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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 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
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
Michael F
3/17/2021
This is the second time the repairman came because the initial fix didn’t work.


eadruk
3/13/2021
Great friendly and quick service! We will use American Home Shield again.


susanmbcook
3/11/2021
Being an American Home Shield customer for the past 16 years, I was VERY disappointed with American Home Shield in mid 2020-2021. It has become difficult to understand customer service reps and for them to understand me. They only know what they see in front of them, and can offer no assistance beyond what they read in front of them. No referrals to a supervisor or manager or someone who can answer questions. Communication has become a HUGE problem at American Home Shield, causing me to feel my business is not valued, and being a customer is not important to American Home Shield. I even receive an email stating one thing, and when I called about it, the representative told me the... Read More


R
Reddy
3/11/2021
This is the worse warranty company I had to go through lot of struggle to cancel the contract finally On 12-Feb02021 -- Request Submitted on 20-Feb-2021 - AHS Denied ordering parts. 0n 23-Feb-2021 - AHS Denied replacing Water Heater with reason not covered (The same is mentioned in BBB response by AHS on 27-Feb-2021) on 01-Mar-2021 After pointing the coverage from Contract and Providing Proof of leak is not cause of Bricks by second opinion by Platinum Plumbing on 04-Mar-2021 AHS sent again the Yung's Sewer company got another reason "Cause is Sediment & Corrosion" and Deny the same on 09-Mar-2021. After Pointing to a coverage section in contract again the coverage of... Read More


D
Dianna
3/7/2021
I’ve had AHS for about 6 years now and they have always come through for me when I need them! AC compressor, small plumbing issues, HW heater replacement.... If one of their contractors is not timely enough, you also have an option of using your own and being reimbursed (I’ve done this twice, with no issue at all). Overall, I’m very happy and I do see negative reviews on here— I guess you have to know what your policy does and does not cover so you are not expecting something to be fixed that’s not covered. I’m a happy customer.


bgarma3625
3/6/2021
These have to be false reviews. Google has them with a 1.4 rating. You can't get service on the weekend. Every time I called I get an Asian person with roosters crowing in the background. You can tell Customer Service is abroad and not in America. I had a claim for plumbing stoppage. I had no idea that was a result a roots in the line from someone else's yard. AHS sent me a denial letter several days later and then when I called to complain, their rep starts arguing with me. Horrible horrible service.


D
Diana L
3/6/2021
It is a great company to work with and bring peace of mind. Excellent service!


swsprime1234
3/2/2021
Their Motto is: 'Be sure with Home Sheild'. Well we can be sure that when we needed help, it wasn't there. They persuaded us to increase our coverage to include our pool and then put our rates up and our service charges up, and subsequently they covered NOTHING when our system broke as it was a 'not normal' breakage they said.


mputman880
3/1/2021
Buyer beware. I do not recommend this warranty company. They are horrible, poor customer service, unwillingness to listen, but will collect payment from you regularly. They also recommend the worst repair companies to come out to fix your issue, leaving your further unsatisfied and upset. I currently have an outstanding issue with them since December, that still hasn't been resolved, but they kept their service charge and continue to bill me monthly. Our former realtor suggested this company, and it was a horrible suggestion. I would suggest you go with another warranty place, do your research and make sure you do not give any of your business to AHS. If you know anyone else... Read More


M
Margarita
2/27/2021
Plumbers Dannie and Keith provided me with a very professional and respectful service. They also fixed my problem.



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