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Old Republic Home Warranty Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 2.2 / 5 (Average)
157 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Old Republic Home Protection, formerly called Dependable Home Warranty, was founded in 1974 and became a subsidiary of Old Republic International in 1982. The California-based company has since undergone management changes that have contributed to its growth and expansion beyond California. It is currently considered the third largest home warranty company in the United States.

How is Old Republic rated?

Breakdown

0.0/5
Transparency
3.5/5
Claims Processing
3.5/5
Coverage Options
0.0/5
Additional Benefits
4.0/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 2.2 / 5 (Average)

For 40 years, Old Republic Home Protection has remained among the three largest home warranty companies in the industry, providing comprehensive coverages for homeowners, home buyers, and real estate agents alike. Although their plans offer full protection for most systems and appliances, they can be rather pricey depending on the area of coverage and size of the home. Overall, Old Republic is a reliable option for anyone looking for enhanced protection and round-the-clock claims processing.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Combo Plan
Build Your Own
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$250
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$1,000

Coverage Options - 3.5 / 5

Old Republic Home Protection offers three home warranty plans, the Standard Platinum, and Ultimate. The Standard coverage protects all main systems and most appliances, and clients can build on that coverage to customize their plans. The company also offers optional coverage for certain less usual items such as salt water equipment and ornamental fountains. On the downside, Old Republic's typical appliance benefit limit is $250, and their systems limit is $1,000, which is less than what other home warranty providers are currently offering.

What does Old Republic cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

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

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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Exclusions

For a full list of Old Republic exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

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

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $295
Minimum Contract Length
13 month(s)
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 4 / 5

Old Republic plans are on the higher end in terms of price, with annual premiums ranging from $260-$500 depending on the state, size, and condition of the home. Contracts with this company may be cancelled upon mutual agreement, in which case the customer would be entitled to a pro-rata refund of the paid plan fee minus a $50 processing fee and service costs.

Sample Contract

Old Republic provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: Old Republic Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

This Plan is non-cancellable, except for 1) nonpayment of fees; 2) fraud or misrepresentation of facts material to the Plan or a request for service thereunder; 3) upon mutual agreement between you and ORHP; or 4) if you harm or threaten the safety or well-being of ORHP, any employee of ORHP, a Service Provider, or any property of ORHP or of the Service Provider. If Plan is cancelled, you shall be entitled to a pro-rata refund of the paid Plan fee for the unexpired term less service cost incurred and a $50 processing fee. If a refund calculation results in you owing us for services rendered, we will bill you the net amount due or the unpaid Plan Contract fee, whichever is less.

Claims & Service

Claims

Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 3.5 / 5

Old Republic charges a different trade call fee, ranging from $55 to $100, depending on the state, size, and condition of the home. They have the standard 30-day waiting period before coverage can begin, a 30-day recall period on labor, and mostly restrict customers to their network of contractors, unless they have been previously authorized by the company. Nevertheless, Old Republic does have a 24/7 claims department, which many customers find convenient and isn't offered by all home warranty companies.

Old Republic Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1974
NHSCA Membership
Number of Employees
550
BBB Rating
A+
BBB Positive Reviews
11
BBB Neutral Reviews
3
BBB Negative Reviews
113

Reputation - 5 / 5

Old Republic Home Protection is NHSCA-certified and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. The company holds an A+ rating with the BBB and a composite score of 3.81 out of 5 stars based on 140 reviews. There have been a substantial number of complaints filed against the company, yet they have resolved each issue and seem committed to providing a good customer experience.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(800) 445-6999
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 5017, San Ramon, CA, 94583
Year Founded
1974

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157 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Russell H
8/11/2018
Old Republic will pay for small claims, but when if you have a covered system that needs to be replaced they will say it can be fixed. My a/c system broke down 3 times in a 12 month period. The last time the a/c repair company came out to look at the system, because it had stopped cooling, the repairman said “he would not put another dime into this a/c unit and it needs to be replaced.” He even wrote the unit needed to be replaced on my receipt. Old Republic ignored this recommendation and said the system needs to be cleaned (not covered of course) and another part repaired. Conclusion, I would NEVER recommend using Old Republic and consider their business practices unethical. Oh, did I... Read More


Maya G
7/6/2018
I can not say enough terrible things about this company. The only shower in my home was stopped up and I called them to send a technician out. 4 days later I had not heard from the technician and decided to call them on my own. The number they gave me did not work, so I looked up the company online (no reviews on facebook, yelp etc) on my own and called to leave a voicemail. 3 days later I heard from them to schedule an appointment for a week later. Like I said- the only shower in my house wouldn't drain and I couldn't wait another week. They said if I called my own contractor I could call when they had a quote and be told the reimbursement. I did that, had a plumber at my house same day -... Read More


J
John
7/1/2018
I paid over $1,000 in annual premium for the most comprehensive coverage. But I get denied for the service more often than not for reason such as "it's under the ground" , "improper installation", "not a built-in unit" and etc. And then, worst of all is that a repair done last is broke down again this year, and I had to pay another trade call fee to get the same problem taken care of again. ORHP also changed how a trade fee charged after the fact. The same technician was assigned for two separate issues, but came out at once to take care of it. The ORHP called me and told me I have to pay two trade call fees since it is two separate issues even though it only took one visit by the same... Read More


Kyle C
6/25/2018
Absolute Garbage. I had my A/C unit go out on a weekday at 8 p.m called - was told i will get a on call person to come out. No call was made to me. no one came out. Called again at 5:01am the next morning and was told they have assigned a company and they open at 7:00am and will contact me asap. I had to call them at 7:30 and was told they will come out the NEXT DAY between 6:00 -8:00 pm. Wow.... okay well ill get someone else to come out then. Called Old rep. back and got a voicemail stating if the timeframe is not good enough to schedule a 3rd party come out and please call if its over $500. Hung up, called a local A/C company and they were able to come out within a few hours. later... Read More


J
jessica
6/6/2018
The worst experience and service ever! I made an account so I can make this review. It took them over two months to finally compensate us for a new stove. They scheduled a tech to come to our home to fix our stove 6 times and out of those 6 times, the tech came twice. I don't know how many times a tech needs to come for them to realize that our stove is not fixable. Their constant miscommunication with each other and the techs severely inconvenienced us because we had to take work off all of those times and still no one would show up. We haven't been able to cook in our new home for 2 1/2 months now and by the time we get our new stove it will have been over 3 months without a stove. We... Read More


M
Margaret
4/6/2018
Horrible customer service representatives and the company states they want to provide “premier service experience”! Perhaps they should train their CSRs what that actually means! I’ve had multiple homes (my own and my rentals) covered with them and finally decided that enough was enough. Condescending and rude people make unqualified decisions about services. If the CSR, who is not a qualified field technician but makes technical decisions about the issue and determines that something falls outside off the plan there is no recourse. You will be told that it is not covered and there is nothing they can do. When asked to speak to someone qualified they refuse to transfer you to a different... Read More


Kelly R
3/6/2018
I am at the end of my term with Old Republic and trying to decide whether to renew or not. Based on these reviews, Im not going to. My only experience with them was bad, as well. I have two light sockets that turn off and on for no reason. The lights will just go out (while turned on) and then come on again later. I called Old Republic and they sent a "repair" man out. My adult children were home at the time and let him in. He looked at the lights and said "oh, its your thermal coupler thats overheating, we don't replace those" and took the $75 service fee and left. Didn't test anything, open anything....nothing. No stars from me for this.


Jacob T
2/19/2018
On December 22nd I contacted Old Republic Home Warranty to fix a dishwasher that had been experiencing issues. LA Appliance is assigned to fix dishwasher and arrive on the 27 and by the 30th they diagnosed the dishwasher as needing a new control panel. On January 3rd I was sent a text message from LA appliance saying that the parts were ordered but I was informed at a later date by Old Republic Home warranty that the parts were not ordered until the 4th or 5th. Not sure why there is a discrepancy there. At that point Old Republic/La Appliance informed me a technician would arrive on January 23rd LA Appliance determined that something else was wrong with the dishwasher after the brand new... Read More


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Robin A
2/19/2018
First of all, I'm glad I found a place to air my gripes! Secondly, I agree with everything negative said by others. While I didn't have any "huge" issues during the 7 years of service with this company, I do have a serious complaint when we sold our house. Initially, I was told "no problem" when I inquired about getting a pro-rated refund when our house sold. I was shocked, however, when I received a $6.00 check in the mail. I was told (and, yes, their cancellation policy addresses this in a very ambiguous way) that they not only subtracted the (only 2) service fees paid to vendors, they charged me now for what they paid the vendors! Are you kidding?! What was the point of having... Read More


K
Ken P
2/19/2018
REALTORS Beware. This company is terrible. Star should be ZERO. I would NEVER recommend them. Save the $500-$750 and use a repair guy. First off they ask you to pay a $75 fee to their service provider to analyze the situation. OK I can see that. However do not get conned into thinking they are going to fix it. When I called them about my dishwasher, they said they would send someone out right away. Two weeks later I called them back and ask for an update. They told me that the guy they called, let them know that he could not service my area. They would not tell me how long they had known. They did tell me that they would call another repair person in the area and get it fixed... Read More



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