve your problem quickly, completely and throughly in a timely fashion. I would NEVER consider using ANY other company to take care of me and my family!!! I would recommend AHS to anyone who cares about their home and family!!!

Anastasia B
9/21/2017
I feel cheated by this company. My AC went out 2 years ago and AHS has yet to provide a competent person to come out and fix my unit. I work from home in sweltering heat. And when I call AHS to find out why the repair man has not come out to fix my unit, I have to wait on hold for an hour to be told that they will call the company for me and leave a voicemail (I've already done that about 100 times) - and that I should call AHS again tomorrow to see if the repairman called AHS back. Mind you, I have to call AHS and waste another hour of my time on hold. They need to re-evaluate their customer service, pool of technicians, and their call center staffing. I've put a lot of money into AHS and... Read More

S
Sean K
9/21/2017
Had AHS for many years on different properties. They have lost their way. Long wait times when there is an issue. Will charge you service charge whether they get a company to help you or not. Then their attitude is too bad. Totally ridiculous. This company is going down hill fast.

Stephen E
9/21/2017
Fulfillment time can be slow

F
Fran H
9/21/2017
The drip in our sink was never fixed. They did not return our phone calls so we had to go back through AHS to get them to come out again. We left them a message again requesting they call before they came to the house. They did not call us....sink was never fixed.

T
Tisha
9/21/2017
I'm actually going to try to cancel this warranty because my experience was horrible. It took 3 weeks for my downstairs unit to be fixed.... It was just a simple fan motor replacement but the company they sent out was not local and misdiagnosed at first and then it just went downhill from there. Every time I called AHS it always took at least an hour to talk to someone. Several times I was supposed to get a call back and did not. The whole experience was terrible.

L
Lou A
9/21/2017
A no hassle, efficient fix to a leak in my hot water pipe in the slab of a bathroom floor (I live in Florida). Everything was easy to arrange and I was updated constantly on what would happen and when it would happen. Now I just dread receiving my water bill!!!

L
Leola
9/21/2017
Service provided was efficient and effective.

N
Nicole
9/21/2017
Overall I am not happy with American home shield. Their wait times are ridiculous. I had waited over an hour in several occasions. This warranty was purchased by the sellers of a house we recently purchased and we filed claims in things that we found upon moving in only to find out they are not covered after paying $100 service fees and getting random contractors out. As a manager of a service company myself I am alarmed at how little care the contractors send had for the issues and didn't use their affiliation with American home shield to boost their own business by making us want to recommend them it use them on our own. It's disappointing that more thoroughness want given to the... Read More

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