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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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Cathy P
9/16/2020
I can't for the life of me figure out why this company would be highly rated unless you enjoy doing nothing FOR HOURS on end waiting to talk to a representative. And then if you enjoy waiting further hours waiting for another department. They are nothing if consistent. If this is what makes you happy, this is the company for you! They are IMPOSSIBLE to get hold of. How about a chat feature or email? I have heard these things can be done on the internet (heavy sarcasm). I cannot tell you how many times I've spoken to someone from the Philippines, who, although nice, had a heavy accent and the phone line was totally substandard. I don't think they provided me with anything more than any... Read More


M
MAMIE r
9/15/2020
Compared to the last warranty American Home Shield is awesome they are quick in setting up for your problem and have a fast response setting up your appointment I highly recommend them


lcw1243
9/15/2020
I recently had American Home shield.....worst experience I've ever had with a home warranty company! I teied to call them to book an appointment for service of my air conditioning unit. Could never reach anyone in customer service department, so I booked on line and paid the $125.00 service fee at time of booking! A few days later, my son came by and inspected the unit. I think he said "he simply flipped a switch" and everything began to work normally! I, then, tried to reach First American Home Warranty to cancel the appointment (no one called or emailed me to actually set an appointment date) having noticed that they had already charged my credit card! Must have tried at least 10-15... Read More


D
Doctor P
9/14/2020
These guys are the worst. Rip Off...scam. I paid them over 10000.00 for 14 years. Every time something went wrong like a water heater leaking the took a month to approve the fix. The last straw was my drains were starting to clog up and they refused service. So I cancelled them and now they say I have to pay them for the rest of the contract period. I never signed a contract and the contract says I pay them and they provide service. Not the way they look at it! They don’t provide service and you still pay.....nightmare!


Michael P
9/12/2020
I have been having problems with my washer/dryer and called for service back in June. It was making clothes I put in it dirtier than before being 'cleaned'. I had a service call on 6/11/2020 and then another service call when the first person did not know how to fix it. Then it was escalated to a supervisor at AHS and they told me to buy a replacement for the washer/dryer which I did on 7/4/2020 and I submitted the receipt on 7/5/2020. More than two months have passed and I am still waiting for reimbursement for the washer/dryer. I have called at least 12 times (including the many calls for service) and waited on hold an average of an hour each time. I have been told many times that my... Read More


L
Lisa
9/12/2020
I wish you would have more people answering the phone. The wait time is absurd! You start holding and it says 1.5 hour wait then while you are waiting it changes to 2 hour wait?!?!?!?!? It is supposed to decrease as you hold not increase! As for the service and plan I feel its worth every penny. We use the service frequently. We have a house built in 2004 so everything is getting to its life expectancy. They have now fixed our pool pump, our ac, our plumbing leaks, and now replacing our stove top. Granted it is taking months for the stove top to be replaced and the long holds is unacceptable but hopefully it will be complete soon.


abizerkh
9/10/2020
Horrible service. Always has > 1 hr wait to call in. Provides sub standard contractors. I called for garage door repair and their technician did not fix the problem or report back to AHS. Door opens and closes randomly on its own. Thats a huge security risk for us. Its been over 8 days. They won't send a second choice contractor who also is in their network. I called again and after 1 hr 42 min hold (that's not reasonable by any standards) their customer service rep said that since she doesn't have a report back they cant do anything. She was unwilling to understand the security risk, unwilling to send another contractor and unwilling to transfer to her supervisor. Then she said that... Read More


drendon6827
9/9/2020
I have no idea how this company has a 5 star rating, It must be paid/in-house reviews. Hands down the worst home warranty company we have dealt with. Horrible Customer Service. At-home Overseas Call Center Reps (communication barriers) No Supervisor Escalations Available $100 service fees charged for appointments that were never set or completed. Dishonest Technicians AHS looks for loopholes to not cover repairs/replacements Current Issue: My service request was placed over a month ago. Technician said they completed the appointment, however no one ever came out (AHS charged me $100 for the service call). I have requested that my service request be transferred to a new... Read More


cmdodsonco
9/8/2020
Repairs handled without delay. No complaints. Timely service, clear communication - excellent job.


chris.oswald03
9/5/2020
I have had to spend over 20 hours trying to get them to follow the contract and replace out AC unit. Over three months later and they still haven't changed the original denial. They don't know how to read their own contracts nor do they have amy plans on paying for any repairs. They are hoping you forget or think it's not covered. Now we have to pay to have it done and sue them for the money. They push you until you either sue or give up. Save your money and pay for repairs yourself. That's what I wish I would have done!



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  • No Inspections or Records Required