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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 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
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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CC J
7/9/2017
Great! On time and took care of home issues😀

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks CC. We appreciate the feedback.
Lucie L
7/9/2017
I have used my Home Warranty from American home shield twice in the first year and they repaired my items with me only paying my 75.00 co payment. I would love to keep the warranty but I am Not sure at 550.00 if I will be able to.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Lucie, We appreciate the feedback. Please send your information to us at social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate" and we will look into this matter. Thanks
John J
7/9/2017
Worst service in the world. Plan on holding h got over an hour at a minimum anytime you need to talk to anyone. Follow up has been 100 fail. I've had at least 3 people supposedly supervisors promise to call back and never call back. If you need anything g beyond the minimal service they provide your in trouble they will do everything in their power to ignore you frustrate you in the hope you will go away

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello John, We are sorry to hear about this issue that you are experiencing, and we will be in contact with you to see how we can resolve this matter. Thanks
Bruce G
7/9/2017
Extremely fast service. Professional repair personnel. A/C running great now!

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Happy to hear that you are pleased with your services Bruce.
J
Jeff G
7/9/2017
I have two homes with AHS on each. Had too use the warranty three times. One each in AC, refrigerator and one plumbing backup. AHS was great. Very quick service with highly qualified service professionals. Only needed to pay $100 for each repair compared to the hundreds out of pocket if I had not purchased AHS. And to clarify, I never in the past believed in these services. I saw them as a scan. But my realtor talked me into it. I'm a customer for life now.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We're pleased to hear you're satisfied with our services Jeff. Thanks for the feedback.
Lan C
7/9/2017
The worst home warranty company. I had an ice maker that way underperformed. It makes ice but very little. It runs nonstop, using power but produces little ice. They sent several repair men. All were lousy. Looked at it and saw that it was dropping ice and never addressed my concern which was my ice bin had only one inch of ice when the bin is almost 8 inches deep, which means it can hold 8 inches worth of ice. If you scoop one scoop of ice, it would take all day for that scoop to be replaced. I paid the service fee. They insisted I pay a second fee although the new repairmen came to address the problem which they never fixed. To get rid of their multiple emails demanding payment, I paid... Read More

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Lan, We are sorry for the inconveniences that you have experienced and would like to look into this situation. If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you. Thanks
Kimberly T
7/8/2017
My experience with AHS has been great. Easy online claims, quick professional vendors, never been denied a claim, been a customer for over 5 years.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Wonderful! Thanks for the great comments regarding your service experience, Kimberly.
J
Jamie
7/8/2017
American Home Shield has saved my life more than once when it comes to my appliances I don't know what I would do without my home warranty best thing I purchased every year

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks you for sharing your feedback with us Jamie.
Brenda M
7/8/2017
I bought a house and moved in in February 2017. In late March my refrigerator went out and when it was determined it could not be repaired, AHS replaced it with an almost exact model at no cost to me. Also, in April I had some plumbing issues. The first plumber that came out gave a diagnosis that I did not agree with. AHS sent out another plumber for a second opinion. AHS has performed above my expectations!

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Many thanks for the great feedback Brenda. Happy that we could help.
D
Dale S
7/8/2017
I am reviewing a prior, old service call from earlier this year. I had an issue with water coming from the humidifier line that is built in the furnace from the mail water line. The water line had come out of the fitting and when the unit kicked in, water sprayed all over the furnace room. the technician called it in when he got here to verify it was covered. come to find out it was NOT. We were VERY upset with this type of coverage. When we got it from the realtor, we basically were told it wold cover everything. I called the main office for the company and got the run around about the lack of coverage for this call. NOT HAPPY at all with their so called service plan. Makes us... Read More

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Dale, If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you and look into this matter. 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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