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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 is American Home Shield rated?

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

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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M
Matthew L
8/24/2017
Quick response, found a local company that was family run and allowed us to get service in a decent amount of time. They found the problem quickly , repaired i and were on-there way all within an hour. I would highly recommend Home Shield warranty as they use reputable companies to fix things and they also use small businesses in the community.

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We appreciate the great feedback Matthew. Thanks

Huajun C
8/24/2017
Website is easy to use. Easy to schedule with the specialist. Covered lots of things.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks Huajun! We appreciate the feedback.

E
Erin R
8/24/2017
Not happy with AHS at all. We had an A/C problem right after we had moved in. They sent out THREE companies to basically say the same thing until they decided they would cover the fixes. Of course all 3 companies have a 3 star rating or less. We needed a new compressor and the sent it to the wrong company which took 2 weeks to get to that company. Then they had to send out a new one to the correct company. We went two of the months of the summer with no A/C and mind you they told us on our first call that it would be a high priority considering the time if year and the fact that we have two small children in our home. After going higher up we were able to finally get it fixed and they did... Read More

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Erin, We would like to look into this matter. If you can provide your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will be in contact with you regarding this matter. Thanks

S
Sandra
8/24/2017
Awful service. Without air for over a week, on hold to AHS Over an hour, still waiting. Guess they figure you will hang up and forget it

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Sandra, If you provide your contact number or property address and phone number by emailing social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", and we will be in contact with you. Thanks

Robby H
8/24/2017
Setting up the appointment was easy however the customer service of the person who completed the repair was average at best.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks for providing your feedback Robby. We appreciate the opportunity to improve our customer experience.

T
Tara S
8/24/2017
I do like AHS and would recommend. I have used twice and one experience is excellent and one just ok. Think it is worth the investment though.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Many, thanks for the feedback Tara. Thanks

Monique P
8/24/2017
i contacted customer to get my warranty changed & it was supposed to have been done...in mean time i get constant emails stating my account payment is late (i did my 1st payment thru my bank & it was done electronically so i know they have received it). i called 8-23-17, after being on hold for over 30 minutes apparently my account is not changed & in order to change it, it would take them deducting my bank account automatically every month...that is a NO. so i asked to speak w/ someone to cancel my account & needless to say it would be at least another 30 minutes to speak w/ yet another person to cancel my account & get my money back. please DO NOT get a warranty with this... Read More

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Monique, I sincerely apologize for this issue that you have experienced. If you provide your contract number or property address and phone number to us at social@ahslink.com, attention , "Consumers Advocate", we will be in touch with you. Thanks

Mary S
8/24/2017
There was a lot of confusion about how much was owed foe my warranty when i have an invoice that says one thing and they are saying i owe an additional 60 dollars when all that was included and paid foe by the seller of the house. Also confusion on what was covered, real estate says appliances were covered when they werent initially

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Mary, If you can provide your contract number or property address and phone number to us at social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will be in contact with you regarding this matter. Thanks

D
Dunia G
8/24/2017
Had to have someone come in to look at our gas range. I used our home warranty. It was super easy to start a claim.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We certainly appreciate the wonderful feedback, Dunia. Thank you.

M
MGandolfi
8/24/2017
Our a.c. has been out for over a week, I have a 4 month and it is impossible to get a hold of anyone. Unless of course you're buying something. No matter what I do I can't talk to anyone. They always transfer me, it's over an hour wait and then my call gets dropped. I've also tried calling the actual a.c. company for the past 4 days and I'm not receiving any calls back. The a.c. company came out, said they needed to send some info to AHS and that I would hear back from someone within a day. I've tried emailing, going to the buy policy prompt and asking for a manager....again I'm transferred and bam 30 minute wait only to have my call dropped. If I go to my account online it's our old... Read More

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello, If you can provide your contract number or property address to us by emailing social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate" we will be in touch with you regarding this matter. Thanks


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