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American Home Shield Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)
4,137 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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4137 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Vanessa J
1/12/2016
I was with American Homeshield for 14 years. I was told my furnace needed to be replaced. The cost would be $6000.00. American Homeshield would pay only $400.00. I am really upset with myself for having paid them monthly payments for 14 years. I am really upset with American Homeshield for so readily accepting my money but when I needed their service this is the outcome. Naturally I did not renew after 14 years. They should have refunded some of my money (lol).


T
Trey C
1/10/2016
I was left in 110 degree heat for over 10 days because the service provider lied to them about my AC unit. They offered me one night in a motel room for $59.95. They eventually paid to fix my AC by another company.


N
nancy s
1/8/2016
Very difficult company to deal with. They have come to replace parts of my HVAC 15 times and still not fixed


A
Andrea F
1/8/2016
We have had this company for two of our rental units since August. EVERY month I get notified that they cannot process our payments. EVERY month I call them and they assure me the spelling of my last name has been corrected (they never entered it correctly to begin with) and this will fix the problem. It's January and I just got another notification which tells me yet again a representative who was very apologetic and assured me this issue would be taken care of has once again failed at providing adequate customer care. We will be switching companies today.


J
jim k
1/4/2016
They sent Tusa Plumbing to repair/replace my hot water heater. The plumber charged me over $800 to add things that he said were required "upgrades" (the inspector told me most of the items were not required (a couple of the items he had never heard of) and the $160 charged for calling the inspector should have been more like $50). Mr Tusa even told me to quit asking questions while he was here. I told AHS Customer Service if they didn't delete this crook, I would not renew (they didn't seem to care and would not take any action).


J
Jim B
1/4/2016
Good coverage and service while we were with them. Filed only legitimate claims. Refrigerator and AC wen out in same year. They cancelled the policy. Ask about cancellation policy before you sign


M
Mark G
12/28/2015
Purchased their Premium Plan in the next to last week of Oct. 2015. Around November 20th, I called in a claim that my Hot water heater was leaking on a Sunday. They did not send a Plumber until the following Wednesday. The rep diagnosed that my "water heater was leaking, and needed replacement". The plumber told me Before he could Diagnose my problem, I had to give him $75.00, to diagnose and call the claim in. I gave him the $75.00, then the plumber told me that The Home Shield company 'Refused to cover the Claim', because they did not know how long the Water Heater was leaking... I told them, the Water Heater "started leaking on Sunday, therefore, I turned off my Hot Water heater... Read More


J
Jim N
12/24/2015
I'm not sure how AHS is listed as the top home warranty service on this website. I've been an AHS customer for nearly 20 years and the last 3 years have been absolutely the worst. I keep them during these last few years primarily in hopes they'd improve but I continuously encountered issue after issue. When we moved in July this year, I had requested multiple times to have my service moved to our new address but could never reach anyone at AHS. I left several messages and finally, after a few months, gave up. They claim they tried to contact me but neither my phone (which hasn't changed and was correct in my profile, nor my email address which also is correct in my profile nor has it... Read More


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William M
11/10/2015
The only real problem we have ever had with this company is they do not have contractors, Contracted to service our area and we have to find our own contractor, that will be willing to except payment from AHS. And in this area that seam to be a real problem with contractors.


J
Janis D
10/26/2015
American Home Shield could not locate a service provider in my area to service my broken hot water heater, AHS did not respond to my requests for help. I had a recently broken ankle, I was without water for over a week, during which time I had to carry hot water from my kitchen to the bathroom in order to bathe. Try carrying boiling water with a newly broken ankle; it's super fun. The only way I finally got them to try and locate a provider was basically breaking down and crying over the phone. They did apologize and said they would waive the service fee of $75. They finally got a provider to respond, but he had had bad experiences with having AHS pay him on time, and said he would not... Read More



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