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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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Krystal
8/4/2017
Contracted a horrible AC company that has terrible reviews by the BBB, and I am STILL sitting in A hot house waiting while American Home Shield tells me to call the AC company and the AC company tells me they are waiting on American Home Shield to tell them if my broken AC is covered.

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
I Krystal, I sincerely apologize to you for this situation, If you email your property address and phone number to social@ahslink.com, attention "Consumers Advocate" we will follow up with you regarding this matter. Thanks

M
Marilyn S
8/4/2017
Per my telepone conversation Aug 3rd... I am most unhappy with the recent reguest to repair pool leak.. The 2 companies that came out didn't want to attempt a fix of the leak.. Both told us so because our heater is 25 years old..If they attempt the fix the plastic component thats causing the leak and the old bolts break they would be responsible for replacing the heater..I have had two appts with a pool builder and specific heater manufacturer...and both say the leak is normal wear and tear due to age and hard water..NOT CHEMICALS.. The copper components are unharmed and would be damagef if chemical unbalanced.. Therefore will be canceling our policy We will be consulting with an... Read More

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hi Marilyn, Please send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention "Consumers Advocate, and we will look into this matter. Thanks

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lori
8/4/2017
If there were a zero star rating, I would rate AHS zero stars. The whole point in having a home warranty is so that there will be assurance that repairs or replacements of big ticket items are covered. I am a single mom and this gave me assurance, but I no longer will trust AHS and am cancelling my warranty. I feel I have now wasted hundreds of dollars for nothing.

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Lori, I have read your concerns regarding your service experience, and I sincerely apologize for the issues that you have experienced. If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you regarding this matter. Thanks

L
Lee b
8/4/2017
Quick service knowledgable technician made it look easy

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks for the great feedback Lee!

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Mitch R
8/4/2017
A nightmare for a simple clothes washer repair. First, apparently AHS went from a privately owned company to a public company recently, and as a result, changed a lot of their policies - all for the worse. One of those policies is the homeowner being able to choose the contractor. AHS had previously sent out great appliance repair company (company A). to do timely and efficient work previously. This time they sent out an unknown (company B) appliance repair company, even though I called before I confirmed the appointment and requested company A. But AHS said "no." Well...the so-called company B appliance service technical shows-up 2 days later in his beat up econo-car! The... Read More

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Mitch, We are sorry to hear about this unpleasant experience that you have had with your services. We would like to follow up with you concerning this matter. If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, we will be in contact with you. Thanks

Catalina H
8/4/2017
It takes 4 days for service. DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYMORE. Used to be a good reliable company but not anymore.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Catalina, If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you regarding your concerns. Thanks

R
repbillgcarter
8/4/2017
Your service has been prompt and very satisfactory !

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks so much for the great feedback.

David F
8/4/2017
I have participated in this program for many years now, and have been very satisfied with all aspects of the service. response times, quality of vendors, customer service all are outstanding. The pricing of the service is the only thing I would point out, as being a tad pricey per month.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We appreciate you taking the time to share your service experience with us. Thanks David.

S
Stefani L
8/4/2017
When we moved into our new home we expected we would need to fix a few things since the appliances were nearly 8 years old, but we didn't expect our garbage disposal to go out the 3rd week in our home! But with a quick and easy online request, we had someone out the next day for a replacement! Not only was our technician SUPER nice and polite, but very quick! Thank you for hiring friendly workers and being so fast in our repair!! 😁🙏🏽

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Wonderful!. Thank you, Stefani. We greatly appreciate the feedback.

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Sherrie
8/4/2017
I really enjoy my American Homeshield, but it seems when you use it. The cost goes up even if you use it only 4 time out of the 6 years you had it. I don't like the issue of you exchanging a a product and the new product you replace it with end up cost more money. For example, you replace my dishwasher and every time we have a storm it has to be reset by a professional which cost me a deductible with my old dishwasher never had these problems.

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AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hi Sherrie, We thank you for providing feedback about your service experience, and we appreciate the opportunity to improve our customer experience. 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