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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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Sandra C
8/24/2016
My last service request was for my garage door. I called it in to Home Shield and Overhead Door responded next day. 2 days later they came for service call. They were very efficient and actually found 2 things wrong and immediately did repair. Very pleased.


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Phyllis W
8/24/2016
Problem with my washing machine was taken care of timely and the service personl was very helpful and did a very neat and clean job. I was just a little disappointed in that I had to wait so long for the service person to be able to do the job.


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JERRY C
8/23/2016
had to sue for the coverage ..they played games with submitting claims to their legal department


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Loren U
8/23/2016
Called to report a problem with washing machine, had a service person at my house two days later. Service person ordered parts and came back and installed them three days later. Everything works great.


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Martha B
8/23/2016
My most recent experience was having my air/heating unit serviced. I called it in the company contacted me in one day. Serviceman came out very courteous and efficient. Such a pleasant attitude. I was very pleased


C
CHERYL B
8/22/2016
The most recent claim was for my refrigerator which was frosting over (frost-free!). The technician came assessed the problem & ordered the part. It was installed as soon as it arrived & has been working properly ever since. The technician was courteous, considerate & did his job in a most efficient manner.


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elijah m
8/22/2016
By far the worst home warranty company i have ever dealt with took almost 3 months to get my fridge replaced 2 different contractors over 5 visits total then they will do anything not to pay out you buy it first then they might send you a check. Almost everyone i talked to was rude and lied to me telling me what i wanted to hear just to get me off the phone i will never do business with this company ever again. I am told my fridge is on its way and will be here in 10 to 14 days we will see. At no point did i ever feel like a valued customer i have no idea how this company has such a good rating i expect it will go down very fast over the next few years.


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Plant
8/20/2016
My wife and baby suffered in 108F heat for 24 hours nobody came i called the contractor who Ahs referred to and still no answer(martinez mechanical) i call and left 25 voice mails. Finally i called a outside company and issue was solved . While Ahs contractor call s me after 3 days to schedule Appointment. Junk service From Ahs. I called Ahs for refund and was told that submit on line but there is no promise. I still have my service active with Ahs . I want to if anyone has balls to call me. Mr ceo / president of AHS you are a pussy. Handle you clients who make your pay. Step in to my shoes and feel the pain my family went through. I dont want your sorry. I want money which i spent to... Read More


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Micah W
8/20/2016
Our experience with American Home Shield was frustrating for several reasons: 1) Slow response time and lack of professionalism - After filing a service request for our AC, we waited for over a week on American Home Shield to provide us options for fixing it. After waiting on hold for over an hour on the phone, the two customer service representatives that I eventually talked were unable to answer basic questions about my service request and were also unable to provide a timeline for when our service request could be completed. 2) Dishonest customer service representatives - Customer service representatives repeatedly told us that American Home Shield was not replacing our AC unit at... Read More


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John h
8/19/2016
Worst Ac repair I ever experienced. Sub standard contractors that take weeks to make a repair.



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