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First American Home Warranty Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4 / 5 (Very good)
580 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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First American Home Warranty is a California-based company founded in 1984 for the purpose of providing home warranty products and services in the United States.

They provide coverage for home systems and appliance repairs for homeowners, sellers, buyers. The company is BBB-accredited, with a B+ rating, and a four-star TrustPilot score.

How is First American rated?

Breakdown

4.5/5
Transparency
4.0/5
Claims Processing
4.1/5
Coverage Options
4.0/5
Additional Benefits
3.5/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 4 / 5 (Very good)

With more than 30 years of experience, First American has proven itself a leader in the home warranty industry.

The company serves over 450,000 customers across the nation, offering year-round repair and replacement services, even on holidays.
Some of the most attractive features of First American home warranty plans are their comprehensive coverages, standard prices, and lower-than-average service call fees.
First American is an excellent option for anyone looking to protect their homes at a reasonable price and receive quality service 365 days a year.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Appliances
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Unlimited

Coverage Options - 4.1 / 5

First American offers two plans, the Basic coverage, and Premier coverage.

While their basic coverage protects mainly kitchen appliances, their Premier plan offers complete protection for all main home systems as well as appliances.

In line with most businesses in the industry, however, they will not cover cosmetic damages, damages due to improper maintenance or installation, and any known or unknown pre-existing conditions.

Coverage amounts differ by contract, yet their limits range around $3,000 in the aggregate for kitchen refrigerators, $1,500 for heating systems, and $500 for ductwork, which are substantially higher than comparable companies.

What does First American cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers

Exclusions

For a full list of First American exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $300
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 3.8 / 5

Annual premiums with First American can range from $300 to $500+ depending on the plan and option selections, quite reasonable within the home warranty industry.

The company extends a standard 12-month contract term and allows customers to obtain quotes and enroll online. Contracts seem to have different cancellation policies according to geographical location, so customers are advised to read their warranty agreements thoroughly before signing.

For instance, Texas residents may cancel their plans within the first seven days of coverage for a full refund, whereas Virginia residents have 20 days to cancel and receive back the entirety of their payment, provided they have not filed any claims under said contract.

Sample Contract

First American provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: First American Sample Contract

Claims & Service

Claims

Service Fee
$75 - $100
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Service Recall Period
0 days

Claims Processing - 4 / 5

First American has some of the most affordable service call fees in the industry, which range from $75 to $100, depending on the plan selected and state.

The company also offers a vast network of pre-screened contractors and technicians, as well as a 24/7 claims department.

Although their service offer is similar to that some competitors, it must be noted that First American contracts are short and easy to understand, which is another feature that potential clients will surely appreciate.

First American Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1984
NHSCA Membership
Number of Customers
450,000
Number of Employees
351
TrustPilot Rating
8.0 out of 5
BBB Rating
B+
BBB Positive Reviews
6
BBB Neutral Reviews
4
BBB Negative Reviews
277

Reputation - 4 / 5

First American is a BBB-accredited business with a B+ rating and composite score of 2.82 out of 5 stars based on 321 customer reviews.

Although they have received a considerable amount of negative client feedback at the Better Business Bureau's website, the agency has granted them accreditation based on their commitment to making a good faith effort to resolve consumer complaints.

Additionally, the company is a member of the NHSCA and holds a noteworthy Trustpilot score of 8.0 (Great).

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(800) 992-3400
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 7248, Santa Rosa, CA, 95407
Year Founded
1984

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580 Customer Comments & Reviews

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C
Carey
7/23/2018
First American is THE WORST. I would give them zero stars if I could. We switched to FAHW after we felt our previous home warranty company was too expensive... I regret that choice and we are switching back. We don't make many claims (3 last year), but everyone we did make with FAHW was a terrible experience. The icing on the cake was when our AC unit went out in June, and living in South Texas, living without AC is a miserable experience. I wasn't worried, as we opted for a more expensive package that covered AC units. To make a very long (and very unhappy) story short, it took over three weeks for our AC to be fixed. I tried to explain that living without AC isn't an option for us,... Read More


T
Troy
7/23/2018
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. I've had them for 5 years now, and filed 4 claims. Each one the "contractors" they've sent out have rescheduled the appointments. I wouldn't mind, but they've waited until halfway through the originally scheduled time period to contact me to reschedule. Twice later in the same day, once the next day, and once two days later. Every time, they have had to order parts, which have taken an average of 1 week. When you need a refrigerator, oven, washing machine, air conditioner, it's not fun to have to wait! Their prices and service visit fees are constantly rising as well.


T
Troy
7/23/2018
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. I've had them for 5 years now, and filed 4 claims. Each one the "contractors" they've sent out have rescheduled the appointments. I wouldn't mind, but they've waited until halfway through the originally scheduled time period to contact me to reschedule. Twice later in the same day, once the next day, and once two days later. Every time, they have had to order parts, which have taken an average of 1 week. When you need a refrigerator, oven, washing machine, air conditioner, it's not fun to have to wait! Their prices and service visit fees are constantly rising as well.


R
Roy H
7/23/2018
On May 6 , I put a claim in unit not > blow cold air . Contractor Lumart Air Condition can out > replace compressor. I had to pay $600 out of pocket cost. > Unit was doing the same thing after repairs the next day. > Lumart was reassigned to come back out. Lumart came out deem > my entire unit bad attic and outside. I filed complaint with > BBB because First Am told me there was and out of > pocket cost $1450 and my $600 was gone with 1 st repairs > which was flaw. I was contact by a claim rep. I wont say her > name cause she currently working on my claim and I am given > her a chance to make this right before I seek counsel on > this matter. Back to nightmare my... Read More


G
George
7/16/2018
Our AC stopped working in May 2018. Having a sick 1 year old and it being in the high 90s in Arizona we were desperate to resolve this issue quickly. Good thing we pay First American every month for insurance in case this happens, right? Boy were we wrong! After struggling to schedule a repair in a reasonable amount of time they finally sent us a technician that seemingly had no idea what he was doing. The first thing he did was replace the motor with a generic one from his truck. After that didn't work he made a mess rewiring our unit. Finally, he ordered parts from across the country, which when installed did not work. All this took about a week and a half. During this time we purchased... Read More


Robert W
7/16/2018
Waited 5 days for service company to call after I submitted claim. Then 10 days later more problems. Serviced within 3 days but stopped running within 1 hour. Service company slow to call back. Right now 3 hours with heat in house at 87 degrees. A/C quiet. Suffering from heat exhaustion but no company response.


Rebecca F
7/14/2018
Terrible, do not buy this! Day 13 and no ac repair. Delay tactics! Terrible customer service, they just tell you lies.


E
ettenahs
7/13/2018
Terrible Company Keep all your Receipts They Never have a record of your payment and charge you multiple times for service you already paid for.


M
Michelle H
7/5/2018
Not who I would recommend at all. First American doesn't seem like a very competent business. Their representatives don't understand (aka English isn't their first language,)what you are explaining regarding the appliance issues, even if it's a basic issue. They only have two servicing companies for appliances that they reference to you. They first tried to schedule Sears to come out, expect a technician wasn't available until the following week. THIS IS MY ONLY refrigerator, that's full of groceries. Then they scheduled GE Appliance Repair to fix my LG refrigerator. So when I finally called GE, my request had been cancelled because they only service GE appliances. I had to then argue... Read More


Bob B
6/26/2018
Will not recommend unless you want someone that is VERY difficult to work with and will not respond quickly to service outages. For example, my AC unit went out in July and they would not expedite repair. Took more than 45 days. Initial response is good, then they had one delay after another. Usually they were waiting for forms and reports to be filled out and/or parts by local technicians. Offered me $500 if I wanted to replace my AC system myself. I finally could not wait and I had to replace the entire system myself for $3,200. They suck bad. Requested separate request recently when clothes dryer went out. Following many calls, it was finally repaired by local appliance repair... Read More



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