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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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Patrice P
9/1/2017
I've had American Home Shield for 2 years now and out of the last 4 repair men to come to my home only 1 was reputable. The others tried to over charge me dispite my contract agreed amount. When I called customer service about the incidents 3 times they put me on a 15 minute hold and then hung up on me. American Home Shield offers better contracts than most but I am afraid of the repairman whenever I have to use them.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Patrice, I am sorry to hear about your experience with your services. We would like to reach out to you concerning this matter. If you can provide your contact information to us by emailing it to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", and we will be in touch with you regarding this matter. Thanks
H
Henry O
9/1/2017
Very professional in choosing the proper venders for repairs. Easy to work with.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks for the great feedback, Henry.
Anthony M
9/1/2017
I had problem with my lighting system and they sent out a great company and took care of the problem in no time

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Great feedback, Anthony. Thanks
M
Michelle
9/1/2017
I would give no stars. Poor communication. lack of customer care. My first claim.was denied. It took weeks of trying to contact AHS to find that out. The only reason I finally got ahold of somebody was because the plumbing company gave me a dispatch phone number . Otherwise I spent days on hold or was disconnected. Finally when I reached somebody I was told by one person it was covered what I needed. Then one hour later I received the call telling me it was not covered. So basically I paid 37.99 a for nothing. Also you can't do anything for the first month no claims. I paid $75 just to have someone tighten my toilet. When I tried to cancel my policy after 4 months. I was told they don't... Read More

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Michelle, If you provide your contact information to us by emailing social@ahslink.com, we will be in contact with you concerning this issue. Thanks
G
Greg T
9/1/2017
I have had nothing but a ton of issues with almost every vendor American Home Shield has sent to my home. The first vendor was scheduled to come to my home to rekey up to 6 doors in my home. (Rekeying is taking the locking mechanism out of the lock and placed a new one in the same lock with keys to match. I didn't have to have any of the original keys to all the original locks or have purchased new locks.) The first tech came to my home and informed me that his company can only make new keys, not change locks. ( I thought, $75 for new keys was a horrible business model.) I told the tech he was incorrect and after some debate, he left saying he could not help us. Verified with American Home... Read More

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hi Greg, We would like to look into this matter and follow up with you regarding the issues that you have made us aware of. If you can provide your contact information to us by emailing social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will be in touch with you. Thanks
D
David
9/1/2017
I've used AHS for several years now. This year has been a disaster - I have two rental properties - both - properties have had A/C issues this year among other issues. Response is slow - technicians don't respond - they come out and won't show up again for weeks. Several were totally incompetent. One tenant also has a plumbing issue but it hasn't been address by the plumber AHS sent out (or supposedly sent out to client). Also - I'm trying to get in touch with AHS as I write this - wait time of over 30 minutes is ridiculous.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello David, My apologies about the wait time and the issues that you are experiencing, if you provide your contact information to us by emailing social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will be in touch with you. Thanks
D
Deduranso
9/1/2017
When my air conditioner broke down, the service provider was timely, courreous, and thorough. I've been a customer of American Home Shield for over a decade, and have always received quality service. I would recommend (and have recommended) AHS to others.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We appreciate the great feedback. Thanks
K
K
9/1/2017
I paid the serviceman at my house, but apparently they didn't tell the warranty company, because AHS has been sending me collection notices and threats to cancel my warranty, even though I phoned them and they said it was handled. Very poor communication with their vendors and I'm the one being hassled.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello, If you can provide us with your contact information by emailing us at social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will reach out to you concerning this matter. Thanks
Nancy B
9/1/2017
I appreciated the efficient and professional way the staff worked with us to get our situation with our air condition resolved. They were able to evaluate our issue quickly and then offer solutions to resolve/fix the problem. The team of people that helped us fix the air condition was courteous and professional at all times. We appreciated the constant communication in expectations from the start to the end of the project.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We appreciate the great feedback, Nancy. Thanks!
A
ac
9/1/2017
thank you, American Home Shield for the services that have been provided over the last several years... Each service call has been completed by a professional, in a timely manner, and would recommend you to a friend..

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We are delighted to read your feedback and happy to hear that you are pleased with your services. Thanks
Our Partner

Limited Time Offer: $150 OFF All Plans*

  • Home Warranty Plans Starting at $29.99 a Mo.
  • Covering 2 Million Plus Members for 50+ Years
  • No Age Limits on Covered Systems & Appliances
  • No Inspections or Records Required
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