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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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K
Krishna K
12/6/2020
The first time we called and informed about the defect cc on record was charged and no tech came. After more than two weeks when still no one had come we called again and again we were charged and this time the tech came and resolved to the problem to our satisfaction. Please refund one charge as we are supposed to be charged only once.


I
Isabel
12/2/2020
We recently had to use AHS for the first time. There was a quick response time, the repairman was professional, knowledgeable and super nice. He diagnosed the problem immediately, ordered the part needed and came back on a Sunday to fix the issue. I love the emails that are sent promptly after each contact, the low monthly fee and deductible! Totally worth it for us.


P
Par M
12/1/2020
They left me on hold for 4 hours on the phone...twice! I canceled my contract after it took a month to get my repair done.


S
Sydney H
11/30/2020
Great, fast , professional service. I love the low monthly fee and the low deductible.


melina.leija
11/25/2020
I used American warranty for several years. I have had nothing but excellent service. I had heater, electrical, dishwasher and washer machine issues over the years and every one of my issues was either fixed or replaced in a timely manner.


N
naomi a
11/20/2020
I contacted AHS around 8 AM. An electrician (very competent and professional) was at my house by 9:30 that same morning. The problem was solved!


nubbit72
11/18/2020
I have used it 3 times in 2 months. The first time I needed an electrician. The company they had do the job never called and every time I tried to make an appointment there was no answer. I called American home shield to complain.They made me an appointment for a time when I was at work. I Saud forget and paid out of pocket for my lights to get fixed. The 2nd time I had a leak in my shower. I told them what the problem was ( leaking shower pan and valves). I knew what the problem was because I tried to file an insurance claim. The insurance sent out a leak detection company. The claim was denied due to prior leak before I bought the house. American home shield said it would be covered.... Read More


P
Paul I
11/17/2020
Customer service in accounts, sales and billing need to be linked. Sales offers you a discount but billing never removes the discount amount so when you go to get service they show an outstanding balance equal to the discounted amount and will not send out a repairman to do work. When you call customer service to discuss this problem and wish to speak to supervisor you are transferred to specialist dealing with customer complaints and after an hour they say they can’t help but send you back to sales who also can’t help. Very frustrating. They send your contract by email but will not put in the amount showing your discount. After receiving the email I contacted them to ask them to show the... Read More


R
ROBERT W
11/14/2020
The rep was very professional, explained what caused the problem, defective Nest stat.


writercutler
11/13/2020
AHS responded very quickly in assigning a very good company to repair my garage door and the company responded quickly. Given the experiences I had with my last home warranty company, I had expected AHS to cover a greater part of the replacement part but, aside from that, the experience was quick and efficient.



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