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First American Home Warranties Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)
582 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 Do We Rate First American?

Breakdown

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

Our Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)

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 - 4.5 / 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 - 4.5 / 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 / 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 / 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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582 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Tabitha C
12/8/2016
I have been a customer with First American for the past 3 years now, I'm looking to switch companies. I pay First American over $60 per month for coverage. The reason that I want to have a home warranty is in case there is an emergency and I need something fixed or an expensive appliance replaced. I'm trying to be proactive and be prepared. I want to keep life as stress free as possible. Unfortunately, I find that when I do have something major happen like an appliance breaking they take forever to fix it. There employees give very standard and vague answers to questions that really just amount to them trying to get you off the phone. If you asked them a detailed question, for example do... Read More


Wilma Q
12/6/2016
We used First American Home Buyers warranty service for four years and never had a problem. Their customer service was good, and the contractors they used were professional and experienced. That all changed a few months ago when we needed service on our dishwasher. They sent out a company (J&B Appliance Repair) that was a total disaster. They said we needed a part and they would be back in a few days to install it. Never showed. I called they said they would be here the next day. Never showed. I called again and they blamed it on the girl taking the call, said they would call us back to schedule. Never called. Called them again they said it would be 2 weeks. Not acceptable.... Read More


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Lisa
12/5/2016
Stay away from this company. The customer service is terrible. My heater broke two weeks ago and it is still not fixed and they are telling me it is not covered. The customer service representative was barely understandable and she stated she was in Central America. She told me she never received paperwork from the contractor, yet the contractor showed that they submitted it over a week ago. Bottom line stay away from this company. I still have no heat!


K
kathryn
12/3/2016
This company is useless. I've called twice for urgent plumbing help. They set me up with a plumber each time--but two weeks after the request. Also, there are competent plumbers within two blocks of my home but they wanted to send plumbers in cities one and two hours away. Totally useless.


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Luanne f
11/30/2016
I have been with them for 5 years. Started out great but service has declined. I am going on my third day with no heat. I was told not an emergency because 34 degrees is not cold enough. Anytime you call them allow at least an hour on the phone. I have spent 4 hours on phone trying to get my heater repaired. When we signed with them 5 years ago I was on the phone maybe 15 minutes to do claim. Very disappointed in their service now looking at other companies


D
Dan
11/30/2016
This is a continuation of my review on 11/12 2016. I had a duct problem under my home with the return air ducts. FAHW's own contractor would not attempt to fix. The issue was very bad, musty smell getting into my home making it very uncomfortable. I hired my own contractor who came out, knew exactly what to do and fixed issue. My system has never run so great. I submitted all the paper work requested of me to FAHW for the work that my contractor did to fix issue. I've been on phone with them everyday to find out when I'm going to be reimbursed since I had to pay contractor out of my own pocket. When I would call FAHW to get a status on my claim, they would tell me it's assigned a... Read More


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Andy
11/29/2016
For two days now I have been battling with people who really don't seem to care at all about their customers and their issues. I would explain my story but I have already done so with 7 different FAHW employees over the pas 48 hours and I'm not feeling like Homer today. With FAHW, I feel as though I am being given "The Run Around" with them trying to find a contractor to fix my water heater leak, because they know that it is not going to be an easy fix and that the water heater will probably need to be replaced. I've had one previous dealing with them earlier this year on something very small and inexpensive and had no issue, but now that they are going to need to fork over some real cash... Read More


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Noe L
11/29/2016
This is definitely the worst home warranty company Ihave ever had. These guys are great at receiving you payments but not so good at helping with your problems. I had two claims and they found some excuse on both on to why I'm not covered.. I get the house in great condition and now that I have some issues they claim it was something we did..


H
Heather R
11/29/2016
We have had First American for almost 4 years and have finally thrown our hands up and cancelled the coverage. Every single claim with them is a battle. First they have very few contractors available to use - and of the ones they have I have found they are of the lowest possible quality and service. They are consistently unreliable, rarely if ever fix the issue on the first call and if the item needs to be replaced, I wish you luck in having that done. Hopefully it isn't anything time sensitive like no A/C in the summer in the deep south as ours was because you will spend the entire summer without any.


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ND
11/23/2016
this company has the worst customer service of any company I have ever dealt with. They are supposed to replace an oven in my vacation home. I drove 4 hours to meet them and they never showed up or called. After I called them I was promised delivery the next 2 days. No oven- no call. It is a week later and after over a dozen calls and hours on the phone ( mostly on hold) I still have no idea about when the oven will come - or even IF it will come. No one has given me a definitive answer- I just always get the response"someone will notify you" which they never have. The absolute worst company ever. I would give it 0 stars if I could



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