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Fidelity National Home Warranty Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 2 / 5 (Poor)
146 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Fidelity National Home Warranties is a California-based company with over 25 years of experience in the industry.

The company offers a convenient automated repair tracking system and consistent customer support through a team of highly trained local service providers and sales agents.

Fidelity National Home Warranties holds a Better Business Bureau rating of A+.

How is Fidelity National rated?

Breakdown

0.0/5
Transparency
3.5/5
Claims Processing
3.0/5
Coverage Options
0.0/5
Additional Benefits
3.5/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 2 / 5 (Poor)

Fidelity National's prices are inline with industry standards, though their service fees are slightly higher, and its guaranteed response time is a bit longer than that of other companies.

We feel the need to mention that Fidelity National has been the target of a state insurance regulatory action and a class action suit, requiring that customers give up their right to a jury trial in any legal dispute.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Per Term
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$1,000

Coverage Options - 3 / 5

Fidelity National covers many of the usual systems and appliances, as well as a few specialty items.

However, coverage for refrigerators, washers/dryers, air conditioning units, pool and spa equipment and septic tank leaks and roof leaks are not part of the standard coverage, but must be purchased separately when the contract is signed.

Unlike some other home warranty companies, the company does not cover system or appliance failures due to lack of maintenance.

What does Fidelity National cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Central Vacuums
  • Smoke Detectors
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Ductwork
  • Sump Pump
  • Telephone Wiring

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Garbage Disposal
  • Stand Alone Freezer
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1 More

Exclusions

For a full list of Fidelity National exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump
  • Septic
  • Roof Leaks

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $350
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
Yes
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 3 / 5

Fidelity National's minimum annual premium is $350, but add-ons for common coverages can raise this number considerably.

The contract is non-cancellable

Sample Contract

Fidelity National provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: Fidelity National Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

The contract is non-cancelable, except for non-payment of contract fees, fraud or misrepresentation of facts by the customer, or when the contract is for Seller's Coverage and close of sale does not occur.

If the contract is canceled, the customer is entitled to a prorated refund of the paid contract fee for the unexpired term, minus an administrative fee and any service cost incurred by the FNHW. A 10% penalty per month will be added to the refunded purchase price when not paid within 30 days of the date the contract was returned to FNHW.

The contract holder may cancel the contract after the initial 20 days and will be entitled to a prorated refund of the contract fee less a $50.00 administration fee and any service cost incurred by FNHW.

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.

Claims & Service

Claims

Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
Any Contractor
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 3.5 / 5

Upon receipt of a warranty claim, the company pledges to contact a qualified subcontractor within three business hours and within 48 hours on weekends or holidays.

Customers must pay a diagnostic fee of $65 on each claim, which must be paid even if the claim is subsequently denied.

Fidelity National Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1984
NHSCA Membership
Number of Employees
5001-10000
TrustPilot Rating
6.1 out of 5
BBB Rating
A+
BBB Positive Reviews
4
BBB Neutral Reviews
0
BBB Negative Reviews
97
Date Collected
2017-07-20

Reputation - 4.5 / 5

Fidelity National is accredited by the BBB and has an A+ rating. It has four positive reviews and 112 negative ones and 549 customer complaints.

However, it is not unusual in this industry for companies to have numerous negative customer reviews and complaints.

The company has no presence on Trust Pilot. In 2012, the company settled a claim against it by the Insurance Commissioner of California which alleged that the company had unlawfully paid rebates and offered inducements to real estate brokers.

The company agreed to cease and desist from the allegedly unlawful practices and paid a settlement of $1.25 million and attorneys fees of $175,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.

In 2008, a class action suit was brought in California against Fidelity National which alleged false advertising and insurance bad faith. The case resulted in four separate appeals and was eventually refiled.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(800) 862-6837
Headquarters Address
1850 Gateway Blvd, Suite 400, Concord, CA, 94520
Year Founded
1984

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146 Customer Comments & Reviews

Loading Reviews ...
ggener
8/14/2024
The wait time for new service requests is too long. Why do they use third-world nations for customer service? Why not hire Americans who live in America, ya pay them more too.


jlaub33
6/25/2024
It is appalling how this company does business. This is my second experience with them and will be the last. I will be changing home warranty companies. First was dealing with a thermostat that I finally went out of pocket to another vendor to get it fixed. This time is a refrigerator issue that is taking over a month and I am now being told parts have just been ordered. The worst part about it, every time I speak with someone at the company, nobody wants to take accountability. I cannot express enough, do not use this company as


jefflang76
9/28/2023
The service and Houdini non-coverage is TERRIBLE! I will no longer use Fidelity and am steering my dozens of real estate clients away from them as well. It took me 23 calls (many dropped or on hold for up to an hour) to talk to a human. Then it was someone outsourced who barely spoke English. Then the culmination was horrible. We're done.


dmpocket
9/20/2023
If you were to offer me a free lifetime membership I would absolutley decline 15 out of 10 times. As a business focused on customer support, it's the thing they do worse. I enherited this insurance policy and it's been a complete waste of time and energy. HORRIBLE COMMUNICATION, ABOSLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! In one of many calls to the custom service, I had a challenge understanding the support person. I repsectively asked to speak with someone who English was their primary language. After being put on hold muliplte times, there were no support people that could help me. I have no probelm with off-shoring support, but if you dont have a back up plan it becomes very frustrating. I'm really... Read More


T
Terrie
8/7/2023
We have been without air conditioning for over a month now and it is 105 degrees here in TX. My husband is 80 and this is too much for us. Apparently part is on back order but they have a second company they COULD order from but do not. They are NOT customer friendly!


ajsmith27863
6/20/2022
I started with FNHW in 2016 when we purchased our first home, The first year was good, however, the second year was totally the opposite. Long hold time, long time for a service request to be taken care of. I was even told by they can not guarantee the competence of the service providers. I try to get my call escalated to a supervisor but it never happens. We brought a new home last year and end up with them again, and this time they have gone from bad to worse. I place a service request on the 14 May, for my AC unit, the provider said it need parts and it took 3 consecutive calls from me before someone approve it on the 27th. It is now the 20th of June and the units are still not fixed... Read More


domeniczanghi
1/14/2022
I was given a home warranty by the seller via my purchase of a home. I put forth a claim to service a kitchen mounted microwave. While they were quick to send a service repair man to review it, the repairman was able to get the microwave to work for forty minutes. Improperly diagnosed the problem as a bad outlet. The morning after the visit, the microwave would no longer work and gave an error code translated to a bad electronic board. A service person verified that the outlets functioned properly and thus Fidelity scheduled someone to review the microwave a 2nd time. That service person came the following week and submitted a report that the microwave needed to be replaced. We... Read More


jchu219
10/12/2021
The worst company ever. I have cracked oven door, they sent someone over to take some pictures and later on saying it's denied. When I ask them for a quote, they asked me to ask the contract company directly as they have no information. They bounced me to resolution department and the wait time was 1.5 hours. I hung up because my phone is completely out of battery. I then tried the contract company, again nobody picks up the call. you can't find a single soul after getting into this loop. I just need a technician to fix the oven. I call fidelity trying to have them help me obtain the quote, they then trying to send me to the damn resolution department again. I said no more of that as I... Read More


sttebcs
9/16/2021
This company operates on a very frustrating business plan. They provide horrible customer service with hours of hold time, repetitive questions and multiple transfers just to go back on hold. They also drag out the claim process to such lengths as to get you to give up and fix things without them. You only benefit from this plan if you have redundancy and are able to wait them out. Multiple refrigerators, multiple A/C units, multiple water heaters, etc. I would not recommend a company who strives to provide this type of service.


crb1077
8/31/2021
FRAUD!!! This company is nothing but a scam. I'm tired of our government allowing companies such as this to stay in business and "legally" rob people of their hard earned money. This policy was purchased as part of a home purchase. Needless to say, every claim we filed was denied. It turns out they have a long fine print clause which states they will deny all claims for any reason. Don't believe me? Take your chance. I don't know how they sleep at night knowing they're lying to everyone. well pump denied, not covered pressure tank denied, not covered refrigerator denied, not our fault FNHW is not responsible for repairs or replacements due to misuse or abuse, disassembled or... Read More



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